Graphic Design Books - Page 7

Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups (Jumbo)

Charles G. Martignette, Louis K. Meisel

List Price: $39.99 By: Taschen Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $39.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Interesting Book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm still studying and reading through it, but it has an interesting magic that's missing in many of today's similar subjects - innocence.

WOW 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Elvgren is a master of his art. This book truly is a gem at this price. If you love pinup art he is the master. Its a slice of days gone past and pretty girls to write home about. Elvgren will live on forever. Take a piece of history home.

great quality, great value, great buy! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Elvgren or pin-ups. Beautiful picture quality, comprehensive collection. For the money, you can't get much better than this!

The product is just as gorgeous as the subject matter! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is absolutely beautiful. Lots and lots of color - designed and bound very well. Worth every penny and then some. Impressed with Amazon's service (my first order) and the whole shopping/purchase experience here.

Editorial Review:

This collection of pin-ups was produced by Elvgren using the technique of photographing models and then painting them into gorgeous hyper-reality, with longer legs more flamboyant hair and gravity-defying busts, and in the process making them the perfect moral-boosting eye-candy.

Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents

Nicholas Ganz

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harry N. Abrams Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $16.97

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ever since anonymous spray-can art began appearing on city walls in New York and Philadelphia in the late 1960s, graffiti has been a ubiquitous presence in the urban landscape, its artists largely unsung heroes. As hip-hop culture spread from America, graffiti became a worldwide phenomenon, emerging in the 1980s as the symbolic artistic language of young people everywhere and one of the most potent influences on youth-oriented marketing and design. With more than 2,000 illustrations by over 150 artists from all over the world and interviews with many of them, this visually arresting book is the most comprehensive survey of graffiti art ever published.

Today's young graffiti artists incorporate a variety of mediums-including stickers, stencils, oils, acrylics, and oil-based chalk-as well as an ever-expanding range of social commentary. This evolution in style and subject matter has earned graffiti the respect of the art world and guaranteed its long-lasting influence on art, graphic design, and style around the world. Great fun for graffiti and pop-culture buffs, the book is also an essential reference work for anyone involved in the visual arts today. AUTHOR BIO: Nicholas Ganz (also known as Keinom, his pen name) is a graffiti artist who has traveled around the world to gather material for this book. He lives in Essen, Germany. Tristan Manco is a graphic artist and director of Bristol-based Tijuana Design. He is the author of Stencil Graffiti and Street Logos.

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination (Vintage)

Neal Gabler

Amazon Price: $13.60 List Price: $20.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Vintage Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $10.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 70 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Don't believe the hype! 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

What I have to say has already been said in several two-star reviews: for all its impressive length and alleged research, Gabler never gets a proper handle on Disney as either a man or a creative artist. The new Mike Barrier book is better. The old Richard Schickel book is better. The short chapter in Leonard Maltin's "Of Mice and Magic" is better. Heck, there are websites devoted to Disney that are better!

Somehow - I guess because of its length and sanctioning by the Disney organization - this has been annointed as the "definitve" Disney biography. But it misses by a mile. It's boring, pretentious, and very unsatisfying. You'll get much more of out the shorter, better-written book by Mike Barrier - a lifelong animation scholar who understands Disney in ways that Gabler simply can't.

Please believe me (as somebody who's read nearly everything about Disney, and has been a major animation buff/collector for 40 years) when I say that this disappointing book has been insanely overpraised!

Editorial Review:

The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in American history.

Walt Disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape, iron determination and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films–most notably Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi. In his superb biography, Neal Gabler shows us how, over the course of two decades, Disney revolutionized the entertainment industry. In a way that was unprecedented and later widely imitated, he built a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. Walt Disney is a revelation of both the work and the man–of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life.

The Essential Blender: Guide to 3D Creation with the Open Source Suite Blender

Roland Hess

Amazon Price: $29.67 List Price: $44.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: No Starch Press Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $25.51

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Blender is a free and open source 3D creation suite that is a real alternative to commercially available 3D design software. A cross-platform software package with millions of downloads annually, Blender is now one of the world's most popular 3D design tools.

Although Blender is free, it's intended for design professionals and others motivated to become 3D artists. The Essential Blender will provide you with the knowledge you need to help integrate Blender into your work and begin to master its powerful creation tools.

If you've never tried 3D design before, an introductory chapter will familiarize you with relevant terminology and concepts. If you're already experienced with commercial 3D software, The Essential Blender will get you up to speed with Blender quickly. After a tour of Blender's 3D modeling, animation, and rendering capabilities, you'll learn how best to use Blender for these tasks:

Object manipulation and animation

Mesh and sculpt modeling and shape animation

Materials and texturing (including UV unwrapping)

Lighting and rendering

Particle animation

Character rigging and animation

Node-based composition

The book is modular in its approach, with each topic addressed independently and accompanied by hands-on tutorial sections.

The combined expertise of key members of the Blender community, coupled with the experience of editor Roland Hess, bring you The Essential Blender-the definitive guide to Blender. You'll find a wealth of 3D design information inside that will help you to unlock your artistic potential and get the most out of Blender.

Includes a Complete Version of Blender 2.44 on the CD-ROM. Covers Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (x86 and PowerPC), Solaris, FreeBSD, and IRIX.

Hand Job: A Catalog of Type

Michael Perry

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Princeton Architectural Press Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $19.73

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this digital age of computer-generated graphics and typography, it’s refreshing to find typographers who still believe in working by hand. No longer relegated to designer’s sketchbooks, hand-drawn type has emerged from the underground as a dynamic vehicle for visual communication—from magazine, book, and album covers to movie credits and football advertisements. As the practice and appreciation of hand-drawn type grows, it's time to celebrate the work of those typographers whose every letterform is a work of art.

Hand Job collects groundbreaking work from fifty an international array of today’s most talented typographers who draw by hand. Graphic designer and hand typographer Michael Perry selects work representing the full spectrum of design methods and styles. Each hand-drawn work is entirely shaped by the artist’s unique process—every one a carefully executed composition enhanced by unplanned “accidents” of line, color, and craft. Hand Job also includes photographs of found type, artist’s studios, and the tools that help make typography come to life. Whether you are looking to invigorate your design work or are just in need of a little offbeat inspiration, Hand Job will have you reaching for your favorite pen.

Michael Perry is a graphic designer and typographer who has created hand-drawn type for such clients as Urban Outfitters, American Eagle Outfitters, MTV, Rome SDS, Polyvinyl Records, and Amelias magazine.

Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects: Essential and Advanced Techniques, 4th Edition

Chris & Trish Meyer

Amazon Price: $40.92 List Price: $64.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Focal Press Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $38.89

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Trish and Chris Meyer share fifteen years of real-world film and video production experience inside the critically acclaimed Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects. More than a step-by-step review of the features in After Effects, you will learn how the program thinks so that you can realize your own visions more quickly and efficiently. This full-color book is jammed full of tips, gotchas, and sage advice that will help you survive whatever your next project throws at you.

Creating Motion Graphics 4th Edition has been heavily revised, reuniting the previous two volumes plus adding detailed coverage of new features introduced in After Effects 7 and CS3 Professional to form one massive, essential reference. The enclosed DVD-ROM contains source footage and project files for the numerous exercises which help reinforce each concept. The DVD also includes over 180 pages of additional information, including lengthy Bonus Chapters on
Expressions and Effects.

* Mastering animation through the use of keyframes, motion paths, and the Graph Editor

* Blending imagery using alpha channels, masks, mattes, modes, and stencils

* Building groups and hierarchies through parenting and nested comps

* Extended coverage of type animation, paint tools and 3D space

* Advanced subjects such as keying, motion tracking, expressions, and video issues

* Includes over 180 PDF pages of bonus content on the DVD

* Extensive coverage of the new CS3 features including the Shape and Puppet tools, Brainstorm, per-character 3D text, color management, and more!

The Calligrapher's Bible: 100 Complete Alphabets and How to Draw Them

David Harris

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron's Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $13.39

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book for beginners. It has a great layout and is easy to understand.

Editorial Review:

Both hobbyists and students of design will value this easy-to-use self-teaching book. Each of its 100 sections shows a complete A-to-Z calligraphy alphabet, with lessons on correct pen strokes and advice on avoiding errors. Beginners will find sound basic instruction, while experienced calligraphers can extend their repertoire with letter styles that range from classic Roman to clean and elegant contemporary styles. In addition to analysis of each alphabet’s features, the book’s detailed instruction provides information on— Tools and materials * Layout basics * Numerals and punctuation * Illumination and ornamentation * Tips for the left-handed calligrapher . . . and more. Readers will also find examples by master calligraphers from past eras. This book’s spiral binding ensures that pages lay flat when opened, allowing calligraphers to study and copy each pen stroke with ease. The Calligrapher’s Bible is printed in color and features more than 350 illustrations.

Chanel: A Woman of her Own

Axel Madsen

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Chanel Bio is everything it should be. 5 out of 5 stars.
29 of 30 people found this review helpful.

I found it strange that some readers gave negative or highly critical reviews of this biography. Someone even commented on the difficulty in reading the French names! It's a little late to change Chanel's nationality and thank God! This biography is successful on a number of levels but primarily two: it recounts the fascinating life, in great detail, of the late Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and it puts her professional contribution to the world in context. On a personal level, her life-story reads as a Dickens novel. Her's is a truly "rags-to-riches" story. Chanel was a woman who created a life and a legend against the odds. She was one of those rare and stunning creatures rising from practically nothing to become a household name. Her family was destitute. Her father abandoned her at an orphanage. Her attempts in music and theatre came to nothing. Her sewing skills were atrocious! Only after a young gentleman named Balsan recognized her talent through her unconventional beauty did her true potential begin to emerge. Chanel knew all of the greatest people of her age: Stravinsky, Cocteau, Dali, Misia Sert, and the Duke of Westminster, among others. Many of these people she knew intimately. How tragic that even after these acquaintances and global successes as a designer, Chanel never really found success in love. Professionally, the impact of her designs are still with us today and influencing generations of new designers and artists. From a perspective of fashion, Chanel almost single-handedly pulled the 19th century world into the modern age by pulling women out of corsets and sliding them into pants. The "little black dress" and classic Chanel suit are not only articles of clothing, they are timeless works of art. Madsen has succeeded in writing a biography that does not fall short as other books on Chanel have in the past. His biography begins BEFORE her birth and continues on AFTER her death. He explores her roots and discusses the ongoing impact of her life, while filling in all the opulent details in between. If you want to know who Chanel was and why she is still so important today, pick up this book. Now if they would only do a feature film treatment!

Editorial Review:

Alex Madsen brings to life Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, the queen of fashion who revolutionized women's styles forever.

Los Logos 4

R. Klanten, H. Hellige

Amazon Price: $43.47 List Price: $69.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Die Gestalten Verlag Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $43.45

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Editorial Review:

Los Logos 4 is the latest addition to Gestalten s line of books on contemporary
logo design. This compendium provides an authoritative overview of current
developments and advances in logo design, one of the most prestigious of creative
disciplines which represent the essential visual identity of brands, companies
and their philosophies.
At over 500 pages, Los Logos 4 is the largest volume to date, showcasing
a collection of contemporary logo design by bourgeoning design talent and
once again offering an essential resource for all designers. This state-of-the-art
visual encyclopaedia provides a quality selection of over 5,000 examples of stylistic
approaches by designers from around the globe. Fully indexed and structured
thematically, the book draws connections between the applications and
the fields for which they were intended.
Los Logos 4 is the perfect companion to the Logos series and an unparalleled
publication on contemporary logo design. The series has proved to be a precursor
to styles and trends in logo design and highlighted the increased relevance and
importance of the logo in the 21st Century.

Guidelines for Online Success

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The dos and don'ts of web entrepreneurship.


Have you ever wondered why your websites didn't quite match up to the success of your competitors or peers? Have you ever looked at other sites and thought: Why didn't I think of that? Have you ever spent too much time trying to find basic information that was buried deep in a needlessly complex website? You are certainly not alone and this book aims to change that by bringing together some of the world s most highly acclaimed designers and developers, spanning every continent, all of whom share their knowledge and experience.

With chapters arranged by subject (interface and design, marketing and communication, technology and programming, technical advice, content/content management, and commerce), a clear do/don t structure, and plenty of real world examples of successful and award-winning websites, this book has all the advice and examples you will need to give your personal or business website an edge on its competitors and also win industry acclaim as well as respect from your peers. Your visitors will thank you.