Arts Books

I have ordered from Amazon.com several times now and each time the item has been shipped right away and in good shape. This last purchase-The Complete Potter's Companion arrived quickly (it was a college class book) and it great shape. The decription stated it was used in excellent condidtion. It most defintely was. In fact if it didn't say used, I would never have guessed. Good job

Very informative with great step-by-step photos also. This book is really good at showing a wide variety of techniques and including historical information that is really interesting.

I'm new to pottery and found this book to be informative. I also found many creative ideas that sparked my own creativity.

This is a very pretty book, and it does cover a breadth of material, but it's very shallow. An entire book could be devoted to each chapter. It provides a good overview of what can be done with clay, but in the end, I have to turn to other books to get more than a cursory understanding of individual processes.

This book is a nice addition to any beginner potter's library. It is not in depth but offers a wide variety in information that is useful and helpful. It is most definatly in my 'top 10' of pottery books.

This is the most complete book on The Valley of the Kings. It is so interesisng, and informative and has great pictures. It is well worth the money. Used but in very good shape just as advertised by the book seller. Before you go to Egypt , buy this book. I wish I had it in May 2008 when I went to Egypt.

I bought this for my daughter and she loved it. The pictures along with the writing made it very easy for her to understand, but not "babyish". I would heartily recommend this book for people that have a genuine interest in ancient Egypt.

Did you know that there are chambers in the bottom of many temples that are still 'uncharted"? Neither did I. This is a great book.

This is a truely comprehensive reference book of the Valley and like others in the Thames and Hudson series is a must for scholars of Ancient Egypt. Excellent!

Excellent book, if you are interest in ancient egypt, read this book, you'll learn a lot of interesting facts about the valley of the kings, the pharaohs, etc..

PROS: The text book is well written and easy to understand.
CONS: The companion DVD that contains the resource files for the tutorials was defective. I returned the book and the DVD for a replacement and the second DVD was also defective. The THIRD DVD finally worked.

It was recommended by my instructor and has proven to be a healthy resource for knowledge of both after effects and motion graphics. Definitely the first book I would by if you are trying to learn MG.

Well, I finally finished the book. I guess I will join the many 5 star reviewers. After reading this book, I have a great foundation of all the features AE offers. I didn't want to do too much as far as working the tons of examples the book offers this go'round, I just wanted to learn the "language". Now I will go through the book again. This time tackling the projects along with my own ideas.

I was a novice going in, and still am to an extent, but the Meyer's takes the intimidation out of you and teaches you principles where when you do speak to other seasoned artist you understand and can execute anything they do.

I used this book after finishing up with the Meyer's fantastic "After Effects Apprentice" book. This book, "Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects", was a great way to firm up what I had learned from other sources.

Highly recommended!

Excellent and well supported work. Starts from the very basics and gets into the esoterics. I use this work as the primary resource for mastering After Effects.

This guy knows what he's talking about! I've been in game art for a long time now, but on every page I learn something new. I'm not the reading type of guy, but I'm slurping this up. Great, great stuff! I highly recommend it!

If you are completely new to creating game art then this book is for you. However if you have read a few of these then you prolly wont get much out of it. It is definaly more of a Game are theory book. There is some good information in here on optimising things for their best performance. The book cover all areas not just characters and props but, level design as well.

Still, Very well written. I even though I have read may of these I still found many parts of it very interesting.

This book has really helped to guide my texturing skills in a more technical and marketable direction. Having some experience with UV layout, this book picks up with great Photoshop tips to transform boring textures into great ones. A great book for beginners and anyone wishing to look at an industry standard pipeline.

I've been reading a lot of books lately that talk about how to create various 3-d art. And also lots of books that talk about programming that assumes that you already have the "art assets", but there is obviously a big gap between those two things! This book fills that gap very well.

This book talks about making art assets for games, period. So when he talks about making various pieces of art, he always puts it in the context of how it will be used in an actual game. Most of his points are illustrated with color photos of very popular games that the author has worked on (e.g. Metal of Honor).

The book offers mostly theory, but the author isn't afraid to get his hands dirty either. Every once in a while to illustrate a point he offers very detailed, step by step instructions on how to do something (mainly using Maya, 3ds Max, or Photoshop). In this regard, users who use those tools will probably get a little bit more out of the book then those who use alternate tools, but most of the book is theory and general discussion.

A lot of books I've been reading lately have been very "heavy" in terms of trying to cram so many facts into each page that I find myself counting down each page to the end of the chapter. Not this book. I find the pages turn a lot more easily and quickly in this book, and it is actually an enjoyable as well as informative read.

This book was very helpful when it comes to alpha mapping, bump mapping, and light mapping. I found it very informative and very well written. It's a must have for your collection.

I have always admired Joan Elliott's work, but I first discovered her in a cross stitch magazine that had one of the designs from this book in it. I fell in love with that design, and after seeing the advertisement for this book, had to get it.

I was not dissapointed. Joan Elliott knows how to combine grace, beauty, colour and a good understanding of the culture, to create beautiful designs that you can stitch. The designs range from various sizes and levels of complexity. The book also provides ideas on how to finish and present completed works, with detailed step by step instructions.

GREAT book. Get this while you can!

If you love asian designs, you will love this book. Beautiful designs, including 3 Oriental Ladies, a triptych pillow, Chinese symbols, and ornamental fans. A variety of smaller and larger projects.

The beautiful designs in this book come in a wide range of difficulty levels, making it enjoyable for both the beginner and the advanced stitcher. It also provides several different types of projects, from towels to tablecloths, tapestries to framed designs. Directions for how to make these different projects appear in the back of the book as well as a helpful guide to stitches for those just starting out. I beautiful collection fit for any stitcher who enjoys Asian art.

I bought this book at Borders, and my mom and I got so excited over it. Finally, a cross-stitch book devoted to just oriental patterns! Once I got it home, I couldn't wait to get started on one. The toughest decision was which one to start first!

The great thing about this book is that beginners and more advanced stitchers can find enjoyment in the designs. And thankfully, small patterns does not equal too-simplistic designs. Even the small ones, 2"x3" are beautiful. And the larger ones are detailed without being too difficult (no having to combine two colors for shading purposes). They even give you instructions in the back on how to turn the finished products into pillows, bags, and other little things. Because the small ones are all around the same size, the possibilities are numerous. I've had the book for about a year, and so far I have made one of the large designs and a small one, and I am currently working on the design featured on the front cover. A little tip: if your eyes can stand using 18 count fabric, the end result looks SO much better than 14 count. But either way, it's a spectacular book and is well worth the money. I couldn't recommend it more.

Great collection of Japan-inspired cross-stitch projects! Illustrations are in excellent color, stitching charts are very large, i.e. for those projects A4 or larger size, the stitching chart is split between 3-4 pages, each containing a quarter of the design. I spent about 2 days just enjoying the book itself and now I can't wait to start on my very first project. As an admirer of "everything Japanese" I also really liked that the author wrote up a sort of cultural intro to each design, explaining her choices of colors, etc. as it relates to Japanese tradition.

Uno de los libros de puntuación más completos y maravillosos que he leído hasta el momento.

Sr. Noah, con humildad le digo: desde hoy me convierto en uno de sus discípulos.

I purchased this book because I wanted to learn how to properly use commas, colons and semicolons. But, I learned more than just proper usage from this book. Lukeman, as the title indicates, discusses how punctuation can be employed to create style and effect in one's writing. He also warns of the pitfalls that one can fall into when using punctuation. All through out this book he illustrates his points with excerpts from other literary works. As a plus, this book was neither boring nor difficult to read. On the contrary, I found it quite interesting and easy to get through. While not as entertaining as Eats, Shoots & Leaves, by Lynne Truss, I did find the material more substantive and valuable.

Noah Lukeman's books on writing, I believe there are three total, are the last word for any aspiring writer anywhere--I can't recommend him enough! :)

This book offers readers a chance to approach the complex world of proper grammar usuage in a manner that is both educational and personal. The chapter construction is easy on the eyes and non-threatening. In the past, grammar books have been text oriented, with less emphasis on making the subject accessible to struggling writers. This book makes learning grammar a cinch!

Definitely a book for all writers!

As an incoming freshman entering college, I wanted to find some way to improve my writing. The aspects of my writing were fine, but sometimes it felt short of fully emphasizing an idea, or just connecting sentences better. So I picked up this book (I'll admit, the only thing that caught my attention was the cover at first) and I learned more about punctuation from this book than I ever did from elementary school!

The good and bad examples of good punctuation usuage ultimately helped me understand how to correctly use puncation to improve writing. Also, the author explained the differences and similarities between the punctuation marks quite well. The examples were interesting; the danger of overuse and underuse of various punctuation kept me glued to the book; overall, a must read!

I have done pysanky for over 10 years, and have been asked where is a good place to begin. This book is my favorite to recommend. It offers a brief description of pysanky technique and uses. It touches on some of the highlights of this art. It gives a very cursory description of history and symbolism. (Most people don't share my interest in the history, so they don't mind how skimpy this section is) This book also gives the reader ideas of where to find inspiration like quilts, lace, etc. Overall, this is an excellent resource for the beginner.

This is a beautiful book. I bought it so that my children and I could get started in this art form. This book provides beautiful inspiration for the beginner, and has thorough instructions. There wasn't much info on dividing up the egg, but that information is easily found online, and not everyone wants a perfectly symetrical egg....especially children :)

I was looking into possibly wanting to take up this craft. But before doing so, I wanted to make sure I conpletely understood the art. This book clearly spelled out step by step and even why it is done so. But the author also gives other options.

This book was also inspiring with all it creative, wonderful pictures. Jane Pollak gives you wonderful ideas to start with and even gives you a focus to find more inspiration.

I just finished the book last night and am ordering a Kistka kit today!

Even if you do not have the patience to create such eggs...this book will give you a better appreciation for those that are able to design such wonderful pieces of art.

This book is absolutely beautiful! The photographs are lovely, and the instructions are very clear. Even if you don't plan on attempting the craft, the pictures are well worth the price of the book!

I am just beginning with pysanky and this book has been a treasure trove! It begins with a brief history of the art, clear explanations and wonderful photos of the tools of the trade, and moves into very easy-to-follow instructions for making decorated eggs. Throughout, the book is filled with wonderful full-color photos of lovely eggs, sparking the imagination with possibilities. The waxing and dying process is documented clearly with photographs and explained fully in detailed step-by-step instructions for making a simple but stunning beginner's egg. Pollak always gives options, not just her preferred method of doing it, explaining the differences between traditional and modern tools, different ways of removing the wax and blowing the egg, etc. There is an entire chapter on playing with color and the effects of one color on top of another color, followed by a chapter on simple two-color designs. She encourages playing with design and color to see what happens! Next are chapters on traditional Ukrainian designs and symbolism, "quilting" on eggshells using patterns inspired by quilts, where to find inspiration for new and original decoration ideas (fabric, cultural images, modern art, etc), and finally, chapters on creating lovely eggshell jewelry and other nontraditional egg designs and uses (like bowls from ostrich eggs!). I would think this book would be as indispensable on the shelf of an experienced egg decorator as I know it is on my beginner's shelf! The only thing to be aware of is that this is NOT a pattern book. It gives clear instructions on how to do pysanky, step-by-step directions for one pattern, shows various design elements used in traditional Ukrainian eggs, and is filled with inspiring photos of finished eggs, but it does not have the patterns for those eggs. I didn't rate it down for this, because it is not designed to be a pattern book, but the buyer should be aware that it doesn't contain patterns. It is, however, filled with education, inspiration, and encouragement!

This author has done a really superb job in applying the principles of tesselation to pattern design. Anyone wishing to find how to make an original pattern has all the tools in this book. It is a real find.

Jinny explains tessellations in a way that is easy to follow. I love this book and would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to learn to design their own tessellations.

I bought this book with the intent of it being a gift for someone interesteed in collecting "art books" who also likes fiber arts and quilting. I ended up keeping the book as I couldn't bear to give it away after opening it! It is Very readable, the excersies are understandable and useful, and by the end of each chapter you have a firm grasp of that aspect of 2 dimensional surface design. Several friends are waiting to borrow it from my library, but its one that I'll keep track of.

This is one of my absolute favorite design books. While it's primarily directed to designing quilts, it's tremendously useful for designing patterns in any craft that uses modules or blocks, especially crochet or knitting.

While densely packed with information, it's written in a way which is readily understood, with plenty of examples and illustrations. It's best to work through in sections, taking the time to absorb the principles and play with the ideas, instead of trying to rush through everything.

I showed this book to a friend who's an art collecter and a particular fan of Escher. He ordered his own copy that very day, after I had to pry his fingers off of my copy.

Me parece fantástico y de ideas inagotables,lástima que no se edite en español.En España también nos gusta el patchwok

My 3 1/2 year old son loves this book, we have read it every night since we bought it.

Very fun with great words and rhymes. My son can't get enough of this book. We read it everyday before bedtime. Highly recommend!

After checking this book out from the library multiple times, I figured my 5 and 3 year olds needed a copy for themselves. This is a lyrical, funny and memorable story that should please everyone!

My daughter loves the rhythmical bounce to this book! It's like reading a song! Very Fun!

My girlfriend and her son absolutly love it. It must be read with a little bit of a rhyme

I've read a fair number of stories about substance abuse by people both unknown and famous (rock star biographies are nothing if not diaries of substance abuse), and I gotta hand it to Callahan: I have never encountered more addicts of every stripe and variety than on the pages of his autobiography, "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot." His assistants, friends, helpers, caseworkers- all drunks and junkies, the whole lot of them. Kudos to the cartoonist for escaping that poisonous environment and getting sober, particularly in view of a tragically gained quadriplegia that is a greater justification for drinking than most.

Don't Worry is a hard-core, politically incorrect, and unsympathetic look at disability and substance abuse. It's a no frills presentation, just like Callahan's artwork; it cuts to the message, without flowery language or pretentious literary devices. Callahan has a casual, down-homey style that makes this a quick and easy read, in spite of the heavy subject matter. He exhibits very little self-pity, and instead clinically and factually recounts even his most personal travails (with government funding, changing his waste bag, intimacy with women, etc.), injecting his caustic wit and black humor. He recognizes his injury as due to drinking (as well as the converse), but doesn't spend a lot of pages searching for deeper meanings. I was curious about what he thought made him a big drinker in the first place (i.e., before the accident)- was it boredom and the freedom of the 70s, or deeply held fears of abandonment due to his adoption and inability to meet his birth parents?

This book was written in 1989, when Callahan was 38. Looking back at some of the achievements he's had by now (his own cartoon TV show, more extensive circulation of his comics, screen rights to Don't Worry purchased by Robin Williams), it's clear he was on the cusp of success when he wrote his autobiography. It's a cool perspective to read about now, particularly in light of how Callahan details his struggles trying to eke out a living in the cartoon world. His professional accomplishments and development of a fan base are hard fought and well deserved.

John Callahan tells a funny and honest story about a man who put himself into a wheelchair (drunk driving) and then continued to drink for years after he became a quadriplegic. His story of personal redemption is a hilarious and thoughtful ride that is well worth reading.

Full disclosure: My brother is married to John's sister. I recommend this book to all of my friends who have never heard of John. How can anyone say anything against a book that is both pornographic and inspirational at the same time?

Callahan is where it's at. Wonderful story of strength, grit, perserversance, and recovery. Of course the belly laughs along the way were fun also. Some of those cartoons ! Geez, Calahan, thanks. P.S. Write another story about you. Sharon L.

John Callahan is my favorite crippled cartoonist! He's honest and hilarious! I've been a fan for years and have most of his cartoon books. I'm glad I added this to my collection!