Interesting use of an age-old art style
586938
The story and characters are nothing we haven't seen before, but the artwork is where this book truly shines. The use of the 1920s cartoon style to illustrate the main character's emotional repression definitely makes this worth a look.
3597263
As the name suggests, Gothic Art Now (published in 2008), brings together several genres of current Gothic art in a book full of death and decay, melancholia and madness  for those who love every minute of it. To be honest, I felt the works represented seemed somewhat limited (I felt there should have been a wider variety of artists represented  too many of them had more than three entries in the anthology, and anyone who has ever been on DeviantArt will tell you that there is no shortage of artists just as, if not even more, talented as those represented in the book, even in 2008). I also felt the heavy heavy reliance on Adobe Photoshop in nearly every single one of the pieces was a tad disappointing. Dont get me wrong, I understand Photoshop takes great skill to master and to create with, but a bit more variety in methods of creating would have been nice. Categories were divided into eight different kinds of new Gothic art: Femmes Fatales, Men in Black, Gothic Elegance, Industrial Goth, Lurking Horror, Dark Fantasy, Creepy Creations, and Grim Comics. The cover photo (Autumn Has Come by Natalia Peirandrei, done with markers and watercolours on watercolour paper), was one of my favourites, as well as the pieces showcased on the post I did on my blog. Overall, some very great thought-provoking pieces, and interesting read, and I give it a hearty 3 out of 5 stars. So there you have it! This was a great find at Value Village, and a lot of fun to look through. Recommended library reading or used-book purchase, if you're interested in the darker side of art. If you are looking to buy something, however, I would recommend going to your local Indigo/Chapters/Coles outlet (or for those of you in the States, something like Barnes & Noble) and finding something with a bit more variety and more of an exploration of technique, etc.

Peace out and stay creepy! >^.^<
4322628
This book is a nice mixture of concept art (and occasionally screenshots) with interviews from the artists.  It's not packed with artwork though, so don't expect every page to have cool art on it.  There are some pages that are just text.  I liked how the book was laid out.  The text is large, but the artwork gets the center stage.  I prefer more focused art books (like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Art-of-Blizzard-Entertainment/dp/1608870278/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Art of Blizzard Entertainment</a>&nbsp;), but this book will go proudly on the shelf next to it.
386901
The author is also an artist,and after looking at his art ,I looked at some of the  books he has written. This one sounded interesting so I purchased it.
3937919
Perhaps the story is a bit silly, but the artwork is spectacular.  A delight to watch.
3417707
these woodcuts represent a medium drawing ability by Maillol, or the copiest who put them onto the graving plates he used.  Some of the pictures are amusing, some are quite famous and appear in many books, particularly the ones of the three women, fates or Hera Aphroditie and Artimus.  this book isn't really about tittilation as I am sure most who read about the artist will expect, but rather just illustrations for myths and legends.
2019903
The Sky features the artwork of Yoshitaka Amano who developed the characters in the video game series Final Fantasy. This is a reprint of three previously rare books and is a high quality work.

There are pages of sketches of heroes and creatures encountered in the games. Some are pen and ink with a simple watercolor accent of one color. Others are fully painted. All are pretty amazing, and show a vivid artistic imagination.

What you won't find are many words. There is no introduction, and while there are some character names sprinkled throughout, there is a lack of description. It's been a while since I played some of these games, so I vaguely remembered some of the characters, but the art is consistent. It's probably for more of a niche collector, and one who is more familiar with the Final Fantasy series, but I enjoyed poring through the pages and enjoying a top fantasy artist.
3617956
the unique drawing. the attention to detail. A frivolousness that makes it fun.
3335794
I often find the modern, artist-produced tarot cards to be lacking in depth.  With the older decks, you can spend hours staring at the artwork and keep finding nuances.  With this deck, not so much.  The artwork is pretty and pleasant, but it's more to glance through than to meditate on.  The fairy tales included tend to be the modern, whitewashed versions and not the darker originals.  The step-sisters are pardoned and learn the error of their ways. The pictures do not always resonate with the supposed meaning of the card.  For example, the ten of swords shows a young man flying through the air in a box.  The fairy tale and associated "correct" card meaning is about making foolish choices and throwing away your benefits.  Not at all the image of freedom in the picture. I would prefer to meditate on the artwork and the card position than rely on the formal book definition, but the disconnect was so huge I just put the card down. I feel a very strong connection to fairy tales and had hoped to find a similar connection to this deck.  Some of the cards are inspired, but many others feel like a slog to finish the deck. So in the end, I feel this is just another modern deck with pretty art that's not very useful for readings.
2831840
This is a really nice picture! Honestly, I am not sure what I was expecting, but it is an interesting floral picture in shades of gray on white canvas. The picture has highlighting (paint) that gives it a bit of a 3D effect. It is also quite large, so plan accordingly.
632060
Just so you know the point of view I'm writing this from, I'm a manga reader and have been for about 10 years now. The blurb on this book calls it a "new kind of manga", but I don't really agree.  The art in this is gorgeous, but very much reminds me of Lone Wolf and Cub which is anything but new.  Each panel though is lovely to look at and as a whole it's quite an artistic achievement.

However, the panels can be confusing in what they're depicting, especially in the mystical portion of the manga toward the end. I believe that this is purposeful in part because we're supposed to be unsure about what's reality and what isn't. But the reader has to be able to follow some kind of narrative, otherwise the artist may as well splash ink on a page and say "it's a story about a man and woman in love". That may work as modern art but not as a graphic novel.

There were many times in the last section of the book where I had no clue which character I was looking at. Again, part of this is purposeful, but there comes a point where the mangaka has to give the reader something to follow.

And it's especially a problem considering the story being told. I've not encountered the folk tale this book is based upon but it seems a simple one. However, the creator (mangaka) threw in not one but three plot twists at the end, and when those were combined with unclear art I found myself going past pages and wondering what I was reading.

It may be a cultural gap causing my inability to understand parts of this story. I've had that happen with a few other manga, where not being raised in a manga culture causes me to misunderstand story elements (or not understand them at all). But since I'm writing this review for other Western readers, I think it's fair to note.

I spent a long time talking about what I disliked, and yet gave this four stars.  Most of the story is clear, and I liked the heroine and hero for being 'everyman' types thrown into a myth against their wills. I also enjoyed the future dystopian world they lived it; it had clever elements, and the mangaka gave us just enough to make us understand the basis of the story without overloading us. And concerning the clarity, I think that now that I know the whole story it may be clearer on a second read.  The art really is lovely, enough that I know will read this again and treasure the volume.

This is, by the way, a trade-sized volume, quite heavy, quality paper, reading right to left. The translation flows well, though I noticed a number of typos.
3172894
Great if you want a glimpse of Batman as he was written in the 70s- they don't make them like this any more. The moody art is especially affecting.  If Batman is your favorite character you may want to pick this up if you can find it reasonably  His character conveys the noble idea that sometimes even a regular person can be a hero.
4066936
I like the Morgan Greer Tarot Deck very much.  The illustrations are rich in color and spread to the edges of the cards, giving it a very appealing look.  The art is a little bit on the '70s end of things, but it's not too bad, and the imagery sticks pretty close to the RWS standard.  Some images have been cropped from the traditional pictures, which works better in some cases than others.  Several cards - the Tower, the Devil, the aces - are really attractive or gripping.  The backs of these cards are dorky-looking though, and asymmetric so that you can tell whether a card is normal or inverted before using it, which may be a problem for some people.
3079702
It is the time that the artist excels past the mechanics to expression that make you want to try the different arts for yourself.

Every once in a while there is a clinker. But for the most part you will want to repeat watching.

It helps that I have already dabbled in a lot of the arts so I can tell that whoever chose the individual artists excelled in the choice.

The presentation is in episodes like Memory, Landscape, and Community. I am not sure of the significance. I just watched from one end of the DVD to the next. Two good points about this presentation. One it is not in sound bite form where all the artists say one thing then all the artists says anointer. Second it tells a little history of how the artist came to a point in life where he/she decides to be an artist instead of a drone in society.

I know that the series cannot be everything for everybody, however I would have liked them to have slow down to shoe more of the mechanical details of each craft.
2252412
The artwork is great and really brings a new element to a book I've read too many times to count.
2658588
For the second year in a row the official Tolkien calendar features artwork from the Dutch artist Cor Blok, who began painting scenes from Tolkien's works in the early 1960s and who actually met the author, who was impressed enough by his work to buy a couple of the paintings.  Blok's style is a sharp departure from the illustrations used in earlier Tolkien calendars, including some by Tolkien himself, all of which usually featured much detail and attempted to depict scenes as accurately as possible.

Blok himself in the 2011 calendar draws a distinction between "depicting" and "describing."  His "human" figures tend to be minimal, with little attempt to differentiate them beyond details of clothing and size.  His nature scenes are somewhat more finished but still tend to be stylized.  I do find some of the illustrations in this calendar more appealing than those in the 2011 version, especially May's "The Journey Through Lorien," which is a rich woodland scene with bright greens and golds and pale tree trunks.  I also found November's very dark "The Watchers" depicting the Tower of Cirith Ungol appealing for its sense of brooding danger.  And December's "The Destruction of the Ring" is quite vivid, with an unfortunately too reptilian Gollum in the act of toppling into the flames while Barad-dur crumbles to the side. I didn't like the paintings that merely depict characters, again because they tend to lack differentiation or personality.  Some are unintentionally funny like October's "Grima Dismissed" showing Wormtongue offhandedly spitting while a stylized group of onlookers peer sideways at him; or August's "Kheled-Zaram" which looks like a couple of muggers creeping up on their next victim! The centerfold features a "Tolkien Tapestry" of more Blok works, some of which were used in the 2011 calendar.

The fact that Blok is not to my personal taste as a Tolkien illustrator should not detract from the fact that he has an original and unorthodox view which has allowed him to create some arresting paintings.  I'll enjoy using this calendar because I always like to be reminded of J.R.R. Tolkien, whose writings have enriched my life for over 40 years.
1437118
You don't see very many illustrated novels. I guess the effort of combining a writer with an artist is too much. But this is one. The leading male character is a cartoonist by profession, and the book is illustrated with cartoons as though this is the way he can best express himself. While I found that the 'word pictures' that Ms. Picoult can draw to be very good, the images she has had drawn for the book convey a slightly different impression than I had in my own mind. Her images were not what I'd call bad, just different. I found that I enjoyed the differences that the visual impression gave from the word impressions.

The book is a story of a fourteen year old girl coming of age in a 'normal dysfunctional' family. The girl learns that her parents no longer have all the answers. The parents learn that their own behavior affects not only each other but the child as well.

As with any good novel, this is a story of our time with well developed characters with whom we can unfortunately identify.