Graphics Books

I have hundreds of books and manuals on various techie subjects and Ellen's AutoCAD 2004 Bible ranks high on my list for books worth the purchase. I have used AutoCAD for years but after moving up to Acad 2005 from Acad 2000 I thought I could use some tutoring. The book didn't disappoint. For nearly every topic there is a step by step, hands-on, example that the reader can perform. There are around 160 drawing files on the accompanying CD; one for each example in the book. You can open that file in Acad and follow the steps in the book and experiment to your heart's content.

All in all, this book won't disappont you like some I could mention.

I have had R14, 2000 AutoCAD Bibles on my shelf for many years now. I picked the 2004 Bible to use as a textbook in an advanced AutoCAD class that I teach 6 or so times a year.

I was very pleased with how well it meshed with the way I have always taught this class (13 years last month.) Plus it is a nice "value added" item that the students can take back to work. My first class was very pleased about getting to use the 2004 Bible while in class and also about having a reference to study after the class.

It was funny because I started saying "take your Bibles and turn to page ..." it was like we were in church! I can not say enough good about Ellen's writing style, her use of graphics throughout the book and her expertise! It is all there in the Bible.

I bought this to get refreshed in Autocad for a new job and would recommend it to anyone. I can't do without it.

A marvellous and first class, well written and referenced, extremely clear and as if having an AutoCAD instructer sitting next to you. I was a new user to this product and I feel today very comfortable to do my tasks on AutoCAD and feel that this book will be a good guide even for advanced users. Thanks to Ellen Finklestien and I laud your efforts and higly recomment the book to all.

I have read various book of autocad, but they all seem very complicated and dificuolt to understand. I found this bible and let me tell you that is the best book I have ever seem. I recomended to a friend of mine who wants to learn autocad. This book will challenge you as a beguiner, intermedite or advance user. It has lots of examples and this author know what she is talking about. Believe me this one of the best if not the best autocad book I have seem in the market in my 10 years of autocard experience.

As someone who is just beginning in botanical illustration, I could not find a better instructional book. The author teaches you what materials to buy, what typse of paper to use, and leads you step-by-step through a number of lessons covering several different types of media.

I could not believe how well my first efforts turned out! I've looked through a lot of drawing books, and this is by far the best I've come across if you are interested in botanical drawing.

It is a beautiful book with easy to follow instructions arranged in a very organized way to help a student progress step by step. The spiral binding inside the traditional binding cover also makes it really easy to actually use this manual. It stays open flat on your table for easy reference while not looking cheap when standing in a bookcase. This book is actually worth buying and keeping. Unlike a lot of others, it doesn't disappoint and is truly informative rather than just being another pretty flower book.

If you want to learn to draw and paint flowers and plants from a botanist point of view, this is probably a great book for you. I have the DVD that can be purchased to go with this book and it is also great. Bente Starke King is an incredible artist with an impressive background in botanical illustration. She begins with teaching about basic form and perspective and then teaches about the use of graphite pencil in botanical drawing and how to depict a 3-D surface using 2 step-by-step demonstrations. Next, the book progresses to Pen and Ink with two stepped demonstrations. Next, you learn ink wash and again, demonstrations are given. Chapter 5 is Transparent Watercolor and 7 step-by-step demonstrations are given. Chapter 6 is Mixed Media, where watercolor is combined with other media such as pen and ink and colored pencils, along with 6 step-by-step demonstrations. The end of the book ties the loose ends by including how to choose a mat, framing,exhibiting,
copyright, etc..

This a beautiful book that can teach you a lot about drawing and painting flowers and plants. It is well-designed and written. I like the way Bente King combines the medias and demonstrates how this method enhances the richness and textures. Her DVD is excellent. I would recommend buying both the book and DVD if you want to speed up your progress. She is a wonderful teacher.

This gorgeous, well-written "how to" book for drawing and painting
beautiful botanicals is a treasure! It is spiral bound so the book won't flip closed on you. It is written by Bente Starcke King, a Botanical Illustrator who teaches at Cornell University. She covers everything from form and perspective, materials that she uses in her demonstrations, and beautiful illustrations.

She covers, with clear, easy-to-follow instructions, lessons in drawing with graphite pencil, using pen and ink, ink wash, transparent watercolor and mixed media. It's like having an instructor in a book, and you can go at your own pace.

The most fascinating aspect to me is how she layers watercolors to create her luminous color illustrations. Fabulous.
Sharyn from Portland, Oregon.

Whomever thought of the spiral binding inside the traditional binding should be knighted. That was a stroke of genius. If I am trying a new technique, I usually scan and copy a page but with this book, I just leave it open.

Bente's book would be useless (as well constructed as it is,) if it weren't for her terrific explanations. She shows the same painting in different stages, tells the reader where she or he can take short cuts and is over-all a great book for the beginning or advanced student.

This is a concise, easy to read book that seems to cover a large variety of publications and projects. I can open it up to any page and get new ideas and insights on projects I'm working on.

This book explains the basics (and some more advanced concepts) of good graphic design without overwhelming the reader with technical terms nor "dumbing down" the vocabulary for the novice. There are plenty of colourful examples and the book follows its own advice! This book lacks, however, the specific steps to accomplish the different design goals, but this is probably due the many publishing packages available. It assumes the reader will figure that out for himself (or herself.) The book is a compact 200 page document that is filled with useful information from cover to cover and is a great addition to any designer's reference library.

Yet another great book from the folks at Before & After. I have the Before & After Page Design book and subscribe to the PDF magazine. Even with all that, I still liked the addition of this book. It covers the usual business situations like newsletters, stationery, logos, forms and charts. The ideas illustrated and dissected here were found to be light bulb creating. I was able to apply a few of the tips right away to some projects I was working on at the time.

Some of the nuggets I enjoyed most were the comparison and discussion of what typefaces are best for what text that can be applied to all sorts of type, logo creation and thought process and the charts. The charts were not just your average pie charts, but great design elements.

Again, I'm impressed by another Before & After project. The illustrations and explanations help new and intermediate designers improve the craft. I'm sure seasoned professionals can pick up a few tips too.

I am a former graphic worker and I now teach this matter to students who have no ideas of the state of the art.
The book is professionnal and easy to use, and all examples are so helpfull to any people who need advices in business graphics.

Before & After is one of my favorite design magazines. The project examples, step-by-step guidelines and practical articles have always been excellent resources for designers of all education and experiences levels. With Graphics for Business, author, designer and teacher John McWade teaches the reader how to make their business look great. The book is not logo or corporate identity specific. In addition to logo design, McWade covers the creation of newsletters, stationery, sales pieces and forms, and charts, reports, calendars and maps. Still, the logo and identity section of the book (44 pages of the volume) explains logos very well and provides great examples of how to design lettermarks, wordmarks, monograms, ligatures and other forms of identities. Playing with type, words, shapes and illustrative elements are all presented in fun and well-illustrated manner. The book will be a great addition to the design library of anyone interested in producing a strong image for their business, or that of a client. - Jeff Fisher, writer of bLog-oMotives and the "Logo Notions" column at CreativeLatitude.com

From beginning to end, this book had me on the edge of my seat. It is extremely well-written and obviously reflects an amazing amount of extensive research. It's a wonderful novel and well worth the read! I can't wait for the movie!

It is obvious from the outset that you're not going to be able to put this book down until you finish. I finished at 2:00 A.M. I was amazed at the amount of research necessary to write this book. It is totally amazing as a first novel. I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a movie.

A can't be put down adventure through the history of property in the deep south. This novel offers the reader a true to life view of how property was transferred or taken from the poor. The story is very well written for a first time author and is as entertaining as informative. A must read book

I particularly enjoyed the author's extensive knowledge of his multiple subjects--the oil and gas business, title law and the historical period. Sounds dull? It's not! The characters are well-crafted and the locales interesting and well-drawn. Rogers does a great job of making an exciting story that doesn't collapse or bog down under the weight of technicalities. I lent my copy to two friends, a retired title lawyer and an oil and gas geologist from Texas. Both raved and purchased several copies each to give as gifts.
Hope Mr. Rogers is already at work on another book.

This is a richly detailed, beautifully written book with fascinating characters. The blending of historical events, geography, the legal profession, and real and fictional characters is exceptionally well done. Bravo!

Milly R. Sonneman has really done it: written a book that demonstrates in easy, concrete steps that anyone can draw well enough to enhance their communication skills!

Sonneman takes you through initially simple and then progressively more advanced steps that can teach any person--in spite of self-doubts--how to make compelling drawings that will clarify ideas and make them more interesting. If you have any doubts that this book can help YOU, just have a look at the other reader reviews!

Doni Tamblyn is author of Laugh and Learn: 95 Ways to Use Humor for More Effective Teaching and Training and The Big Book of Humorous Training Games (Big Book of Business Games Series)

Excellent guide for communicating concepts, ideas, etc.

All my 50 years I was convinced i could not draw and I was not artistic. This book proved me wrong. Quickly my intuitive mind grasped the concepts and I started drawing. Folks comment all the time how long I have been drawing. Their jaws drop when I tell them for only a year. This book's style was instrumental in making it easy to enjoy drawing.

All these reviewers are right. I opened the book and within 30 seconds i drew the first picture which looked EXACTLY like the one in the book. I have spent hundreds of dollars on books on drawing - all wasted. The beauty of this book is that every concept is applied instantly and transferred to your brain subliminally.

If you are spending 2 hours to make the perfect PowerPoint, this book gives you the confidence to make your own drawings, pictorals, and basic diagrams on any whiteboard or paper easel. I was a statitican (so you know I can't draw) but often needed to work out ideas of my own and in groups. The simple pictures learned in this book helps everyone understand the discussion that's going on. Connect words, ideas, and your audience with esy to draw colorful pictograms of your ideas.

Not sure if you can draw, the publishers sample made me get the book.
http://www.handsongraphics.com/index.htm
click on animated guy.

One more excellent entry from Paradox Press! Here, you learn about all the good/bad things of life. Learn the pros and cons of all vices. If you're hooked on Big Books, it's an obvious must-have!

From undoubtedly one of the best quality comic-book series ever comes the Big Book Of Vice:
fans of this incredible series know all too well that what's to be expected here is a very-in-depth look into the subject (vice) with the aid of some of the best contemporary comic-makers around.
Your illustrated journey includes:
-tobbaco. Its superbly interesting history plus the all (not) too well hazards it pertains to as well as all the marketing trickeries involved in its spread.

-prostitution. Again, its history as the "world's oldest profession" (you'll discover stuff beyond imagination on this one) plus the wide spectrum of vice and illegality it brings with it..
-gambling. Probably the most spectacular and eye-opening section of the book. Check out the stunningly imaginative scams of lotteries, pro-betters and pro-cheaters, card playing, and some of the most infamous bets ever made!
-and a "general" section on vice which even includes the "danger" posed by comics as seen by some of society's less liberal sectors.

As usual, drawn with tremendous gusto and funny as hell, this is a proud addition to the series. Even if your acquaintence with this series begins here be warned: odds are you will be hooked. And yes, i'd take a nice lil wager on that too.
Precious stuff.

Another outstanding entry in the Big Book series. They make learning fun

I've been hooked! This book is definitely one good read- page after page this is one of the most entertaining books i've read.

192 pages is just not enough- this volume is an informative and entertaining compendium of mankind's best (or worst- depending on the reader) pastimes.

This volume contains everything you want to know about sex, drugs, booze, and everything in between.

This book is definitely worth your $13.50

As a lover of bizzare facts, I felt that I hit the mother-load. The Big Book of Vice is an incredible well of information, with great a bibliography that serves as a roadmap for the dedicated kookologist. For anyone else, it is an extremely entertaining, fun and easy to read book, as are all the "Big Books" Paradox press puts out. The art is wonderful, and the short, comic style is the perfect addition to your bathroom reading list. Highly recommended!

THE GUYVER IS MY HERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Guyver series is always exciting, and this one is no exception. With great artwork, a great story, and enough double crosses and violence to fill an entire episode of the X-Files, this is a worthy finale to the Guyver series. And, yes, it is the final volume. The ending will blow you away.

This is a fantastic episode of the Guyver series. A series which still has many episodes to come which should be printed in this country. BRING GUYVER BACK THE BATTLE'S NOT FINISHED. By Jake Shone

To force them to publish a full serie only ! I've been waiting for a LONG LONG time for the remaining volumes but they don't seem to ever come out or even be announced on the VIZ web-site.

I HAVE THE GUYVER SERIES 1 TO 11. I THINK THAT IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN THE WORLD AND I HOPE TO GET MORE OF THE SERIES. KEEP THE GOOD WORK GUYS. IT'S AN ON YOUR TOES ACTION TO THE END; AND THERE RIGHT HIS BATTLE IS FAR FROM OVER.

This is the FIRST graphic novel to be published for the Kindle, and if BIRTH is any indication of what's to come in portable e-comics, then great things await!!!

This story of two alien societies is the prequel that sets the stage for the Novo: The Birth of Novo, from what I've read. I'll be buying Novo: The Birth of Novo in the very near future.

The story moves at a steady, even pace, not rushed or slow, and the artwork is stunning. I've written two ebooks on the subject of Kindle graphics (Graphics on the Kindle (Book 1 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series) and Formatting Comics for the Kindle (Book 2 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series). I've worked with MANY different artists in the past few months helping them improve their images on the Kindle, and I have to stay that this is the BEST artwork I've ever seen on this device.

ALTERNA COMICS should take a bow for taking the chance to be the FIRST graphic novel available on the Kindle, and for releasing such a well-done publication as the first of their many future Kindle ebooks. Their example should inspire and motivate other indie comic creators to follow suit and explore this emerging method of publication and delivery.

M Burgos,
Author
Graphics on the Kindle (Book 1 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series)
Formatting Comics for the Kindle (Book 2 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series)

I ordered this book based on the author's artwork he had done in another book. This book sat on my shelf for a couple of weeks before I finally go to it... this should have been at the top of my to read list.

This book doesn't contain a lot of dialogue and relies heavily on the artwork to tell the story, and it does so beautifully. A hint of sci-fi element but a definite parallel to the human race and how we treat each other. Blaming one another for our own faults and never taking responsibility.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

I'm ordering the sequel, 'Novo', today and I'll write a review for that one later.

The ultimate cautionary anti-war fable, blending fantasy and sci-fi elements into something wholly its own. Bracco's art is jaw-dropping eye-candy, and the story is a fantastic mesh of text and visuals. This is a tale made to be a comic - it'd be extraordinarily expensive as a film, and perhaps overly didactic as pure text, but as the graphic novel BIRTH, it's pitch-perfect. It's got style, atmosphere and ambiance to spare. And it's very intelligent and imaginatively executed. A book worth your time and money, no doubt whatsoever.

FYI - while BIRTH is entirely stand-alone, it also serves as the prequel/prologue to the new ongoing grpahic novel series Novo Volume 1: The Birth of Novo, which is also one incredibly conceived comic. Bracco's the next Frank Miller, Erik Larsen, Doug TenNapel, etc. Mark those words.

I love the story, which relates to us all in some period of our lives. I love the artwork which details strong, confident lines, I look foward to the continuation which has endless possibilities. I thoroughly recommend this to everyone who can truly stomach real life, ok maybe real life in another dimension or world, but real life indeed. This is not your ordinary comic. Check it out!

i had so much to say about this amazing graphic novel, but lucky for me the two reviews already here sum up everything i was going to say! this book is different from anything i have seen in a long time, possibly ever, and i think it also bridges successfully that gap that usually lies between fantasy and sci-fi works! i think it would appeal to fans of both types of writing and art!

Mr. Simmons has done it, an action hero in the 1930's who is an African American. The book captures everything a good action book should and is a nessesity in any good collection

Someone please make this into a film right now!

What I love about Blackjack is the character. Blackjack is a wealthy, well educated, world-travelled black man at a time (the 1930's) when many people felt that wasn't a good thing to be. He is a complicated man--and no, he's not Shaft, and he's not Indiana Jones, he's a complex, three-dimensional character who I find utterly fascinating. Another plus is that the writer's historical settings are so accurate it almost feels like you're reading a true story about a person the history books forgot. A great book for anyone who loves well-written, well-drawn adventure in the grand tradition.

My comic book days are about over, but I remember them fondly. I remember some of my enduring favorites. The Spirit; The Green Lantern; The Blackhawks, to name a few. Now, my friend Alex has brought forth one who fills a deep void in the pantheon of world class heroes pitted against an evil force. BlackJack is one on a par with The Blackhawks, full of daring adventure in exotic places in the world. Bravo!

--- Morgan Freeman, actor and film star ---

Alex Simmons's "Blackjack: Blood and Honor" is fresh and exciting, thoughtful and informative, and incredibly well-written. Yes, this is a graphic novel, and you are thinking, "I'm only into real books, man." Here's the bottom line, pal: This is a real book, just done in a fresh, thrilling way.

Blackjack is an adventurer-for-hire, who takes a contract to protect a Japanese official opposed to the pre-World War II build up in Japan, circa 1938. I never even knew any leading Japanese were opposed the war! I found it great to learn something new while reading a strong action tale.

Simmons writes more words than usually show up in graphic novels, and does it in such a way that this is, indeed, a very good thing. I forwarded my copy to a friend who commented that he didn't need the visuals to follow this tale; that is how clearly Simmons spins his yarns.

But the art is wonderful to behold as well. From the intense cover painting to the frequent action sequences, the illustrations deliver the back up punch to the intelligent, intriguing prose. And additional pages such as "Shades of History" serve as exquisite desert to this hefty reading meal.

So pick order it, sit on down, enjoy, and bon apetite!

this transaction was completed very nicely and we are happy with the book

What can i say about this wonderful masterpiece that have not been said by me in other reviews or by other fans? First for those who do not know about the history (others bear with me). Rin is a young girl who is looking to avenge the murder of her family at the hands of a rival sword school; she meets Manji, a samurai cursed with inmortality until he kills a thousand evil guys. What follows could have been a cheesy samurai opera where, in every chapter Manji kills an "evil" guy until they find the boss of all the minions and kill him after a dramatic battle. Well, that is not the case for this series. Mr. Samura manages to make the best story i have read so far by playing with the meaning of good and bad masterfully, the first books had its compliment of gore, but from the third book so far, each fight gets harder not because of the physical might or swordmanship but for the moral reasons to pursue vengeance, at every corner Rin must face real flesh and blood adversaries, not just plain evil antagonists, each with a reason for what they did. This is the second part of a story that centers around Rin, we finally find out what she really thinks, and specially how she feels, about what she is doing. She and Manji find one of the guys responsible for the death of her family, he is now a mask maker with a little boy under his care. Instead of blindingly killing him, Rin tries to figure out if he really has reformed or if it is just another mask he is wearing now . And she also has to solve the dilemma that by killing him she would make an innocent boy a vengeance filled monster just like her. The ending is great and you really begin to ask yourself if you could keep going after all, even with such good reasons as the one Rin has

The night her parents were murdered before Rin's eyes, Kawakami Araya raped her mother. Now she meets him again, but has he changed that much since that night?

Samura delivers the followup to another bloody story of revenge, as Rin seeks out the men who killed her parents. With the help of Manji, an immortal ronin, she might just accomplish her task.

As usual, Samura delivers magnificent artwork, interesting characters which I cared about, and unrivaled drama that I love in Blade of the Immortal. With an excellent translation to increase the quality of the manga, On Silent Wings II will not disappoint any fans of the series, or any new comers to the manga.

(Readers please not that this is a review of the second part of this two volume series. I am making every effort to avoid any spoilers, but it is impossible not to give away some information. Please keep that in mind if you read this review before actually reading Part One)

This volume opens with a very dark episode recalling the rape and murder of Rin's mother. While this story has been told before (see 'Blood of a Thousand') the focus is quite different. For at the end of this grim vision we find Rin in the house of mask maker Kawakami Araya, one of the worst of the killers. Recalling her grandfather's warning about the price of vengeance Rin has decided to try something different. She demands an apology rather than the artist's life. Kawakami, frightened at the possibility of exposure and the effect on his young son, rejects her offer, and at first it looks like history might repeat itself. Manji intervenes, and the usual titanic struggle ensues. The artist has a fighting style all his own, which provides an interesting variation on the usual mayhem worked on Manji's immortal body.

These episodes are exceptionally thoughtful. Rin is beginning to see through her own illusions and question not only whether vengeance will heal her own hurts, but also whether it offers any hope of closure either. As such, she is maturing, not just becoming a woman, but developing wisdom as well. Even though there can be no real end to the violence as long as the itto-ryu swordsmen seek the lives of both Rin and Manji. Surprisingly Manji, who normally plays the cold-hearted killer, shows surprising thoughtfulness and sensitivity to the young woman's internal crisis. Writer/artist Hiroaki Samura brings home the essentially tragic nature of violence while retaining the basic context and theme of the overall manga.

As is always the case, the artwork and imagination seem to step completely beyond the bounds of the simple, black and white media. The dark fight sequence and its aftermath underline what is happening in the story line. This fine artwork and the stories willingness to question its own meaning are two of the things that set this series apart from the typical historical manga.

community-help@amazon.com.

I stumbled onto "Blade of the Immortal" translations in comic book format. Attracted by the art, and the unusually deep dialogue between the opponents (as dramatic as Kazou Kioke's "Lone Wolf and Cub", but much more up-to-date in sensibility and subject matter) I immediately began looking for back issues, which was difficult. Many retailers don't seem to order many issues of this book. Fortunately the trade paperbacks started coming out soon after.

"Blade of the Immortal" starts off as a fairly typical samurai revenge story, with some unusual horror movie twists. We meet Manji, a guilt-ridden outlaw and expert swordsman, who is cursed with an odd form of immortality. No matter how grievously he is injured, he cannot die. Manji makes a deal with a magical buddhist nun. He will gain the release of death, if he slays 1000 evil men. Soon we meet Rin, a young girl, the daughter of a swordsmanship teacher who witnessed the horrific murder of her parents at the hands of the Itto-Ryu, a renegade sword school. Tortured by nightmares, she seeks revenge, but realizing she has no hope of surviving a direct confrontation with even one Itto-Ryu swordsman, she convinces Manji to serve as her bodyguard and stand in. Taking up Rin's quest seems a perfect confluence of both of their desires: her need to put her parents memory to rest, his to earn his redemption.

The stories take you through dramatic encounters with various members of the sword school. All are dangerous swordsmen with unique styles of combat. Some are quite literally monsters. Each has a unique story, an unique reason for having become a renegade, and this becomes the source of much thought provoking drama before, during and after the battles. All are memorable characters, in particular Shimuzu (Book Two: "Cry of the Worm"), a fellow immortal and Maki, a swordswoman forced into prostitution who fights like the wind (Book 3: "Dreamsong").

Harioki Samura has great timing, the panel layouts make the fight scenes breathtaking and exciting. Also wonderful is the developing relationship between Manji and Rin, a kind of older brother, little sister dynamic that lends the book much humor and necessary warmth (given the bloodiness of the battles).

Beginning with "Rins Bane" (Book 4) Rin's internal debate about the morality and human costs of her quest, takes center stage, and make this one of the deepest and most interesting books to cross the Pacific in years. There's still plenty of action, and the relationship between Rin and Manji continues to deepen, but it's the debates about the sanity of the bushido code, about memory, about filial duty, and hints of political intrigue to come, that make this book an thought provoking and engrossing read.

If you have any taste for the high drama and action, as well as the deeper issues running through comic books like "the Authority", you have to give "Blade" a try. This is the best dramatic manga translation I've read, and it compares favorably with "Lone Wolf & Cub" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion". I really don't think you will be disappointed.