Illustration Books

The intricate, well researched tale of Angel Sanctuary has always been a shojo favorite. The detailed art, disturbing concepts, religous imagery, and tragic love that circle the storyline are all exceptional and this book only makes it more amazing. At the beginning of the manga, we see two "evils" retrieve the crystalized body of the beautiful organic angel Alexiel so they can return her soul to it before the battle between heaven and hell. It seems that in the past, manly ALexiel rebelled against Adam Kaddamon, God's ultimate creation. Because of the rebellion, she was crystalized and is supposed to be reincarmated over and over until her new body untaps her powers and destroys themself. THis si the story of her current incarnate, the mixed up and ignored teenager Setsuna Mudo, whom only wants to live his life as an almost normal teenager. Kaori Yuki's spintinglingly gorgeous artwork from both Angel Sanctuary and Count cain (as well as some others) is truly wonderful, and she may be the most skilled creatr I have come across. There is also an interview with her in the back of the book, and a calendar she created based on Lewis Carroll's Alice and Wonderland. If you are hesitating, stop it. This book should be treasured by all true manga fans.

Once this book came out I was iching to get my hands on it. When I saw it on the shelf at Waldenbooks, I grabed it, barely flipped through it, and bought it. It was damn well worth the money.

I always have and will be a fan of Angel Sanctuary as well as Kaori Yuki's gorgeous art. For any fan of AS, this book is an essential!
The material of the book is good quality, and the pictures are astounding. The great thing about this book is the style of art varies; it's not just dark gothic art or happy pictures, but a combination of both. Plus, it's got an interesting chart in the middle of the book that gives detailed information on the legions of heaven and the 7 layers to heaven and hell (I think they're 7).
Another plus is an interview with Kaori Yuki in the back of the book talking about Angel Sanctuary, her British influences, and an Alice in Wonderland calendar she created.
I really don't think anyone needs to hesitate on buying Angel Cage. Obviously, if you're reading this review, I suggest you buy the book from this here amazon.com [...]. For the price compared to the amazing quality, this is the best deal!

Finally, America is starting to wise up and realize the value of translating artbooks-- common in Japan -- so that we can enjoy the lush color and technique that is usually edited to a blurry black and white copy when it makes its way stateside.

Kaori Yuki is no less than a genius, and her work truly shines when you see the depth of her artwork.


Angels and devils; not all beautiful, not all ugly, but all seriously intriguing and entertaining. This is a must see!!

The Art of Angel Sanctuary: Angel Cage is a simply dazzling collection of art from the Manga series created by Yuki Kaori. As a relatively new reader of Manga over just the past year or so I've long admired many of the artists but always lamented the fact that the books I read are in black & white unlike the color comics we've all become used to. Thankfully VIZ has addressed this with this wonderful collection of art from Angel Sanctuary.

Angel Sanctuary is an acclaimed and hugely popular Manga created by Yuki Kaori in Hana to Yume, a bi-weekly shoujo manga magazine published by Hakusensha and now being published in America by VIZ Media. Based somewhat loosely on the biblical New Testament, it deals with Evil striking one of the corridors of heaven and taking back the body of the fallen angel Alexiel in preparation for the coming battle between Heaven and Hell. Alexiel's body has been sealed in a crystal for her rebelling against God. As Punishment for her defiance, Her soul is reincarnated as a human being over and over in a never ending loop where she dies violently, always at a young age. As the story begins Alexiel has been reincarnated as a teenager named, Setsuna Mudou who is the Messiah prophesied to save humanity in the Black Book of Revelation.

This beautifully illustrated hardcover book shows off Kaori's amazing talent as a digest sized, black & white book simply cannot do. Filled with the characters from the story, Kaori's stunning use of color makes these full page, and two-page illustrations suitable for framing (but don't tear up your book!) The illustrations run the gamut from dark gothic, to deeply sad, to wryly humorous as Kaori is able to evoke all of these emotions through her wonderfully expressive art. In addition to the art, there is a reference section in the middle detailing all the main characters of Angel Santuary, broken down by both Heaven and Hell. Also included are cutaway diagrams of the upper and lower planes and the hierarchy of angels.

Finally, there is a lengthy interview with Kaori where she discusses her work as well as her influences. Kaori reveals her love for Lewis Carroll's original Alice in Wonderland story, particularly Carroll's rather moody art, which is far different than what is displayed in the animated versions of his tale. Included is the calendar that she created based on Alice in Wonderland. Kaori also reveals her thoughts on ghosts and things spiritual and makes for a nice accompaniment to the art. It's a gorgeous book that includes a gold-lettered front cover. Simply a must have for fans of Angel Sanctuary or any fan of Manga art.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

If you are a fan of Angel Sanctuary or Kaori Yuki, then this artbook is a must-have. If you've read any of her manga, then you already know what an amazing artist Kaori Yuki is, but these pictures look even better because they are in full-color! These stunning, intricately detailed pictures show many of the different characters in Angel Sanctuary, sometimes amidst poignant imagery and symbolism, sometimes posing with other characters, and sometimes just by themselves, but even then their facial expressions are so real that no other details are needed. Like the series, the mood of the artbook ranges from happy and laid-back to dark and depressing to creepy and mysterious. But having such varied themes doesn't make the book seem disjointed, it actually makes it seem more complete.

Of course this book would be worth buying for the beautiful artwork alone, but it also includes a really helpful reference guide for the Angel Sanctuary series, including brief descriptions of nearly 40 important characters and where they rank in the hierarchy of heaven or hell, and explanations of different places and events from the manga. Considering how complex the series is, I think it's great to have such an easily accessible guide sitting next to my bed when I'm reading, in case I need to refresh my memory. The artbook also contains an extensive interview with Kaori Yuki (in English, don't worry) that's both interesting and informative.

The gorgeous art and all the cool extras that come with it are more than worth this book's price. Even if you aren't a fan of Kaori Yuki or her work, after looking through Angel Cage, you probably will be.

This collection of art from the Rath Cycle is a must have for any MTG enthusiast. Excellent art work adorns every page and serves to reveal the complexity and beauty of the world of Rath. The various characters, races, places, and machines behind the story of the Rath cycle are detailed through writing and colorful artwork. Without reading the MTG novels surrounding the Rath Cycle, this is the best way to get familiar with the story and setting of the MTG expansion packs: Tempest, Stronghold, and Exodus. You can tell by the price of this book on Amazon that it is a valued item in people's collections. I'd say its worth the seemingly high price.

Highly reccommended.

This book is amazing. It includes backround drawings and doodlings of such great Magic artists as Mark Tedin and Pete Ventres. One of the most interesting parts of the book was the inards of the Weatherlight and the Predator, showing engine rooms and cabins. Also, main characters and races have backround stories explained in detail.

I double highly recommend this book, it's fantastic, even if your not an artist or a Magic fan.

I got this book not too long ago and I've gotta say, this is one for the records. It centers all around the great and wonderful art of Magic: The Gathering: The Rath Cycle. I got this book because the Rath Cycle is my #1 favorite add-on for Magic, and I love the art. It tells you behind the scenes stuff about all the different characters and places in the Rath Cycle. Now, don't get this book thinking that you're gonna get every picture in the set. They have alot of the art, but not all of it. I thought that, but I was still amazed when I got it. I use the book to help me sketch out the stuff I couldn't on the cards, they were too small. But they blow them up for the book. It's a great book, a must-have for everyone who appreciates the art and magic of Magic: The Gathering.

Although I don't know the Rath Cycle or MTG really well, I was drawn to this book for its artwork. Really nice suff! Lots of versions of images, artist studies (b/w and color), and schematic plans (of the ships), so you can see what diffrent artists were thinking. There is a good bit of text (back story for the game I assume) if you are into that. Basicly, a great fantasy art refrance book!

The Art of Magic represents the visual glories of the Rath Cycle: a set of three expansions named Tempest, Stronghold, and Exodus that depict the adventures of Gerrard Capashen and the crew of the Weatherlight as they seek to liberate the kidnapped Sisay and unravel the evil mystery that lies behind the universe of Rath.

The book is filled with the lavish illustrations that have made Magic: the Gathering among the most aesthetically pleasing card games in history. Famous artists such as Pete Venters, Quentin Hoover, Donato Giancola, John Avon, and Terese Nielsen create a stormy world wracked with strife and death. We see the legendary paintings, sketches, and drawings that breathe life into such places as the Stronghold, the Skyshroud Forest, and the Dream Halls. And vivid characters are represented with handfuls of card arts, style guides, and behind the scenes sketches. This book lays out the story, environment, and aura of the Rath Cycle experience in a conscientious, experienced form which shows meticulous preparation and a beautiful final product. Who can forget the legendary Vanguard painting of the Dark Angel Selenia, poised to strike at the onlooker? Or Donato Giancola's Havoc, showing Orim attracting the fury of the Furnace of Rath around her? Or even the paintings of the mischievous Squee, a goblin with a heart and intelligence far beyond his peers. And for a look to the dark side, the City of Traitors, huddled around the gigantic Furnace of Rath.

The Weatherlight, its crew, and every inch of the worlds of the Rath Cycle are detailed beautifully. One will want to look through the glistening pages many times-everything holds a meaning just waiting to be unlocked. Even the title page for each chapter invokes curiosities: we see a depiction of the Null Moon, Dominaria's artificial moon (and possibly something of ill meaning from the Phyrexians?) and an added oval with each chapter's progression.

The Art of Magic: the Gathering is without a doubt among the best books to come out of Wizards of the Coast and TSR for a long time. A must buy worth every cent.

The Beautiful Princess Without a Face

April Robins has done it again! The Beautiful Princess Without a Face, a beautifully illustrated book, is not only a brilliant touching story, but I used the experience as a tool to teach my grandchildren about their senses, and what it means to lose the ability to see, smell, hear, and taste the things around us that we love the most. My grandkids and I had a great time thinking of so many things they could not do if they lost any of their senses. A must read for grandparents to grandchildren.

First of all, this book is chalk full of gorgeous images that correspond wonderfully to what is written. Any child's interest will be captured by the pictures alone, as they help the child understand what is going on in the story. They help make the story versatile for all ages.

The story itself is a beautiful story. It teaches a powerful lesson that is best learned young. The descriptions are rich with imagery. The story is easy to follow and will hold the attention of kids of all ages.

This is a book that I will be reading in my high school English class. It is a great example of imagery, and it never hurts to be reminded about the things we often take for granted.

I truly love this book and know you will, too!

`The Beautiful Princess Without a Face' is a wonderfully written story of a child learning about vanity. It is one that every child should read. Its teaching is one of a very valuable lesson that all children should learn. Congratulations to April Robins, F. Jay Robins and Celeste Robins on bringing a lesson to the children in a delightfully and talented telling of a lesson in morals that every child should know.

Rating Number Is: 5 *****
Anastasia Cassella-Young-Reviewer
www.thebookattic.us
Theodocia McLean-Owner of thebookattic.us

My grand daughter loved this book. The story line lets you reinforce the importance of appreciating the beauty around us and not putting too much emphasis on physical beauty.

This book is about a young girl who daydreams about being a Princess in Doll Land. She learns to appreciate the beauty around her and the value of each of each of her five senses. It offers you the opportunity to discuss what your child likes to hear, see, taste, smell, or feel. The book is well written and beautifully illustrated. I highly recommend it.

I got this book years ago when I worked for the publisher. I've given this book as a gift many times. The illustrations are just breathtaking and whimsical. You will find yourself stopping and searching the pictures in the middle of the story. The story is very nicely done and my kids enjoy it much more than the Dineyized version storybook they have.

I've given this book as a gift many times. The illustrations are just breathtaking and whimsical. You will find yourself stopping and searching the pictures in the middle of the story. This is still one of our favorites. The pictures reveal "the truth" behind what you are seeing going on around Beauty. When Beast is in the scene you see a picture of the Prince in a tapestry scene hanging on the wall. The story is the usual Beauty in the Beast story which is great, it's the illustrations that really bring this version to life.

Jan Brett's illustrations are so colorful and richly drawn that you could tell the story without the words if you wanted to. Her illustrations are magical.
This book is a wonderful telling of the fairy tale. The true meaning of the tale comes shining through. The illustrations bring life to the printed words.
You will love this book.

This version of Beauty and the Beast is well written, beautifully illustrated, and makes the moral point of the story quite clear. It is the nicest I've ever seen. Forget the movie and get this book instead.

Jan Brett's books are always richly and beautifully illustrated. There is always a little extra "story" in the illustrations. In this one, you will be watching the animal servants throughout the book. Pay close attention to the tapestries in the background to see who these animals really are. My favorite are the monkeys. This version is very much like the original French fairy fale, and is well told.

Without a doubt Born of the Night is Joseph Vargos most impressive work to date. A longtime fan of his art I feel in love with the visions in his mind, richly detailed in every stone and swirl of fog, one could get lost in his world and never want to leave.

Corvis Nocturnum, author of Embracing the Darkness; Understanding Dark Subcultures

This book has the most stunning artwork - some are hauntingly beautiful, others are down right ghoulish - as you would expect I guess. I would love to be able to make some of the gowns that are featured - they are fabulous!

This calendar was the first I had seen of Joseph Vargo's work and I am hooked. He is amazing.

Being aware of the work of Vargo as musician - Nox Arcana - I felt curious about his production as visual artist. After going through the book - text and pictures - I was left with mixed feelings. Not being an art critic I nevertheless sensed there was a unbalance in his art production. His depictions of the human figure are weaker than his backgrounds and monsters. I know he didn't go to an art school and that's perhaps what's missing in his drawing of the human figure: depth, proportion, reality. Now his monsters are something else. His gargoyles are magnificent,and he masters the drawing and painting of stone as very rarely seen. So the latter seem much more alive than the human figures.
All in all it is a good choice to get introduced to Joseph Vargo artwork.
And it made me willing to wait and see the following publications of the kind.

I have been a fan of Joseph Vargo's work for many years, and have collected quite a bit of his work, including the Gothic Tarot and several editions of Dark Realms. When I heard that Monolith Graphics was releasing and art book, I jumped for joy.

Vargo's work is hard to describe, stunning, romantic, dark, sensual, are just a few words that come close to the images. This book has a collection of well known Vargo images along with never before seen images.

If you love gothic artwork, then this book belongs on your bookshelf!!

Tad Crawford has written a whole series of books out of his expertise in the law and creative arts, with a special focus on photography and visual arts. I'd suggest looking at Tad's other books, too, since this one is more action-focused without extensive explanations of the whys and wherefores of it.

"Business and Legal Forms" has the documents you'll need, such as model and property releases, copyright transer forms, publishing contracts and other stock art forms. His descriptions are very helpful. Of greatest practical use, though, is the included media containing MS Word documents of all of the forms.

If you're just getting started in the arts, you need this book!

As A Freelance Artist This book has been so helpful In getting me started for the carreer I have ahead of myself. This book is a must have for all designers in my opinion.

Not only does this book present a wealth of practical information on the business end of illustration, but the included CD-ROM works for Macintosh users as well as Windows. The electronic versions really *work* and are easily customizable. A very well done and helpful publication.

A superb book! When you consider that I downloaded a single "shareware" contract for artists that the author wanted $50 for, you realize the value of this book. And this book comes with a CD-rom with all the forms in electronic format, so you don't even have to go to the trouble to type or scan them in! This is the essential book for all graphic artists.

I found this book to be very helpful and well- thought-out. The author has provided an extremely powerful tool. He has thoroughly covered practically every situation a commercial artist is likely to face. This book contains 21 complete tear-out forms appropriately prepared for specific business matters such as estimates, collaboration, illustrator-agent agreement, consignment and sale of artwork just to name a few. This new revised edition conveniently includes forms on a CD-ROM. It also includes a detailed explanation on how to use each form. The legal advice found in this book will surely save you a great deal of time and money which is invaluable to any working artist. Unless you are a ''starving artist'' who works for food only, this informative legal guide will no doubt prove itself very useful and effifcient. This is truly an essential book for commercial artists!

Without a doubt, this is the best book on calligraphy and illumination ever in print, and the chapters on heraldry are as detailed and lucid as any other text devoted solely to that subject. Whether you are interested in this book to learn calligraphic technique or simply desire it for coffee-table 'eye candy,' you will be genuinely pleased with your purchase.

I *LOVE* this book. It is a gorgeous hardcover, which puts to shame many skimpy books at the same price (or much higher). The directions are clear and explicit, covering virtually every aspect of this exquisite art.

In addition to all the basic essentials of illuminated calligraphy (including in depth descriptions and directions for gilding), this even includes explicit directions for coats of arms and similar heraldry -- which is very often an important part of illuminated calligraphy, but which I've never before seen addressed in print, much less with such detailed descriptions and explicit directions. (It not only relates the components of the coat of arms, but what they're based on, how to have one designed and assigned if your family history doesn't include a "legal" one, etc. -- as well as how to decorate this for illuminated calligraphy.) From how to make essential paint mixtures (color, fish glue, or whatever) to how to make the decorations, this book includes everything. The pictures are beautiful, the text is priceless, the directions are invaluable, etc. -- for anyone seriously interested in illuminated calligraphy, this book would be worth many times its modest cost -- and, I never expected to describe 29.95 as a "modest cost", but that really seems to apply to this book when I compare it with other books on the subject.

I'm a long-time calligrapher. This book is a must have for any calligrapher. Not only does it cover all the basics, such as materials, historical alphabets, layout, etc, but also covers Illumination, including gilding and Heraldry, including how to design and paint a coat of arms and touches on Copperplate and handwriting, something not usually found in a calligraphy reference manual. My favorite chapter is on "Working to Commission", which is VERY practical.

The book is very easy to read, and quite enjoyable. I read it from cover to cover like a novel. The author did such a good job summarizing all the important details of each subject. The text is heavily supported by wonderful illustrations, from ranging sources as medieval manuscripts to modern calligrapher's work. Each "hand" is laid out with the keystrokes, and organized by "key features".

A must have for all calligraphers, beginners and masters included!

Being a newcommer to calligraphy and illumination, I was looking for a book that covered both. Reviews I read here, and suggestions from others steered me to this book. I love the book for the amount of history it covers, the details on how to write each hand, how the hands progressed, and the wealth of information it covers on gold illumination, heraldry, even how paper is made is wonderful. If you want to make your own gesso sizing for gold illumination, it provides the recipe. It even covers how to make a little money from your calligraphic skills.

My only disappointment comes in the lack of detailed information in the various styles of illumination. It gives you a couple of projects to illuminate and paint, and it gives good information on choosing basic paint colors. It even describes egg tempera mixtures so you can mix your own paints. But it does not give you information on the various historical styles of decorative work, such as the vine/ivy style, knotwork, or other styles, or even how to apply your paints in what order. For that, you will have to look elsewhere, as I am trying to do.

This book is the #1 book in my scribal library. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to get it.

It not only talks about the technique in lettering, but it has examples of the hand from period in full color photos. It has how to make the tools, be it a quill or a reed pen, with step by step photos! It talks about which tool is used for which hand. It has step by step instructions on Illumination as well, including guilding! There is more about how the paper or parchment is made, the inks and paints.

But it's not just for the Medieval Scribe, it also has some instruction and projects for using calligraphy for making cards, bookmarks and little booklets for modern use or gifts.

This book is worth every penny for a scribe of -any- level.

This is a beautifully illustrated version of this 1888 classic ballad about baseball. The beautiful watercolor illustrations for this centennial edition were rendered from historic photographs and drawings from the archives of the National Baseball Library in Cooperstown, New York. Finally, an illustrated versions whose pictures match the beauty of the language of this timeless ballad. Young and old, lovers of baseball and language will all cherish this book.

This is by far the best rendition/publication of this poem that I've ever seen. The combination of the real-life looking people, but have their legs look like pencils, is quite humerous. Our particular favorite is the smoke coming from Casey's ears when he has struck out twice. The pictures in this book greatly enhance the story. Especially when Casey is standing there examining his fingernails on the first strike. Pretty cute and funny stuff.

Grab this book for all the young ball players you know - it really tells a nice tale of always doing your best, no matter how good you get at whatever you do. It made my little guy pretty sad to read this book/poem, but it definitely opens the door to emphasizing the importance of always doing your best. Highly recommend!

Casey at the Bat tells about mighty Casey and his missing 2 strikes - like messing up in life.

I thought this was a wonderful book. I enjoyed Thayers use of poetry to exrpress the emotion in the story. The language used in the text is of very high quality and when read by an adult to a child, the child is able to thourghly understand. The illustrations play an important role with the text. They not only enrich the text, but they tell a story in itself. We can feel the emotion of the players and the crowd through Polacco's work. Overall I thought this was a wonderful book and reccomend it to a child of any age.

Thayer's classic ballad, `Casey at the Bat,' is greatly enhanced by Patricia Polacco's brilliantly achieved, big-hearted illustrations. Ms. Polacco captures emotion, action, and character through wittily exaggerated, slightly loopy pictures, and through lots of uncrowded background shenanigans. It's very cinematic: She effectively isolates action through extreme close-ups, and extends time through a montage of events occurring within a single picture. Like the auteur she is, she even adds some opening and closing story elements (while leaving the poem intact) that augment the poem's appeal to the younger reader.

This book is simply great fun to read aloud; you'll find yourself wanting to memorize its evocative imagery and epic aspirations:

"Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongue applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip."

You and your youngsters will love the humor and the drama in this a classic rendition of Thayer's beloved poem. Infants and toddlers will enjoy the bright pictures, and all readers will appreciate the perfect teaming of Thayer and Polacco.

The pinnacle of botanical illustration books. I own this book and have slowly gone through it many times. It contains paintings by today's most talented botanical illustrators and is both awe inspiring and humbling.

Have recommended this book to other botanical artists and every one who sees it has purchased it. Full of exquisitely rendered specimens in many different styles of botanical painting. Gives some background on each of the artists, but the real feature is the large reproductions of the art work. An excellent reference book for painters and a beautiful book to display. Don't miss this one!

This book is the catalog for the first traveling exhibition of the Sherwood Collection. The volume features painters from several countries, although most artists represented are from the United Kingdom, in part because, to quote Sherwood, "there are simply more good illustrators in the United Kingdom than anywhere else in the world."

The arrangement of the book is simple. There is a brief essay for each painter, a full page illustration, and an occasional smaller illustration. Some of the full page illustrations are close ups, which is not an advantage to the picture as this device typically shows all minor faults. The essays are mostly trite, providing information about when or how Sherwood found the artist, a few snippets of biography, and almost no technical information about the making of the painting. The arrangement of the book is alphabetical order by artist's last name. The appendix consists of 23 pages of small reproductions, grouped from five to seven on a page, with brief comments.

The reproductions speak well for themselves. Where a thumbnail size reproduction is presented on the verso with an enlargement of part or all of the picture on the recto, one can glean a lot of information about the colors, style, technique, and materials used by the painter. This is delightful if one is technically interested in the details of the pictures, but not the best for overall effect of the painting. Because some of the images are enlargements there is some degredation of visual impact, but that is nicely offset by the magnifying glass view of detail. Most pictures are presented on a full page, some are, sadly, cropped.

The collection shows a luscious variety of styles, from scientific accuracy of Brigid Edwards, to the calligraphic style of Jinyhon Feng, to the stylized work of Arundhati Vartak and the hard edged superrealism of Paul Jones. The full page illustration by Tai-Li Zhang shows how a master handles color, complexity of subject, and realism resulting in a beautiful and accurate design.

Helen Haywood's overly complex rendering of a wild cabbage almost gets in the way of the clarity she strives for in the deft way she manipulates the plant to show all aspects of its anatomy, including, appropriately for scientific botanical illustration, the root system. Contrast that with Mishima's tillandsia, a study in clarity. He shows how to make simple a most complex arrangement so that it does not overwhelm the eye. Paul Jones' camellia is a super realist, decorative study, and one cannot fault it for its cold elegance. A few painters get in their own way as they seem to aim for virtuoso performance. There are five examples by Margaret Mee, that artist who always shows great respect for her subjects.

Sherwood is a biologist collecting contemporary botanical paintings. She states that there is a resurgance in popularity of botanical painting, as suggested by the foundation of the Society of Botanical Artists in the 1980's, and recently the US based American Society of Botanical Artists. Sherwood started collecting art in 1990.

Production standards of the volume are excellent. The pictures are so well reproduced that one can clearly discern the brush strokes, the puddles, the faltering moment here, a color brilliance. It is almost as good as seeing the original painting. This is a must volume for anyone interested in botanical illustration.

When I saw this book I was blown away by the range and quality of the work in it. As soon as I was back at my computer, I purchased a copy for my sister who does botanical illustration. She too was very impressed with it. You cannot go wrong buying this book if you enjoy a) art; b) botanical illustration, or; c) all things beautiful.

This is a book of dazzling beauty. The first time that I read it I had to keep trying to remember to breath! This is not a how-to book but a WOW! book. The range and quality of the illustrations is astounding, particularly in view of the large number of pictures and the comparatively low price

A lovely collection of calligraphic artwork reflecting on assorted passages from the Scriptures. The make of the book is durable, and the pages are thick. Because the assortment is so wide and the artist offers little comments with each piece, it feels very personal to read and view. I think it was a good choice to use a less literal translation: out of such simple English lyrics come such a beauty - who can refrain from meditating more on the hidden beauty of the Scriptures?

This would be a great thing to share with young kids, too; not only for looking at, but also for imitating. This sort of artwork is both fun and meditative, great for memorization exercises and - who knows? - you may end up cultivating a talent that's often under-represented among believers.

This is a must have book for Christian people. Botts' talent is extraordinary! The perfect "coffee table" book!

Beautiful calligraphy! Botts is extremely versatile in the hands (fotns) he's mastered.

"Door Posts" is one of those rare books to which you return again and again, with each visit bringing additional joy and inspiration. Many thanks to Timothy Botts for this extraordinary gift of spiritual and artistic light to readers everywhere.

This book consists of 60 calligraphic renderings of Bible passages and an very short explanation by Botts as to why he chose to render the passage as he did. This explaination shows how his art engaged him in a reflection on the passage and how his study of the scripture inspired his art. This is much along the lines of Jo Milgrom's Handmade Midrash. For anyone who is themself interested in calligraphy, for those interested in art as prayer, or those interested in using art as a means of encouraging bible study this is an excellent resource.