Best Teen & Young Adult Painting
-- Shaun Tan. And when Shaun Tan starts drawing, the results are stunning. Simultaneously, mechanics of his world-building skill come clear, like a penchant for embellishing illustrations to make them appear a part of a larger blueprint or schematic, giving the sense of a small image within a vast tapestry that is itself an infinitely branching world of imagination.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm an adult and now own 4 of his books: The Arrival, Lost & Found, tales from outer suburbia and The Bird King."
"This book doesn't share a complete story like Shaun's other works, instead it gives the reader insight into how he creates his works and what some of his inner thoughts are."
"Wonderful art from a great artist."
"This one I love to share, AND go to the trouble of making sure I get it back!"
"There are "sneak-peeks" that can be recognized in Shaun Tan's other published works and definitely in his most recent publication."
"Never disappointing, you'll love the book whether you are an anime fan or an art fan, or a fantasy fan."
"Curious about what goes into the pages of an artist’s notebook?"
"Shaun Tan's creativity is very unique."
Nontraditional, controversial, rebellious, and politically volatile, the Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are remembered for their provocative paintings as well as for their deep love for each other. Shifting back in time, the story tells of each figure’s childhood, youth, and development as an artist, giving particular attention to Rivera’s years spent training in Europe and Kahlo’s devotion to painting despite significant health problems. After their first marriage in 1929 (they would divorce in 1939, then remarry in 1940), the stories of their lives are intertwined in a complex, braided narrative, woven with colorful strands of their art, their politics, their romantic liaisons with others, and their intense, complicated relationship.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A beautiful book about two fascinating artists that is easy to read (it's perfecto for middle schoolers and/or teens) and visually stunning."
"A moving and fascinating look at the love shared between two wonderful artists."
"The timeline in the book is very well done."
"I find that if you are being introduced for the first time to a subject it is best to start off with a young reader's version as this book. After reading the book be sure to watch the movie "Frida" (2002) with Salma Hayek as Frida and Alfred Molina as Diego."
"Frida & Diego: Art, Love, Life, by Catherine Reef, is a complex and satisfying portrayal of two giants of twentieth-century art and the development of their storied careers. The book relies on primary sources and seldom-seen photographs to describe the individual lives and work of each artist, as well as their combined lives."
"It makes perfect sense to pair these two great artists for a biography: their relationship defined their lives and to a great extent, their work."
"Wearing the white huipil with the lavender tassel, hiding my amputated leg in red-leather boots, I wheel the wheelchair to the Blue House studio. that Diego so lovingly built for me. Carmen T. Bernier-Grand grew up in Puerto Rico.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Frida Kahlo is one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century."
"A wonderful bio novella!"
"Not enough detail of her life could have been more informative as had I not seen the movie I would not of been able to follow her life story."
"This author seems to focus on the negative, highlighting the least attractive facets of the personality without balance or explanation She opens with Frida's mother, an apparently cold woman who dispatches with unwanted children and stepchildren with the same cruel efficiency as she drowns baby mice. She details the adultery that marred Frida's marriages to Diego Rivera, one of her miscarriages and the catastrophic accident that riddled her with pain for the rest of her life in a tired, colorless fashion."
"The author clearly has combed through and poured over a mass of archival and contemporary information, taken the essence, and written as poetry, some of the inner truth of Kahlo. While some of her more heart wrenching and violently brutal paintings are not included, the legendary relationship with Diego, as well as the infidelities, are chronicled."
"However, please be aware that although this book was written as an introduction to the artist's work for children around 6th grade and above, some of the life events discussed may be considered too mature for some audiences."
"I wish I'd had a book like this back when I was homeschooling my son - I love Mexican surrealist painter Frida Kahlo's work and it would have been a wonderful way to introduce him to both her paintings and her thoughts, via various poems that accompany the artwork."
"It only takes an hour to read all the text in this volume and to read the poetry that helps explain how Frida may have felt when she painted the works included in the volume. None of the artwork is unknown to anyone who is familiar with the work of Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon who chose to call herself "Frida, German for `peace.'"."
Best Teen & Young Adult Art History
From corsets and camis to tailoring and textiles, The Fashion Book is a sassy style guide for teenage girls who want to discover the stories behind their favorite looks, find their own style, and learn what makes the fashion world tick. An illustrated glossary and directory of designers tops off this rich and engaging title." "An engaging style guide for the fashion-conscious who want to discover the stories behind their favorite looks, find their own style, and learn what makes the fashion world tick."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great gift for all ages of fashionistas."
"My daughter loves this book and is always paging through the designs and drawing dresses of her own."
"Excellent quality photos and info."
"Great book .Fast deilvery."
"She wears a uniform to her school,so on her off time she likes to dress in her individual style. This book starts in The Ancient World, Medieval Romance & Trade, Renaissance Splendor, Baroque and then goes to the 1600 and 1700's. And, then, the fun part in the early 1900's , Jazz Age, From Glamor to Utility, and to my era, Optimism and Youth. Swinging Sixties to Glam Rock, was my favorite chapter, how I remember dressing in this period."
"It did not meet my expectations."
Best Teen & Young Adult Artist Biographies
Nontraditional, controversial, rebellious, and politically volatile, the Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are remembered for their provocative paintings as well as for their deep love for each other. Shifting back in time, the story tells of each figure’s childhood, youth, and development as an artist, giving particular attention to Rivera’s years spent training in Europe and Kahlo’s devotion to painting despite significant health problems. After their first marriage in 1929 (they would divorce in 1939, then remarry in 1940), the stories of their lives are intertwined in a complex, braided narrative, woven with colorful strands of their art, their politics, their romantic liaisons with others, and their intense, complicated relationship.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A beautiful book about two fascinating artists that is easy to read (it's perfecto for middle schoolers and/or teens) and visually stunning."
"A moving and fascinating look at the love shared between two wonderful artists."
"The timeline in the book is very well done."
"I find that if you are being introduced for the first time to a subject it is best to start off with a young reader's version as this book. After reading the book be sure to watch the movie "Frida" (2002) with Salma Hayek as Frida and Alfred Molina as Diego."
"Frida & Diego: Art, Love, Life, by Catherine Reef, is a complex and satisfying portrayal of two giants of twentieth-century art and the development of their storied careers. The book relies on primary sources and seldom-seen photographs to describe the individual lives and work of each artist, as well as their combined lives."
"It makes perfect sense to pair these two great artists for a biography: their relationship defined their lives and to a great extent, their work."
Best Teen & Young Adult Drawing
LEARN TO DRAW DRAGONS In easy-to-follow, step-by-step detail, Drawing Dragons teaches you all the tricks and techniques you’ll need to create your own amazing dragons. Sandra Staple is an artist and photographer who has been drawing dragons for over 15 years, and has literally sketched thousands of them.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"nice book - i was able to draw dragons that i was pleased with right from the beginning."
"My 11 year old daughter loves the tutorials for different dragons in this book!"
"Granddaughter loves this."
"great instructions for a tween."
"Great, delivered on time and product was as expected."
"Bought this as a gift for my nephew."
"My grand kids just love this book, and I always give them my copy."
Best Teen & Young Adult Cartooning
Here are tried and proven methods that explain, simplify and teach every one, regardless of age, the art of cartooning. Jack Hamm is one of the best-selling authors of art instruction books.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is fun, easy, instructive; for amateur 'doodlers' and serious apprentices alike; and even people who already draw cartoons can learn something new... and find out how cartoons were made in the past."
"It does not cover any of the basic fundamentals of drawing, so if you have never drawn before, you may want to start with a simpler book."
"excellent cartooning book, has everything."
"I'm an illustrator and, for the price, I've found Jack Hamm's books to offer quite a good bit of valuable teaching when it comes to drawing."
"The book itself arrived in great condition."
"This book should be on the shelf of every professional or aspiring cartoonist."
"He provides more information in his books than a great many other authors and his work is really wonderful."
"One is drawing from life...this one is drawing from imagination."
Best Teen & Young Adult Fashion
Lifestyle and fashion icon Lauren Conrad, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lauren Conrad Celebrate and Lauren Conrad Beauty, lets fans step into her enviable closet in this must-read guide on finding the perfect style. You've seen Lauren Conrad on TV and red carpets, looking fabulous whether she's going casual for a day with friends or dressed for a night out.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is a great gift, treat, and personal staple for anyone even remotely interested in the fashion industry, or just the ladies who want in on L.C style tips. I love that this book has two angles, Lauren's personal lifestyle & tips, while at the same time, it includes a lot of classic/helpful information from other sources (such as her styling crew, and other tips she's learned from designers/makeup artists). A lot of the content in this book is also similar to plenty of classic and timeless tips you would get from Teen Vogue, Lucky Mag, and People's Style Watch (which is great, you get a big magazine with helpful tips in one book)."
"I've been a fan of Lauren Conrad ever since her Laguna Beach and The Hills days and have always loved her chic style. Within each part are chapters devoted to different categories within those topics, such as "Building Your Wardrobe" and "Accessories" in Fashion, "Makeup" and "Hair" in Beauty, and "Work and School" and "Events and Parties" in Lifestyle. There is information in this book that tells you how to use the same clothes and make it into various outfits using different accessories, dressing for your body type, and how to do your hair and makeup."
"was in ok conditioned needed to be cleaned."
"The Fame Game by Lauren Conrad is a cute, funny, and also a dramatic story."
"Very happy to have gotten this book in such a fast time!"
"I would recommend this book if you need help with your personal style."
"Easy read."
"I've always loved Lauren's simple,elegant, and chic style so I figured why not read a book based on her "style"."
Best Teen & Young Adult Sculpture
Lively Prose and Step-By-Step Photographs Will Have You Bringing MacAbre and Whimsical Screamers To Life In No Time--Even If You Have No Artistic Talent. Building a simple Screamer is goof-proof, easy, and great fun. You will learn to use an art medium that allows access to the world of large sculpture.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have purchased several copies of this book throughout the years since I wind up giving my current copy away when people fall in love with the book."
"LOVE Dan Reeder, and anything by him."
"Making a mess?"
"I have never done paper mache before and this book takes you step by step in really easy to understand instructions."
"Would have to learned something new - a new technique or various chemical equations for paper mache."
"This is the first of Dan's books I purchased years ago, and I misplaced it."
"The step-by-step instructions and pictures are very easy to follow, and the kids are coming up with much better results than before."
"Dans Screamers are awesome and he does a great job of sharing how to do them."
Best Teen & Young Adult Art Techniques
Every aspect of the creation of a pop-up, known as paper engineering, is clearly and thoroughly covered. Despite some sketchy peripherals-the opening history stops with Jonathan Miller's The Human Body (Viking, 1983)-this book is not only a work of art in itself, but also a practical manual that takes a huge step past Barbara Valenta's Pop-o-mania (Dial, 1997).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A lot of good information."
"This will be a good tool for teens and adults wanting to make incredible cards as well as pop-up books."
"This is a must have book for pop up book lovers."
"A great papercraft reference and also just plain fun to operate."
"But if you don't get the greatness of these basic element explanations and simply want to collect pop-up book, I suggest you find something else."
"My used copy had a few of the switches broken, but since the classwork was to re-construct those same bits out of some pre-scanned ones, it wasn't a problem at all."
"As a book artist, this book is an essential part of the cannon."