Artists Books

I'm a longtime fan of Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series who recently read "The White Mercedes". Upon reviewing that rather interesting book, Amazon showed me this little book in my recommendations. The excellent price and intriguing description made me purchase it. I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed in the least.

"The Broken Bridge" is a really great novel for young adults about fitting in and dealing with family. Ginny's life, which she's rarely questioned, comes into question when she discovers a brother, a best friend's older sister, and her own past. Ginny is a pretty cool character, in that she's really easy to relate to. Her awkwardness at times and fears are realistic. Her anger makes sense. She's a perfectly constructed person, living inside a book. Other characters are equally real.

I liked Ginny's development over the summer, emotional and otherwise. She's a bit impulsive and that makes for an interesting read. Thankfully, this novel is very teen-friendly (minus a few swear-words) and should pass any "appropriateness" test, though it deals with serious subjects very well. It will capture the reader quickly and strongly, until you really want to know what happens. And the ending does not disappoint.

"The Broken Bridge" manages to deal with a number of serious issues quite well. Ginny, as a mixed-race teen, faces a number of racial insecurities, living alone with her white father and white community. Her strong artistic bond to her mother is meaningful as well, and this artistic aspect to the novel should draw in (no pun intended) artists as well. The way she views the world is quite special and unique.

Mysterious, well written, and absolutely enjoyable, "The Broken Bridge" is not the same fantasy Pullman, but still the same fantastic Pullman. Highly recommended!

Not up to the same standard as 'His Dark Materials' but it's aimed at a different market, I guess.

I found the writing good, creating that dreamlike, unreal, almost nightmarish feeling when your world is suddenly turned upside down.
The book grips you and you feel dragged along with our heroine as she tries to make sense of what is happening and the 'visions' she has; the only failing is the ending which seems a bit of an anticlimax.

Nevertheless, a very good read.

This is a wonderful book. I think it will resonate with many readers, who might relate to it even though the circumstances are unique.

Philip Pullman has a powerful gift. It convinces us to not only enter into the minds of his protagonists with sympathy, but to emerge actually caring about them. I really miss Ginny now, having finished the book. I try, in my imagination, to watch her grow up. I think she'll be brilliant, just like many of the readers who can relate to her and her step-brother.

As you begin reading the book, you're not told a whole lot; and I liked that. It made me more alert to cues in her thinking, watching her moods and the things that happen around her that she doesn't quite pay enough attention to.

On the other hand, the things she *does* notice are with the eyes of an artist, and one with a creative imagination. Readers who also like to draw and paint will find lots to like about the way Ginny thinks. It's a view of an artist's way, from an artist himself... and just like the best art, it moves something in us in a very subtle but profound way.

The book deals with feelings of isolation, which many of us encounter through race issues but everyone *could* understand, given a writer like Pullman. And then there's the matter of growing up. What happens when Ginny's secure world seems too small, but getting out of it is too scary? What happens when what she thinks she knows is not half of what's really there beneath her nose? Pullman makes her story a lot like our own story. We're hooked.

Her growing awareness of others' lives, her ability to move from a genuine and thoughtful sympathy to actual empathy - putting herself in their shoes, rather than looking at their shoes from her perspective, so to speak - is handled so well, I can't help but think we readers all benefit too.

Philip Pullman will probably always be best known for the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. This may be appropriate, as this trilogy - The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass - are superior fantasy. But there is more to Pullman than these three books. The Broken Bridge is a standalone novel that shows Pullman's skills go beyond just a single genre.

The Broken Bridge is the story of Ginny, a black (actually mixed-race) sixteen year old girl living in Wales with her white father. Despite the disadvantages of having a long-deceased mother (who came from Haiti) and being one of the very few non-whites in her coastal community, Ginny is reasonably well-adjusted. This stable life comes to a close, however, when a social worker appears at her house. Shortly thereafter, her father reveals something that will completely upset her life: her father had a son by another woman; the woman is dying and soon her half-brother will be living with them.

This revelation is only the first of many that will completely turn Ginny's life upside-down and make her question everything and everyone she has known. The most damaged relationship, however, is with her father who still has a number of other secrets that are beginning to leak out. But there are other truths that will be learned too, regarding her friends, her grandparents and her mother.

This is classified as a "young adult" novel, as most of Pullman's books are, but like his other works, these can actually appeal to any adult readers. I would guess it gets this classification because it is tame from a sex, violence or language standpoint, but the topics - including racism, adultery and even murder - are not exactly "childish."

Pullman is as a good a writer as always. The only disappointment readers are likely to experience is if they expect something like His Dark Materials. Outside of possibly one scene, this story is completely non-fantasy. But if you realize that Pullman can do more than just that one genre, you will find this is another is another good book by him.

The Broken Bridge is a beautifully written book about a girl named Ginny Howard, who is one of the very few black children in Wales. Ginny lives with her father, striving to reach her goal of becoming an artist. Then she finds out that she has a white half-brother named Robert. Even worse, she is illegitimate. Knowing that her father may not be telling her the whole truth about her own life, Ginny decides to find out all that she can about herself and her mother. The plot is embellished with Ginny's unique ideas about herself and also her artistic views. This book was very inspiring and I find that I can associate many of the things discussed in it with my own life. I am definitely better off from reading it.

Anyone who loves graffiti and knows anything about it will not be able to put this book down!!! It is packed full of illegal bombing, tags, pieces and huge productions from all over NYC( and yes, pieces can be illegal too- check out some of the great spreads along the Amtrak lines of NYC in the first part of the book). There are so many awesome and original quotes from the graff artists on all types of topics like the paint they use and how they describe their style and even how they got into graffiti. It is really cool that the authors interviewed ALL the graff writers themselves and even have their tags and action shots to prove it. You can really get inside these guys heads!! Overall this book is a must have for anyone interested in graffiti. The panoramic double-page photo spreads and 3 FOOT FOLD-OUTS along with the unforgettable interviews are INCREDIBLE!!!

I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS BOOK WHEN I READ JEFF CHANG'S (AUTHOR OF "CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP: A HISTORY OF THE HIP-HOP GENERATION) GREAT REVIEW ABOUT IT IN THE VILLAGE VOICE. THEN I HEARD HARRY ALLEN (THE MEDIA ASSASSIN ON PUBLIC ENEMY'S "DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE") RECOMMEND IT ON HIS RADIO SHOW AND I KNEW I HAD TO GET IT. "BROKEN WINDOWS" DID NOT DISAPPOINT. IT'S FULL OF HUGE COLOR PHOTOS OF BOMBING, PIECES, PRODUCTIONS, AND EVEN PAGES OF TAGS FROM ALL OVER THE BOROUGHS OF NYC. OVER ONE-THIRD OF THE BOOK'S PHOTOS ARE OF ILLEGAL PIECES AND BOMBING. THERE ARE EVEN 5 FOLD-OUTS ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF QUOTES FROM THE ARTISTS THEMSELVES. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MUST-HAVE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE GRAFFITI SCENE. I EVEN SAW THAT BOMBING SCIENCE'S WEBSITE DESCRIBED THIS BOOK AS THE NEW "BIBLE" IN THE WORLD OF GRAFFITI.

Yes! This is must-buy for any graffiti fan whether you make them or not. Good story with beautiful photos shows you magnificient graffities from the center of graffiti zone, New York.

This volume provides the reader with a pictorial and written description of the New York graffiti scene. This is a variety of information presented in a unique format which provides the reader insights into the various artists.
Pictures are well laid out , with gatefolds supporting a plethora of photographic depictions of a variety of talents.
The reader is provided with visual detail of the NYC graff, while text provides additional detail.
Artists are depicted practicing their craft, the reader is exposed to a thorough overview of individuals and groups who represent street art in NYC.
A required addition for an grafitti library , and an excellent introduction for the reader looking for their first graff lit, a nice volume to build a collection from.

THIS BOOK IS BUMPIN'

Awesome book on New York City Graffiti with illegal bombs and pieces, legal walls, tons of tags,action shots and crazy quotes from hundreds of artists. Sick fold-outs, mad color and all the boros represented.

An easy to understand book for kids with a great message. I read this book to my nephew and niece over the holidays and they loved the book (great illustrations too). Mookey is one incredible rabbit -- he shows kids that they can do anything and to have fun along the way!!

I bought the book for my two year old nephew, and he loves the book. He asks my sister to read it to him for his bedtime story. He loves the Bunny Rabbit illustrations!

Kudos to the author/illustrator of Bunny Rabbit on the Moon! Working with children, I was happy with the book's message that you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it,and that it is important to experience new things in life. The illustrations were framed nicely and contained delightful details. I highly recommend this book. It would make the perfect gift for families with young children.

I enjoyed reading the book and sharing it with those around me. The book playfully describes little mookeys big ideas and his adventures in accomplishing them. I think my favorite part is how little mookeys story and the ability for us to accomplish big dreams ourselves becomes real when you look at the moon. I read the story to my kids during a camping trip. Afterwards we all watched the moon and discussed some of our "big dreams". It made for a great evening but also opened our eyes to what we can accomplish if we set our heart and minds to it.

I bought this book for all the kids on my Christmas shopping list. I love the underlying message of this book, and the illustrations are adorable.

This is the most thoroughly researched biography that I have ever read, and I have read a great many. The author spent ten years seeking out every possible source that she could see that must or might have existed - even the police report of a child's stolen bicycle. This biography sets a standard that few other biographies will ever meet for quality of research.

But this book goes well beyond the research. The author can write very well. And the book is a highly readable and compelling account of every aspect of Camille Claudel's life.

There has been much that was unknown about her life, and that led to much speculation. Odile Ayral Clause has removed many of the shrouds that veiled Camille Claudel's life, and she has brought strong evidence to support what she has found. We now have a solid and clear view of Camille Claudel, free of speculation.

I read this book last year after seeing the last half of the Isabelle Adjani/Gerard Depardue film on television. The film didn't give Claudel her due. She was a very tough minded woman trying to make her mark in the intensely competitive and 99.99 percent male French nineteenth-century art world. Aside from that her chosen (from childhood) form of expression was sculpture, considered to be purely masculine and financially extremely risky. She was barred from the best art school, L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, because of her gender. Lesser schools accepted female students but charged them higher fees. At age seventeen Claudel began her studies at the Academie Colarossi, a new and equitable institution. Eventually she became Rodin's student and lover. When it became clear that Rodin would never leave his long-time partner and mother of his son in order to marry her, Claudel left him.

She lived and worked under enormous pressure -- not the least of which came from her mother and sister, very conventional and rather dreary middle-class people. No doubt Claudel was eccentric and nervous because of the difficulties of her life, but she was not insane. Her mother had her committed to a mental hospital after her father died and was no longer able to protect her. Claudel was not yet forty. She never sculpted again. Claudel died a pauper at seventy-nine after living the last half of her life with the insane and other inconvenient people. Her mother and sister never visited her. Her brother visited her two or three times during her incarceration.

Claudel was a genius. For a century Rodin's name overshadowed hers, but since a major retrospective at the Musee Rodin in 1984 and important exhibitions in the U.S. her work is known all over the world. Many of her pieces can be seen at the Musee Rodin in Paris.


Ayral-Clause's biography of Camille Claudel is a great gift to English speaking readers. It is deeply researched, beautifully written, and is enhanced with many photographs of Claudel, her milieu and her sculptures. I am very glad I read it.

Camille Claudel was an amazing Parisian sculptress who lived far before time was good to her and this biography does her justice...finally!

Born in 1864, Camille Claudel grew up with an ambition un-worthy of her sexual status. She held within her being an artistic fire that was only extinguished by supposed madness. I have the feeling that had this woman been alive today her art and her spirit would thrive. But during the 19th century women were still meant to be barefoot and pregnant with no ambition other than being a wife and mother. Claudel struggled to represent her art and her spirit was destroyed by those she loved the most. She fought against a mother who wanted to keep her quiet and reserved, she defied her brother's idealistic religious beliefs and she competed against the world renowned artiste, Auguste Rodin. Despite the odds against her she created many works of pure and exquisite beauty proving that women could surpass men if given a chance. But because of her spirited talent she was eventually relegated to a hospital for the insane due to her inability to deal with the pressures of a love not returned (with Rodin), financial ruin and a lack of respect for her hard honed works.

Camille Claudel captured the struggles of love, aging and sexism in her famous sculptures: Jeune Fille a la Gerbe (1887), Giganti (1886), Vertumme et Pomone (1905), La Valse (1905), Clotho (1893), L'Implorante (1894-1905) and the magnificent L'Age mur (1902). Her abilities were innate but fine tuned through her affiliation with Auguste Rodin. In this relationship Camille flourished at first, guided under the wing of a master (24 years her senior), but she soon succumbed to his jealous competitiveness and his inability to commit fully to her love. Comparing the two sculptors one finds Claudel to be the true master because she refines lines that Rodin tends to leave unbalanced. Their competitive natures are apparent in the similarities of ideas but in my opinion Claudel outshines her "mentor." Claudel created sculptures from many mediums some plaster, some clay, many marble and even onyx, jade and bronze as well as dabbling in other art forms such as charcoals and portrait paintings. Many of Claudel's best works remain lost due to her internment and her loss of ability to control her own work. She also destroyed many of her own pieces in her angry despair believing them to be under jeopardy of being stolen by "Rodin and his gang." Thankfully the art world has managed to retain most of her great pieces and they currently reside in (of all places) the Rodin Museum in Paris.

This biography is a wonderful read being both interesting and factual and additionally very well written by Odile Ayral-Clause. Camille Claudel lived a tragic life full of ups and downs eventually ending in complete despair. Her life is interesting because she was one of the forerunners for women's rights in that she refused to be dominated by male society and ferociously attacked anyone who attempted to destroy her dreams, unfortunately in 19th century Paris her actions labeled her insane, remember a woman who chose to wear pants was considered a criminal unless they obtained special permission from the police to do so and it was a popular thought at the time that talented women possessed genitalia very similar to men! I think society was more insane than Miss Claudel and I will forever wonder what she could have contributed had she been born in this century. The ending of this woman's tale is heartbreaking in itself but every page in between provides an eye-opening experience of what it must have been like to be an artistic woman during an age controlled by men.

Odile Ayral-Clause's work is excellent! I read the book from cover to cover last year and as I am now planning a trip to Paris this Spring, I am rereading the book again and enjoying it even more!

A.C. captures so well the spirit of the woman, her social environment, and the city of Paris.

Thank you for bringing this beautiful artist to life!

This book is the best, most meaningful work on Camille Claudel that I have read thus far. I highly recommend it as an accessible, informative, fascinating work that illuminates the life of one of the finest sculptors in France. Odile Ayral-Clause tells the truth, with unflinching honesty, drawing upon new documents that only came available in September 2000. She offers the details that make this woman's life come real for the reader.

JIM, who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion.

It's small wonder that Edward Gorey chose to illustrate Belloc's verses, written nearly a century ago - in fact, they were such a clear and strong influence on his work, it's hard to believe he didn't write them himself. 'Cautionary Tales' is a literary work that was years ahead of its time, parodying the overtly-strict educational children's verses of the time with tales of children whose punishment is wholly disproportioned to their crime. Gorey's illustrations, published only after his death in 2000, complete the ghoulish verses with his trademark naïve and refined black and white crosshatching. Already in his seventies, Gorey has lost none of his charm and style and these illustrations are as nasty and sarcastic as anything he's done, perfectly complimenting the ironic text.

'Cautionary Tales' is the first work of Gorey's published after his death, and it's a perfect conclusion to his illustrious career, and one of his finest works. It's an essential to any fan of this great artist.

This was one of the loved books of my childhood in the original edition, of course.

I hadn't seen it for a very long time and was anxious to haev a copy for my younger grandchildren. Though old people can enjoy it as well.

Now plesed to have it on my own shelves

I got this to read to my nephews, and it did not disappoint when the time came to pick a story to read. I highly recommend this and the Gashlycrumb Tinies to anyone with children or nephews....

I just gave this to a friends' one year old for her birthday. In the inscription I wrote that she ought to read and learn, as whatever she does in life will come back to haunt her. My friend thought the book hysterical. Her husband thinks we're both odd...

One can imagine Edward Gorey mulling over these "Cautionary Tales",subsequently creating succinct Goreyesque illustrations for them. Then years later after presenting his family to us in "The Willowdale Handcar" he undoubtedbly mulled over ideas about families & children and came up with my personal favorite Gorey: The Gashleycrumb Tinies. If you like Gorey & you like the Tinies, you'll enjoy "Cautionary Tales".

4 stars only because I happen to like the devilishly wonderful "Tinies" better.

I absolutely loved reading this book! It provided me with an insight into the life of Chanel including all of her successes and struggles. It really made an impression on me and I would encourage anyone who is looking for a good read to pick up this book. Not only was it very informative, it also provided a great story full of saddness, love, and many other touching and motivating elements.

I haven't read the book but I really need a picture of Coco Chanel. Is there any about? I need it for my A Level French Course work!!!! Any Help Thanks xxxxxx

I have always been fascinated by whatever's written about her ever since I received a Chanel purse for an 18th birthday present. There have been a number of books written about Chanel, I'm sure but Janet Wallach's will not disappoint any reader. It is simple and elegantly written with beautiful black and white illustrations. Even if one is not a fan of Chanel's style, you will be intrigued by her notorious life as told here. Either for yourself or a friend, a nice book to keep and look through now and again.

This is a spectacularly beautiful and insightful view of a woman who was the major force in 20th century fashion. It is elegantly written and sumptuously illustrated and no doubt will become the definitive book on Coco Chanel. I learned a great deal that I did not know before and I had a long career in fashion. This book will delight men as well as women because it contains many revealing stories about Chanel's sexual escapades. Buy it by all means!

This book is very good. The text isn't hard to read, and in this book are allot of pictures, only in black and white. There should have been also a few colour pictures. This book is only looking at the period that Coco Chanel designed the collections and not the Karl Lagerfeld era.

After I picked up Suite Française by Irene Nemirovsky, I happened to look at the cover-design credit and recognized the name Chip Kidd. After a moment's reflection as to the source of my familiarity with the designer, I walked over to my bookshelf and picked up a volume from my collection of Osamu Tezuka's Buddha. Sure enough, Kidd had designed the covers for the entire series (incidentally, I found the design one part frustrating and one part inspiring, as the spines line up nicely and thematically but the half-jacket is kind of obnoxious to deal with).

After that, I went through my shelves and picked out any of the books that I thought had interesting covers. At least half of those were designed by Kidd as well. Kafka on the Shore. Pagan Babies. The Enigma of Japanese Power. Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans. Et cetera.

I was intrigued, Googled our dear designer, and found that he was more popular than I had properly imagined. This piqued still further my curiosity. And so now I have another book with a cover designed by Kidd: Chip Kidd: Book One: Work: 1986-2006, a 400-page volume exhibiting a sample of his book-jacket designwork from the last twenty years.

The book itself is a treasure. A visual smorgasbord of styles and themes. A veritable cornucopia of novel treatments. While there is an occasional overlap of feel or technique (or some other abstract quantification equally obscured and subjective), the breadth of design direction is truly impressive.

Kidd is clearly a creative devil.

And this collection of his work is impressively presented. Book One is a treat for both the eyes and the mind. While a mere presentation of the jacket designs themselves would be a worthwhile scheme for a design collection such as this, the work is elevated by helpful descriptions both of product and process by the creator himself as well as reactions penned by authors/victims of his creative process. Kidd's text shows both a joy in his work and a look into what goes into the crafting of a book jacket that enlarges upon the work it containsand does so with humour and more apparent humility than I would have expected.

I found the book so interesting that I blew through the entire thing in two days. Doubtlessly, I'll return to it time and again over the coming months and years. In any case, I highly recommend it to those interested in thoughtful design, a pairing of words too rare in our day.

NOTE: a big bone of contention is not the visual design of the volume's cover but its physical properties. While its dimensions are perfectly suitable for an art collection/coffee table read, the unique composition of its cover can be difficult to negotiate. The hardback cover only extends (front and back) to the point of the spine of the book photographed on the cover. Inside the hardback cover is a paperback cover that extends to house the rest of the book. It is awkward, certainly, and took a bit of getting used to, but once I became accustomed to the book, holding it comfortably ceased to be a difficulty. Heh, a book with a physical learning curvethat was a new one for me.

This is a great, great book. If you're a fan of Kidd's work, by all means buy this book. If you are at all interested in truly inspirational graphic design, this book is a must-have.

PROS: having so many of Kidd's designs in one place is worth the price of admission, inclusion of the development and back story of each cover is interesting and elucidating, stories of his adventures in the trade are well-written and fun to learn about.

CONS: the cover is awkward, the shape of the book makes it hard to hold while reading - you really have to put it on something flat - it's sometimes difficult to decipher exactly which pictures the captions are referencing.

There is a definite form-over-function issue with the book, but the content is what counts - and that gets 5 stars from me without a quibble.

I HAD to buy this book after having read about it in another forum. Kidd's artworks are superb!

This book is bound with a split hardback/softback cover, so if you appreciate design -- which I assume you do since you're considering a compilation of book designs -- the book is worth buying for this odd cover arrangement alone.

This an excellent ,colorful book with very useful and informative comments,they are also humorous.Kidd mentions that he shows failed designs when he lectures to show that even a successful designer has failures.Unfortunately,in my opinion,the jacket for this volume falls in this category,its clever but not practical.because the cover is split in two parts its an irritation to hold and eventually the cover will be bent when laying down or storing in shelf.Still a must have in this genre.Now how about a Susan Mitchell collection?
ps.i followed my advice and bought the hardcover .Amazing its even more unwieldy,the cover is half hard and half soft,yikes!I ended up buying the soft cover to keep and treat it very carefully ,was that the point of this nutty design?I guess this cover will enter the hall of fame and certainly will be a collectors item if its never opened.Argghh!!!

This is a great book for budding art students. I used this as my reference in my art classes in college. Very detailed and full of information. Even if you are not a natural artist, you will be able to develop your skill if you have a good guide such as this.

Physics is a science that deals with matter and energy. Physics includes light, prisms, luminosity and color. In his book, Color Theory, Jose Parramon discusses the primary colors of light and the primary colors of pigments. Parramon's primary pigment colors are correct according to the laws of physics. The harmonization, contrast and shadows of color are intriguing topics. The Uses and Abuses of Black and White are worthy of notation. Parramon uses prussian blue, a fugitive color that disappears when paintings are stored in the dark. The Impressionists substituted transparent cobalt blue to replace transparent prussian blue. This book has excellence. Use Parramon's Color Theory as a reference for further study.

Pocas veces se encuentra un libro sobre teoría del color tan sencillo y práctico como este, tiene la teoría básica del color luz y color pigmento así como la teoría de los complementarios, y también ejemplos que pueden llegar a ser ejercicios de aplicación

I paint landscapes in oil for a hobby. The other day, while cleaning all my paint tubes, and while looking at the names of the colors, I began thinking about them. I then found I had José's wonderful book on my shelf for several years, still unread. I picked it up, and found I literally could not put it down. For an artist, this book reads like a "thriller!"

One of the things I liked best about the book is that it is not necessary to read it in order, from beginning to end. I turned first to the section on shadows, as shadows are an area I am currently having problems with. José explains EVERYTHING SO WELL, and CLEARLY. When he refers to matter already covered in an earlier section of the book, he clearly states the page number, where you can go back and refer to that section. His treatment of shadows is typical of how he addresses each subject in his little book.

José opens the chapter with a brief discussion of what Van Gogh once said about shadows, and discusses how artists currently view shadows as blue; whereas, at one time, they were viewed as similar to Van Dyck brown, or burnt umber. He explains how the post-impressionists discovered that the basic color of shadows is blue, and he devotes an entire lesson to actually showing us how that is so. Next, he devotes a second lesson to understanding the local color in darker tones, which he also points out is somewhat reminiscent of an old master's painting. In the first lesson, he gives us a sample still life painting, all in shades of blue. In the second lesson, we see the same still life painting, where the shadows are not made with blue, but only by using darker tones of the local colors. The third lesson deals with the complementary color of the local color. Here, we are given a third example of the still life, painted this time in complementary colors, which are used as shadows. José also points out that the still life now looks very much like the style of some paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Cézanne, and especially Van Gogh, with the contrast originating from the juxtaposition of the most opposed colors, of highest contrast. He is not advising us to paint like this, only to help us understand. The fourth lesson in the chapter deals with the finished painting. We now see the same still life painted correctly, with proper use three types of colors in the shadows: blue, the local color in darker tones, and the complementary of the local color. As José carefullly guides our eye through each step of the process, we now really understand what he wants us to see!

I then read the other chapters, in order from the beginning. One of the best discussions dealt with looking at various landscape scenes (shown in photographs) and how each painter asks himself, "What color is it, actually?" He then takes us through a whole lesson, showing us his own thoughts (and sometimes, confusion) as he paints the landscape, trying to decide what color each thing is. This really helped me see that every painter is going throught the same thought processes, and having the same problems that I am.

I have several unfinished paintings I am still working on, and yet, after several years, was unable to determine, by looking, just what the problem was. After reading two-thirds of this book yesterday, I looked at my paintings this morning, and can see the solutions immediately! Now I finally know what to do. If only I had found this wonderful book sooner!

I was pleased to look on the back cover and find that José, himself, has written a number of other art books in this series, dealing with many other topics. So often in a series, each book is written by a different author. José is such a wonderful art teacher that I am delighted to see HE has written all of them. I intend to purchase several more of his books, as soon as I am able.

Although oriented toward oil painters, Jose Parramon's color theory book is enlightening and informative for anyone who wishes to understand color. He explains the theory very simply and clearly, illustrating concepts with pertinent color examples from oil painting.

As a photoshop instructor helping my students understand color both on screen (made with light) and in print, and as a photographer seeking to capture harmonious images, I found the book to be very helpful in clarifying my understanding of color. I was pleased also to learn about the color of shadows, and how colors cast their complementary color onto neighboring objects - knowledge that helps not only with painting but also in regard to touching up photographs.

Anyone in love with and charmed by the beauty of France (as I am) will love this book. The illustrations are absolutely lovely.

Already in love with Margaret Hall Hoybach's painting style, I should have known that once I opened her book, both the words and the brush strokes would carry me, faster and faster, through to the very last page. Margaret enables the reader to see, hear, smell, taste, and experience her weeks traveling and painting across France.

It's 10:30 P.M. and I just finished Colors of France: A Painting Pilgrimage. I couldn't put it down---the book is a phenomenal experience. The reader journeys with Margaret while Joan's text flows from Margaret's perceptions. Both women are exceptionally talented. This is a wonderful book.

Feasting and fasting, reflection and spontaneity, fellowship and solitude - all the elements of a pilgrimage are contained in this intimate account of Margaret Hall Hoybach's journey to paint Monet's gardens. Her sketches and paintings convey the wonder of her journey. Joan Brown captures the creative spark that propels an artist forward and the moments of conversion that await those willing to embrace their dreams. Colors of France is filled with rich, inviting textures arrayed for any traveler, regardless of destination. Hoybach's willingness to share her experience leads me to examine my own path. A good book to share with a friend.

I very much enjoyed this delightfully personal and emotional journey through the backroads of a France not previously known. The beautiful illustrations by one of my favorite artists gave the reader vivid images of this gorgeous landscape. For a non-artist, it was especially interesting to experience the journey through an artist's eye...an artist very worthy of the invitation to paint Monet's gardens. The book is a wonderful collaboration by a gifted painter and a talented writer.

Like a lot of people getting into visual effects, compositing, motion graphics and the like, I'm self-taught. Plenty of books and tutorials and trial and error, but no formal instruction. This book serves as a formal resource to help fill in the gaps of your own self-education.

"Compositing Visual Effects" is definitely as beginners book, covering the absolute basics of electronic imaging. Things like frame rates, aspect ratios, bit depths, film formats and elementary compositing techniques. Topics you may have a working knowledge of, but don't know the finer points of it all. Wright explains everything at the most basic level, giving us a more solid foundation to build upon.

I can personally say now that knowing the actual math that goes into a certain blending mode is much more helpful than just trying them all out and guessing at which one I should use.

Wright also takes us through some of the basic tasks a compositor faces (dust removal, color correction, etc...) and overviews the steps and thought process to take to accomplish them.

Again, "Compositing Visual Effects" is beginners book, although a very thorough one. After reading this book, I can't say I know all that much more than I did before. But I am sure that now I know it all better.

All I can say is that my project fees have tripled by adding motion graphics and using an ipod Touch to show clients the completed video segments to seal the deal and get a check in hand for such profesionalism.

Great book for anyone who wants to get an understanding of Visual Effects.
Steve Wright's book explains a lot of techniques that are used on many films today.

This book is valuable because it gives the reader a solid foundation in a straightforward and fun way. I read slowly and it still felt like a quick read. Readers with a background in motion graphics (for example Flash or After Effects artists) who don't think of themselves as "compositors" will probably take away much that can improve the quality of their work. The author does a particularly good job at explaining the structure and attributes of digital images. The writing is precise and well edited. From learning the basics of color correction, to gaining a working knowledge of video and film workflows, the book delivers. It comes across as an industry veteran who likes what he does, giving "Aspiring Artists" a simple and strong foundation. Well done!

I had originally wanted to get Steve Wright's other book, Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition, but read another review of this book make mention that it is geared more towards a beginner. At first, I thought this to be what I needed and when I got the book and scanned through it, it just seemed like an overview of the variety regarding compositing. I was a bit disappointed, until I started to peruse through more thoroughly.

What I liked (and am liking) is that it is geared towards more of a primer in the sense of the fundamental operations involved in digital compositing. And ironically, it was also what I did not like. I expected to have a more thorough or at least a methodical approach (not necessarily step-by-step) towards teaching basic compositing principles. That is what the aforementioned book describes. (And I say this based on the Table of Contents.)

So, I give a 5-star review to let people know that if they want to get a handle on "essential" concepts, that is easy to understand and comprehend, then get this book. Even if you have no interest in making movies or working in a VFX field, this will be a fun read to see the tricks the pros build upon to create some truly imaginative results. However, if you know what bluescreen compositing is, multi-plane compositing, premultiplication, etc., then this book might be redundant for you.

Once I'm done with this book, though, I'll be moving onto his other text and will be better prepared to absorb more detailed techniques.