Creativity Books

I am very happy with this book. It has introduced me to a lot of new things - the focus on expression (dynamics, percussion, right-hand technique, etc) has improved my playing. The exercises are well-tailored to the material. The 4 full-sized exercises would all make excellent additions to any modern-style acoustic player. I was looking for a book with some Hedges-style info, and this book has it, and it is well-presented.

It could have been better. The included CD has great interpretations of much of the material. Why not all? There are some typos in the tab. A couple of more tunes would have been nice, instead of much of the verbiage. The verbiage is fine, but not much different than you would get from picking up a typical guitar mag.

I agree with an above reviewer - the best books I have tried are the Mark Hanson books. I have finished those. This book has been a great follow-on for me.

Brian Gore has crafted a superb book for lessons in fingerstyle guitar. Holding the guitar, hand placement, tone production, dynamics, alternating right-hand fingers, harmonic convergence, composition, creativity, practice, and stage fright are all covered in depth using an intuitive approach that allows you to maximize your potential. I have attended many of Brian's International Guitar Night concerts and have taken lessons from Brian. His compositions are some of the finest gems to be created from the magical wood box with strings - "Michael's Theme", "These Days", and "Dutch Crunch" are all masterworks. As a bonus, the book also contains several tips and insights from other master guitarists as well - Pierre Bensusan, Laurence Juber, Peppino D'Agostino, and Don Ross to name a few. Brian's musical guidance is invaluable, and this book is highly recommended.

I have looked for many years for an instructional book that covered the percussive side of acoustic guitar, the same techniques used by the late Michael Hedges , Don Ross and Pino Forastiere to name a few...namely, tapping, slapping harmonics and other techniques that bring out the most in an acoustic guitar. This book takes you through all those and more in a very understandable and logical way...and it also has an excellent section on how to compose music on the guitar...which makes it possible for anyone regaurdless of playing level to compose songs. Anyone interested in gaining creative ideas and lessons on percussive techniques...this book is a must.

I've enjoyed and admired Brian Gore's music and technique for several years now so I was so glad to get his book on fingerstyle guitar technique. In the beginning chapters, he gives lots of insight into subjects a player wouldn't normally give a second thought to. But the surprise is, his analysis of things like holding styles, hand position, tone production and coloring, dynamics, control of accents and string stopping are just the things a guitarist should be looking at in detail to make better music. He uses excersises and several of his complete compositions to illustrate the subject he is discussing and they are also included on the accompanying cd. It's very helpful to hear as well as see what he is talking about. Brian covers the creative process of composing and gives some great tips on how to structure a new piece and make it come together. All the subjects are explained well and completely and the music presented in standard notation as well as tablature, in a format that is easy to read. Brian uses some different tunings throughout the lessons and completes the book with a chapter on building knowledge of the fingerboard in those altered tunings by using exercises and chord forms so you get a feel for where chords and scales are. I am looking forward to learning some of Brian's included tunes, most notably the new tune "Dutch Crunch", with it's great groove and percussive techniques. The chapter he devotes to stage fright, it's causes and how to manage it is very helpful. Brian includes several interviews on specific subjects with guitarists he plays with around the world, that are very insightful as well. Reading their different views on the same subject is very interesting. I love this book. It's well thought out and presented, it covers a lot, and it is easy to understand. And it includes some challenging tunes. Highly recommended!!

As the other reviewers have said, this covers a lot about the newer technics of Acoustic Guitar playing, but it is disappointing at the same time.

Once you get past all the "New Age" mumbo jumbo you will find that it is a book that is loaded with around 80% commons sense thoughts...Like after the chapter on posture it concludes with "...but you must find what is best for you...." As a matter of fact this whole book basically says this. The CD has only 7 examples of the TABS in the book. The interviews don't convey that much info. And the chapters that cover all the Pyro-Techniques (that main reason I bought the book) really lack from not having any thing on the CD.

You do get 3 tunes to work thru, and here is what gets me. I spend my hard earned money on a book - DVD - lessons to learn something, not to be "entertained". For $20 I expected lessons. But like a lot of books I have invested in over the last 2 years this is not the case. The playing is great, and Brian is a great player, but there is some major gaps that needed to be filled out, like examples of EVERY TAB in the book. And that would not have been hard, since there are not a lot of them compared to text.

The best teaching books I have found as in Lessons for your Money are the Mark Hanson series, tons of TAB and music notation, with examples of EVERYTHING at 2 speeds. His material is well worth the money....

This book is worth the $20 + S&H if you want to learn 3 tunes that you can add to your arsenal. Other than that I was highly disappointed!

Please realize, this book will be of limited interest to traditional memeticists. Levinson's use of the word "meme" is not a traditional one. Levinson defines a meme as a self-explanatory symbol, using words, action, sounds, or picture that communicates an entire idea. If you are a marketer, or interested in persuasion, this book is a great read.

At first, I disliked Levinson�s repeated use of his new term Guerilla creativity, which also happens to be the name of his soon to be published book. I grew to recognize that for the purposes of his book, Levinson needed a new word. Creativity is a vast subject . Levinson needed a notion separate from the general word "creativity." "Guerilla Creativity" is intended to be persuasive. Levinson explains, "Creativity has often been defined as the combining of two or more elements that have never before been combined. Guerrilla creativity embraces this definition but carries it further to actually cause human beings to change their minds to the point where they want to purchase what you are offering to sell." This is the heart of what I try and do daily as a professional marketer.

I read a lot of business books. Most of the time, I hear a different perspective and have a couple nods of appreciation at how an author articulated a familiar scenario. Occasionally, I come across a book that empowers me to see structure where I hadn�t seen anything before. I was exhilarated reading Malcolm Gladwell�s The Tipping and have since adopted seeing certain targets as extraordinary consumers who also have the ability to serve as Mavens, Connectors or Salesmen. If you haven�t read Gladwell, you have a fascinating experience available to you. Some books have the capacity to unfurl new paradigms in readers. GUERILLA CREATIVITY is one such book. Levinson introduces the reader to the word "meme" and introduces the field of memetics as it relates to marketing communications.

This is a much-needed discourse. As opposed to pointing out all the elements I�ve enjoyed and appreciated in GUERILLA CREATIVITY suffice it to say that after reading the first 20 pages of Levinson�s text, I was able to improve my business presentation on memetics. If you have read this far in my review, you should buy the book.

Okay so my friend gave me this book because she knew I wall like into starting my own web business but I like didn't know where to start and then I knew that I needed help but this book kinda sucked because it wasn't really relevant. So this other friend gave me this book Guerrilla PR Wired. Now, this was the book. It had everything I needed and it was so totally cool that I couldn't really figure out why no one else had read it yet. Like everyone is so missing out if they don't use this book because it has everything you need including how to do everything you want and not go broke.

I read this book and wrote this review from the creative POV.

If you happen to have read Jean-Marie Dru's Disruption, Ken Sacharin's Attention! and Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, you should read this one too.

Jay is right. Many of the creative people working in advertising agencies are still living in dreams. They should wake up.

Although it says it's a marketing book, I think it's a perfect one and a must read for all advertising people, especially the so called creative.

All along we know how to find the USP, how to fix the positioning and how to differentiate, but most of the time we failed to manage what to communicate or what to achieve.
What worst is that, don't know why, we have the mentality of doing ads equal to having fun. We just are not business-minded or serious enough in this tough yet fastest changing business world!

Simply put, meme is great idea. It has the power to use the easiest understanding way to convey the most complicated message and leave a long lasting impact to change the consumer mind to love and buy your product or service. May it be a symbol, a slogan, a jingle or an action, it can be and have to be used through different disciplines. The ultimate benefit of meme is creating profits.

By reading this book we can learn what is meme, how to create it and conquer it.

To a certain extend, this book is indeed a meme in today marketing industry.

Marketing guru Levinson declares all-out guerilla warfare on cheesy, ineffective, downright bad advertising and marketing with this book on a marketing approach that could transform the marketplace.

While the "memes" concept has been around for some time, Levinson is one of the first to apply and evaluate the concept in the marketing arena. And, as the Godfather of guerilla marketing -- with it's emphasis on low- and no-cost techniques -- Levinson gives readers a well-thought, and reasonably documented analysis of how a single powerful meme can propel a business or product to the public eye, generating business (and more importantly, REVENUE) almost without effort.

He also provides many examples of memes that work, tells why they work, and then shows readers how they can get started creating their own memes.

An engaging, easily read book, GUERILLA CREATIVITY is one of Levinson's best yet with little fluff [a fun, but overlong comparison of marketing & seduction] and a ton of useful information [especially on generating and developing ideas]. This is a must-have book for anyone involved in marketing or business development.

There are two reasons to read Guerrilla Creativity. One is to become familiar with a term that will undoubtedly grow in importance during the coming years. Meme is a deceptively simple word that, when successfully employed, can jumpstart your business's visibility from obscurity to front-of-mind awareness. In his typical conversational writing fashion, Jay Conrad Levinson describes the steps you should take to create a meme for your business, one that will instantly communicate the essence of your business and the benefits it offers. Your understanding of the concept is enhanced by the numerous examples included.

Equally important, however, Guerrilla Creativity provides a context for using memes. So you not only learn how to create a meme, you learn how and when to put it to work in a variety of media.

If it's been a while since you've read Jay's Guerrilla Marketing, you'll find this book not only breaks new ground but provides a concise, highly accessible overview of the principle tenets of Guerrilla Marketing--the marketing that has contributed so much to so many businesses, small and large alike. In terms of immediate usability, few books offer as much immediately usable books as Jay Conrad Levinson's Guerrilla Marketing series. The series contains no short-lived CEO ego, just concise, useful informations that continues to be valid, decade after decade.

It wasnt bad... good reminder. I think all the descriptors were a bit over the top and the book didnt quiet hit that mark but it was a good skim.

This book has unbelievably information on how to have more energy in your life. I have read the calm energy section so many times to remind myself on how to have more energy. His recommendation on stretching BEFORE getting out of bed has helped me tremendously. I have found with my arthritis that this helps me be able to function better before I even get out of bed. It is chock full of info like this. More people need to try his suggestions to have more energy. This is not a cure all book, it is a book to improve what you do have. None of it is hard to do. The suggestions are simple things you can incorporate into your life. None of them harder than learning to stretch before getting out of bed.

As a stay-at-home mom of three young children, I'm constantly feeling depleted and am always looking for more energy. I was so glad this book lived up to it's name...it definitely includes many ideas to get more energy into your life in many different areas. I especially benefitted from the relaxation techniques, the high energy food/snack suggestions, and the exercise solutions. I have begun to get outside more, eat better, take more breaks, and move more, as Cooper suggests, and I feel better already! I would highly recommend this book to anyone needing an energy boost.

This book caught my attention from the discounted table in my local pharmacy. At first glance I thought "oh, right, just another book of hype on how to 'fix' your life".

Against what I thought to be my better judgement, I was compelled to buy it anyway anticipating disappointment when I got home to read it! I was wrong!

Despite its flashy, promotional front cover - Robert Cooper offers very profound (while at the same time common sense) realities on the ways in which we unconciously sap ourselves of the energy within. In a world where the majority of us are exhausted, tapped out and just trying to make it to the end of the day, Mr. Cooper's words ring clear with practical, simple, easy things we can each do for ourselves to regain our balance.

To my shear delight and utter surprise, this is one of the best books I have invested in. I find myself driven to share it with everyone I know - like the discovery of a treasure that was right in from of you all along!

This book is basically a collection of tips. From what to eat to how often to exercise, this book tells you what you can do to maximize your energy. A lot of it's common sense, but often we need someone to make the common sense explicit.

It's a good book for sure but the concepts are fairly basic. Reminds me a lot of another good creativity book "How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci".

This book really is useful and should be read by all high school students! We need to make sure that children learn creative thinking and this book is well suited to help teach this.

This insightful journey into the world of Imagineering is one sparkling with all of the mystery, surprise, magic and the element of believing to make it wonderful for boys or girls of any age, who want to reach beyond todays limits... you will have no limits on what you can accomplish, Disney is a great place to get a boost.

Casey Jacobson

Disney tends to target its Imagineering messages and publications to a junior high/high school audience, but these exercises can benefit all age groups. Unlike most Disney products, this book doesn't pound you over the head with Disney cross-promotions/cross-marketing. There are obviously plenty of references to Disneyland and Disney World (since those are the two primary venues for Imagineering projects), but it's not heavy-handed, and the exercises are each geared toward "real-world" application.

This little volume was a great first read and will no doubt get pulled down from its slot amongst my writing and other creativity books and thumbed through on a regular basis.

This book, like its title says, really will help you shape your creative muscles. The exercises that are provided are good and often can help you see things in a way you would have otherwise never imagined.

You don't need to be in the entertainment industry to find value in this book, there are practical stories of creativity; such as creating a more engaging party by giving it a themed story, thus giving every decision you make a direction.

You can begin to apply the concepts immediately and begin to consciously think about creative solutions to problems you might be facing at home or at work.

Even a cursory reading of "Leonardo's Ink Bottle" provides a rare glimpse into the mind of a working artist. Is is unusual to find an artist who excels in a variety of media and can as easily express herself in language as in paint or clay. The author's encyclopaedic knowledge of the arts and her craft of writing make her a wonderfully adept interpreter for those of us with a modest understanding of what drives a fully realized artist. Her approach to a life in art is as a process of spiritual discovery requiring the engagement of all the faculties: the eye that sees, the mind that conceives, the heart that feels and the hand that wields the brush or the pen to create something of beauty and value. The suggestions in Weir's book are drawn from her own life in the practice of art and are designed to take us beyond the conditioned framework of thought. These sharings of the journey to the wellsprings of creativity are a useful guide for the open-minded individual. This type of broad renaissance worldview is in such short suppply in our era that Weir's voice sounds a refreshing counterpoint, one that is not mawkish, new-agey or sentimental.

Roberta Weir has given visual artists a wonderful, enchanting work. She offers us not only a way of seeing but a way of being: open, receptive and true. It is a subtle blend of insight, very practical sugggestions for nurturing and developing one's creative work and selections of her fine drawings. It's wise, multi-layered and moving. I love this book. For visual arts students I would also recommend The Blank Canvas by Anna Held Audette.

The budding (junior high to high school) artist may find this a nice thought provoking gift, but the experienced artist will find little to nourish them here. I found some of the explanations somewhat simplistic and the language of the book itself is somewhat like the type of poetry you read and cannot remember a word of the next moment.

but nothing new for the artist. That said, the book is nevertheless well written. The style is reminiscent of the creative flow experience itself. This book does a good job helping the newbie to understand what flow feels like and how to obtain that state. The exercises are very practical and tend to balance the "flow-like" text. I loved the illustrations. I keep going back to the book just to look at the art work.

Wonderful first book by a great American artist of the 20th century. Most unusual ability to make the reader understand a way to view the world in a most innocent (unbiased) way. A must read for any one searching for an understanding of one's own mind and the workings of the visual world.

The title, The Little Book of Big Ideas, certainly stands out. However, I consider it to be only relatively useful as a quick & simple idea jogger, in the case of readers who are busy professionals & others who just want something simple & yet different to jog their minds during quiet moments. [The crux of creativity is making associations &/or juztapositions.] It is nevertheless packed with inspiring quotations. For first timers who are just starting to embark on their creativity journey, this may not be a good book to start with.

Some old pearls of creative wisdom along with some newer thought provoking insights. Aside from an unfortunate ode to Ken Lay and Enron's creativity in the Forward, it's a worthwhile reference to pick up and ponder.

McAlindon's work is an excellent resource for anyone in a position of influence, especially those in supervisory positions including parenting. And, for those who are serious in the personal and professional development of others, who see their role as a responsibility in helping shape the future of individuals and organizations --- this book is a must!

I am a writer and an avid reader, so I am biased, but I think that certain books make the perfect gift. The Little Book of Big Ideas is one of those books. Even people who don't enjoy reading will love this compact volume of wisdom, humor, inspiration, and practical advice.

The author, Harold McAlindon, is an innovative business consultant who defies description --- meaning: Harold just won't fit neatly into any box. It is clear, however, that McAlindon's mission has something to do with awakening the sleeping creative genius in us all. Buy several copies to give to friends. And if you are a business owner or manager, The Little Book of Big Ideas really is the perfect gift for your employees (a.k.a. potential creative geniuses).

A big ideas, inspirational quotes, and creative tips this book has much to offer. This book may sit on your desk or in your office, and you may thumb it once a month. At this time, you may receive many inspirational ideas. I use this book frequently in this manner.

The bulk of this book is quotations from writers, scientists, as well as thoughts that have been passed down through time.

You cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do. -Liz Smith

Above all, try something. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

I think the biggest part of creativity in medicine is listening. -Dr. Alexa Canady

At the end of the individual chapters, there are "Creative Actions." These are ideas by the author in order to further inspire creative ideas. These can be helpful. I find them most helpful when I write them down as activities and do them on paper.

Most people may not enjoy this book. It is simple and makes its point clear. This is what I enjoy about the book. I purchased an additional copy of this book for my office co-workers, and I anonymously placed the book in my office area. It is fun to watch person after person, day after day thumb through this book and receive some words of encouragement.

Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try. -Yoda

Last year I read Maria Shriver's 'Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out into the Real World'. I got good things out of it, but I didn't feel like it was speaking specifically to me because I've always felt like such an oddball. Then I found this book. The advice runs along a similar theme, but Winik's life is so unusual, and she herself so charmingly and hilariously candid about her experiences, that I felt I was reading a kindred spirit's words. I raced through the book in one sitting, disturbing onlookers with my knee-slapping guffaws. Winik's various lessons, illustrated with autobiographical stories, made me feel vindicated and gave me hope for the future at a point when I was beginning to feel lonely and worn down. This would make a great graduation gift for the young bohemian in your life, but it's also a lift if you've already taken the road less travelled and got stranded at the truck stop of doubt.

I am a die-hard fan of Marion Winik. From my first exposure to her work in Texas Monthly magazine, I was hooked. So, I was taken aback when I was directed to the self help section for her latest title. Self help? Marion Winik pokes fun at self help books, she doesn't write them. Don't let catagory fool you. Once you pick up this book, you won't want put it down. Winik gives seven rules to live your life by, among them "mistakes need not be fatal", people are more important than possessions", and my favorite, "learn to use a semicolon". Drawing from her own colorful life, she shares an insight that is encouraging as well as forgiving. She does not shy away from expressing regret or acknowledging a mistake,laughing at the follies or excesses of youth. The best teachers are those who have learned from their own experiences, the best writers are those who are able to share their ideas and feelings. She accomplishes both. What makes this such an effective "self help" book is the tone. It is like sitting down and chatting with an old friend, remembering shared feelings and experiences, laughing at inexperience, cringing at now obvious mistakes, sharing sorrows. There are no worksheets, no big lists of questions probing your inner self. Rather, this book imparts a gentle wisdom that has been hard earned from personal experiences,and from observing friends and loved ones. Maybe it is the fact she is a fellow Texan that draws me to her writing, or we are the same age, share common cultural landmarks, or even that we both visited the very same tattoo parlor in Austin, Texas. Most likely, it is the fact that even when addressing the difficult issues in life, Marion Winik uses gentle humor and compassion to make her point. Part self guidance, part autobiography, this is a wonderful book.

Although it is pitched to readers as an advice book, Rules for the Unruly reads more like a collection of endearing, heartfelt life stories told by someone who is genuinely grateful to be alive. I expected something different, but her style doesn't disappoint.

Lively and sincere, Winik knows how to give her opinion on important, emotionally-charged subjects without the finger wagging and judgement. Truly, she's a credit to her own generation and the kind of teacher younger generations so sorely need.

Marion Winik has been a favorite of mine since "First Comes Love" which I devoured, gave to a friend, and missed terribly until I found more copies (one to keep & re-read, & others for new friends). From a wise woman, who has learned through lots of passionate living, this book brings more generous self-disclosure illustrating her "Rules" for other "Unrulies" like her. Having lived within more conventional bounds myself, I take great vicarious pleasure in Winik's adventures; I have nothing but admiration for the learning that she acquired. As a reader half a century beyond my teen years, I can't imagine anyone of any age not gaining from this book and appreciating this remarkable author. And on Mothers' Day, 2001, I especially appreciate her chapter titled "Be Gentle With Your Parents." Here's another Winik book I want to give to all my friends.

When I saw the title for this book I was interested because I've felt that my own life has been unconventional. But, I was disappointed because what this book should have been called is: Advice to High School Students. The whole book is written around what advice Marion Winik gives to her high school class during a reunion. That is fine if you happen to be 18 years old and have no experience in the world yet - and the book is useful in that regard, but I'm 37 and most the advice she gives is basic stuff. My problem with this book is that the title is simply misleading, nowhere does it explain on the book or its cover that it is written for high school age people - you don't learn that until you've already made the purchase.

These essays are so well written. Joan Acocella fully fleshes out her subjects by putting their work in the context of their lives without confusing the work and the person. This book is a terrific read; plus,for me, this collection served as a helpful introduction to a number of artists whose work I hadn't read and as a way to better appreciate those with whom I am familiar.

I have greatly enjoyed this selection of essays. Ms. Acocella brings forth what it takes to be an artist in this modern world. Not only that, but she rescues some obscure artists and makes the reader know more about them by providing a glimpse into their lives and work. Ms. Acocella's writing is fluent and makes for easy and entertaining reading as well.

Twenty-eight Artists and Two Saints: Essays.

This book is an inspiration to all creative people who have struggled with themselves and consequently their work. Better than any creative-self-help book, this brilliantly accomplished collection of essays, gives wonderful insights with amusing anecdotes into the live of artists. It is a study in problems that all artists face, whether they are writers, dancers, artists or saints.
About writing this book, the author says:" My concern is the pain that comes with the art-making, interfering with it, and how the artist deals with this......What allows the genius to flower is not neurosis, but its opposite, "ego strength", meaning amongst other things, ordinary Sunday- school virtues, such as tenacity, and above all the ability to survive disappointment."
Amongst the artists she discusses are; Stefan Zweig, Primo Levi, Vaslav Nijinsky, Bob Fosse, Susan Sontag, Louise Bourgeois, Philip Roth, and Joan of Arc -an eclectic selection of gifted and talented people, who through their work, and our contact with them, have contributed in some way, to inspiring our lives.

I have read a number of the essays in this collection and found them to be informative, insightful and at times, eye- opening. Acocella often chooses subjects who are not that well known , and who she feels have been neglected. Two of the novelists she writes about here, Joseph Roth and Hilary Mantel were little known to an American audience. But the essays I have read and very much enjoyed are those she has written on Stefan Zweig, and Saul Bellow. I also read with great interest her critical review of a biography on James Joyce's daughter, Lucia, one which Acocella feels makes exaggerated claims for Lucia's influence on her father's work. Another outstanding essay here is the one on Primo Levi who Acocella clearly believes is one of the great moral heroes of the century. Acocella has a real feeling for the struggles involved in the literary and artistic, the creative life. She often reveals a special kind of sympathy with her subject. And this is one of the things which makes her writing, to me anyway, so likeable. One feels the writer herself is a very understanding and considerate person, one whose own creative effort is diligent, caring, and intuitively wise.
I have not read all this collection but from what I have and know of the work of this writer I would recommend it strongly.

The essays on modern dance in America are particularly outstanding. Ms. Acocella writes with passion and knowledge. Many of her observations are succint yet sympathetic. They inform the book with a compassion for the individual artist's struggle to define his or her art; something not readily available in much of what passes for criticism these days. Her essay on Marguerite Yourcenar, the French writer who lived in Maine for much of her life, literally jumped off the page for me. No one who reads this book will be disappoited.

Here's what I like about "Pour it On"
1. Some creative techniques are given, with complete instructions, like fabric dye, spraying, foam stamping and cornstarch patterns.
2. There's a good section on framing and how to choose the right frame.
3. There's a section on negative spaces (the areas where the drawing "isn't") that helps in composition.
4. There's quite a bit of demonstrations sets of photos from start to finish.

What didn't I like? I found most of the paintings uninspiring. I didn't like the color palettes used, either.

In summary, if you haven't tried some of the more creative watercolor techniques before, this is a great guide. If you are looking for inspiration USING these techniques, I prefer some other similar books by different authors.

I am truly excited about the book, Watercolor: Pour It On! As an intermediate-level artist, I feel I have some competency with the basic watercolor skills. I am looking for ways to broaden my scope of techniques, and this book has been a treasure chest for me. It is loaded with step-by-step directions and easy-to-follow sequential photographs.
I find Jan Fabian Wallake's paintings awe-inspiring. I just want to "be there" in looking at each one of them.
The "Thirty Exciting Techniques" ARE exciting and they work! They are fun and easy and they have added new dimensions to my paintings.
I am really impressed with the section on glazing. It is a dynamic technique which has allowed me to move toward a more advanced level of painting.
This is also a visually beautiful book. In addition to the impressive paintings, the graphic layout is enhanced by the use of color, which highlights important information.
I highly recommend this book. It is an inspiration every time I pick it up.

I have been painting with watercolors for a few years and my biggest problem is a fear of "messing up" so I tend to be very controlled. I need to loosen up and enjoy this medium. This book is just what I needed. It beautifully illustrates how to paint with a glazing technique that has gotten me excited about watercolors again. By pouring paint onto wet paper, the author shows how to produce brilliant, clean colors. My paintings usually turn out pale, but now I know how to use this poured glazing technique to get livlier color.
I especially liked the section that shows how to create thirty special textural techniques. There are easy to follow demonstrations and I liked the "helpful hints" that are offered in addition to the written explainations. After reading this book, I remember why I love watercolor so much.

I wish there were even more step by step pictures in here but overall I really like this book. It describes a technique then gives a picture or two to show it. I like a lot some of the newer ideas like using salt and cornstarch to create effects. It talks about softening edges, using glazes, etc. Definitely good for a beginner or intermediate level. I actually use this book in combination with other things like rubber stamping to make my cards more interesting.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I got this book.
I was just anticipating lessons on the technique of pouring paint. Yet there was much more.
From brushes to paper to different techniques on how to apply
watercolor,I was definately not dissapointed.
It is very easy to follow.
A good book for any watercolorist to have in their collection.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the project on the cover. Already having other books by Terry Taylor, and especially loving Artful Paper Dolls: New Ways to Play with a Traditional Form I was curious what projects lay inside this book. Already having mixed media and home book binding experience I didn't find any truely new techniques but there are many pages of inspiration.

The project on the cover, The Queen of Tarts, has already got me thinking, as well as the retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Seeing how the artists worked has helped me give direction to one of my projects.

If you have other books by Terry Taylor this will go nicely with them. Looking for a gift for an artist old or young combine this book with the paper doll book or Altered Art: Techniques for Creating Altered Books, Boxes, Cards & More and let the creative juices flow!

I bought this book on the premise that I would see a couple of good interpretations of the Princess and the Pea fairytale plus other innovative arty book ideas based on popular tales. Instead I got what seems to be an overworked trend : no new illustrative/modern design qualities but loads of overcrowded ephemera collage and vintage bits and pieces.Somehow the concept of storybook and fairytale has shifted to personalised journaling ("Hunter's 10th Birthday")which has the same appeal as being made to sit through someone else's holiday slide night or scrapbooking projects, unless,in this case,you are Hunter's owner.Been there, seen that.These are not children's storybooks or tales. It's a pity that some really great ideas in this book are sacrificed by the
paste/stamping/photo album presentations that are as old and tired as the images used in them. There are some original items in here that do depart from this -Knitting is the passion of Sarah Flocks, Hansel and Gretel.Does everything else have to look worn or vintage or recycled? It's time to move on!

This is a MUST HAVE in your art library! Many well known artists come together to show you there own kick of well known story books. I am a long time follower of Catherine Moore and Sandra Evertson and both have rose to the occasion as expected! This book shows you some simple book making techniques as well as ideas for your own books to make. LOTS of eye candy as well as how to's and ins and outs of book making. I made my first hand made book following the simple instructions and am truely pleased with the results! Next i am going to try my own style doll book! This is a good book to sit and relax and take your time and read and get inspired!!! WELL DONE! Buy this book then go make your own to cherish!

I Love Catherine Moore's stamp and art paper collection, I own them all and I am not even a doll person. She has a fresh look and an incredible imagination. The book met up with the cover. All the artists books in there are fantastic! Catherine and Terry Taylor(author) live up to there expertise they are known for.
This book is a look at many artists and how everyone constructed a childrens fairy tale book. Their lay out, plans,color choice, etc. You get a great glimpse on how they all completed their books.
As Terry says curl up for a nice bed time story, you get that as well as an an important art book that one must have for technique. I found as a quilter this was really good for me on balance, value and colors. You don't often see that in all the "art books" being made. These people are experts at their craft. They are all wonderful. The stories they chose and fantastic display of simple book making looking difficult.