Design & Decorative Arts Books - Page 3

Things I have learned in my life so far

Stefan Sagmeister

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This book began as a list designer Stefan Sagmeister made in his diary under the title Things I have learned in my life so far, which includes statements such as "Worrying solves nothing" and "Trying to look good limits my life." The list reveals something that is profoundly true: Although human beings have been pursuing happiness for countless generations, it is not so easily achieved. And we need constant reminders to keep us on the right path.

With the support of his clients, Sagmeister transformed these sentences into typographic works, from billboards in France to sign-toting inflatable monkeys on the streets of Scotland. Accompanied by essays from design historian Steven Heller, Guggenheim chief curator Nancy Spector, and UK psychologist Daniel Nettle, as well as Sagmeister's own words, the series is revealed as a complex blend of personal revelation, art, and design--an eclectic mix of visual audacity and sound advice.

This book consists of 15 unbound signatures in a laser-cut slipcase. Shuffling the sequence of the signatures will produce 15 different covers.

Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs)

Ellen Lupton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Strange, superficial overview of type-related topics 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I love type, but I lack an educated background on its use. I was so looking forward to learning about such details as when to prefer a sans-serif versus a serif in certain situations, how people react to various different families of faces, prescriptions for when to apply different types of layouts, and so forth.

When I got was a partially complete history lesson on how different types of faces and families evolved, an introduction to grid layouts with very little prescriptive advice, and weirdly, a brief editorial primer teaching how to mark up the printed page with pen.

To its credit, the book is full of examples of layouts. As I read, I expected any minute I'd penetrate the entry level "Here we see an example of a layout" to the real meat, but it never ever happened.

To the author's credit, the book was meticulously assembled and was clearly the product of a great deal of effort. And, this is not the first design-related book I've discovered that lacked meaningful depth.

But to any practicing designer looking for some guidance for taking their use of type to the next level, or understanding beyond his own innate instincts when to apply certain techniques, this is not the book for you. In fact, I'm not sure who this book is for.

Editorial Review:

The organization of letters on a blank sheet -- or screen -- is the most basic challenge facing anyone who practices design. What type of font to use? How big? How should those letters, words, and paragraphs be aligned, spaced, ordered, shaped, and otherwise manipulated? In this groundbreaking new primer, leading design educator and historian Ellen Lupton provides clear and concise guidance for anyone learning or brushing up on their typographic skills. Thinking with Type is divided into three sections: letter, text, and grid. Each section begins with an easy-to-grasp essay that reviews historical, technological, and theoretical concepts, and is then followed by a set of practical exercises that bring the material covered to life. Sections conclude with examples of work by leading practitioners that demonstrate creative possibilities (along with some classic no-no's to avoid).

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

Scott McCloud

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 126 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Brilliant Look at the Psychology, Physiology, and Effectiveness of Comic Strips and Books 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an important book that everyone should read. I would give it twenty stars if I could.

I've long been interested in both art and comic books (I have collected them for over 50 years). While the library shelves are full of wonderful books that explain what traditional artists are trying to do and why they succeed, I've often found the books to be pretty boring. In recent years, such books have gotten bogged down into abstruse language that is much less appealing than the art which is the subject.

But in those years, I've never seen anything that was very helpful in discussing the rules of comic art, except some books about pop art when that was popular that examined how the pop art was different from comic art. Naturally, I was blown away when I found that Understanding Comics is a far more comprehensive, thoughtful, and accessible book about interaction with art than I have ever read. Although the subject is ostensibly comic strips and comic books, it's clear to me that that Mr. McCloud has a deep and powerful understanding of all art. Some of his conceptual displays of where different forms of art fall in different dimensions of choice (degree of realism, abstraction, and message) are unbelievably powerful.

I hope that some art historian will stumble on this book and recast the history of art to explain and relate different styles to one another using this book's methods. There would be a lot more art lovers if that were the case.

Ultimately, the book's main benefit is to help the reader appreciate that comic art can be a higher and more effective form of art than either pure images or written words by requiring a mastery of more elements . . . elements that are more powerful in grabbing attention and conveying meaning.

Yet the book stays in humble form, a comic book. The powerful ideas sneak up on you as Mr. McCloud deconstructs the elements of comic art expression into chapters on defining what kind of art comics are ("sequential art" for short); explaining where various comics fall on the spectrum of reality, story, and abstraction; the way we fill in the spaces around the lines and between panels with our minds, allowing us to participate in creating the story and the experience; how time is expressed in various ways; the role of lines in creating our understanding and responses; how words and images can interact; a conceptual look at creating comic art; the effect of color; and a synthesis of the book in historical and conceptual terms.

If you want to enjoy both traditional art and comic art more, read this book. It's the Rosetta stone for non-artists in appreciating the images, stories, and messages that artists want to share with us through these media. You'll never be the same . . . and the change will be good for you!

Bravo, Mr. McCloud!

Editorial Review:

Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, this innovative comic book provides a detailed look at the history, meaning, and art of comics and cartooning.

Fashion Artist (Fashion Design Series)

Sandra Burke

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

Oh, how I wish I had this in school! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I wore holes in piles of paper trying to work up to the basic points so magnificently outlined in this book! It's like having an art teacher with you (without the snide remarks) to bring your abilities to the top.

If you are planning on studying fashion, or just doing it for fun, you need this book.

Highly recommended!

Perfect for beginners 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is a great start for beginners who want to work in the fashion industry or for those who consider fashion designing a hobby and want to improve on their illustration skills, like myself. Burke starts with the basics, like learning how to draw the female figure in different poses and drawing some examples of clothes, but she also touches upon fabric rendering and ideas on how to make a presentation. There's even a section on designing for men, childeren, and costumes. Overall a very informative, clear and consise book to get started and to encourage and inspire amateurs to want to learn more.

I like what I see. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I haven't really had a chance to play a lot with this book since I got it a month ago, but so far, I like it. There are very colorful designs, croquis', and many illustrations. It seems like it gives a lot of information in a short amount of time.

Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design

R. Klanten, N. Bourquin, S. Ehmann, F. van Heerden

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

More and more information is being visualised. Diagrams, data and information
graphics are utilised wherever increasingly complex elements are present,
whether it is in magazines, non-fiction books or business reports, packages or
exhibition designs.
Data Flow presents an abundant range of possibilities in visualising data and
information. Today, diagrams are being applied beyond their classical fields
of use. In addition to archetypical diagrams such as pie charts and histograms,
there are manifold types of diagrams developed for use in distinct cases and
categories. These range from chart-like diagrams such as bar, plot, line diagrams
and spider charts, graph-based diagrams including line, matrix, process flow,
and molecular diagrams to extremely complex three-dimensional diagrams.
The more concrete the variables, the more aesthetically elaborate the graphics
sometimes reaching the point of art the more abstract, the simpler the readability.
The abundant examples in Data Flow showcase the various methodologies
behind information design with solutions concerning complexity, simplification,
readability and the (over)production of information. In addition to the examples
shown, the book features explanatory text.
On 256 pages, Data Flow introduces a comprehensive selection of innovatively
designed diagrams. This up-to-date survey provides inspiration and concrete
solutions for designers, and at the same time unlocks a new field of visual codes.

The Marvel Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the World of Marvel

Roy Thomas, Peter Sanderson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Marvel Vault brings the Universe to you, sharing the insider's story of Marvel Comics from 1939 to the present. Chock-full of historic and never-before-seen memorabilia (think: early sketches of Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch, Bullpen birthday cards, and a membership certificate for the Merry Marvel Marching Society), this vibrant chronicle contains over 30 plastic-encased archival gems that you can hold in your hand while reading about the artists, writers, and heroes who make up the Marvel Universe.

Organized by decade, The Marvel Vault leads readers through every era by letting them hold such rare items as holiday cards, the welcome kit from the original Merry Marvel Marching Society, the program for the first comics convention, and even the first sketches for characters who went on to become beloved Marvel icons.

Whether you've been collecting Sub-Mariner dime-books since the 1940s, or have just started to crack the pages of current Spidey sagas, you'll want to gear up for Marvel-ous adventures with this dynamic collection!

The Animator's Survival Kit

Richard Williams

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 95 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The definitive book on animation, from the Academy Award-winning animator behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Animation is one of the hottest areas of filmmaking today--and the master animator who bridges the old generation and the new is Richard Williams. During his more than forty years in the business, Williams has been one of the true innovators, winning three Academy Awards and serving as the link between Disney's golden age of animation by hand and the new computer animation exemplified by Toy Story.

Perhaps even more important, though, has been his dedication in passing along his knowledge to a new generation of animators so that they in turn could push the medium in new directions. In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator--from beginner to expert, classic animator to computer animation whiz --needs. Urging his readers to "invent but be believable," he illustrates his points with hundreds of drawings, distilling the secrets of the masters into a working system in order to create a book that will become the standard work on all forms of animation for professionals, students, and fans.

The Art of WALL.E

Tim Hauser

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The "E" in Wall.E stands for Excellent 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The "Art of ---- " books that are published in connection with the release of (mostly) animated films have evolved over the years from expensive, large format, coffee table smashers to smaller (and thankfully less expensive) formats. However, the artwork between the covers of the latest generation of these books is no less lush. In the tradition of "Art of..." books, The Art of Wall.E documents the development of the characters and story line through a wealth of drawings that range from thumbnails to painstakingly executed paintings. It seems that in making these movies no possible detail is overlooked with the very talented folks at Pixar sweating even the smallest of them. If you enjoyed the movie, owning the book is a great way to enrich and prolong the experience.

Editorial Review:

Pixar Animation Studios, the innovators behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Ratatouille, has again reinvented the genre with WALL E. When a robot searching for a connection finds EVE, a sleek female probe-droid from outer space, he embarks on an adventure-filled journey across the galaxy. Inspired by classic films, and a brave venture in its own right, WALL E is set to awe audiences this summer. The Art of WALL E includes more than 250 imaginative pieces of concept art, including storyboards, full-color pastels, digital and pencil sketches, character studies, color scripts, and more. The astute text—featuring quotes from the director, artists, animators, and production team—unearths the filmmakers' historical inspirations and reveals a studio confidently pushing the limits of animation.

Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body

Clinton Kelly, Stacy London

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 112 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The 8 million fans of TLC’s hottest show, What Not to Wear, know it as the place to go for real-life fashion advice. Now the show’s hosts, Clinton Kelly and Stacy London, offer spot-on fashion wisdom—with an attitude—in this fully illustrated, authoritative, and irreverent fashion guide to dressing your best for every occasion. Clinton and Stacy’s surefire method for boosting appearance rests on their belief that we can all win admiring glances by selecting clothes that play up our positives and create a balanced body shape. In Dress Your Best, Clinton and Stacy match a wide range of female and male body types with the perfect work, casual, and evening attire, showing you exactly how to make your best parts “work” for you.

Dressing tips for 26 body types!
Features 18 women and 8 men: bigger on top, bigger on bottom, a little extra in the middle, not curvy, extra curvy, small-framed, athletic, and more!

Whether you’re searching for a way to accentuate your assets, puzzling over the right print pattern for your frame, or just looking for a solution to the dilemma “What do I need to wear to look fabulous?” you’ll find here the universal tips, dos and don’ts, seasonal alternatives, and must-haves that will deliver the answers. Dress Your Best is certain to become the standard by which all other fashion guides are measured.

Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt

Megan Nicolay

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 139 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Fun, Hip, Cool Book....but not for younger teens & pre-teens 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I got this book this summer for my daughter, age 12, and her friend. Both girls are crafty, creative (they take art classes together), and have used a sewing machine independently. My daughter's friend even makes tailored clothes for herself! I thought the book would give them some fun & funky ideas. They did enjoy paging through it and both did manage to find a pattern to make. But I'm not sure they'll come back to this much because they felt the styles were too skimpy for them. Neither one is more modest than an average 12 year old, but they still didn't feel comfortable wearing most of the shirts out of the house. They were really amazed by the whole chapter of tube tops. (They asked me "Who would wear these things?")

Too bad...These girls are a perfect market for something like this. I guess I'll have to keep looking.

Editorial Review:

Make it yours. This inspirational guide with DIY attitude has everything you need to know about the world’s great T-shirt: how to cut it, sew it, deconstruct it, reconstruct it, and best of all, transform it. • Features more than 100 projects (plus 200 variations) for customized tees, tank tops, tube tops, T-skirts—even handbags, a patchwork blanket, iPod cozies, leg warmers, and more. • Not a DIY expert? Not to worry. More than one third of the projects are no sew, meaning anyone who can wield a pair of scissors can put a personal stamp on her wardrobe. But the sewing basics are here too: backstitch and whipstitch, gather and ruche, appliqué and drawstrings. • And the mission statement for Generation T: Ask not what your T-shirt can do for you; ask what you can do for your T-shirt. And then Do-It-Yourself!