Pictures worth framing when you're done, no matter what your skill level.
349761
WOW!  What else can I say about this book?  Breath taking images that I get to add my own twist to.  The pages are already shaded and so allows me to either be lazier than I normally would and just colour it like I would a flat image and allow the existing shading to make the picture look great or I can take more time and effort and add more layers over the shading and again make the picture look great.  Wonderfully suited for all levels of skill like with all of Selina's books.  The greyscale gives you more detail in the image and the pages are somewhat forgiving and so you can experiment with things such as thinners etc to create a gorgeous piece of art that is so worth framing when you're done.
3386804
If you are ok with pics being a little vague, you will like this book.... quality , paper. etc are very nice.
3475636
Here is a digital camera that accommodates all photographic skill levels.  Even a photographically challenged dummy like me can take wonderful pictures.  And the more I learn about the camera, the more things I can do.  I won't list here all the attributes because you can see those elsewhere, but I will say that EVERYONE can take great pictures with this camera!  And if you are interested in photography, you can go a long way with this camera.  In fact, you may never outgrow it.
2552485
Jam packed with projects that are generally photographed from not the usual vantage points.
3556929
I love putting pictures up of all my family. This was a treasure to find. Not only does it seem like a collage but it takes all those pesky odd pictures you don't know what to do with in certain spots on collages and frames them.
1070674
Nicely printed on thick paper, not that poster paper crap. Well done on the image contrast. Even though it's tiny, you can see every detail of some long-gone artisan's powerful and loving work. How many people these days could carve stone in such a way? You should have these photographs on your wall
2041836
For successful photographers and retouchers, this is the one true source. It will take you a while to get through it. You may want to go through it more than once. But once you are done with it, you can work in any market.

What's bad?

There are only three minor quibbles from my point of view:

1. The photos (which also come on a CD for you to do the exercises) are slightly horrible. But they are perfectly tailored to teach you what you have to learn. So don't let the photography turn you off from the book. The pictures may not be works of art, but they do the job.

2. The pictures don't line up with the text. He'll be talking about an image that appears like 2 pages earlier or later. It'd be nice if the pictures were on the same page as when he's talking about them.

3. It's dense. He could make an entire book out of basically each chapter. If you are a beginner, stay away. If you are not serious about color, stay away. If you want to be spoon-fed, stay away. But if you want to be good, this is the starting point and the finish line.

What's good?
He doesn't just tell you what to do; he gets you thinking critically about why you are doing it. He prepares you to work in the real world. Good color doesn't have to be an accident. Every retoucher I know will tell you this is THE source.

It's not for everyone. If you aren't good at learning from a book you probably won't get through this. If you are not already proficient in Photoshop, you may want to come back to this book later. Be prepared to spend some time on this book, (I think it probably took me like 2 months to get through it the first time.) You don't just read it; you have to do each exercise to get the full benefit. But if you want to be world-class good at color, this is the only place to go.
4682678
No matter what your artistic ability, after coloring these drawings, you'll be able to create a work of art worthy of framing and hanging in your house.  I'm enjoying playing with using water color pencils, pastel, acrylics, and sharpie.  I might even try folding one in half and creating a cool, one-of-a-kind greeting card. If you're someone who loves color, but can't quite create your own sketches ...this is a perfect way to express yourself and play. My 14 year old is enjoying this too (would probably be a great gift for an artistic college kid as well).Looking forward to more art by Crystal McLain!
1399621
Well illustrated and described poses.  Recommends sequences of varying degrees of difficulty.
838238
I think the pictures speak for themselves...
3479839
Well written book, makes the art doable for the less talented. Love the photos, and although the majority of folks that you may set these creations in front of may not realize what it takes to create, the personal satisfaction is truly enough.
163304
This book is filled with pictures you won't see elsewhere.  Many charming candids and lots of informal shots, which means that a good number aren't of optimal photographic quality (too dark, &c.).  Some caption  misidentifications, but otherwise wonderful.
1095863
There are dozens of interesting and brilliant artists in this book and the author does a terrific job of picking out shots that illustrate their processes and style. I'd recommend this book strongly because of the rarity of the pictures taken directly from artist's most personal and raw medium.
2778034
The text that accompanies the pictures in this book isn't anything to crow about. That's okay, because the photos make up for it.

Most of the chapters in The New Bungalow assume that you have a bungalow to refurbish, or that you're building/buying a brand-new home and want to make it Bungalow-ish. I'm in a 1970s tract home that has no personality, and I want to add some. So the text, such as it is, isn't all that helpful.

But I don't mind, because the photos are so good. There's detailed and wide-shots of both exteriors and interiors, as well as every room in the house. I must have found a dozen, "ooh, isn't that pretty!" opportunities, and three or four "hey, we could do *that* over the entryway" inspirations. In addition to structural items (such as beautiful wood staircases and suggestions about how to incorporate modern lighting), the houses are decorated in a lovely fashion.

It's not the most valuable book I've found for growing my house into an Arts & Crafts inspired home. But if you're looking for inspiration, you'll find plenty here to like.
2219197
I usually don't give books 5 stars because I always feel like there is room for improvement, but I really liked this book. Not only were the photos beautiful or interesting but I loved the fact he took the time to write down the settings and conditions he was in when he took the photos. Even though most if not all the photos are taken with a film camera, he explains the difference or what needs to be done to take the photo with a digital camera. He compares photos on different pages so you get the sense if one element changes, how different the photo can look.
I'm ready to read it again.
302498
I like fine art photography and it's OK with me if it's edgy, unusual, abstract or imaginative.  This book is all of these things and has creative poses, uses of light and other accessories (use your imagination here).  I can't falt the art or the quality of the artistic expression of the photographers, but the style isn't one that resonates with me.

There are many abstract shots, fairly graphic pictues and some of them have a dark quality perhaps even bordering on an S&M type feel.  In many cases, there are close-up, but artfully done photos of small areas of the body including the mouth, genitals, etc.

I can't say that this art inspired me in any way, but I can't argue that it wasn't creative, expressive or carefully thought out.  One of the best elements was the lighting.  Something I did not like was all the tattoed models.  This could be a plus or minus depending upon your tastes.

There is a tough, urban or underground feel to many of the photos.  If you like this, you will probably enjoy the photos.  There is also a strong bias in the direction of capturing the animalistic elements of human sexuality.  However, there is much more to it as well.

I wasn't offended by any of the images, but I lean more toward a fine art, sculpture, full body type of photography in nature.  Cygny is my favorite photographer of nudes and I appreciate art that captures a more elevated type of beauty, paradox or some gesture or facial expression that resonates with me in an uplifting way.  This book is more raw and too the bone.  The images are all powerful, but not in ways that move me.

You can see I gave the book a rather high rating.  This is because I am judging the book on its genre, how well it is targeted to a particular audience, etc.  My personal tastes are quite beside the point.
161957
I enjoyed this book for the different types of pictures that were available.