Graphics, Animation & Illustration Books

Illustrator CS3 for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide)

Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas

Amazon Price: $19.79 List Price: $29.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peachpit Press Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $18.23

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> MacOS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Operating Systems -> Windows NT

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Visual QuickStart Guide—the quick and easy way to learn!

Now revised and updated, this book uses simple step-by-step instructions, loads of screen shots, and an array of time-saving tips and tricks, serving both as the quickest route to Illustrator CS3 mastery for new users, and a handy reference for more experienced designers. This edition of the Visual QuickStart Guide covers Illustrator CS3's newest features, including new tools in Live Color, enhancements to essential drawing tools and controls, improvements to the powerful Control panel, the new Eraser tool and Crop Area tool, and much more. A full-color section of inspiring Illustrator artwork and highly readable text create a winning combination for Illustrator users of every level.

• Easy visual approach uses pictures to guide you through Illustrator and show you what to do.
• Concise steps and explanations let you get up and running in no time.
• Page for page, the best content and value around.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC

Martin Evening

Amazon Price: $30.99 List Price: $46.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Focal Press Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $29.26

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Master the power of Photoshop CS3 with
an internationally renowned photographer by your side.

Adobe's Photoshop CS3 comes with powerful new features with huge payoffs. But it can be overwhelming to learn, even for professional photographers, graphic designers, keen amateurs, and others who already have an initial grasp of Photoshop. Acclaimed photographer Martin Evening, who wrote the best-selling previous books, 'Adobe Photoshop for Photographers', makes it easy with this new, thoroughly updated edition.

* Illustrated throughout with before-and-after pictures - more than 750 professional, color illustrations!
* Practical techniques and real-life assignments
* Step-by-step tutorials
* Keyboard shortcut reference guide

Includes FREE DVD with:
* QuickTime movie tutorials for MAC and PC
* Searchable tips on tools, palettes layer styles, and shortcuts
* Includes images selected for you to experiment with to get you up to speed with everything in the book, including the new Photoshop CS3 features, fast!
* Updated Camera Guide to help you decide which will best suit your needs, plus bonus Digital Capture chapter in printable PDF format

Uncover quickly exactly what Adobe's CS3 now offers photographers. New tutorials focus on the key features introduced in CS3. You lose no time in finding out how to put your ideas to work with:

* Adobe's Camera Raw 4 plug-in that can now also process TIFFs and JPEGs
* New Align controls for combining HDR images; Photomerge; new Clone Stamp; Curves dialog that now incorporates Levels functionality; and improved controls for Brightness/Contrast to match raw image processing controls
* The latest on Black and White adjustment, which provides all the black and white conversion tools you need for optimum monochrome conversions
* A pro's scoop on choosing from among dozens of Photoshop's image adjustment methods to get the results you want
* Tips on Bridge 2.0 and Lightroom - when you should use each
* Top tactics for successful composite images, insider guidance on editing shadows and highlight adjustments, and lessons on how to preview and re-edit filter effects as many times as you want - without complex workarounds

Get the preeminent advice from one photographer to another as Martin completely updates you on the core aspects of working with Photoshop, digital workflow, and improving accessibility. Real-life examples, diagrams, illustrations, and step-by-step explanations ensure that you're up to speed with the next generation of digital photography in no time!

Foreword by Adobe Systems' key Director of Engineering, Digital Imaging, Marc Pawliger

* Over 750 professional, color images make this book stand above the rest
* New DVD! Searchable info explains tools, palettes & layer styles, also includes invaluable QuickTime movie tutorials
* Master the power of Photoshop CS3 under the instruction of an internationally recognised Photoshop expert & Adobe alpha tester

Mac OS X Leopard Pocket Guide (Pocket Reference)

Chuck Toporek

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $6.20

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> MacOS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> Unix -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

No matter how much Mac experience you have, Mac OS X Leopard requires that you get reacquainted. This little guide is packed with more than 300 tips and techniques to help you do just that. You get all details you need to learn Leopard's new features, configure your system, and get the most out of your Mac. Pronto. Mac OS X Leopard Pocket Guide offers an easy-to-read format for users of all levels. If you're a Mac newcomer, there's a Survival Guide that explains how to adapt, and a chapter on Mac OS X's key features. Experienced Mac users can go right to the heart of Leopard with chapters on system preferences, applications and utilities, and configuring. In all, plenty of tables, concise descriptions, and step-by-step instructions explain: What's new in Leopard, including the Time Machine How to use Leopard's totally revamped Finder All about Spaces and how to quickly flip between them How to search for and find things with Spotlight How to use Leopard's enhanced Parental Controls Handy keyboard shortcuts to help you be more efficient Quick tips for setting up and configuring your Mac to make it your own If you're ready to tame Apple's new cat, this is the guide you want.

The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)

Scott Kelby

Amazon Price: $31.49 List Price: $49.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peach Pit Press - Model: 0321330625 Amazon Marketplace: 65 new & used starting at $23.50

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Adobe Photoshop
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 188 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Buy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the best Photoshop book I've ever purchased. It was recommended to me by a fellow photographer. Scott Kelby is very straght forward, he shows you step by step how to do everything. He makes photoshop easy, I was overwhelmed until I read this book, I use it almost daily, I am no longer intimidated by Photoshop!

Herer I learned how to correct and inprove all my photos 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Yes, that's true!
3 years ago I was a beginner with Photoshop.
I read all the book and learned how to correct all my photos.
People use to say that I take good photos.
You can see some of my photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarburd/sets/1524858/ .
Hope you enjoy the book and the photos.

The Easiest Way to Learn Photoshop CS2 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Like many of Scott Kelby's other books, this is written in plain english and teaches with such ease, I wonder why it's not included with your copy of CS2?

Scott Kelby has a way of teaching you to use this very complicated program that you'll be amazed at how fast you're editing your images like the pro's do.

My edition looks like a tattered mess due to it's use and how many times I've thumbed through it to find a solution to one of my problems.

If you own CS2, than do yourself a favor and buy this book

Editorial Review:

Kelby s 480-page book shows you Photoshop tips and tricks for altering your digital photo image, including a special chapter on how to set-up Photoshop s color management. You ll also learn: sharpening techniques, retouching secrets, processing RAW images, color correction, image noise reduction and more.

Apple Pro Training Series: Color (Apple Pro Training)

Michael Wohl, David Gross

Amazon Price: $47.03 List Price: $54.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peachpit Press Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $38.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> MacOS

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

Disappointing 1 out of 5 stars.
13 of 18 people found this review helpful.

I ordered this in June of last year and I wish I'd not. I'm a live tv camera shader so my background is in color manipulation. If you have absolutely no idea how to manipulate colorimetry, this is not the book for you at all. It tells you how to drive the software with some helpful color hints scattered about. Read the manual, work in the application, scour the net and Amazon for information about color and you can learn the same stuff.

If you have a background in color manipulation, skip this book and read the manual to learn how to drive Apple's Color. If you're like me and enjoy constant learning, run and pick up "Encyclopedia of Color Correction" by Alexis van Hurkman. It's a far more useful text than this title.

Editorial Review:

In this guide to Apple’s masterful new color grading and finishing application, award-winning colorist David Gross starts with the basics of color balancing and correction and move on to the fine points of secondary grading. Topics include scene matching, using vignettes to isolate and track regions, creating advanced color effects and “looks,” skin tone adjustments, and adjusting the composition and framing of a shot. As with the other titles in the Apple Pro Training Series, each chapter in this Apple-authorized guide represents a complete lesson--with a project to complete and a review section to reinforce the lessons. Superb footage, including several BBC productions and broadcast commercials, provide real-world examples for you to work through as you master this revolutionary software.

The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro 6 (Focal Easy Guide)

Rick Young

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Focal Press Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $16.69

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Video Production
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A great book for Final Cut Pro 6 Users 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I'm a video editor with 3 years of experience in Final Cut Pro. When I spotted this slim volume at my bookstore, I was intrigued and picked it up to look through - then I bought it on the spot and went home and read it. The explanations are very clear and well illustrated. The tips I picked up have already saved me a good bit of time and frustration during my editing. I wish I had found this book earlier!

This book also does a great job of going over what you need to get started in Final Cut Pro - installation, settings, etc. While this book is not a "load this clip from the CD and now push this button" type book, the examples are very clear, and can be done with any video clip on your computer.

There is definitely material here for even experienced Final Cut Pro users - for example, I'd never really understood some of the rendering and format options (AIC, ProRes 422, etc) and this explains them, and shows how to use them to your advantage. Heck, the explanation on page 24 of how to put custom buttons on your toolbars, or the one on page 85 on how to use the select track tool, have probably saved me 5 or 10 minutes an hour since I learned to use them.

Hope you enjoy this book as much as I have!

Editorial Review:

Software packages are complex. Software books don't need to be. Simplify your life with The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro! This concise, full-color book lives up to its name by paring down the software to its essentials. You learn the key features and essential workflow to get you up and running in no time.

With this book you can start cutting immediately, whatever you edit, whatever the format. This is an ideal introduction whether you are a professional moving over to Final Cut Pro from another package or system, a new user, or just someone who wants to get the best results from Final Cut Pro, fast!

* Save time, learn all you need to know to edit with FCP in hours
* Concise full-color coverage, suitable for all OSX versions of FCP

Robin Williams Cool Mac Apps: Twelve apps for enhanced creativity and productivity (3rd Edition) (Little Series)

John Tollett, Robin Williams

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peachpit Press Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $13.92

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> MacOS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Cool Mac Apps 3rd Edition 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

"Cool Mac Apps" Third Edition by Robin Williams is an excellent information provider for anyone using Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Covered in this book are the mac applications iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iTunes, Mail and more, twelve in all.
There is an explanation of the application and instructions on how to do each of the functions within the application. The book is quite detailed. For example iPhoto itself is 97 pages.
This is an excellent book for reference after going through it at least once. I have prior editions and refer to them whenever I have a question on a covered application. Of course with each new Edition many features are repeated from the prior but the latest Edition incorporates all the new features of those applications.

This book is now part of my reference library and it is highly recommended. I would give it a 5 star rating.

Reviewed by Marty Grauer, Fresno Macintosh Users Group.

"Cool Mac Apps".
Author Robin Williams with John Tollett.
ISBN-0-321-50896-3
US $ 24.99
Peachpit Press, www.peachpit.com

Editorial Review:

This popular book shows readers how to take advantage of the iLife '08 applications that to many are the coolest parts of using a Mac. Through tutorials, tips, and techniques readers will learn how to use each of the powerful applications -- individually and as part of an integrated, interactive suite. Robin and John also cover the features of the immensely popular .Mac Web Gallery, which enables you to share your iPhoto library with family and friends with just a few clicks. Friendly, practical instructions will have new and veteran Mac owners using all that's new in the suite in no time. They'll find everything about getting on the Internet and using email; using the way-cool iChat AV, which adds audio and video to instant messaging; using iTunes, including access to the iTunes Music Store; the new video libary in iMovie; new organization and editing tools in iPhoto; new animated themes in iDVD; and much more!

Photoshop CS2 for Windows & Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide)

Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas

Amazon Price: $21.11 List Price: $31.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peachpit Press Amazon Marketplace: 132 new & used starting at $5.33

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Adobe Photoshop
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> MacOS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you're interested in weaving multiple images into a seamless panorama, placing text on paths and shapes, or any of the countless other things you can do with Photoshop CS2's myriad new features, this is the place to get up to speed on them fast! In these pages best-selling authors and Photoshop masters Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas use task-based instruction and strong visual aids to teach you all of the Photoshop essentials: from basic color manipulation and image correction to painting, masking, using filters, importing and editing digital photos, and more. Incisive text, crystal-clear screen shots, and step-by-step instructions bring the art of digital image manipulation to your desktop. Now you can take the ball and run with it, creating your own composite masterpieces that take full advantage of Photoshop's tight integration with the other products in Adobe's Creative Suite. Armed with the tips and techniques Elaine and Peter share here, you'll be ready for any Photoshop CS2 project.

Mac OS X Leopard Killer Tips

Scott Kelby, Dave Gales

Amazon Price: $23.09 List Price: $34.99 Not yet published By: New Riders Press

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> MacOS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General

Editorial Review:

Killer Tips books are written with one goal in mind: to allow the reader to work faster and smarter. In other books, you’ll often find that the most useful information is found in sidebars, tips, and notes. In a Killer Tips book, there’s nothing to weed through: it’s all sidebars, tips, and notes! Here, Scott Kelby gives you only the best tips and info on Mac OS X Leopard, covering all of the new features, including Time Machine, the revolutionary and completely unique backup system; Spaces, which allows the user to totally customize different window configurations based on their needs; Spotlight, which now allows the user to search across an entire network (not just the user’s computer); and much more. Scott Kelby’s trademark style—both direct and humorous—is easily accessible to all readers, who will appreciate all the great information here, as well as the book’s clear and focused presentation.

Apple Pro Training Series: Encyclopedia of Visual Effects (Apple Pro Training)

Damian Allen, Brian Connor

Amazon Price: $37.79 List Price: $59.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peachpit Press Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $34.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Provides the building blocks to VFX with Shake. 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Four stars. A fifth star would have been earned for a better indexing or cross-reference. Otherwise a top notch, very informative book.

I have experience with film making and with Editing on Final Cut Pro. I was new to VFX, but I'm not anymore after reading this book!

Having seen Shake in action, I wanted to learn more. This books focus on Shake and the fact that a trial version ships with the book is the reason I bought it.

This book is a reference book. It explains, in detail, terms used in the VFX industry (clean plate, matchmoving, etc.) that any filmmaker or budding VFX artist will need to know if even just to communicate clearly with VFX professionals. The entries in the book are punctuated with walk-through tutorials that show you how to accomplish (in Shake) the specific effect. This is a good thing.

I had a project on my suite that needed some pretty hefty FX work. This book armed me with the right concepts and understanding so that I could plan the steps I'd need to take to accomplish the FX. In my case it was turning the request to "Make that person a ghost" into build a clean background plate, rotoscope the actor, invent a ghosty look, and then put it all back together. Until I had read the book and understood the individual steps involved, I didn't know where to begin.

Overall, this is a very informative reference book written in a witty and accessible style. It is VERY Shake oriented, which is, again, WHY I bought it. This is the kind of book an FX pro (or newbie) will reference many times as they work on future projects.

Editorial Review:

This is the ultimate recipe book for visual effects artists working in Apple Shake, Adobe After Effects, and Apple Motion. An impressive lineup of Hollywood and independent effects pros have pulled together this compendium of the coolest and most useful effects from A to Z ("Adding Clouds" to "Z-Depth Effects"). The book includes everything from practical everyday commercial techniques to breakdowns of well-known shots from blockbuster films. Readers learn to create light sabers from the artists who created them for Star Wars Episode 3; learn to freeze time from the wizard who invented the effect for The Matrix; and learn to create matte paintings from the pros who did them for Lord of the Rings. Coverage includes rotoscoping, painting, warping and distortion effects, dramatic lighting, adding lightening and fire, matchmoves, 3D CG integration techniques, advanced blue- and greenscreen techniques, and much more. DVD-ROM included. Foreword by Ron Brinkmann.