Customer Reviews:
Shepard's Old Masters came from the 1970s .......2007-03-17
Joseph Sheppard's How to Paint Like the Old Masters is a good visual reference book especially for procedural figure painting techniques used by historical painters. The book explains how to start from a tinted or warm background, and the correct layering of highlights and colors, etc. Unfortunately, the author's illustrative examples are mostly of 1970-esque nudes that give little inspiration for painters to aspire toward.
Excellent but might not be the whole story.......2006-12-06
The first thing that struck me as I browsed the book is the woeful quality of many of the images, with some being out of focus. This problem is also apparent in the other two books by Watson Guptill that I think compliment this one well. Kreutz "Problem Solving for Beginners" and Cateura "Oil Painting Secrets from a Master". If you are looking to paint in a realistic style in the vein of Caravaggio, Rembrandt etc. then you will find plenty of information in these three books.
However all three deal with technique and for me the ability to discern the brushstrokes is a critical part of the learning exercise i.e. is the artist using impasto or thinned paint? With these images it's impossible to tell. Hopefully WG will revisit each of these books and bring the images up to scratch.
Joseph Sheppard provides "how to's" allowing the reader to emulate the techniques of: Durer, Titian, Veronese, Caravaggio, Rubens, Hals, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Information on how to create specific paint mediums used by that particular artist, mixing paints, painting surfaces etc. He makes no claims that any of the information offered is absolute. As well as conducting his own studies on how to achieve a certain painterly effect he has also drawn on technical information published by the various "art experts" (listed in the bibliography).
Results of recent studies of old master paintings indicating that the current thinking on techniques might be wrong. The old masters would typically have a team of apprentices working alongside them, mixing paint, painting parts of the painting that the master was probably too bored to bother with (as well as good training for the apprentice) etc. The Master/Apprentice setup allowed for a continuous stream of knowledge being passed along the generations. However as oil paint technology advanced, in particular the ability to buy premixed paints off the shelf, the painter no longer needed a team of apprentices. He could pretty much get by on his own. Hence there was no longer anyone for the painter to pass on his knowledge to. This resulted in a considerable amount of technical knowledge being lost. (A good example is the recent theory promulgated by David Hockney that the old masters were able to paint such realistic paintings as they used rudimentary projection techniques to place a guide image on the canvas, overwhich they painted. No one knows if he is right or wrong).
From the 1800's on, technical experts such as Charles Eastlake ("Methods and Materials of Painting") and Max Doerner ("The Materials of the Artist") began to impart their wisdom on how the old master paintings were created. But the techniques thay had available were very rudimentary, more often than not being a case of the expert trying to reproduce a certain style and looking at the painting surface close up. The experts proferred their theories and techniques, often with much aplomb leaving no room for doubt. Unfortunately they were often quite off the mark - they could emulate a style somewhat but never 100%. There are too many variables involved even for a discerning eye. It has only been with recent advances in scientific analysis, chemical and visual, that a truer understanding of the old master technique is finally being determined. Van Wettering's excellent "Rembrandt - the painter at work" book details the findings of extensive research carried out on a number of paintings considered to have been painted by Rembrandt. The book is 340 pages, and they still haven't got all the answers. But what they have done is to throw in to doubt the theories and techniques of the 19th/20th C experts.
There is a welter of information in this book, but if you are trying to perfectly replicate a certain old master painterly technique, and failing to do so, then be warned the experts might not be such experts afterall.
All said and done, I do recommend this book for the wealth of information it contains. Numerous recipes for mediums, varnishes, mixing paints, painting surface etc., along with a well presented demonstration of each painters technique. This book might not quite get you to a 100% replication of the desired technique but it will certainly get you close. And as science uncovers more knowledge about the "real" techniques they can be applied here accordingly.
It is not a book for beginners - a rudimentary understanding of the oil painting process is reqd at minimum. Beginners might want to check out Brian Gorst's "The Complete Oil Painters" also.
You can do much better.......2006-11-16
That aluminum woman on the front cover is ludicrous. What makes the author think any old master ever began that way?
You will do better if you look for a book by a painter whose own work does not appear amateurish.
Realistic painting for the beginners.......2006-11-06
I beg to defer from the other reviews. Having bought the book on the basis of the reviews, I am quite disappointed. This is book IS for beginners who are interested in the first steps of realistic painting. It takes you through various Old Masters' techniques (or rather what the author THINKS is the Old Master's technique) without much explanation. The author's comments, as he takes you through a handful of development snaps of his painting, are scanty and non-helpful. Don't dream that you could paint like anything vaguely like the Masters; and in fact, the authors own painting is a poor, if any, semblance of a Master's work unless you are looking through the eyes of a beginner.
The most interesting part of the book is the four stages on the cover, which is probably enough information without having to buy the book.
same old stuff.......2006-11-02
All the projects looked the same. it didn't go into a detailed description of the the techniques the different artists used.
Average customer rating:
- Ingenious photographic essay of the United States - inspirational
- Great Book
- I miss seeing RED
- Amusing
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The Red Couch: A Portrait of America
William Least Heat Moon ,
Kevin Clarke , and
Horst Wackerbarth
Manufacturer: Olympic Marketing Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Reagan Diaries
ASIN: 0912383054 |
Customer Reviews:
Ingenious photographic essay of the United States - inspirational.......2007-07-25
I teach photography and use this book every semester as one of the great attempts to photographically reveal the pulse of a diverse and complicated nation. I have found this book to inspire both my own photography and I imitate its genious in photographic assignments given to my students. Invariably, they love the book and its provocative messages. Everytime I re-open the Red Couch, I find new insights. Anyone interested in ingenious photographic essays, anyone interested in peering deeply into the diversity that makes up the United States as a nation of many peoples, anyone interested in learning or teaching photography will find this book fascinating, entertaining, provocative, revealing, memorable. It is one of my favorite books about North America. I have been reading Amazon reviews for years but have never been so inspired to create my own. The Red Couch is that inspiration. (Finally, as another already stated, it is one of the all-time perfect gifts for creative, intellectual, artistic, open-minded people.)
Great Book.......2007-04-30
I bought this book about 20 years ago and I still pull it out now and then to look through it. It's the perfect coffeetable book and it's a great book for phootgraphers as well.
I miss seeing RED.......2001-08-15
This has been one of my favorite gifts to give over the last decade and I feel compelled to get it back into circulation. The journey of one red velvet couch across the country invites a diverse cross section of us to sit (or lie or sprawl or jump) on it and be photographed. The photo essay is breathtaking and wonderfully weird with bold colors, outrageous characters and intriguing depictions of Americana. If I won the lottery, I'd buy everyone a copy.
Amusing.......2000-09-24
A bizarre book of photographs chronicling the voyage of a red velvet sofa across the United States. It turns up in places you normally wouldn't expect to see a red velvet sofa - such as on a window washer's scaffold.
Amusing the first few times you page through it but of limited repeat appeal. Appropriate to leave on the coffee table so your friends can ask "What the hell is this?"
Average customer rating:
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Pilgrim Jäger Vol. 2
Toh Ubukata
Manufacturer: Media Blasters
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Pilgrim Jäger, Vol. 1
ASIN: 1586555790 |
Book Description
As the faces of the tarot are revealed one by one, the spiral of history draws tighter. What parts will Michelangelo, the Medici family and Francis Xavier possibly play in this dramatic story?
Customer Reviews:
Pilgram moving on.......2006-11-10
I liked this volume as much as the other two. It has what I enjoy most in Manga/graphic novels-superior art work and an involved plot. I do admit that I sometimes don't follow everything until the second or third read and that is a little irriting but I still find the journey stimulating as well as fun. Add in the pleasure in seeing a grand artist at work and all I can say is, "when is the next volume available?"
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Pilgrim Jäger, Vol. 1
Toh Ubukata
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Pilgrim Jäger Vol. 3
ASIN: 158655557X |
Book Description
As the faces of the tarot are revealed one by one, the spiral of history draws tighter. What parts will Michelangelo, the Medici family and Francis Xavier possibly play in this dramatic story? And what of Adele and Karin? Will Adele's multiple personalities be drawn out to cataclysmic effect?
Customer Reviews:
Holy Goodness.......2005-01-12
This manga shines as an example of how manga SHOULD be done.
My favorite aspect of Pilgrim Jager is that it manages to have smart, strong, sexy female main characters that you can respect. These women have genuine personality, they're not flakey chicks who do nothing more than parade around in short skirts, needing to be saved by a high school zero-turned-hero.
I was also very impressed that it uses the occult without being cheesy or overly dramatic. The fights scenes are interesting. The art is BEAUTIFUL.
And if you have any interest at all in the art of tarot, this will definitely be up your alley.
So talented.
Nice Flow.......2005-01-10
This is a fun blend of art and history. It's not very original or thought-provoking, and I wouldn't call it a favorite work, but the style is beautiful and I look forward to reading the next volume.
I recommend this manga to anyone who likes sharp, flowing comic art and 16th century Europe.
Book Description
"In 1868, the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute opened its doors under the leadership of its twenty-nine-year-old founder, General Samuel Chapman Armstrong. In spite of a proud history, social movements and the national economy had brought the institute to the brink of disaster 110 years later when William R. Harvey was appointed president. Brushing aside suggestions that the institute abandon its program of higher education and reconstitute itself as a preparatory school, Harvey began by dreaming dreams that were both big and infectious.
Twenty-five years later, the successes are extraordinary. The institute became a university, sixty four new academic programs were established, the endowment fund has grown to more than six times its 1978 level, the budget has been rescued from a sea of red ink and is now cruising safely in the black, fourteen new building that have been raised and all the old ones spiffed up. Among other such achievements is an innovative venture into commercial enterprise--the profits from which are applied to scholarship funds.
Detailed throughout this book are specific examples of decision making processes, priorities, programs and approaches that worked for Harvey and can work for you as well. Overriding all else, though, is a commitment to people, expressed as one leader's w9ill to improve the lot of others.
`If you can help somebody--do it! If you can alleviate someone's pain--do it! If you can brighten someone's day with a kind word--do it! If you can be less bureaucratic--do it! If you can reach out and positively touch just one somebody--do it! If you can alleviate just one somebody's misery--do it!'
And don't forget to dream large!"
Customer Reviews:
Dr. William R. Harvey is our Modern Day Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.......2003-10-30
I just bought this wonderful book when I went back to Hampton University for Homecoming 2003. I was glad to see such an undertaking written on Dr. Harvey. I found it very interesting and I am now in trouble with my wife because I kept my night-stand light on all night reading the book from cover to cover. I have only one criticism so I will dispense with that first: Dr. Benjamin is very repetitious of certain facts and accounts including them in one chapter to illustrate one aspect of Harvey's leadership and then in another to illustrate a similar leadership trait, while this is the only weakness of the book it is a common thread throughout, chapter after chapter,and therefore does lend itself to no small amount of irritation. Other than that, it is an absolutely fabulous book about a man who has been a true inspiration to more than a generation of Hamptonians. As an approach to the work, it should be noted for the true students of the genre that the book neither is nor pretends to be a work of autobiography, instead it is a chronicle of how one man's value based leadership transformed an institution of higher learning. In the pages of this book one finds a man steady at the ship in steering Hampton toward new horizons while keeping her true to her most noblest traditions and aspirations. One finds a man of vision unafraid to do what is right for that grand institution while in the process demonstrating and exemplifying dignity and decency. As an alum of Hampton University who was inspired by Harvey's leadership as a student, the work came as a refresher and a capsulization of all that I learned while quietly observing this man from a distance. Thank You, Dr. Benjamin for capturing one of Hampton's finest moments...Dr Harvey, Hampton University is your destiny... what a blessing to be so clear...and she still needs you!!!
(...)
Book Description
Ever since his astonishing victory in the 1991 PGA Championship, John Daly, known affectionately on the PGA Tour as "Big 'Un," has enthralled fans with his big drives, bigger personality, and "Grip It and Rip It" approach to golf -- and to life.
Long John, usually seen with a Marlboro Light dangling from his lip, is the unchained, unpredictable, unapologetic bad boy of professional golf. "The only rules I follow," JD likes to say, "are the Rules of Golf."
Daly's play-it-as-it-lays approach drives My Life in and out of the Rough, a thrillingly -- and sometimes shockingly -- candid memoir of a larger-than-life athlete battling assorted addictions (alcohol, gambling, chocolate, sex), his weight, and, perhaps worst of all, divorce lawyers. (He's been married four times.)
A two-time major winner before he turned thirty, John Daly is one of the most popular athletes in the world. Taking readers with him off the fairway and into his $1.5-million motor home for a rollicking ride through his life -- an ever-churning world of booze, burgers, casinos, country music, and breathtaking moonshots -- Daly reveals how a down-home Everyman from Arkansas managed to rise to the peak of the golf world, escape from the depths of abject depression, and, finally, take control of his life.
Well, sort of.
Customer Reviews:
This book carries the same excitement as watching John tee it up on Sunday.......2007-08-07
First off I must tell you that I am a fan of John Daly and his incredible natural talents. This book uncovered every detail of John's life from a kid, through two major wins, and onto where he is today. I enjoyed every page and was glad to see John tell it like it is. This book is an easy read, partly because it carries a 4th grade reading level. However, the book does a good job of revealing all the truths. Yes, most readers may have different views on John's alcoholic dependance, but one thing is for sure John didn't hide the details. If you are a fan of John or find yourself amused by watching his up and down golf game, then this book is for you!
Good Read.......2007-07-01
John Daly has interested me for a long time. I suppose the
whole under-dog thing, going up against the odds, etc. But
I really enjoyed reading this book. Thought it was an easy read
and well written since it was refreshingly naked in terms of
a person just showing all there is to show. I would recommend
it especially since it is so opposite of the whole stuffy
professional golf player fraternity.
Gutsy self-deprecation.......2007-06-03
I have to say that after reading some of the reviews, I'm almost ashamed to write my own. But unlike some of the reviews, I'll spare you any moral soapboxing on my part and not judge the man. Quite simply, the book sheds considerable light on the life (both the good and the bad) of a guy who happens to be a well-known professional golfer. Kudos to John for having the courage to share much of his private life with the public. John's not a saint and doesn't pretend to be (and pretty much says so in the book). He candidly admits to a plethora of self destructive indulgences and decisions yet balances such with discussion about many of his commendable deeds. His honesty is refreshing. He talks about sex, love, alcohol, anger, guilt, determination, etc. He's human for God's sake!
I gave it four stars because it's an easy read and is written in a style suitable for the content. And if you're interested in learning about the life of John Daly, the content serves its purpose quite well. It's both entertaining and informative. It's not meant to win a literary prize. I enjoyed it for what it is - a good book.
Addictive Behaviour?.......2007-03-23
Entertaining easy to read book but not very likely to fetch a Nobel Prize.
Interesting why Daly would want to make reference to several incidents of drunken driving and sad that he doesn't seem to feel particularly responsible for many of his own actions as an adult.
In my opinion the book reflects a considerable amount of raw untreated addictive behaviour and it kept me sober for a few days, thanks John.
Probably more than I wanted to know.......2007-02-08
Daly doesn't hold a lot back when he authorizes his tell-alls. He also is not concerned too much about public perception. He is definitely one of the more colorful characters in professional golf. The book is a no holds barred account of many of his life experiences, good and bad. I am an avid golfer, and a fan of Daly's, and enjoyed reading the book.
Customer Reviews:
A brief novel, but a good one........2004-10-01
What's particularly interesting about Chaos And All That is how Sola Liu takes a wickedly humorous approach to describe growing up during China's Cultural Revolution, which is unlike anything I've ever read about that period.
An excellent short novel.......1999-05-24
The entire novel is only 126 pages long, and there's numerous short poems and snippets of songs interspersed throughout. The story itself is filled with that brutal rawness that defines modern literature. No fainting flowers or blushing virgins on these pages. The story follows two women: one a college student and the other a character in a novel the college student is writing. Both characters describe their lives in China during the cultural revolution, and the college student adds in thoughts about her life at a university in Europe. Even though politics and the surrounding culture(s) are integral to this story, at it's core are women. Women dealing with each other, relationships, children, sex, family expectations, pets, school, government, and life in a mad and (sometimes) dangerous world.
Revealing........1998-06-11
This is an excellent little book. Not for the squeamish. It's half in-your-face reality and half poetic silliness. I liked it. Not unlike Catcher in the Rye.
Average customer rating:
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1966 And All That
Geoff Hurst
Manufacturer: Headline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0747241759 |
Average customer rating:
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1966 and All That
Geoff Hurst
Manufacturer: Headline Book Publishing
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ASIN: 0755312430 |
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1966 and All That
Geoff Hurst
Manufacturer: HEADLINE (HODD)
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ASIN: 0755314778 |
Customer Reviews:
A disappointment, I'm afraid.......2007-01-06
A successful sequel to "1066 and All That" is probably too much to ask, and this book doesn't deliver. While the earlier book has a natural flow and feel as it mangles historical names and events, this book always feels self-conscious as it reaches to get every name wrong. While casual misremembrance of names and facts works for a book about events of centuries past, it is a much harder sell for recent events. The mangling of names of people still alive or deceased in recent memory tends to be jarring rather than amusing. This book might work better if it wasn't a conscious and acknowledged attempt at a sequel to "1066 and All That", but it still wouldn't be strikingly funny.
A worthy successor to the original.......2006-03-20
My [British] school history class was punctuated at the end of every term with a reading from the classic Sellar and Yeatman history-education satire "1066 and all that". As well as providing welcome relief from actual history, it served the more serious purpose to remind us that history is not primarily about memorising dates and listing truly /memorable/ people.
Brown's work picks up where "1066 and all that" left off. He attempts a similar style, though he has picked up a more modern cadence, and his mock exam papers satirise the often condescending style of more recent exams. He travels through all of the twentieth century, getting past history and almost into current events.
I didn't laugh as much at this version as the previous version, but then I am no longer 11. But the writing is fresh and witty, and as pun-filled as the original. I especially enjoyed the middle portion of the book (30s-60s), perhaps because it also served as a jumping off point to remind myself of some actual history I'd forgotten. Overall, this is a must read for satire lovers. You'd have to be pretty aware of the last hundred years of British history to get many of the jokes, so this isn't for the anglo-ignorant.
Average customer rating:
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1966 and All That
Craig Brown
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K293DI |
Average customer rating:
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1966 and All That
Craig Brown
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVEHPE |
Books:
- Brave New Houses: Adventures in Southern California Living
- Breaking Ground: An Immigrant's Journey from Poland to Ground Zero
- Bricks & brownstone;: The New York row house, 1783-1929, an architectural & social history
- Building with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs): Strength and Energy Efficiency Through Structural Panel Construction
- Bungalow Colors: Exteriors
- Bungalow Style: Creating Classic Interiors in Your Arts and Crafts Home
- Bungalow The Ultimate Arts & Crafts Home
- Cocktails In Tahiti
- Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual: Completely Revised and Updated
- Creating the New American Townhouse
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