Art Architecture Photography Books

This book really is gorgeous. Of course, most of the style and emotion in this book was appropriated from design much earlier in the century, and books on this movement are cheap and plentiful in thrift stores. However, it is really nice to be able to see what life would be like if you were a playboy playmate and married to a real-estate tycoon. I am really not trying to put Kelly down, because her vision is mind-bendingly impeccable. It is truly rare when people with wealth also have taste.

Kelly Wearstler is undoubtedly one of the great interior designers of our time. Her style may be too much for most, and her critics pan her for her ego-centric couture gown wearing, but she has an incredible eye for style. She has managed to create a sophisticated home that is visually arresting, textured and comfortable. No, it may not be toddler safe, as she claims, but who's is?
Kelly Wearstler appears to live a perfect life, a globally renowned and successful interior design business, a wealthy property developer husband (who happens to throw a few projects her way), two beautiful children and a gorgeous home full of antiques and art that is a wonderful backdrop to her all-round fabulous lifestyle.
She may not have created the style she has made so popular (see Tony Duquette, David Hicks, Billy Haines or Dorothy Draper), but her almost single-handed revival of a myriad of styles that are as far flung from minimalism as I care to think about has brought a smile to the face of all us maximalists around the world.
I won't dwell on how disappointed I was to find out she was a playboy playmate in a previous incarnation, but it has not changed my view of her talent.
Domicilium Decoratus is a beautifully produced book full of gorgeous photos of Kelly, her children and her home. I can't wait to see how her new home turns out!

As a practicing, professional Interior Designer I have to say I found Domicilium Decoratus inspiring. Being exposed to all types of design, I love it when I am actually left remembering a house...and this one is hard to forget. Although Kelly's style is not my particular taste, the house is full of beautiful color combinations, architectural details, and antiques. I would have to compare this book to looking at a Picasso--you either get it or you don't. If you are looking for a how to book, this is not the book for you. There is no text like in her first book--Your eyes have to do all the work spotting the curious, imaginative details. This is a living art book. If you want to view some images of her home before you buy the book go to her website and Hillcrest estate is under her residential projects.

I'm so glad that I didn't pay full price for this book. The Hillcrest Estate is grand and refreshingly unique; however, I have to laugh at the kid safe reference. As a mom of two young kids, I'm constantly looking for sophisticated kid-friendly decorating. I was thrilled when Kelly, herself,refers to her home as "toddler-safe and visually sophisticated". Huh?!? This home is about as warm and toddler safe as a museum. There are only a few pages dedicated to the kids rooms and only one plastic toy visible. Also, any pool fence?

I wish I had have taken notice of the other reviews. I loved Kelly's first book and found it very useful, however this book is entirely over-rated and I'm so pleased I didn't pay full price for it. There is absolutely no text in the book - just pictures from Kelly's house showcasing her furniture and herself and none of them look at all practical for everyday living. Save your money for the many other fantastic books on offer.

it would have been nice if they had wrapped this book in plastic so that when it finally reached my hands it would not be wrinkly and moist. thanks retards!

This is a great art book! It's a worldwide who's who of stencil graffiti artists Beautiful full color photos cover every page showing murals by the likes of Banksy, Jef Aerosol, Logan Hicks, Swoon, and hundreds more. There's work by over 350 artists. Some of my favorite stuff is by people like Scott Williams who is well known around San Francisco but whose lush work really needs to be seen on a larger scale. The book is not only filled with big name artists but great local finds. The pages are dense with images and a variety of styles. Highly recommended.

I purchased this book for myself after finding Amazon's price to be the best deal out there. It is beautiful and thorough. Sister Wendy covers every major time period with overviews of the most significant artists while including comments and close up studies of specific works. This book could easily be an art course in itself- it is comprehensive and the illustrations are just what you would expect of a DK book- beautiful and with accurate, vivid color. Sister Wendy writes in a readable layperson's style; you need not be an art student to enjoy this book. It is easily my favorite buy of the year- you will LOVE this book!

How bizarre...
...and yet, how wonderful. Who would have ever thought that a nun going through the museum would have (a) been interesting, (b) been publishable, (c) been television-worthy, or (d) been within the realm of credible imaginings? And yet, here is the proof, on my coffee table. Sister Wendy's smiling face, next to a scowling Vincent, greets me each day with my morning cocoa.

This is a book to be savoured. It cannot, like the morning cocoa, be rushed and enjoyed. This must take time. Not because the text is dense or confusing--indeed, it is not. It is lively, witty, historical, accessible, all that one could want in a book on art.

But, mostly, it is exquisitely visual in layout. Everything is photographed and reproduced in stunning colour and low-gloss format to make the pages vibrant and durable yet easily seen. Care has gone into the production of this volume. None of the art is reduced to black and white, but rather presented in glorious colour. With over 800 images in under 400 pages, this is a feast for the eyes. Each page is dominated by art, not text. That makes for slow moving, like reading a museum.

Sister Wendy Beckett takes us on an historical tour of painting (in the European theatre of history), beginning with prehistoric cave-art and drawings, leading up to modern and post-modern artists.

She takes representative pieces, such as the Bosch painting of Death and the Miser to illustrate points of colour, detail, composition, and story. Some paintings have complex stories (such as this one), others have simple composition (such as the 'innocently disadvantaged' Mona Lisa) which give endless speculation as to the meaning.

Sister Wendy explores each era of artistic history, listed below in broad categories (there are several subcategories of each), giving history and philosophy as well as major and representative minor works, explaining in detail at least one or two works for each, concentrating on painting, but also bringing in as relevant sculpture, stained glass, architecture, and other artistic media.

+ Art of the Ancient World
+ Gothic Painting
+ Italian Renaissance
+ Northern Renaissance
+ Baroque and Rococo
+ Neoclassicism and Romanticism
+ The Age of Impressionism
+ Post-Impressionism
+ The Twentieth Century

Sister Wendy does an admirable job at not concentrating exclusively on religious and Christian art (for being a nun), however, given the history of art in Europe, this is a major theme in its own right.

The Epilogue, says Sister Wendy, 'is both an afterword and a foreword: hundreds and thousands of artists come after the disappearance of the 'story line' into the maze of contemporary artistic experience and these same artists may of course, be the forerunners of a new story.' In concluding her volume, she highlights the paintings of Robert Natkin, Joan Mitchell and Albert Herbert, the art of each she hopes will endure.

I am very excited about using this book to study art with my children. The photos are top quality, showing close ups of interesting details in the paintings. I have a collection of art books, but this is by far the best. Worth every penny!

A 1¼ inch thick book with about 400 pages and more than 450 color illustrations of the most significant works of art in Western history can hardly fail to please anyone with an interest in art history. In Sister Wendy's Story of Painting, Sister Wendy provides an intellectual and somewhat passionate discussion on major art movements and sensitive analysis and interpretation of more than thirty paintings she showcases in the book. Enlargements of particular areas of these paintings are used to analyze techniques and identify symbolism. In the absence of ancient paintings that have survived, Sister Wendy uses other forms of art such as sculptures, friezes, tapestries and mosaics to illustrate the subject, composition, style and proportions used in paintings of that era. She treats all styles of art with equal reverence. Shortcomings in this book are few. Illustrated timelines that appear before each major section of the book could be improved by the addition of other historical milestones to help the reader achieve a better perspective. I would prefer less commentary about numerous paintings of a single artist and instead, more information on the cultural and political influences that shaped the development of painting. I would prefer less coverage of obscure artists such as the Nabis in favor of more on Victorian art and Art Nouveau. And I would wish for a more eloquent conclusion to the book. But the thing that was most lacking to me is a discussion on paint! Nowhere is the development of paint as a medium discussed with any depth. These aforementioned shortcomings, however, pale in comparison to what Sister Wendy has accomplished in her book -- the creation of a comprehensive and scholarly source of information on the history of painting that neither the newcomer nor the expert could fail to enjoy.

The first purpose of an artbook is usually to showcase fine art with high quality reproductions. This book certainly packs in ample artwork, well supported by Sister Wendy's colourful commentary. However the image quality is horrendous, with a vast proportion of the reproductions being badly pixelated or blurred.If you like Sister Wendy, then buy her other books. This one is so sloppy that it is disrespectful to the artworks and is to be avoided.

I like this book. I have many others about altered books and collage so not much is new to me but this one does it better.

One of the best guides on Altered Books and the one I refer to on a regular basis as a means of learning new ways to approach altered books. I have learned so much from this book.

This was a well made book with good photos etc. It was not entirely visually appealing to me however and I felt a little let down. If I had seen it in the flesh prior to purchasing I would have left it. (One of the pitfalls with internet buying I suppose).
However, maybe I am not into the whole 'altered book' process and as such my comments may not be a good overall yardstick.

This book was initially recommended to me by an art instructor. It has proved to be a well-founded recommendation. Clear instruction and inspiring.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The instructions are very good, there are many creative ideas and the photography is wonderful. There are some really unique approaoches to wall art using altered books, as well as using CDs, picture frames, etc. What I like best is that this book has some new and refreshing ideas which I haven't seen before and that always gets my creative juices flowing. There is also a great gallery which showcases the work of other artists. For those just beginning, the book starts with how to choose the right book for altering. For the more advanced enthusiast, there is a section that asks, "What if...? and explores new possibilities with other artists. Something for everyone and definitely one of my favorites.

This was an incredible book. You can go to what is left of the Alamo today and try and imagine it, but this book brings it all together for anyone interested in this amazing story. Beautiful art and camera work gives it a realistic feel. Definitely a great book.

I am surely not well informed enough to comment intelligently upon the details of Mark Lemon's work, but it certainly appears he has done an extraordinarily thorough job of researching and analyzing and integrating every scrap of evidence about the Alamo's configuration at the time of the 1836 battle. Lemon has then used that research to create an intensely detailed, accurate 1:48 scale model of the complex. And in "The Illustrated Alamo 1836: A Photographic Journey" he presents us with sharp, clear photographs of the model, supplemented by the author's sketches and drawings of various details. The photographs of the model, naturally lit and inserted into natural backgrounds, create a persuasive illusion that we are looking at the real thing, that somehow Mark Lemon has taken his camera back to 1836 aboard a flying time machine.

Anyone intrigued by the story -- and the mysteries -- of the Alamo battle cannot help but being enthralled by "The Illustrated Alamo 1836". It is one of those books that really creates a "you are there" experience.

It is beautiful, you really have the feeling that somebody went back to the Alamo in march 1836 with a digital camera!

This book was recommended to me by the excellent staff at the John Wayne Alamo set in Bracketville, Texas. Mark Lemon does a FANTASTIC job of taking us back in time to give us, for the first time, a painstakingly researched, meticulously crafted, image of what the Alamo looked like at the time of the siege. A visit to the Alamo set in Bracketville along with this book are must haves/do for any Alamo history buff. Of the many books about the Alamo in my library, this is the one I will show family and friends who come to visit us in San Antonio. Just a stunning, stunning work.

This book is fantastic, as a die hard alamo fan, I have never ever seen better drawings and models of the Alamo, everything is true to detail, and the photos of the model are made outdoors with real Texas sunshine and real shadows...this is better than the real thing. Aerial views of the Alamo as it looked in 1836, detailed views of the different parts of the Alamo....if you LOVE the Alamo, you must have this book!! Seriously!!
from a guy who studied architecture and loves history!

Excellent, long time awaited book on Opening Titles in Movies. It goes further than the usual Saul Bass topics and shows a fine selection of works and authors.
Fine edition, enlightening texts and profusely illustrated. And it comes with a companion dvd bringing a good selection of samples in quicktime video .
It's certainly strange that this matter had not been covered before in that way. And have been done by two european -spaniard- authors!
Just miss a better coverage on animated head titles.
A must for titles and cinema lovers.

At last a book I've waited some years for. With more than three hundred credit sequences (so hundreds and hundreds of images) this is a feast of visual goodies. The ten chapters reveal a history of the movie in the movies. It is sort of chronological though many newer credits are mixed in with historical ones to indicate a style, like chapter four that looks at titles as logos: Gone With the Wind or Pulp Fiction where the type is overlaid on an image background.

The text runs in small sections throughout the pages but I kept on getting sidetracked by the images and their captions. The original words have been translated from Spanish which could explain the rather flowery style but its clear the authors have done a lot of research and obviously expressed their opinions, too, especially in the long captions.

An amazing two hundred designers have their work included. The great Saul Bass has nineteen credits, Kyle Cooper, Maurice Binder, Ferro Pablo, Dan Perri and Richard Greenberg are the other designers who get a good showing. Those that only have one or two credits (in the book) can still deliver a punch though, the credits for Thank You For Not Smoking by Shadowplay Studio are quite stunning or Marlene McCarty's lovely period work on Far From Heaven.

The book really is a treat but I found it had some annoying inconsistencies (so four stars) like the contents spread that had no page numbers, no, really! There is a designer index but no movie index. In a book like this I would have thought both were essential. The book's design shows a tendency to designer whimsy: the page numbers at the bottom right of the page are in sets of three with the last number (for the next page) running off the page to give the impression of motion...as in a movie? The bibliography is a huge list of websites and a few books. So many of the sites will be redundant long before the book is.

Included with the book is a DVD with 119 credits, an obvious plus factor for me but they are in QuickTime so no watching it on the big screen in the lounge and from those I've looked at they seem second or third generation quality. Incidentally the DVD is rather loosely inserted into an inside page at the back of the book and if you are buying the book pre-used it will be worth checking with the seller that the disc is included.

Despite the disappointments above I'm pleased to have this book and I think it will be a well thumbed edition over time.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover

This book is a great combination of pictures and info. A picture book with beautiful photos and very informative stories on the Hearst Castle, Mr Hearst himself, and architect Julia Morgan. Replete with extensive footnotes and background facts.

I read it once before a recent visit to the Hearst castle, and I am going through it again to reminisce over the wonderful architecture and art treasures at this magical place, captured here in a wonderful book.

I enjoyed this book, and the details of his life relating to the building of this wonderful American treasure. I wish there had been more photos showing the details of the fine art and antiques collected from Europe early in this past century. Also it would have been worthwhile to show much more and better photos of the architectural elements of stone moulding, stucco detail, doors, tiles, ceilings, floor designs and iron work.

I actually bought this for a gift for my neighbor,she had been looking for it for a while and she was very excited and said the pictures inside were fantastic.

Hearst castle is just an amazing tribute to one man's enormous ego. I am glad that it is preserved as a set piece for Hearst, for that is what he intended all along. This book captures the signifigance of the estate, the images are well concieved, though not as crisp as expected, and the text is informative. This certainly is not the definitive book on Hearst Castle, but it is well worth the purchace none the less. If you have any interest in Hearst Castle, or gilded age extravagance in general, then i cant imagine you being disappointed in this book.

Fantastic book exceptional pictures and loaded with written details. Usually in a book like this you get one or the other here you get both! A must read and viewed book,a bit spendy but worth every cent!

The book does have some insights into human anatomy, however it is all bland with no feel for it.
Most importantly it concentrates more into male anatomy and not give you a healthy dose of the female anatomy as well.
As a male artist, studying my own body will be more educational than this book.

this book is not helpful to anyone who is a serious artist. if you want to get good at drawing, want to learn more about anatomy, get an anatomy book. this book is suited for people who don't really care about anatomy, and just want to know enough to scrape by.
I did not like this book.

The drawings are wayyyyy old school. Nothing like the comic book looks yyou see now. It reminds me of that old school superman show where he jumps on a trampoline and then flies into the air. So for the guys body it's very old school western muscular (so not very. not much of a six pack and stuff)

i would have loved this book if he had used the drawing style of some of his other books!

This books has a very specific function, and is not for everyone. I would reccomend this book for any casual artists who want to draw cartoon or comic-book / manga style art, and need to reference a basic anatmony.

This books is NOT for people who want to do realistic art. This books is NOT for someone who wants to draw a specfic style of art (i.e. how to draw manga). This books is NOT for people who needs to learn how to draw from the ground up.

This books is best suited to casual artiststs / fan artists who already have an idea of how to draw, and already have their own style, but need a reference for simplified anatomy seen in comic books and manga.

I admit this book is a lot better than I thought it would be.
I'm glad I didn't pay the nay sayers any mind.
Though I have decent drawing skills not good enough to be considered a master but not a beginner either.

I still think in order to improve your Artistic understanding of anatomy this book is a good start in the right direction though I still recommend you draw people who are willing to model for you or take a life drawing class if you are of age.