Koncocoo

Best Art of Film & Video

The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators
In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator--from beginner to expert, classic animator to computer animation whiz --needs. Richard Williams has won more than 250 international awards for his animation.
Reviews
"One of the best well written art books I have read in a long time, Mr. Williams is full of knowledge, which he generously shares with others."
"This is a must have for everyone learning animation, it could be used by yourself or by teachers to teach about animation principles, and the amount of knowlege in the content of the book and animation exercises is amazing."
"It has so much detail to it that it still blows my mind every time I. open it."
"If you are getting into animation this is the book for you; in depth information on all the necessary topics that you need."
"An excellent book."
"Bought this as a gift for a friend when she started her Animation degree."
"This is one of the most useful animation books I have every purchased."
"One of the most detailed animating books I have purchased so far, it is really helpful."
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The Wes Anderson Collection
Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: The Oliver Stone Experience , The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads , The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel. , and Mad Men Carousel . “In The Wes Anderson Collection , Seitz expands a series of video essays on Anderson’s influences, illuminating as much of Anderson’s process as possible in a massive, beautifully rendered volume. Although it looks (and sometimes reads) like a coffee table book, The Wes Anderson Collection brings together style and substance to provide a loving homage to Anderson’s films and moviemaking in general.”. ( FILTER ). “ The Wes Anderson Collection comes as close as a book can to reading like a Wes Anderson film.
Reviews
"It's a cool book to page through in moments of time or fully immerse yourself in if you're interesting in making films."
"Anderson doesn't release many films....this book shows you why."
"Essays and interviews by Mark Zoller Seitz, amazing illustrations by Max Dalton and endless fascinating stills from the films plus a potpourri of relevant items from old films, books, magazines, catalogs and advertisements that will have you intrigued and wanting to keep returning again and again to marvel at all this content."
"When I first got the book it was damaged on the corners of the spine (like it had been dropped) but Amazon was great about exchanging it and I had a new book in perfect condition in just two days."
"Bought as a gift for a Wes Anderson fan."
"This was purchased for my son a 21 year old burgeoning film director/producer and he really loved it and read it from cover to cover."
"It's rich with content, behind the scenes photos, exclusive illustrations, and excellent interviews with Wes Anderson."
"This is absolutely essential for anyone who enjoys the films of Wes Anderson and also for anyone who is interested in film as an art form."
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The Art of Over the Garden Wall
A complete tour through the development and production of the Emmy-winning animated miniseries Over the Garden Wall , this volume contains hundreds of pieces of concept art and sketches, and a comprehensive look at the show’s breathtaking production art. Well-known as the creative director and writer on Cartoon Network's Adventure Time series, McHale is an artist/writer/cartoonist and the creator of the Over the Garden Wall mini-series.
Reviews
"I cannot speak highly enough about the efforts that went into this book — and show."
"Beautiful in every way, great art and detailed information on every creative decision that helped create the masterpiece that is Over the Garden Wall."
"Granddaughter is into drawing characters similar to this."
"Got this for my teen son who is very much into free hand and computerized animation."
"This was a gift to my boyfriend for Christmas and he absolutely loved it."
"A beautiful look into the creation of this spectacular cartoon series."
"The art book is very cool!"
"My favorite short series, Great artboook, I love everything about this incredible serie!"
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Best Individual Directors

The Wes Anderson Collection
Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: The Oliver Stone Experience , The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads , The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel. , and Mad Men Carousel . “In The Wes Anderson Collection , Seitz expands a series of video essays on Anderson’s influences, illuminating as much of Anderson’s process as possible in a massive, beautifully rendered volume. Although it looks (and sometimes reads) like a coffee table book, The Wes Anderson Collection brings together style and substance to provide a loving homage to Anderson’s films and moviemaking in general.”. ( FILTER ). “ The Wes Anderson Collection comes as close as a book can to reading like a Wes Anderson film.
Reviews
"I bought this for my boyfriend as we're both Wes Anderson fans and this book is lovely!"
"This book is like a beautiful, creative, inspiring story book for grown ups- it's full of images and interviews on every film that Wes Anderson has directed- storyboards, frames and screenshots from the films, screenshots from other films that inspired Anderson, plus tons of ephemera from all of the films."
"Essays and interviews by Mark Zoller Seitz, amazing illustrations by Max Dalton and endless fascinating stills from the films plus a potpourri of relevant items from old films, books, magazines, catalogs and advertisements that will have you intrigued and wanting to keep returning again and again to marvel at all this content."
"It's a cool book to page through in moments of time or fully immerse yourself in if you're interesting in making films."
"Not only all that but there are essays and interviews by Zoller, who has followed Anderson's career from the beginning, jam packed with details on his artistic process for the films, his thoughts on different circumstances surrounding his scripts and general Wes Anderson quotables."
"The production stills for Fantastic Mr. Fox are particularly stunning, but the on-set photos from The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic really give you a sense of the camaraderie between the actors."
"Anderson doesn't release many films....this book shows you why."
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Best British & Irish Horror

The New Annotated Frankenstein
The daughter of a pioneering feminist and an Enlightenment philosopher, Shelley lived and wrote at the center of British Romanticism, the “exuberant, young movement” that rebelled against tradition and reason and "with a rebellious scream gave birth to a world of gods and monsters" (del Toro). Nearly 1,000 notes that provide information and historical context on every aspect of Frankenstein and of Mary Shelley’s life Over 200 illustrations, including original artwork from the 1831 edition and dozens of photographs of real-world locations that appear in the novel Extensive listings of films and theatrical adaptations An introduction by Guillermo del Toro and an afterword by Anne K. Mellor. Klinger does not presume to add to the comprehensive body of scholarship on Shelley’s novel; he wants to illuminate the original text itself and showcase how complex and engaging it was―and still is. “In annotating Mary Shelley's Frankenstein , Les Klinger has pulled off the nearly impossible trick of making the original novel as interesting as the phenomena (from the many incarnations of the monster to the field of science fiction) which it spawned. “With the mind of a mad scientist and the heart of a voluptuary, Leslie S. Klinger has been striding through Sherlock Holmes and masterpieces of Fantastica for years now, illuminating, enlightening, clarifying, and amusing as he went. Klinger's deep research and knowledge of his subject shines through this entertaining and fascinating insight into Mary Shelley, her life and times, and the themes and vast impact of her earth-shaking novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. “A stunning one-stop emporium of all things Frankenstein, a standout volume even in the limitless sea of editions of this book.”. - Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Monthly.
Reviews
"If you're reading this review, you only have one question. You already know this is the most original, and one of the best, and best-written horror stories in literature. So, your only question is, "Is this really the uncensored 1818 version?"
"That all changed once Walton rescued Victor Frankenstein from the icy sea near the North Pole. The overlying themes of love, friendship, loneliness and loss enrich this story and the question of whether Frankenstein has the right to create life makes you think about the larger responsibilities of man to his fellow man. The monster's shocking reaction and Frankenstein's horror, his mental collapses and the race against time make this story a true thriller. This style and the letter-writing format are the only things that make Frankenstein seem less modern, but they are minor points."
"Frankly, this is one heck of an enjoyable story, and, if you need some relief after finishing this mesmerizing tale, than watch 'Young Frankenstein', perhaps the funniest movie I have ever seen, but that is for another time... got the nerve...?"
"Contrary to popular belief, the story does not climax with Frankenstein's creation of his iconic monster."
"Read this book in high school years ago."
"I cannot possibly express how much I am for this book being one of the best renowned classics of all time."
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Best Internet & Telecommunications

The Personal Internet Address & Password Log Book
Now you can keep important website addresses, usernames, and passwords in one convenient place!
Reviews
"Book #1 is the red one I personally own and love, (this one is not currently available here but for comparisons, this is it) The Personal Internet Address & Password Logbook - Red If you want to read my review with photos, you can do so here, http://www.amazon.com/review/R35K16WUNGUFH6/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1441308148. Book #2 is similar to my own and is currently available here, The Personal Internet Address & Password Log Book (Like mine, it has cut out tabs in the pages, two letters per tab.). Book #3 is the smaller but thicker, spiral bound, white book, BookFactory® Password Journal / Password Diary / Mini Pocket Passwords Notebook, 120 Pages - 3 1/2" x 5 1/4", Durable Thick Translucent Cover, High Quality Wire-O Binding (JOU-120-MCW-A-(Password)) (This one is handy if you want the ability to hold it in one hand while writing on either side. Book #4 is the larger book with a bright geometric cover, Password Journal: Password Keeper / Music Gifts ( Internet Address Logbook / Diary / Notebook ) (Password Journals - Music (Carnvial)) (This one has noticeably lighter ink inside but definitely stands out on a bookshelf.). Book #5 is the larger black book with butterflies on it, Password Log: (An Internet Address and Password Journal) (I like that the ink is printed nice and dark so I gifted this one to my mom since her eyesight is not what it used to be.)."
"Now the passwords are accessible by us and not someone who may see a password on a little slip of paper on my husband's desk by accident."
"Our banks are always sending us notices to change our passwords every 3 months if not they lock you out."
"Nice book for keeping organized!"
"The inside the book is fine, but there is a huge sticker on the back of the book that states: "Warning----To avoid danger of suffocation, keep away from babies and children."
"Having a notebook where all the login information can be alphabetically organized for easy access was wonderful. Not the kind of binding you would expect in a reasonable well bound notebook. I am not sure if the paper in this book will withstand frequent erasures and re-writes without showing eraser marks or getting faded. It has a spiral bound inside (visible in the last picture) that is not very smooth. If you desire a quality notebook, you will be disappointed after mild usage, if not on first sight."
"Not happy with this LITTLE Book. Trying to make it work."
"I did not like this book, I thought it would be just for internet addresses and pass words, but it had all sorts of spacefor just addresses, phone numbers and everythng else I did not want."
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Best Individual Artist Essays

Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie
Ralph McQuarrie is the most iconic artist in the history of Star Wars . Brandon Alinger is the chief operations officer of the Los Angeles branch of Prop Store and the author of Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy .
Reviews
"I haven't been as excited about a Star Wars book since Rinzler's THE MAKING OF STAR WARS. Not only does this set include the studies for his paintings, but EVERY version of each painting (with commentary). The only painting that could possibly be missing as far as I can tell is the night time establishing shot of Chewbacca's house in the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, but it's unclear if McQuarrie created that painting. I thought of how STAR WARS changed the way movies were made and seen, how it opened the door for everything that followed from Lucas, how it inspired the lives of so many artists, including my own. In my opinion this is among the most important Star Wars books ever released."
"This huge (and heavy) book set is the ultimate treasure for whoever is a greedy fan of Ralph McQuarrie's work on the classic Star Wars trilogy!"
"If you call yourself a Star Wars Fan, You Better Get this book set above ALL others!"
"Thousands (yes, thousands) of images are beautifully presented here and put in context – concept sketches, preliminary sketches for paintings, color studies, finished production paintings, matte paintings, promotional artwork, and on and on. The written text and captions are also insightful and surprisingly specific with regard to dates and details."
"This isn't just the final paintings, but it has all of McQuarrie's sketches and designs along the way."
"Ralph McQuarrie is one of those icons of the Star Wars saga and always will be."
"The authors have been very thorough in their examination of Ralph McQuarrie's Star Wars artwork."
"The packaging could be a little better, as the box the books come in was packaged in another box only slightly bigger than the box containing the books."
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Best Video Game Art

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Look for the sequels to The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia , with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts and the upcoming Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia due out April 24th 2018. He is the series producer and manager of The Legend of Zelda and won the Golden Joystick Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Reviews
"The opening letter from Shigeru Miyamoto sets a wonderful, celebratory tone for the rest of the book. The first third of the book, entitled "The Legend Begins: The World of Skyward Sword" is devoted to said title, the most recently released Zelda game we all played and loved. It's filled to the brim with the concept and official art that inspired Skyward's Sword brilliant aesthetic style. As one who views Skyward Sword as one of the most beautiful and brilliantly inspired video games ever made in terms of its art design and visuals, this is just fine with me. There's tons here, including a lot of really interesting ideas for characters that didn't make it into the game, like a floating Fi in a massive suit of armor or Zelda designs that are decidedly more elegant and fancy. There's also a good amount of location art that is simply gorgeous and really captures your imagination, just like the settings in the game did. What is even better about this section is the following 70 or so pages that actually chronicles, in great detail, the events of each timeline in chronological order. Sprinkled liberally through all of this are nice screenshots and art, as well as fascinating tidbits, like boxes that fully decipher the various Hylian/Hyrulean dialect text that appear in the games. This section closes with a very nice letter from Eiji Aonuma, arguably the second most important man behind the Legend of Zelda, after Shigeru Miyamoto of course. The lay-outs are nice, the printing quality is vibrantly beautiful and sharp as a tack, and the pages are crisp and clean. The binding is also high quality, which is important because this is a big book that would fall apart relatively quickly if it wasn't bound well. There are few games that capture the sense of beauty, imagination, and adventure like the Legend of Zelda effortlessly does with each and every release."
"As a Zelda fan it's wonderful to have a physical book of all game events (from 1986=2011), concept images and developer interviews."
"There's translations of some of the games in-game language systems and explanations for why certain things are as they are, for example hinting that timeshift stones and the ocarina of time are made of the same time-travel capable material. If I had to say anything negative, it would be that perhaps learning about the development decisions made during other games would have been nice, particularly Majora's mask, instead of just showing Skyward Sword concept art."
"One thing that I wish this had, and I don't know why I assumed it would... but I have a Nintendo Power magazine of Zelda from the 90's that was pretty cool."
"I say, anything that will hold his attention for that long and he will read in it daily, I consider it a great buy."
"After going through Amazon in search of gift ideas, I came across this particular one and decided it might be a good gift to purchase for him."
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Best Body Art & Tattoo

Tattoo Johnny: 3,000 Tattoo Designs
Tattoo Johnny to the rescue! Tattoo Johnny is the largest supplier of designs to professional tattoo studios around the world.
Reviews
"Gift for son, and he loves it."
"Excellent variety and quality stencils!"
"Excellent fun tattoo designs."
"Awesome book great pics of tatoos."
"Great book."
"Absolutely love this book."
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Best Graffiti & Street Art

Wall and Piece
Banksy, Britain's now-legendary "guerilla" street artist, has painted the walls, streets, and bridges of towns and cities throughout the world. His identity remains unknown, but his work is prolific, and now for the first time, he is putting together the best of his work — old and new in a fully illustrated colour volume.
Reviews
"Very interesting book, mostly great pictures."
"If anyone supposes they have a sense of humor and a little bit of irreverence, or is it reverence, for the human condition.... this book will sure to make that anyone a banksy fan."
"This is a wonderful book and I recommend it to anyone who either knows Bansky's art or wants to explore a new genre and learn how wonderfully bold and beautiful his artworks are."
"so many awesome Banksy pieces in this book."
"Interesting book & a must have for any Banksy fan."
"The shipping was faster than expected, coming at least 5 days early."
"I especially like having this book because so many of his works have been removed, painted over and stolen."
"This is more of a picture book, the written content is minimal, but still a worthwhile purchase and thought provoking."
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Best Prints Art

Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel
The geometric shapes and natural forms, captured with exceptional precision in Ernst Haeckel's prints, still influence artists and designers to this day. Haeckel was a passionate student of the evolutionary shaping of biological forms, and Art Forms in Nature captures both his artistic sensibility and the scientific rigor he applied to all his studies.
Reviews
"This is a beautiful and fascinating book."
"Well written and illustrated."
"Love it."
"Gorgeous."
"Nice quality prints of beautiful, trippy, highly impressive artwork."
"The otherworldly art of Haeckel is absolutely mesmerizing in its intricate detail and beauty."
"i wish there was a large print version."
"Very nice book, coffee table size."
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Best Mosaic Art

Mixed-Media Mosaics: Techniques and Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishments
Discover the magic of mica powders and the regal look they can give to mosaics Learn quick and easy ways of adding paint to handcrafted and commercial tile See how easy it is to create molds and cast your own relief tiles Find ways to add personal meaning to your work with the addition of text tiles Experiment with the addition of beads, jewelry and other embellishments by embedding them right into the tile! Mika has also appeared on HGTV's Crafters Coast to Coast and the DIY network's Craft Lab , and has taught workshops at Artfest in Port Townsend, Washington, Art Unraveled in Phoenix, Arizona, and Art and Soul in Dallas.
Reviews
"In all, it's a great bible for polymer clay mosaics, and a really good resource on what materials work in what projects, and where to find them."
"If you are not looking for a mixed media book that is mostly polymer clay projects, then this is not for you."
"It is very clear and perfect for someone who has never worked with polymer clay before - as well as providing inspiration for those who have moved on to more advanced techniques."
"Highly recommend the book and the art of Laurie Mika.Mixed-Media Mosaics: Techniques and Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishmentska."
"I personally do use a pasta maker to roll my clay, the thin tiles work just fine,I use a water based acrylic varnish and before stamping images into the clay, I "paint" on a little baking soda to eliminate sticking."
"I'd never been particularly interested in mosaics, even though I have extensively explored many of the various components on their own...stained glass, beadwork, polymer clay...I just never thought to put all of them together in this kind of expression."
"I love it!"
"Even seasoned artist will find this book to be a source for renewed and fresh ideas for projects and techniques."
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Best Glass Art

Chihuly Garden Installations
Tracing the connection between Chihuly’s art and botanical life, Chihuly Garden Installations shows how the exchange between art and nature can shift from the harmonious and tranquil to stunning juxtapositions of scale and color. Also Available: Chihuly 2018 Wall Calendar (ISBN: 978-1-4197-2599-9), Chihuly 2018 Weekly Planner (ISBN: 978-1-4197-2598-2), Chihuly 2019 Wall Calendar (ISBN: 978-1-4197-3093-1), Chihuly 2019 Weekly Planner (Engagement Calendar) (ISBN: 978-1-4197-3094-8). Dale Chihuly is an icon of American art and cofounder of the renowned Pilchuck Glass School outside Seattle.
Reviews
"If you are lucky enough to see one of his creations in person or visit his 1 "retail" museum/ shop in Florida (or now his very own glass house in Seattle) then you realize how hard it is to capture his utterly unique visions with a camera."
"If you are going to get 1 book from Chihuly, this is it!"
"It is heavy, a perfect coffee table book and my guests have been enthralled with the photos."
"This is an absolutely beautiful book."
"Nice thick quality coffee table book full of beautiful pictures of Chihuly's installations around the world."
"Beautiful book on a coffee table, a lot of colors."
"This was a gift for my daughter, so I haven't actually seen it and my stars are based on her reaction: "It's really big and beautiful.""
"This is a fantastic book."
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Best Public Art

The World of PostSecret
An addictive collection of new full-color postcard secrets and app secrets from the author of the smash the #1 New York Times bestselling PostSecret books—with more secrets than any previous PostSecret book! Included in this compelling new book are dozens of the best archived secrets from the original PostSecret app; inside stories about the most controversial secrets Frank Warren has received; moving text from the new PostSecret play, foreign secrets, "puzzle" secrets, and much more!
Reviews
"I've been a MASSIVE fan of Frank Warren and PostSecret long before he started putting "our" secrets together in book-form."
"I've been reading Frank's posts since the beginning and they never fail to amaze, amuse, encourage, and inspire."
"I only wish that Frank Warren would continue publishing books: I give them as gifts annually...except when he doesn't publish them at annual intervals!!!"
"Love the concept, loved hearing Frank Warren speak in DC in April 2016, but this book's binding is awful."
"the post secret books are wonderful."
"If you've read the previous books, you know this is the best."
"I bought three copies of this book this year to give to friends."
"I have enjoyed all of the Post Secret books."
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Best Erotic Arts & Photography

Tom of Finland (Multilingual Edition)
The work was gathered from collections across the United States and Europe with the help of the Tom of Finland Foundation, and features many drawings, paintings, and sketches never previously reproduced . The elegant oversized volume showed the full range of Tom’s talent, from sensitive portraits to frank sexual pleasure, to tender expressions of love, and haunting tributes to young men struck down by AIDS, and was completed by eight commissioned essays on Tom’s social and personal impact by Camille Paglia, John Waters, Armistead Maupin, Todd Oldham , and others, plus a scholarly analysis of individual drawings by art historian Edward Lucie-Smith . Dian Hanson produced a variety of men’s magazines from 1976 to 2001, including Juggs, Outlaw Biker, and Leg Show, before becoming TASCHEN’s Sexy Book editor.
Reviews
"This is the same calendar available from the Tom of Finland Foundation."
"A great collection of his works from early years to the latter ones we are more familiar with."
"Great Book and worth the price."
"Possibly the greatest purchase of my entire life."
"WAY beyond what I expected."
"It's waaaaay much more bigger and heavier than i expected."
"the book its perfect just i spected to be im in love with it."
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Best Digital Art

The Art of Fallout 4
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Fallout® 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim®, welcome you to the world of Fallout® 4 - their most ambitious game ever, and the next generation of open-world gaming. Creators of the 2006 'Game of the Year', The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® , the 2008 'Game of the Year', Fallout® 3 , the 2011 'Game of the Year', The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® , and most recently the highly-anticipated upcoming title, Fallout® 4 , Bethesda Game Studios has earned its reputation as one of the industry's most respected and accomplished game development studios.
Reviews
"It has the exact same quality as a school textbook build and paper wise."
"By far the best video game artbook I have seen."
"The size, detail, and quality of this book can't really be described, you have to purchase it for yourself. For those of you who purchased the Collector's Edition Game Guide, and were impressed by that, let me say...the Art Collection will blow you away. High quality, high definition, colorful prints of every aspect and facet of Fallout 4 is detailed through the pages of this book."
"I particularly enjoyed going over some of the pages with a magnifying glass to see all the little intricate details of things like costumes, weapons, and robots, and seeing details that could never be included in the game without ballooning the already massive file sizes to something impossible to load. Some of the costume design and weapons seem similar, more so in the concept art than even in the game itself, between Fallout and Star Wars. It is obvious from their descriptions despite knowledge that many of their detailed brainstorms and concept art wouldn't make it into the final game that they were having fun just making them."
"I adore video game art books, and this was no exception."
"I've been a Fallout fan for a while now, and I've always admired the design work that goes into the games regardless of how good the games themselves are."
"Some art books have very thin paper and it feels like you're going to tear it, or it won't soak up the ink correctly. Which if you've spent the money on an art book of this nature you don't need the story retold. Thousands of images of concept art, from matte paintings for setting of cities and the wastelands down to comic book covers. The paper of the book is so good and stiff that it ended up hurting my finger after turning the pages on the way through!"
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Best Ceramic Art

The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance
When he inherited a collection of 264 tiny Japanese wood and ivory carvings, called netsuke, he wanted to know who had touched and held them, and how the collection had managed to survive. Yet by the end of the World War II, when the netsuke were hidden from the Nazis in Vienna, this collection of very small carvings was all that remained of their vast empire. In this family history, de Waal, a potter and curator of ceramics at the Victoria & Albert Museum, describes the experiences of his family, the Ephrussis, during the turmoil of the 20th century. A somewhat rambling narrative with special appeal to art historians, this account is nonetheless rich in drama and valuable anecdote.
Reviews
"His efforts with the innumerable German, Viennese and French words in de Waal's book go from bad to comically miserable to utterly mystifying."
"I dread it - but I want to know how some of this family survived and managed to save their one bit of art - a collection of over 200 netsuke.The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss."
"A set of over 200 Netsuke, Japanese figurines of animals, plants and more, hold the souls and voices of his family history – that of the storied Jewish Ephrussis who in late 18th century Odessa started one of Europe’s greatest financial houses that led to enormous wealth and stature in Vienna and Paris."
"The author's quest to personally reclaim the family history of a collection of antique netsuke (of which he is the current owner), is a real page-turner."
"Instead of a predictable tale from Mitteleuropa about lost grandeur, the author takes a (slightly Proustian) shortcut that leads to unexpected and sometimes deeply moving places. One of the illustrious ancestors collected tiny but incredibly intricate Japanese carvings called netsuke used in early modern Japan as toggles for purse strings. Through this device, De Waal manages to both narrate the story of the rise and fall of the Ephrussi and also sketch the myriad objects they owned and collected during their century and a half of eminence."
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Best Calligraphy Guides

Hand Lettering 101: An Introduction to the Art of Creative Lettering
Chalkfulloflove was created to encourage, inspire and make you giggle, so just pour yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and settle in to start your own unique, adorable lettering creations! Hardcover, oversized gold wire-o binding and gold corner protectors Step by step instructions on how to create various fonts and designs Thick premium paper, perfect for lettering Beautiful coffee table book and practical workbook. A day in her life looks like taking a crazy number of photos, dancing in the garage while packaging up orders, and cuddling with her pups.
Reviews
"This book is beautiful!"
"I just started brush lettering and already trashed one pen on another book, so this book is perfect in my opinion."
"Love this!!!"
"BUT, the blank pages.... About 45% of the book is blank pages, not to mention all the white space. Pages 96-110 are ENTIRELY BLANK but for the page number, and so is almost half of the book."
"In purchasing a $30.00 book I expect more inside information, tips and tricks and showing me HOW she achieves her style of lettering, etc... For example, the flourishes pages literally just tells you that flourishes and illustrations are great to add to your lettering then shows you a 2" x 2" example of the author's own "Bless Your Heart" design (with zero instructions on how she achieved it) and has about a 6"x3" area next to that design that says "Practice Here.""
"I should have listened to the other people who reported that this book was full of nothing, but I was encouraged by the the claim that additional content was added."
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Best Conceptual Arts

Codex Seraphinianus
An extraordinary and surreal art book, this edition has been redesigned by the author and includes new illustrations. “…the book really does live up to its reputation: The drawings are in turn hilarious, disturbing, bizarre and, sometimes, just flat-out incomprehensible, but all of them are annotated in Serafini’s script.” - Dangerous Minds “It’s not the sort of thing that easily lends itself to classification, but probably the most accurate way to describe it would be as an encyclopedia of an invented alien civilization…the Codex is still a disorienting and provocative vision of inscrutable otherness.” - Slate.com “ Codex Seraphinianus is an art book in the most direct sense—there are big, beautiful drawings accompanied by indecipherable letterforms--and it is impossible to “read” in a literal way. " Codex Seraphinianus : History’s Most Bizarre and Beautiful Encyclopedia, Brought Back to Life...a weird and wonderful masterpiece of art and philosophical provocation on the precipice of the information age....Undoubtedly one of the most intricate and beautiful art books ever created."
Reviews
"The true author, Serafini claims, is a white cat he found some day as he went back home and lay on his lap as he wrote and drew the codex. It is the kind of object Jorge Luis Borges imagined in Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, an artifact from another world that for some reason passed through the cracks of reality into our own. This is how he says the crazy calligraphy of the codex was born: “It was the writing that contained the dreams of several other writings.”. The book is divided in 11 chapters, with themes that can more or less be inferred by the images: flora, fauna, biped creatures, chemistry, culture, mythology, games, architecture, technology and so on."
"My campus library had a copy briefly a decade ago, but foolishly left it open to general circulation."
"A weird and wonderful calendar, and the printing is outstanding."
"Beatifully done calendar based on this amazingly mysterious book."
"Drawn & painted in some alternate n ancient universe where dear reader shall be inthralled in its mystery n excellent paper of that of kings ."
"If you've gotten this far, you know what this book is, but perhaps where I can add value is in describing the Rizzoli (white cover) edition. Though i would prefer a black background over white, it has the red circle ladybug illustration (one of my favorites) on the cover instead of the alligator bestiality illustration that the 1st edition has."
"Transports to a new world."
"You can't help but admire the genius to create a whole civilization, with language, geography, religion, culture and science."
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Best Installation Art

The Art of Seeing (8th Edition)
The Art of Seeing explores traditional and contemporary art and artistic media focusing on art as seen from the artist's point of view . Extensively revised and expanded, this best selling exploration of traditional and contemporary art and artistic media focuses on art as seen from the artists' point of view treating artistic techniques and introductory aesthetic principles.
Reviews
"Now I love art and feel no intimidation when approaching forms of art new to me."
"I like this book enough to keep it in my personal library even after the class is over."
"All good: Item ad described, promptly delivered, carefully packaged, correctly billed."
"This is a great book...there is a lot of rich history and beautiful artwork."
"This arrived as promised in great condition as described."
"Highly recommend this to any one involved with the Arts."
"In almost perfect condition, really happy with my purchase!"
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Best Illuminations Art

Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval World
Noted authority Christopher de Hamel invites the reader into intimate conversations with these texts to explore what they tell us about nearly a thousand years of medieval history - and about the modern world, too. He traces the elaborate journeys that these exceptionally precious artifacts have made through time and shows us how they have been copied, how they have been embroiled in politics, how they have been regarded as objects of supreme beauty and as symbols of national identity, and who has owned them or lusted after them (and how we can tell). And in producing such a gorgeous object, Christopher de Hamel’s publisher has had the courage of his convictions, because its physical and visual delights mirror its commercially unlikely subject matter…[De Hamel] is voraciously completist, recording impressions of each journey, place, building and reading room, as well as every coverage detail of each manuscript’s creation, content and existence as a physical object through time and space… On this archival odyssey, I lost count of the things I learned…[ Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts ], like the volumes that are its subject, is a book of wonders.” - The New York Times Book Review. Little wonder that in Britain this extraordinary book has already won both the Wolfson History Prize and the Duff Cooper nonfiction prize.” – Washington Post “De Hamel is a man of extraordinary erudition and easy charm; his book asks many questions of the past, and invokes many mysteries.” – The New Yorker. [and] details each document’s idiosyncrasies while contextualizing its time and place of creation…De Hamel’s delightful book is bound to inspire a new set of medievalists.” – Publishers Weekly , starred review “Interested general readers will appreciate de Hamel’s lucid treatment of the themes and literary techniques that mark these manuscripts as cultural milestones…But they will marvel at the lavish reproductions of the masterful calligraphy and dazzling illuminations that have long made the manuscripts irresistible to collectors. A former librarian of Parker Library at Cambridge and cataloger of illuminated manuscripts for Sotheby's, de Hamel brings extensive expertise to his meticulous examination of 12 celebrated manuscripts created from the sixth to the 16th century…The book is sumptuously illustrated…A rare, erudite, and delightfully entertaining history.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review. Beneath his urbane manner, Christopher de Hamel is a formidable scholar.” – Jonathan Sumption, Spectator "With scholarly elegance, Christopher de Hamel opens the door and invites us to join him for the intellectual expedition of a lifetime...This is an endlessly fascinating and enjoyable book." – Neil MacGregor "Erudite and enthusiastic...de Hamel has catalogued more medieval manuscripts than anyone in history; everyone, not only academics should listen to what he has said." De Hamel, the librarian of Corpus Christi, has spent a lifetime handling, cataloguing and interpreting these gorgeous objects....If I could walk you to your nearest bookshop, take £30 from your wallet, and place this wonderful book in your hands, I would." – Peter Thonemann, Sunday Times One of the cultural highlights of the autumn...Christopher de Hamel has turned a lifelong obsession with ancient literature into a book that critics are comparing to A History of the World in 100 Objects and the wonderful The Hare with Amber Eyes ." ... De Hamel makes an informative, entertaining book (the most suitable medium, after all), and no one but he could have written it."
Reviews
"Christopher de Hamel is a dear friend for over 30 years, and I am honored to know someone who combines erudition with accessibility in his many studies of manuscripts, creativity, and the obsessive pursuit of these treasures. We settle for photographs, high-priced facsimiles, or an exhibition in a darkened room with mere moments in front of an original manuscript. We learn to study the history, the construction, the meanings, and the variants as we explore the scribbles, the calligraphy, the painting, the binding... everything."
"If you enjoy looking at old manuscripts, love calligraphy or illustration, and aren't already a palaeographer, or if you are just looking for a really engaging romp through medieval European history, this book is a wonderful adventure."
"After reading the e-book, I was going to get a hard copy for myself but first I ordered the hard copy from my local library as I wanted to have a good look at the illustrations of the manuscripts described in the book, so glad I did as I was very disappointed with the quality of printing of the illustrations, very mediocre, almost as if they were done in the early 1930’s and this was a first attempt colour book printing; or the print house was using their new mud lens to take the photos!"
"This text is a compact interesting book of many manuscripts and I am very pleased that I purchased this remarkable meetings book."
"What is present in his writing, but even more so in his speaking is his unquenchable enthusiasm for this area of history, combined in a non-condescending way with his encyclopedic knowledge of art history, theology, currents of cultural influences, and above all his generous humility. As much as I looked forward to "Meetings" in print, this version really fulfills the fantasy of sitting with the expert while we figure out how to get into the Library, how to hold the object, how to obey the sometimes stringent rules, and how to seek genuine pleasure from the experience."
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Best Mixed Media

One Zentangle A Day: A 6-Week Course in Creative Drawing for Relaxation, Inspiration, and Fun (One A Day)
Each exercise includes new tangles to draw in sketchbooks or on tiepolo (an Italian-made paper), teaches daily tile design, and offers tips on related art principles, and contains an inspirational "ZIA" (Zentangle Inspired Art) project on a tile that incorporates patterns, art principals, and new techniques. She began her career with the first graphic rubber stamp company in the U.S., and has worked as a full-time mixed media artist ever since.
Reviews
"Attached pictures are from my first tangles ever done (the single picture is Tangle no 1, the others are done in the order displayed in the book). If you are starting out.. you could not buy a better book!"
"I have many, many books about zentangle - this is the BEST by far!"
"I am an artist, have been for many years, but I have been struggling with an essential tremor in my dominant hand (the left) which has forced me to start training myself to use my right hand for things like eating soup or bringing a glass of water across the room without spilling it. Instead of doing one Zentangle a day, I have been using my left hand for one Zentangle the first day, and the next day I do the same lesson (using the assigned pattern but not the same composition) but I use my right hand. I had never been able to draw or paint with my right hand."
"She has thoughts about what makes an interesting Zentangle and tries to communicate them through examples of her own work, that of guest artists, and suggestions. Unfortunately, her command of written English is poor enough that in several places I really didn't understand what she was trying to explain, including her suggestions for interesting Zentangles. In others, I was merely annoyed: she uses "transcend" when she means "transition" and calls established rules about what is a Zentangle "historic' or "traditional", which is a bit pretentious for an art less than ten years old. Several squoosh a couple of steps together, others are unclear as to which aspects of the example are basic to the tangle and which are just the artist's whimsy."
"I realize I've been creating a rough version of Zentangles most of my life...without knowing what it was called..Just taking a black magic marker, making random designs and coloring in the spaces with markers or colored pencils...But this book is so much fun....it makes sense out of the virtual scribbling I was doing before."
"This book takes you through one zentangle a day (as it says), with each drawing being just a little more difficult as the previous one."
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