Peek Over The Shoulder Of World-Class Artists
596497
If you are a traditional artist considering incorporating your computer into your artistic repertoire, this book is a great starting point. Even if you have already discovered how helpful your computer is for creating artwork, you will find the techniques in this book will extend your digital skills. Although Adobe Photoshop is widely considered the industry standard in professional image editing and photo retouching software, this book is about using Photoshop as an art medium. In this book, part of the O'Reilly Designer's Notebook series, you will learn from and be inspired by nine world-class French artists who used Photoshop to create the featured artwork.

As you progress through the book, you will look over the shoulder of these artists as they discuss how they incorporated Photoshop into their artistic approach. The accompanying full color images show the progression of each artwork from start to finish. This is not a step-by-step instructional manual; instead the artists talk about how and why they used the Photoshop software to achieve certain results. After scanning in a pencil sketch or creating the beginning sketch with the digital pen and tablet, these artists used the layers feature in Photoshop to a great extent. By working with each element of the design on a separate layer, they found they where less limited artistically - nothing done digitally is irreversible.

The book doesn't concentrate on just one style of art. The nine artists chosen to be showcased in this book represent a wide range from childrens' book illustrator to video game artist. Bengal is a graphic novel designer and artist. Hippolyte, Joel Legars and Marguerite Sauvage are illustrators. Nicolas Bouvier is a video game artist and art director. Benjamin Carre is a book illustrator and game designer. Judith Darmont is a painter. Nicolas Fructus is a graphic novel artist. Antonie Quaresma is a layout artist, computer graphics designer and colorist. The book was originally published in French and was translated by William Rodarmor.
3740357
This is an awesome set. It really goes into the lives of the artists, shows where they lived and grew up. My art history prof liked it so much, she bought a set! Great close-ups of some of the most beautiful pieces of art.
4723213
A great overview of the art world from the gallerists point of view including the humanity of the dealers involved. (They are good people and taking HUGE chances.)

I have to say that what is passing for fine art circa 21st century is mostly anemic and simply an investment enterprise. If you are a would-be art collector looking for beautiful artwork or simply looking for an investment grade choice,start here. My premise in this review is that  "you can't fit one foot into two shoes."  so pick one or the other, investment or beauty, and view the book in this fashion. Thus you will be immensely rewarded either emotionally or monetarily.
749111
Christopher Beane's collection of flower photography is a breathtakingly beautiful feast for the eyes. Anthony Janson has written insightful text that accompanies the images and masterfully analyzes and explains Beane's artistic perspective. Janson places Beane firmly into the lineage of the history of art through his discussion of the history of painters and photographers who have focused their artistic talents on flowers. A remarkable comparison is the similarity of one of Beane's images to the Greek Nike statue. Janson  discusses how Beane has overcome the historic treatment of flowers as a traditionally static still life subject, and given his flowers a dynamic quality that relates more to figurative art than traditional still life compositions. Beane's use of light, his physical manipulation of flowers, and his placement of them against exciting and unexpected backgrounds all contribute to the vibrancy of his compositions. Janson's analysis of how Beane has broken through the boundaries of his traditional art education is an interesting read for any classically trained artist who, through their maturation, manages to develop his or her own unique, signature style. The history of Beane's relationship with flowers through his work in New York City's incredible flower market, his love for and knowledge of flowers, and his development into one of the most remarkable flowers photographers of our time is compelling. This is a beautiful book which serves as a coffee table decoration, while the text raises the book to a level of compelling reading about the nature of an artist who has transcended the ordinary to create something both radically new and classically inspired. Janson challenges the notion that oil painting is a more effective art form than photography because, as the gorgeous reproductions in this book exhibit, Beane has managed time and time again to create extraordinary images that rival some of history's most revered examples of fine art.
203858
Spectacular to see all the artists who cared enough to do their creative best on behalf of someone they clearly respect and admire. A few are better than the originals.
4321515
Wonderful coffee table book providing artist background, insights and works.
1687183
Not as well known among the "casual-interest" art crowd, Brion Gysin is extremely important to contemporary art. He inspired artists, poets and musicians, and his work - which is diverse, radical and defies categorization - includes paintings, drawings, photo-collages, installations, poetry and sound experiments.  It's detailed for the first time in this book, which is a great introduction to the artist- at least it was for me.

The volume offers an up-close look at Gysin's works, through both a historical and contemporary eye, with special attention placed on his inventions. Of special note are a cut-up collage novel, The Third Mind (1965) that he created with William Burroughs, and the Dreamachine he made with Ian Sommerville. The latter, created in 1961, is a kinetic sculpture designed to induce visions by playing flickering light on the closed eyes of the viewer, and something I found to be fascinating. There are excellent illustrations of his works throughout, but perhaps as exciting is the text, photo essays and comments from contemporary artists, which capture and portray a remarkable man who many describe as an "artistic visionary."
307771
I have purchased each and every magazine, and for the first time it was a pleasure to be exposed to something other than a Mapplethorpe abstraction of the nude form. Although not all images are ones that I love- but as a body of work, editorially I can appreciate the scope and the wide breath of artists from across the globe. Each issue not only focuses on high brow known artists, but also invites those who are under the radar within the art scene. There is nothing out there like it and for that I am grateful to have found the magazine.
38153
Whether you are familiar with James Avati or just discovering him, this is an essential survey of one of the greatest paperback cover artists. If you love and collect the paperbacks of the 40s and 50s like I do, you will need this wonderful volume. Piet Schreuders, a noted paperback historian, has put together a fine overview of Avati's work that includes an insightful biography and many full-page plates of his paintings that were used as paperback covers, particularly for the early Signet line. Avati read all of the books he created covers for and he had a remarkable ability for capturing  a scene from each of them. He painted with grit, compassion, and a real feel for everyday people and the world they inhabit. City streets and alleys, back country swamps and meadows, porches, park benches and lonely tenements; They're all depicted as the background for a range of human desires, emotions, and perceptions. Avati was a master at painting this with honesty and unsentimental affection. Schreuders' tribute to this artist is a well-crafted piece in its own right and also includes insights from Avati's friend and fellow artist, Stanley Meltzoff. A fine book about a fine American artist who should be better known.
3321333
Artwork offers impressive, unusual perspectives which surprise the eye.
3343286
The cards are beautifully done, and the information about each painting is interesting and many times piques my interest enough to delve further into a particular artist. I'd like to see another set come out with even more artists, or perhaps a set on sculptures or other kinds of artwork.
3683696
This is one of the most wonderful looks into music and art. Mandy and Bernadette are great together and the stage scenes of his paintings are spectacular. I would love to see this in person, but for now, this will do just fine. So take a walk in the park with George and see how everyday life becomes incredible art, bit by bit.
727823
I found this book fascinating. The artists - including not only painters but also composers, writers and others - are a diverse lot, as are their habits,  and the histories give a rare insight into how these great talents went about their days. Each artist has only a page or two, so there isn't time to become bored with the daily-ness of it all.  Some folks that appear to be completely sane turn out to have some very peculiar habits, and some with apparently spontaneous and unfettered products are surprisingly disciplined. Great peek into the inner lives of artists of all types.
4451952
Looking forward to studying my copy of Masters: Book Arts: Major Works by Leading Masters. What a fabulous collection of talented artists in one book. My art book collection will be greatly enhanced with this addition.
This book offers a look inside the works and minds of leading artists in a way that you feel like you have known them at some time.
Inspirational, inventive and exciting. And art.
4559325
This lavishly illustrated book of "space art" by a leading practitioner in the field is a treasure of spectacular paintings that rekindles the age-old dream of venturing to new worlds. All the great names in the genre are represented here from the grand master Chesley Bonestell to ultra-modernist Bob McCall. The value of such inclusivity is that the book offers a full spectrum of subjects from spaceships to space colonies and from star views to depictions of aliens. Moreover, every technique and style is represented, so whether you are a fan of the photo-realism school or of free-form expressionism you will find something here to warm the heart. Because author Ron Miller has spent a lifetime immersed in this artistic specialty, he has come to know the key players and their prolific portfolios with an unmatched depth of understanding. Accordingly, he tells the story of his fellow artists with sensivity and verve. His knowledge of the background and meaning of each image comes across in expert captions that elucidate technical and conceptual aspects for the novice who may leaf through the book seeking to understand what a painter was trying to convey in a fantastical canvas. My favorites pertain to visions of futuristic hardware, so I just love the artwork showing an orbiting space city illuminated above a cloud-draped planet and a space elevator piercing the upper atmosphere. In a similar vein, albeit of a generation ago, are the incomparable Bonestell creations for Colliers and Life magazines, presenting finned spacecraft on far-away planets with helmeted spacemen heroically wandering jagged landscapes in service to the high calling of exploration. Those remarkable paintings inspired a comfortable postwar society to embark on a high adventure to fulfill humanity's noble destiny in the far reaches of the universe. Ron Miller's magnificent contribution to the cause as manifested in this beautiful volume is likely to serve in the same way as its precursors of the 1950's to awaken a long-slumbering civilization to the rewards of blasting off into the last frontier and satisfying the human quest to unlock the mysteries of the unknown.
3555110
Before magazines like Playboy came along the ideal dream woman for men to enjoy was usually provided by a bevy of talented pin-up artists in magazines and calendars.  Pin-up art has enjoyed a tremendous resurgence in popularity over the past decade but "Jeepers Peepers" from Collectors Press presents the men...and women...who got it all started back in the 1930's.  The book begins with a short history of pin-up art and introduces us to some of the legends of the field such as Rolf Armstrong, Earl Moran, Alberto Vargas, Zoe Mozert, and perhaps the greatest of all, Gil Elvgren.  The book presents 176 pages of their stunning art covering various subjects such as nudes, sports, swimsuit, Indian maidens & pirates, exotic, and glamour.

What you get in these pages is really far more interesting than you get in photographs.  What stands out especially is the use of color and shadow that you simply don't get in a mere photograph.  There is Edward D' Arcona's magnificent 1930's nude redhead lying on a divan by candlelight that is simply breathtaking.  And Zoe Mozert (one of the few female pin-up artists) provides "bubbles" with a gorgeous nude blonde playfully blowing bubbles from a pipe.

Perhaps no pin-up artist was more playful than Art Frahm who had a whole series of pin-up that he did that found his female subjects caught, literally with their panties down...around their ankles, usually with several amused men looking on.  Much of the work in the Exotic sections comes from the 20's and 30's when American's fascination with places like Egypt and the Orient were at an all-time high and reflected in works like Armstrong's "The Enchantress" showing a striking Egyptian woman dressed only in sheer silks.

The chapter on Glamour truly shows off its women in all their glory, dressed in beautiful gowns and adorned with fabulous jewels and other accessories, all looking like Hollywood starlets out for the big movie premiere.  Billy DeVorss has a magnificent piece of a blonde in a dazzling red gown, taking a moments rest after an exhausting evening.

Jeepers Peepers is really a looking glass into decades long past and into the styles and humor of the day.  While there is still pin-up art today, sadly that sense of humor and innocence is long lost but still lives on in this great book.

Reviewed by Tim Janson
2363317
LIke its sister volume,Sevilla Forma Urbis, this luxuriously produced coffee-table sized book is a feast for the eyes. Each glossy, highly-detailed photograph, in gorgeous color, is one of hundreds of arial  views of Napoli, Italy. Atlante Di Napoli is an outstanding example of  photography as art. Each crisp, sharp photograph has an accompanying page  with a non-detailed outline or template of the featured area, and these  outline pages would provide hundreds of fascinating design elements for  many art mediums. What sets this book apart is the apparently artless  arrangements of the buildings, objects and natural formations that comprise  Napoli. In the end, these photographs become less a factual record of the  current metropolitan and coastline real estate and more an artistic  exploration of color and pattern--a sort of arial example of Chaos Theory.  Coastal lines, strings of bright red taxicabs, buildings snuggled next to  each other all constitute a brilliant, chaotic design that somehow seems  artifical and natural simultaneously. Artists, photographers, travelers and  students of life will treasure this gem of a  book!