Customer Reviews:
Wet, Wet, Wet.......2002-06-02
I found this book at a Book Outlet store and thought "for the price, I should get it", so I did. I have to tell you that this is one of the best books to use to build up confidence and technical skills in wet into wet watercolor painting. Each chapter is fun to read and the examples (step by step) are so easy to follow that they help you become an "expert" by the end of the book. I have lots of watercolor books and have found this to be one of my favorites on wet into wet technique for the above reasons.
Wet-in-Wet Watercolor.......1999-11-25
Ms Speckman's book helped me break through to a new level of watercolor painting. She deals entirely with "wet-in-wet", breaking it down into three sections: The Saturated Approach, Painting by Sections and the Painterly Approach. Beginning with a practical and thorough discussion of paper and pigments as they apply specifically to wet-in-wet watercolor, she proceeds to original and effective step-by-step instruction. Although I have purchased and worked from many books on instructional watercolor, I found Ms. Speckmann's techniques to be unusual and exciting. I particularly enjoy her iconoclastic preference for opaque pigments and the way she showcases their unique qualities. Well written and lavishly illustrated, this book is a valuable reference work.
Book Description
Soft, flowing effects for atmospheric skies, rivers, seas and landscapes in watercolor are made easy with this guide to a technique known as "wet-into-wet"—painting freely with wet washes, blending and merging colors on the paper. Demonstrating in step-by-step action sequences how to manipulate the flow of color on wet paper, the accomplished author helps artists create beautiful, effortless-looking effects. Sunsets, clouds, trees, hills, boats on the water, snow scenes and stunning skies are among the wide range of subject-matter the author has painted, all produced using a limited palette, a variety of brushes and, on occasions, even a hairdryer.
Average customer rating:
|
Painting Wet-Into-Wet (Leisure Arts)
Bryan Thatcher
Manufacturer: Search Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor Painting
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0855327928 |
Average customer rating:
|
Robert Vavra's Classic Book of Horses
Robert Vavra
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Veterinary Medicine
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Animal Production
| Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Stallions of the Quest
-
Horses (Passions)
ASIN: 0688120199 |
Average customer rating:
|
Capitan Tsubasa 23 (Shonen)
Yoichi Takahashi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Shonen (Boys)
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Manga
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Adolescentes
| Infantil y juvenil
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Asuntos Sociales
| Autores, A-Z
| Biografías y Memorias
| Ciencia Ficción y Fantasía
| Ciencia y Tecnología
| Escuela y Deportes
| Historia y Historia Ficticia
| Horror
| Literatura y Ficción
| Religión y Espiritualidad
| Salud, Mente y Cuerpo
| Series
Manga
| Ciencia Ficción, Fantasía, Misterio y Horror
| Literatura
| Infantil y juvenil
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
General
| Revistas Cómicas y Novelas Gráficas
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
General
| Novelas Gráficas
| Revistas Cómicas y Novelas Gráficas
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Shonen (Niños)
| Manga
| Revistas Cómicas y Novelas Gráficas
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: 8484498727 |
Book Description
These four early works by the internationally lauded filmmaking team deal with the subject for which they are best known: corruption and crime in situations that combine the real and the surreal with the hilarious. Of the scripts included here, Barton Fink--an intense look at the psychological ruin of a New York playwright trying to make it in 1940s Hollywood--is a masterful culmination of these themes.
Customer Reviews:
It's Raising Arizona.......2003-09-12
The best movie EVER! The straight script, I had hoped to stumble onto some dialogue that wound up on the cutting room floor but to no avail. Being interested in screenplay writing I was curious how the Coen's conveyed all of the sight humor into their screen play. If your looking for screen play examples (the how to write a screenplay books are worthless) this has been very helpful to me. Too bad their aren't any story boards to go with it.
Customer Reviews:
Breakdown in Academia.......2005-06-15
In his Preface, Robert Cantwell tells us that this book is addressed to "a former academic colleague, a tepid, retiring gentleman who...through a third party...suggested that if I wished to advance in the academic world I should probably not write about bluegrass at all."
Unfortunately, in his quest to prove that bluegrass is a fit subject for serious investigation, what we end up with is a rather dense treatise that is just flat out lame in places.
For example, in describing the scene backstage at a country music show in Maryland in 1977, the author sees fit to comment on country great Jack Greene's "beer belly" and Jeanie Seeley's "peach-like rump and insistent breasts," but conveniently fails to mention the hideous, unkempt sideburns Bill Monroe sported during the same period. (In fairness, if Professor Cantwell's musical education had included the live LP, "Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours-Hittin' the Road," which contains Jack Greene's outstanding vocal on "Afraid to Care," chances are he would have arrived at more balanced view of Bill Monroe versus all other Opry stars.)
Other puzzling observations abound, especially in his "technical" discussions of this or that musical type. For example, on page 108 he tells us that "bluegrass is more strictly bound by song structure than jazz," which is not true. Jazz is every bit as song-bound as bluegrass: it's just more advance harmonically. And if the listener knows the song in advance (e.g., Thelonious Monks' "Ruby My Dear"), he or she will have no trouble following the changes, regardless of how much improvising is going on. Later, we are told that "improvisation can be carefully planned out in practice and carried out in performance," which strikes me as a contradiction in terms (if it's planned out in advance, how can it be called improvisation?).
There are minor irritations, too, such as the misspelling of jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli's first and last name, which makes the reader wonder just how familiar the author is with his subject.
Anyway, if you're looking for a good general overview of bluegrass, I recommend "Bluegrass: A History" by Neil Rosenberg. Rosenberg's book is highly comprehensive without being "technical." In my opinion, a good "technical" book about bluegrass is yet to be written.
It's that good.......2004-11-17
Someday maybe someone will write The Greatest Bluegrass Book Ever. Until then, this is the one. OK, it's not perfect...there are twenty-odd sentences (scattered about like annoying but harmless litter) that date the book. Otherwise, the love for and insight into the music is timeless. I was surprised to find myself in a state of breathlessness after reading some of the passages. It's that good.
"Academic psycho-drivel"??.......2004-01-12
I get the impression from several of the reviews I've read here that the posters frown on the academic study of bluegrass. This book certainly isn't for everyone. No book HAS to please an audience, nor does every book HAVE to be interesting from cover to cover. Cantwell does have a tendency to ramble at some points, but the information contained in this book is still worth the read.
Bluegrass Breakdown is a book for those interested in bluegrass from an ethnomusicological standpoint. Cantwell advances interesting theories regarding the African contribution to bluegrass to how bluegrass is identifiable through its use of the characteristic "high lonesome wail". Cantwell's goal here is clearly to explore cultural attributes and effects of bluegrass, and this is something I believe he does well. If you're looking for a book that's an easy to read, tail-wagging history of bluegrass, go for Cantwell's colleague Neil Rosenberg. Cantwell isn't your man.
Cantwell's writing is purely academic, again a style of writing that isn't for everyone. I don't believe Cantwell goes out of his way to discuss his bluegrass performance merits or intellect here. I found Cantwell's inquiries mostly unbiased and thorough, including those dealing with Bill Monroe. I don't believe Cantwell went out of his way to point out Monroe's 'hypocrisies' on any level, rather he constructed his writing to portray Monroe as a paradox, a 'mystery' man who's very hard to explain in the space of a few pages.
For all his interesting theories, Cantwell loses a star for stereotyping. His description of "Appalachian folk" at the Grand Ole Opry as "plain", "overweight" and "lacking in proper dental hygiene" (the book was published in '86) is annoying. This may be a part of Cantwell's research experience, however it's a cheap shot at a blanket statement about an entire culture of people. I thought good researchers were trained to avoid this kind of writing. Other than that, this book is something definitely worth the read ... particularly if you're up for the challenge.
Seems like no love for the music.......2003-07-06
There are some things you've got to know to love, and other things you've got to love to know. Bluegrass music is one of the latter. And I get the feeling that, while the author clearly knows quite a lot ABOUT bluegrass music, he doesn't KNOW bluegrass music. (By the way, I say this knowing full well that Cantwell is a bluegrass player himself. I hate to say it, but this is clearly the impression I get.) He treats it, very skillfully, as a sociologist treats some group of people he's studying and perhaps has lived with, but internally feels disdain for.
I got this feeling the most clearly in Cantwell's discussion of two important areas: Bill Monroe and gospel music. About Monroe, Cantwell seems to delight in pointing out his shortcomings and hypocracies. Everybody admits that he had both. But what doesn't come out in this book is Monroe's love for the music, for the people, and for the lifestyle that the music comes out of. Sure, what neither Monroe nor Earl Scruggs did was truly original; but the fact that they popularized it and shared it with millions of others (yes, making money along the way) doesn't make them evil people.
Even worse is Cantwell's treatment of gospel music. I came away from the book with the distinct feeling that most bluegrass musicians use gospel music as a tool to dupe the suckers, and play it not so they can "use their Bible as a road map" but as a cash cow. While I admit that there are no doubt some bluegrass musicians who so use it (but who am I to judge their hearts?), it has been my experience that at least some bluegrass musicians I play with feel gospel songs deeply. We sing and play gospel music to express how we really feel about God, and we want to share that with others. In other words, when I play gospel music my goal is truly to share not only the gospel but also the Gospel. Perhaps that wasn't Cantwell's experience, but it is mine.
In summary, this book is very learned, and the author clearly knows a lot and expresses it skillfully, but it leaves you feeling completely flat and uninterested about the music. If you're looking for a critical book that helps you know many facts about bluegrass music, this is it.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a book that helps you to both know bluegrass music and to love it better, I would suggest instead reading "Bluegrass: A History" by Neil V. Rosenberg. Rosenberg is a guy who not only knows his subject well (the book being apparently just as well researched and painstakingly footnoted as Cantwell's) but Rosenberg clearly has the kind of love for the music and the people that it seems Cantwell lacks. Rosenberg's book is the kind you treasure and re-read.
Critical Theory Comes to Bluegrass.......2001-08-12
If you hate the dense, sometimes rambling, style of critical theorists, pass up on this. But, if you do enjoy bluegrass, as well as crit lit, this book is an enjoyable analysis of the style. Cantwell can write long, winding paragraphs, but he knows his subject. His analysis parses the style deep into its African roots, while at the same time giving the reader some thorough critical background into old-timey Southern rural music and African-American styles. The negatives from other reviewers are right on, but I happen to like Cantwell's style and have found this book to be an invaluable reference to bluegrass, and a source of inspiration on how to view, not to mention listen to what has been described as "folk music on overdrive."
Book Description
“Most of the examples are contemporary...and all blessed with great color photographs—as is the grand finale, the step-by-step how-tos of seven different pieces, detailed with words and in pictures...introduction for buyers as well as for budding artisans.”—Booklist. “A beautifully illustrated guide to jewelry-making techniques...a very useful chapter on the properties of metals.”—Library Journal.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-07-27
This book is by far the best I have. I have no professional training and I am pretty much a beginner (amateur at polymer clay pendants and total beginner at metal). The thing is that I love sculpting....Yet, this book has more info that is helpful to me than any of the other books that I have. The illustrations in this book are more helpful to me than just drawings, like in some of the other books. The angle of the photos shows me exactly what the author is doing. Yeah, it's a lot of info, but that's what I wanted. This book is more complete, in my opinion, than the other books that I have. I love the project pictures that the author has included, as well as the pictures of other artist's work. It's a good price- cheaper than the others that I have, and I'm glad I bought it.
Most useful Jewellery book I have.......2007-06-01
This book is one of the best I have,I still refer to it whenever I am in a creative slump.As a full time jewellery Designer/Maker running a businesss I never have any time to try new techniques or read books but this one was so clear and easy to follow,so full of really interesting techniques and many many pictures that I refer to all the time.I have hundreds of jewellery books but none have been as useful and inspring as this one.I tried all the projects and they all came out as shown,I learnt more than I did in jewellery classes I've taken.
Unlike other books in mentions the use of micromotors and abrasives etc instead of pre historic tools and there are many wax projects,some really great examples of jewellery by spanish designers,and information on alloys - everything you need to know.Best $29.95 I ever spent.Made my work interesting again,will be looking out for further books by this Author.
The Complete Book of Jewelry Making.......2006-08-21
I recently purchased this book and two others by the same author: "The Art and Craft of Making Jewellery" and "Jewellery and Silversmithing Techniques". With only very minor changes, they are essentially the exact same3 book. I think it is questionable to proffer 'triplets' as different books.
The layouts and illustrations are beautiful, however.
A source book for art metal smiths.......2006-03-26
It is as the title implies a complete book for the slightly advance or far along beginner in to the jewelry making arts. Great clear numerous pictures are on every page. Very complete descriptions acompany every picture following the technic or process being described. Being this is a U.S. reprint of a Eurobook some of the items and or tools are not translated it to American terms if you will. Example is a soldering nest which is pictured throught all of Mr. Codina's books. You can see it in alot of pictures and it turns out to be a mess of coiled steel binding wire used as a support for the item also called a jeweler's wig. This is commonly used in Europe,Mid East and the Far East. It is in the small but very helpfull glossary. None of the projects shown or that are pictured are the real far out stuff found in some other books. I own it and the two other books by Mr. Codina
Not another tacky project book!.......2005-08-15
Finally, a jewelry making book that is more than just another tacky project book. This book covers a wide range of techniques and materials. No, you will not master all of these techniques by reading this book, but you will find a wealth of information and inspiration to make your own jewelry. There are projects at the end of the book, but you do not have to make the items in order to understand the technique being demonstrated. This is an inspiring intermediate to advanced book.
Average customer rating:
- Not a lot of pictures
- Utterly Useless To Real Pythophiles!
- How did this get such good reviews?
- Not quite what it professes to be
- A very Good book for a Monty Python Fan
|
Monty Python Encyclopedia
Robert Ross
Manufacturer: TV Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Entertainers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Television Performers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Comedy
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
1970's
| Shows
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Art
| Encyclopedias
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Pop Culture
| Encyclopedias
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Television
| Encyclopedias
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think! (Popular Culture and Philosophy)
-
The Pythons: Autobiography
ASIN: 1575000369 |
Customer Reviews:
Not a lot of pictures.......2003-01-23
This encyclopedia is filled with information not just on Monty Python, but on the individual members as well. What I mean is, not only do we read about things like "Life of Brian" and "The Meaning of Life," but we also hear about "Silverado" and "Splitting Heirs."
The book provides a chronology starting with John Cleese's birthday in 1939 to 1997. There is also a list of videos and books as well as addresses for the British and American fan clubs.
The focus for the entries is on the Monty Python cast. For instance, not a lot of information is given on the movie "Silverado," but there is quite a bit of information about John Cleese's role in the movie.
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of pictures in the book. Personally, I think that would be a grand addition to this work.
I would recommend this for diehard fans of Monty Python.
Utterly Useless To Real Pythophiles!.......2002-02-09
The back cover alone,should be the biggest tip off,to this gigantic rip-off! Mr.Ross is payed to write books about British television shows. Besides Python,he has written books on The Avengers,and The Saint. ( Heaven help their fans as well! ).He doesn't have to be a fan of the show,just a flunky who collects information. It's easy enough to get a Python endorsement as well,since a book about them,obviously generates intrest in their own projects.
One thing I wonder about is this: why do the authors of books about funny people,naturally assume they themselves are the comic event of the decade? ( Please,leave the comedy to the professionals.). Mr.Ross is no more a comedian,than Geoffrey Guiliano is a musician. Mr.Ross's overly long decriptions of every Python episode,are like being trapped in a pub with a drunken neo-Python fan,intent on retelling every joke to you until you laugh at it.
Frankly,if you wanted a run down of cast and crew for any Python film,you could run it down on the Internet Movie Data Base.( And more than likely see the information spelled correctly as well.).Obviously all Mr.Ross had to do,was pay someone to surf for the information,and copy it down for his book.
This book would benefit from being,simply,the facts. Most "encylopedias" tend to state facts,rather than personal opinions. As a Python fan,I frankly don't care if Mr.Ross laughs at the same jokes I do,or "gets" the social ramifications of certain subjects.We all laugh differently,and Python offers much to laugh about.
Instead of having every film,ruined by a full out synopsis that kills every joke,why not give just a general overview? Instead of merely listing the albums,why not list the variants? ( And yes,original Python vinyl came with extras!). Instead of going over every episode with a fine tooth comb,why not give just a season intro?
Mr.Ross wants too hard to be Kim Johnson,and fails.
How did this get such good reviews?.......2001-10-28
I found this book somewhat informative as far is just raw data is concerned but poorly written. The author seems more intent at getting his opinions across than providing information. Specifically I refer to his occasional remarks about how British comedy is far superior to anything that the United States could produce (I was actually waiting for him to refer to the States as "the colonies").
LUCKILY I received this book free for purchasing the complete set of Python videos. Had I paid money for it I would have been very disappointed.
The ONLY reason I gave this two stars instead of one is because it does have good information. However reading through the author's comments are just too frustrating. At some point in the future it will provide me with kindling for a nice warm fire. I haven't touched it since my first and only reading.
Not quite what it professes to be.......1999-09-22
I find this flawed effort nevertheless very enjoyable; but I am of two minds about its not quite beign what it professes to be. An encyclopedia should (as Sgt. Friday used to insist) just give the facts. Almost every sentence here is concerned with Mr. Ross's personal opinion about the facts--opinion, by the way, stated as fact. When he says, for example, that episode 7 of the lst series of MP's Flying Circus is "one of the most unfunny," this can scarcely be accepted as fact (it is the one about the transformation into Scotsmen). The format is also inconsistent. A complete treatment of an Avengers episode is offered because John Cleese makes a brief appearance but another episode in which Carol Cleveland plays a major role is not featured and barely mentioned in her own write up. Also--and this is a Good Thing--Ross includes any film or tv show in which even a single Pythonite has had a hand. So with an eye open for typos and occasional inaccuracies, I will continue to peruse this book but always careful to separate fact from opinion. And all the more so now that the MPFC tapes and DVDs are being made available by A&E!
A very Good book for a Monty Python Fan.......1999-09-01
I bought this book the same day I bought Monty Python Speaks. This book is good to let you know what movis and tv shows each python member is in. It is a very good book for a Monty Python fan.
Books:
- Pucci: A Renaissance in Fashion
- Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies, C. 1800-Present, With Value/Price Guide, Featuring over 20 Years of Auction Records (American Indian Art Series, 1)
- Radical Album Cover Art: Sampler 3
- Reading Abstract Expressionism: Context and Critique
- Reading Charlotte Salomon
- Realist Vision
- Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits
- Revolucion!: Cuban Poster Art
- Salvador Dali: The Catalogue Raisonne of Etchings and Mixed-Media Prints, 1924-1980 (Art & Design)
- Sight, Sound, Motion: Applied Media Aesthetics
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Shadow Roads: Book Three of the Swans' War
- The Safe-Keeper's Secret
- Telechelic Polymers: Synthesis and Applications
- The Position: A Novel
- The Art Of Trompe L'oeil Murals
- The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live
- The Everything Parent's Guide to Raising Boys: A Complete Handbook to Develop Confidence, Promote Se
- The Body Art Book: A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modification
- The Art of the Western Saddle: A Celebration of Style and Embellishment
- The Lincoln Lawyer: A Novel
The Complete "Masters of the Poster": All 256 Color Plates from "Les Maitres De L'Affiche" (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)
The Posters of Jules Cheret: 46 Full-Color Plates and an Illustrated Catalogue Raisonne, Second, Revised and Enlarged Edition
Cappiello: The Posters of Leonetto Cappiello
Wake Up, America. World War I and the American Poster.
The Poster in History
