Designers Books

I loved this book. From the moment that I got it. It makes you wanna draw all day. Kathryn Hagen is an excellent artist and she gives you so much to go on. My weakest point is drawing the fashion figure, because it's somewhat different from normal figure drawing. So it would have been helpful to me if Ms. hagen could have also givin us some tips on how to make sure that everything is in proportion to what a fashion figure should be. But this book hands down is wonderful still!

this book isn't a bad illustration book if you already know how to draw fashion but its not a good book for beginners I would suggest buying the book Fashion Sketchbook first then maybe 9 heads and then this one. This book is best used if you're a seasoned illustrator.

This book is the ONLY complete guide to fashion illustration. Besides the lovely and numerous, current illustration examples provided, Ms. Hagen's writing style is so inviting that it makes exploring illustration at this level a pleasure. It is written to encourage individuality while outlining what are considered standards in the fashion industry and the templates provided allow even the very beginner to explore ideas and create valid and useful work quickly and efficiently.

I have to admit, my weakness is sketching/illustrating and I needed help. This book has already helped me observe things about drawing I never considered about shaping eyes, prespectives of a 3/4 head turn, the stance of a figure, etc... It features stylish croquis, how to develop a good pose, and even defines words typical in the fashion industry. The book is spiral bound, looks cheap at first, but it does make it easier to keep on a particular page or section. It's also pricy, but well worth every penny.

as a high school student, i take classes at f.i.t. hoping to go to college there next year. this book will help me on my journey. it helps you draw all different types of poses and croquis, including men, flats, heads, body parts, swimwear, pants, evening wear, casual wear, tailored garments and so much more. and for beginners, they have great crouquis you can trace as a base for your own!

I received this book very promptly and was very happy with it. More than I had expected.

I have read all of Tammy Powley's jewelry books but this is by far the most interesting and colorful one yet. It made me want to get out my big box of leftover beads and rummage through my husband's tool box for those little items he's had tucked away "just in case". On most of the pages I saw jewelry made from items I've had hanging out in my kitchen "junk drawer" for years.
As usual, Tammy's pages of techniques are clear and well illustrated. The photography is exceptional.
All in all I think this is her best book yet, particularly for the jewelrymaker who wants to try "something different.
I'm looking forward to her next book.

Making Designer Mixed-Media and Memory Jewelry by Tammy Powley is a collection of fantastic mixed media projects by many artists. It is beautifully photographed and inspiring. Delightfully, you will not be overwhelmed by what this book has to offer you. Rather, it will encourage you in a easy to grasp manner how to go about creating your own exciting individual pieces.

Each piece in the book is made up of all sorts of fabulous materials. Each has all sorts of fun ideas backing up the inspiration for it. Many different artists contributed to this jewelry design book, and it is great to see fiber, as well as leather, brilliant plastic, funky lucite, and vintage faux gems recycled into new jewelry designs. Of course, there is even ephemera in this wonderful project book!

First comes an Introduction, followed by Section One: The Basics, which includes Chapter 1: containing such things as tools and materials, and Chapter 2, which is a collection of Mixed-Media Techniques. If you didn't think you knew anything before about connections, surface treatments, or knotting, you will now!

Then the fun really gets going! In Section II, we have the actual jewelry projects.

This is clearly and sensibly divided into chapters such as Chapter 3: Ephemera and Memory, Chapter 4: Collectibles and Souvenirs, Chapter 5: Found Objects and Natual Objects, and Chapter 6: Mixed-Media Jewelry Gallery.
I would like to say right here and now that I have never seen a book on this subject so nicely laid out. Finally someone (Tammy Powley!) took what can be a vast morass of confusion and neatened it up a bit. What a great relief and what fun to be able to view these terrific projects, understand their intent, and then using them as a guide, go out and make something similar! I loved Cyndi Lavin's "Timeless Treasure Pins" and Julia Andrus' "Memory Watch Case". Both totally different, both wonderful. The fabulous "Fire Screen Earrings" by D. Lynn Reed will rock your world. And those are just a few examples of gorgeous-ness YOU can make. And you will want to!

"Tibet", by Phaedra A Torres is the necklace on the cover. It is in the Gallery chapter here, and it certainly should be. I loved it!


This colorful, tasteful, educational book will be extremely useful to me. I needed more explanation of what mixed media is, and how you can divide it up (if you choose to) the way that the author did. I am delighted to own this beautiful and fun book. I will use many of the techniques in the upcoming months! Thank you, Tammy, great job!

This is a book that I keep coming back to every time I am starting a new project. There are some really inspired uses for every day objects that are just stunning. It really makes it easy to see so many possibilities in the world for jewelry designers rather than relying on those items labeled as "jewelry components." My new favorite is the clear vinyl piping found in the hardware store! The fact that this is a compilation of a variety of artists styles and personalities is what makes this book really special. There was a general call out to artists to participate in submitting ideas for this book and the fact that they are of different styles and tastes is what is so great. This book promises fun and experimental techniques and you won't be disappointed. Great book to have for the jewelry designer or the mixed media artist alike.

Tammy Powley has done an incredible job of creating an easy to follow, step-by-step book that instucts the reader in the creation of mixed media jewelry making. The instuctions and examples were concise and easy to follow. The contributing artists supplied excellent examples of the genre. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in expanding their sphere of expertise in this type of jewelry making.

Well worth the money.Examples easy to follow.A good start to learning Pro E.As always, excellent service from Amizon.

Sham Tickoo writes from the standpoint of someone very familiar with the subject as he apparently is. The book represents a very easy-to-follow, step-by-step methodology, which is suitable even for complete beginners. The author covers the theory first and then illustrates it with appropriate tutorials. At the end of each chapter there are self-evaluation questions and exercises.
Price may look quite high, but in fact it is fine for such a type of specialized technical literature. In any case the book is worth the money.

The author has done a very good job in writing this introductory guide to Wildfire 2.0. As noted by the other reviewer, this is a great learning tool for the beginner and is quite detailed. There are very few mistakes (only the occasional figure no. & scale factor typos as well as an incomplete sentence or two). If the reader only works the tutorials and successfully solves the problems at the end of the chapter, he will at least be competent at 3-D part modeling, 2-D drawing, and generating assemblies. However, I do have a few minor quips to note. There is no information on how to recover from a mistake, which can leave the novice user quite frustrated. In addition, there is no coverage of how to repair a failed feature, which cannot be completed, or change(modify) a feature in an existing model. No example of top down modeling (i.e. drawing parts in an assembly first). No coverage of sheet metal modeling (the author may not have considered this basic, but I would). Pro-E is not intuitive. However, once the reader becomes comfortable with a few of the commands, the overall logic of how the program operates seems to make more sense. That said, some operations are very complicated, including copying a feature from one orientation to another orientation. Although it would be no simple task, this reader would like to see a listing of all of the commands and their options with descriptions, where appropriate. Perhaps a new book idea for Mr. Tickoo? Finally, for the novice, patience and experimenting are the keys to successfully learning a new computer application. Good luck!

I started learning proe wildfire when my project manager asked me to do so because I had to work on a project. With some solid modeling experience and this book in hand, I started doing it. I must say that it is because of this book that I was able to learn the software so easily and must importantly, I did not take much time. The chapters in this book are perfectly arranged. The layout of this book is the main reason I was able to learn the software. Well done author, keep up the good work.

1. My credentials: User of ProE since Release 18 (1998). Degreed Mechanical Engineer with 20+ years of experience. I consider myself of intermediate ProE level, not advanced.

2. My opinions about this book:
2.1. VERY verbose book. What could be said in 1-2 lines takes a whole paragraph if not 2. Autor could have reduced the thickness and weight of his book by 1/3 to 1/2 had he been less wordy. Perhaps it is the British influence on his early education system (British books are usually very wordy). Experienced users do not need that level of handholding, it slows them down.
2.2 Poor index. Ex: No entry for "Baseline Dimensions, Equations in Sketch, Text in Sketch, etc.". Info is in the book but not in the index.
2.3. Some minor errors. Ex: Page 3-6 item 5 says that if you click on the sash at RH side of Model Tree, that will increase the graphics area (by collapsing the Tree) per Fig. 3-7. Yet Fig. 3-7 still shows the Tree.

3. No info on intemediate subjects (family tables, Simpl Rep, etc.) that are routinely encountered in industry. Author has been in industry, he knows what a real designers needs in order to earn a paycheck.

4. Number your paragraphs, it makes them easier to refer to (instead of pages) and gives structure to the Table Of Contents.

5. What could be done:
5.1. See 2.1 above.
5.2. If Prof. Tickoo can publish a "How-To book for Intermediate ProE Users" instead of a treaty on English prose, I'd buy it ASAP. Ex: "Pattern: Here how to do it (linear, radial, etc.) followed by skeleton instructions on mechanics of doing a pattern (Top Menu > Insert > Pattern > etc.). Avoid long flowery sentences.

All in all, not a bad book but one that can be editorially improved. No CAD book is perfect, hence I suggest a prospective buyer to actually surf a book at your local bookstores before buying it.

Joe Abboud-what a guy! So funny, so forthright, so talented, so over-the-top crazy about clothes! Through the brash, colorful, passionate voice of a man drunk on color and cut and fabric, I've suddenly become sensitized to the glory of clothes, and to the talent and zeal required to design them. Ah, the softness of a just-right flannel! The beauty of a tweed created in Scotland from threads dyed to match pebbles found on a Nantucket beach! The fine look of a man of any size in a perfectly cut suit! The importance of choosing (and properly arranging) the correct pocket square!

This man's outsize personality comes through on every page, and the glimpses he provides of life behind the scenes in high-end shops, at fashion shows, and in top designers' showrooms are often hilarious and always fascinating, even to someone who doesn't (or, before Abboud, didn't) give a fig about fashion.

Deborah Harkins
New York, New York

I wasn't sure what how much I'd enjoy a book by a menswear designer, but I have to say that this book was a joy. From his humble beginnings in a Middle Eastern Boston neighborhood, Joseph Abboud moved from a kid with a face pressed to the window of a men's shop to one of the top designers in the world. I will definitely never look at a tie in the same way or a men's suit. The insight into the polo shirt craze of the 80's was endearing also, as I remember everyone in my high school sporting one in every color available.

Probably the most curious thing to me after reading this book is why I've never heard of Joseph Abboud until now. Some of the people he's dressed have definitely caught my attention. We live in a more casual time, but reading this book has definitely made me think about how people perceive appearance, even in this dot-com-shorts-and-sandals world. There's still nothing like a good man in a good suit. That's what made me fall for my husband. Check this one out. There's more than clothes here.

I chose to purchase Joseph's book because I very much like his clothing and find that he has a different, down-to-earth approach to the "fashion world". The book itself is partly a book on men's fashion and partly an autobiography. Ultimately, it is a pleasant and quick read, but I would not characterize it knock-me-off-my-seat insightful or as having any real intention or focus.

Not just for fashionistas, this conversational, accessible, melodious book soars above the genre of celebrity autobiographies. Joseph Abboud is in love with fabric--the look, feel, smell, & posibility of it--& he not only catches you up in his passion, he reminds you that passion itself is the defining human experience. The voice rings true, the pace is impeccable,the whole read a great ride, thanks to Abboud's seamless partnership with former GQ editor and much-published author Ellen Stern. Don't miss it.

Man, oh man! What an engrossing, informative, delightful read! I loved the conversational tone, as if "Joey" and I were tete-a-tete (thanks to Ellen Stern's writing skill, for sure).
I loved learning about buttons and paisleys and the infinite variety of browns. Who knew....? Most of all, I loved being invited to get to know this interesting person, with his art and craft, his vision and passion, and his oh, so elegant, oh, so very beautiful style. What a man!

The first edition was an incredibly valuable resource, and I referred to it often in my work. I could easily find answers to all kinds questions about type and design. This new edition is even better. It's still as thoughtfully and clearly written as the first edition, and is still filled with great designs to illustrate a point. But it's been completely updated so it's current with the latest versions of software. And it has some new features like "Type Tips," which I'm finding especially enlightening, and exercises at the end of each chapter, which must make this an excellent text for teachers. This is a "must-have" for graphic designers.

A thorough, straightforward and clearly understandable guide to the effective use of typography. Bravo. Strizver certainly knows the ins and outs of typography from the essential basics to some very sophisticated fine points but, more importantly, is able to communicate this knowledge in a concise manner that will be useful to a beginner but, might even impart some new tips to the experienced aficionado.

The author teaches at SVA, where I'm a student. I had hoped the exercises in this book would improve my skills, but it's really for beginners, giving an overview of the basic principles. And the exercises aren't of much benefit without anyone to critique the results. There are better books out there for a general overview (re: typology).

This thoughtfully designed and written book works (rules!) on all levels. For someone entirely new to typography the book is approachable while providing a considerable education. For industry professionals who "know everything there is to know" about typography, the book is an excellent creative reference to remind one of a rule or technique long-forgotten or to alarm one with the realization they do not know everything about typography. The visual examples utilized in the book were well-considered and drive home the messages. The Quark tips alone make this book worth purchasing. As a companion to any library of typography or design books, Type Rules! is the designer's "Elements of Style" -- a reference book no one can afford to be without and one that never goes out of style.

Type Rules! - geared specifically for teaching at the college level - is one of the best basic typography books I've seen. Ilene Strizver has done a terrific job of breaking down the components of typography into digestable chapters, each complemented by clear, intelligent exercises. The book is replete with illustrations that serve as solid examples of each concept she articulates; and includes guidance for utilizing current design software. I'd recommend this book hands down to any teacher or student of design - as well as to any practicing typographer seeking to hone their skills.

Great tutorial. This book has already proven its value by helping solve several issues to a beginner Universe Designer. For the cost, the book, tutorial and instructions are more than worth it when compared to expensive classroom instruction.

This edition is an updated version of the previous edition. It has been rewritten and updated to clarify some of the topics. We have also removed the videos from the presentation and replaced them with a fully developed CBT. The CBT has more videos, better examples and quality audio. The presentation is still included for those that want to use the text to train Business Objects Designer. When you order this title you get a full, improved version of the text, the presentation, and a great CBT.

This is the third book I have bought by Robert Schmidt. I learned to design reports from his book "Creating documents with Business Objects". It is an excellent resource book. I learned to design advance level reports using his book and I always keep it as a reference. In Business Objects, the Help menu does not offer much help when you look for answers. His book is a better resource then the BO Documentation. He has explained everything in a very clear and concise manner.
In his book and CBT on "Business Objects XI: Creating Universes with Designer XI", again he has done a marvelous job in explaining basic but important aspects of creating universes. I would highly recommend both the book (for reference) and CBT( to learn faster and have a better understanding of concepts). He has given good examples on report context and universe context. The presentations are very clear. The real world examples make is so much easier to understand the concepts.
I am very much impressed by the author . Whenever I had a problem, he immediately answered my questions with the explanations. He will go an extra mile and will even call you to help you out. So, rest assure your investment will not be wasted.

We found this book as an excellent tool for selftraining and teaching others, too. The advantage is the amount of useful examples.

We've have been buying the Creating Documents with Business Objects books for years. Whenever we hire a new employee, we order the Web Intelligence book, and if they are to make universes, they also get the Designer book. This combination has worked very well for our employees. Recently, we ordered the CBT versions of these books and were surprised to see that we still got the same book. We quickly put the CD in to check the CBT and were happy to see that the CBT is actually quite good. We were also surprised that we got both at the same price as the previous versions of the books. The Designer book comes with a presentation that allows us to teach a class on Universes. The Web Intelligence book did not come with the presentation. We contacted Schmidt Ink, and were informed the non-CBT version of the book has the presentation. The person we spoke with also said that the presentation will be on the next print of the CBT. By the way, Schmidt Ink sent us a free copy of the previous edition, since we bought so many CBT's. We are very happy that these CBT's are available. They are high quality, easy to use, and inexpensive. One other note, so far the author has been very helpful. We have contacted him several times and he has discussed several matters with us, which is one of the reasons for this review. I just want to thank the author for great books and for helping us so many times.

Business Objects XI - CBT: Web Intelligence XI

Buzz marketing isn't just for the marketing department anymore. In this book, Ron McDaniel shows people 57 actionable steps that anyone can do. It's a very good read that you can keep going back to as a reference for good ideas. Everything is laid out very simple, straight forward, and provides a great way to get motivated to create your own buzz. This book makes buzz marketing accessible and understandable to the public. Definitely a highly recommended book.

I've just returned from a conference where Ron was one of the keynote speakers. He was so passionate about the success he has with his own business using information outlined in his book, that I immediately ran out to buy my own copy. There's a lot of great information and easy to follow instructions for those of us who are not as savvy using the blog phenomenon to grow our business. As the owner of an interior design firm, a blog as a marketing tool is not exactly conventional in my industry. However, I intend to implement Ron's suggestions on a daily basis. I recommend the book as a must read. Let me know if you agree. [...]

I contrast this book with "Buzz Marketing" by Mark Hughes.

In a nutshell, Mr. McDaniel's signature recommendation is to chat people up to keep contacts warm. The book has many more practical suggestions for how to build a network and influence people.

Mr. Hughes offers a well thought-out assessment of how marketing clutter and public discounting of marketing messages has changed marketing in the past few decades, and what marketers can do to compensate for these conditions. Hughes tells you how to run your business, not how to run your personal network.

Buzzoodle Buzz Marketing offers 57 ways we all can be better buzz marketers. These ways are simple, and some are easy, and all are effective. If you're looking to market your company or yourself in new, innovative ways, devour a copy of Buzzoodle Buzz Marketing today and learn from the guru that is Ron McDaniel!

Ron is a natural buzz builder. You can tell from his own business, from his blog, and now from this fantastic book. Ron's ideas are simple, clear and most important - effective.

But I'm not just a fan and reader of his work. I can also say unequivocally that his buzz challenges work. I've seen many of them directly impact both my business and my personal, professional life.

Read this book, quickly, and turn it into a "to-do" list for your own business.

And read Ron's blog too, at [...], for even more great ideas!

This book is very detailed in showing how to draw the human figure and facial features... it has greatly improved my ability to draw for costume and fashion. I'd recommend this book to anyone who needs a little help with drawing a human form with garments and attitude. It made a HUGE difference for me.

How can I rate the item when I have not received it yet?
Apparently it was posted Dec. 2nd 2007, and today is Jan. 2nd - It's not here yet.
Any ideas?
Sincerely,

Norbert Kammel

This book is very interesting. It has taken a very difficult concept (figure drawing) and broken it down into easy to understand step by step directions. The author's costume sketches were very helpful as well.

I had to do a full costume presentation with renderings for 6 characters for my class and I was so lost! I am not an artist at all, so I got this book and it helped me so much. It explained everything in detail and my renderings came out great! I would definitely recommend this book for beginners and experienced alike!

I am not sure what I had expected for a teaching format but my initial reaction to the book was that it was too cartoony for the structure I was looking for in the human body and expression.
As an artist's model for the last 24 years and as a costume designer for the last 21 who's drawing skills have not kept pace, I was looking for a more direct and perhaps, academic approach.
What I have discovered in reading and studying the text is that the author is a very gifted costume designer and teacher.This is not a book for a quick-fix. The book requires time and attention in each section if you are a beginner.
While the book did not address the design style I was hoping for,it more than met the criteria for a strong teaching text.

I bought this book at an ASID national convention and promptly brought it back to my design school and recommended it as required text for a visual presentation class. It is well laid out, has easy to follow tips and tricks for both hand and computer rendering. I wish I had found it earlier!

I am a beginning artist. I am especially interested in drawing. This book has fabulous examples of using marker, pastel and colored pencil for bringing a drawing to the next level. The ideas brought forth are exactly what I have been searching for. The book also has references to other books which I have acquired. I also use graphic programs at work. This book takes a hand drawing into Photoshop for the next level as well. Awesome book!

this book is an awsome book for any designer intrested in improving their presentations, the book is very thorough and deals with a wide range of subjects....very recomended!!!!

It is a very handy book, but this edition is leaning more towards photoshop capabilities. The tips it gives for computer rendering are nice to know but I think it's sacrificing a bit of the hand rendering information which I would have liked to see more of.

I am an Interior Design major and my professor recommended this book for the use of Prismacolor markers. It gives you great advice on how to render (coloring using the Prismacolor markers to show colors and shadows) and different techniques so you can get the effect you want.

Easy to use and understand for everyone. Excellent

Page 16: "In order to create a majority of the flowers, using the French technique, it is necessary to first master the technique for 'Creating the Framework' upon which the leaves or petals will be made." Thereafter follows only two cryptic paragraphs of text and one small (2" x 2½") low contrast and unlabeled photo about this absolutely essential procedure. Page 16 says at the top "No experience necessary" plus I READ pages 1 to 15 carefully, have 40 years of many and varied crafting experience and a college degree. But I swear I cannot figure this page out for love or money. And I don't understand why it's so bad, because all the other instructional pages seem to have numerous, good quality, high contrast photos demonstrating every itty bitty step. Not that I can try them out to see if they are any good, since I can't get past page 16.

I just received this book a few days ago, and I can tell already that this will be up there on my list of greatly used books! This book also has wonderful pictures of the finished product with much inspiration. I have not sat down to do any patterns yet, but have several that I am working on assembling supplies for. The directions seem well written and thorough. I would highly recommend this book to any level of beader as she starts with basic patterns and builds on those as she goes.

Though I haven't had much time since I purchased this book, to go through each of the projects, I must say, the Vintage-style Beauty of many of the Flowers is Wonderful! The designs have a classic style that exudes an ELEGANCE, which is often lost in the french beaded flowers that I see more commonly. There's a lot of competition out there with other french beaded flower books, and I think this one wholeheartedly makes a unique place for itself amongst the bookshelf where my collection of more than 30 french beading books rest. I don't think you'll be disappointed, and surely you will be INSPIRED...I know I was!!!

This book far surpasses any other book I've found in explaining the little details that transform your flowers from the ordinary into the elegant and extraordinary. While it doesn't provide instruction for as many flowers as do the Dalene Kelly books, the ones it does provide are gorgeous, romantic beauties. And you learn professional techniques along the way: how to make a precise pointed petal tip. How to lace-as-you-go. How to create more natural-looking leaves than just the normal cigar-shaped ones. I highly recommend this book, especially for intermediate beaders.