|
Browse categories
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
|
|
|
 |
|
The Art of Looking Sideways
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £15.00
|
|
|
Product Description
Alan Fletcher's The Art of Looking Sideways is an absolutely extraordinary and inexhaustible "guide to visual awareness", a virtually indescribable concoction of anecdotes, quotes, images and bizarre facts that offers a wonderfully twisted vision of the chaos of modern life. Fletcher is a renowned designer and art director and the joy of The Art of Looking Sideways lies in its beautiful design. Loosely arranged in 72 chapters with titles like "Colour", "Noise", "Chance", "Camouflage" and "Handedness", Fletcher's book, which he describes as "a journey without a destination", is "a collection of shards" that captures the sensory overload of a world that simply contains too much information. In one typical section, entitled "Civilization", the reader encounters six Polish flags designed to represent the world, a photograph of an anthropomorphic hand bag, Buzz Aldrin's bootprint on the moon, drawings of Stone Age pebbles, a painting of "Ireland--as seen from Wales" and a dizzying array of quotations and snippets of information, including the wise words of Marcus Aurelius, Stephen Jay and Gandhi's comment, "Western civilization? I think it would be a good idea". Fletcher's mastery of design mixes type, space, fonts, alphabets, colour and layout combined with a "jackdaw" eye for the strange and profound to produce a stunning book that cannot be read, but only experienced. --Jerry Brotton
Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
"Your phd for living", 23 Sep 2008
If you search on youtube for "the art of looking sideways" you'll come across a 10 minute interview with the late Alan Fletcher. The man was clearly a visionary and apparently loved his Mac ;-)
If you're not into graphic design that much (like me) yet you're into philosophy or psychology, marketing or coaching, leadership or teaching or any other field where the human condition is front & center you'll still find lots of wonderful things in this book, if only by reading the quotes and the stories.
This book has been created by a discovering man, a collecting man and especially a listening and thinking man. He supposedly worked 18! years on this book. No wonder it's such a source of inspiration and insight.
I adore the 'chapters' on creativity and meanings. There are 72 'chapters' in total in this book, each covering a certain 'topic'. I prefer to call them 'mentalities'. Fletcher calls them '72 slices of life' and '72 slices of your brain'.
The two most genius properties of this book are:
- no two pages have similar layout
- you don't know what to expect when turning any page
Only buy this book if you want to discover. Fletcher was a designer but before one can design one has to discover. This book is a discovery by itself and it's filled with thousands of discoveries.
Stuck for an idea? Dive in here..., 24 Mar 2008
Alan Fletcher was one of the creative powerhouses of design from the 1960s on, and this book puts together some of his musings on life, the Universe and everything. The book is designed to spark ideas and thought, so even the paper used changes from page to page.
In typically quirky fashion, only the left hand pages are given a number so if you buy this book you actually get over a thousand pages of inspiring graphics, calligraphy, typography and photographs collected over the course of a long and illustrious career: he founded Pentagram; he designed logos for Reuters and the Victoria and Albert museum. The book gives a glimpse of the thought processes that went in to that work. For the money it's an astonishing bargain.
A homage to concept-driven design and thinking, 27 May 2007
This book provides so many examples of both the mechanics of a good concept and the power of lateral thinking. A great feat to have documented and communicated such an eclectic range of thoughts and ideas.
Inspirational, 27 Jan 2007
This is the book to have next to your desk: dip into it, when you need escape or inspiration. Or start from the beginning and work your way through it: whichever way you do it: I defy you not to find something interesting on virtually every page!!
Rowland Jones
A fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and a good dose of self-indulgence by the author, 31 Dec 2006
What a wonderful title for this book of more than 530 pages. The target is visual awareness and it has 72 chapters devoted to themes such as "ideas", "thinking", "seeing", "camouflage" and "handedness". The author claims it is "a journey without a destination", and he is probably right, the implication being that it is the voyage that counts in life. It is truly a massive collection of bits and pieces collected by the author, thrown on to a basic structure, and presented "shaken not stirred" (to misuse a common quote from James Bond). Her lies the books major asset and its major defect. It is full of interesting images and text bites, yet at the same time it is full of bits of useless or uninteresting trivia. There are times when you get the impression that the author has been overly self-indulgent, but it is certainly a lesson to us all - collect every little bit of dross since it could become a book one day. Yet it also a fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and for the price it is certainly worth having on your shelves. I suspect it is also a book that I will go back to occasionally just to skim through the odd 100 pages. I was planning to give this extravagantly over-indulgent book only 3-stars, but in writing this review I've convinced myself to give it a solid 4-stars for its fun content and the gall of the author in thinking his lifetime collection of "odds and bods" would interest others. It did.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
"Your phd for living", 23 Sep 2008
If you search on youtube for "the art of looking sideways" you'll come across a 10 minute interview with the late Alan Fletcher. The man was clearly a visionary and apparently loved his Mac ;-)
If you're not into graphic design that much (like me) yet you're into philosophy or psychology, marketing or coaching, leadership or teaching or any other field where the human condition is front & center you'll still find lots of wonderful things in this book, if only by reading the quotes and the stories.
This book has been created by a discovering man, a collecting man and especially a listening and thinking man. He supposedly worked 18! years on this book. No wonder it's such a source of inspiration and insight.
I adore the 'chapters' on creativity and meanings. There are 72 'chapters' in total in this book, each covering a certain 'topic'. I prefer to call them 'mentalities'. Fletcher calls them '72 slices of life' and '72 slices of your brain'.
The two most genius properties of this book are:
- no two pages have similar layout
- you don't know what to expect when turning any page
Only buy this book if you want to discover. Fletcher was a designer but before one can design one has to discover. This book is a discovery by itself and it's filled with thousands of discoveries.
Stuck for an idea? Dive in here..., 24 Mar 2008
Alan Fletcher was one of the creative powerhouses of design from the 1960s on, and this book puts together some of his musings on life, the Universe and everything. The book is designed to spark ideas and thought, so even the paper used changes from page to page.
In typically quirky fashion, only the left hand pages are given a number so if you buy this book you actually get over a thousand pages of inspiring graphics, calligraphy, typography and photographs collected over the course of a long and illustrious career: he founded Pentagram; he designed logos for Reuters and the Victoria and Albert museum. The book gives a glimpse of the thought processes that went in to that work. For the money it's an astonishing bargain.
A homage to concept-driven design and thinking, 27 May 2007
This book provides so many examples of both the mechanics of a good concept and the power of lateral thinking. A great feat to have documented and communicated such an eclectic range of thoughts and ideas.
Inspirational, 27 Jan 2007
This is the book to have next to your desk: dip into it, when you need escape or inspiration. Or start from the beginning and work your way through it: whichever way you do it: I defy you not to find something interesting on virtually every page!!
Rowland Jones
A fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and a good dose of self-indulgence by the author, 31 Dec 2006
What a wonderful title for this book of more than 530 pages. The target is visual awareness and it has 72 chapters devoted to themes such as "ideas", "thinking", "seeing", "camouflage" and "handedness". The author claims it is "a journey without a destination", and he is probably right, the implication being that it is the voyage that counts in life. It is truly a massive collection of bits and pieces collected by the author, thrown on to a basic structure, and presented "shaken not stirred" (to misuse a common quote from James Bond). Her lies the books major asset and its major defect. It is full of interesting images and text bites, yet at the same time it is full of bits of useless or uninteresting trivia. There are times when you get the impression that the author has been overly self-indulgent, but it is certainly a lesson to us all - collect every little bit of dross since it could become a book one day. Yet it also a fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and for the price it is certainly worth having on your shelves. I suspect it is also a book that I will go back to occasionally just to skim through the odd 100 pages. I was planning to give this extravagantly over-indulgent book only 3-stars, but in writing this review I've convinced myself to give it a solid 4-stars for its fun content and the gall of the author in thinking his lifetime collection of "odds and bods" would interest others. It did.
WOW, 18 May 2008
This book is truly beautiful. I adore fashion books and this is one of my favourites; whether you are interested in fashion, illustration, art or just want a beautiful coffee table book, this is the one to buy!
Buy this book!, 25 Jun 2007
Whether your studying fashion or you just love to shop this book is an amazing insight into the world of fashion illustration. Each page features a beautiful drawing, information about the author, and the media used (when possible). There are some reading pages throughout out the book highlighting changes in fashion and the influences on fashion illustration. This book is a perfect guide for those studying fashion to find reference and inspiration. Each page is colourful and different from the last. It is definately worth the money and is a great book to have! It would also make a gat gift for anyone with a remote interest in fashion, BUY IT NOW!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
"Your phd for living", 23 Sep 2008
If you search on youtube for "the art of looking sideways" you'll come across a 10 minute interview with the late Alan Fletcher. The man was clearly a visionary and apparently loved his Mac ;-)
If you're not into graphic design that much (like me) yet you're into philosophy or psychology, marketing or coaching, leadership or teaching or any other field where the human condition is front & center you'll still find lots of wonderful things in this book, if only by reading the quotes and the stories.
This book has been created by a discovering man, a collecting man and especially a listening and thinking man. He supposedly worked 18! years on this book. No wonder it's such a source of inspiration and insight.
I adore the 'chapters' on creativity and meanings. There are 72 'chapters' in total in this book, each covering a certain 'topic'. I prefer to call them 'mentalities'. Fletcher calls them '72 slices of life' and '72 slices of your brain'.
The two most genius properties of this book are:
- no two pages have similar layout
- you don't know what to expect when turning any page
Only buy this book if you want to discover. Fletcher was a designer but before one can design one has to discover. This book is a discovery by itself and it's filled with thousands of discoveries.
Stuck for an idea? Dive in here..., 24 Mar 2008
Alan Fletcher was one of the creative powerhouses of design from the 1960s on, and this book puts together some of his musings on life, the Universe and everything. The book is designed to spark ideas and thought, so even the paper used changes from page to page.
In typically quirky fashion, only the left hand pages are given a number so if you buy this book you actually get over a thousand pages of inspiring graphics, calligraphy, typography and photographs collected over the course of a long and illustrious career: he founded Pentagram; he designed logos for Reuters and the Victoria and Albert museum. The book gives a glimpse of the thought processes that went in to that work. For the money it's an astonishing bargain.
A homage to concept-driven design and thinking, 27 May 2007
This book provides so many examples of both the mechanics of a good concept and the power of lateral thinking. A great feat to have documented and communicated such an eclectic range of thoughts and ideas.
Inspirational, 27 Jan 2007
This is the book to have next to your desk: dip into it, when you need escape or inspiration. Or start from the beginning and work your way through it: whichever way you do it: I defy you not to find something interesting on virtually every page!!
Rowland Jones
A fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and a good dose of self-indulgence by the author, 31 Dec 2006
What a wonderful title for this book of more than 530 pages. The target is visual awareness and it has 72 chapters devoted to themes such as "ideas", "thinking", "seeing", "camouflage" and "handedness". The author claims it is "a journey without a destination", and he is probably right, the implication being that it is the voyage that counts in life. It is truly a massive collection of bits and pieces collected by the author, thrown on to a basic structure, and presented "shaken not stirred" (to misuse a common quote from James Bond). Her lies the books major asset and its major defect. It is full of interesting images and text bites, yet at the same time it is full of bits of useless or uninteresting trivia. There are times when you get the impression that the author has been overly self-indulgent, but it is certainly a lesson to us all - collect every little bit of dross since it could become a book one day. Yet it also a fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and for the price it is certainly worth having on your shelves. I suspect it is also a book that I will go back to occasionally just to skim through the odd 100 pages. I was planning to give this extravagantly over-indulgent book only 3-stars, but in writing this review I've convinced myself to give it a solid 4-stars for its fun content and the gall of the author in thinking his lifetime collection of "odds and bods" would interest others. It did.
WOW, 18 May 2008
This book is truly beautiful. I adore fashion books and this is one of my favourites; whether you are interested in fashion, illustration, art or just want a beautiful coffee table book, this is the one to buy!
Buy this book!, 25 Jun 2007
Whether your studying fashion or you just love to shop this book is an amazing insight into the world of fashion illustration. Each page features a beautiful drawing, information about the author, and the media used (when possible). There are some reading pages throughout out the book highlighting changes in fashion and the influences on fashion illustration. This book is a perfect guide for those studying fashion to find reference and inspiration. Each page is colourful and different from the last. It is definately worth the money and is a great book to have! It would also make a gat gift for anyone with a remote interest in fashion, BUY IT NOW!
The cleaned up version, 12 Apr 2008
There are a significant number of entries that tell you where the banksy graffitti used to be, before it was scrubbed.... provides a good guide to the efforts of the cleaners... but there are a few worthwhile entries ... i would not have felt cheated by a thinner book.
What a bloody amazing book, 06 Mar 2007
I got into Banksy last year when he went to LA and had the Barley Legal show. His work is amazing, I just didn't realise how much of it actually existed on the streets of London! And loads of its is still in excellent condition too, some hidden off the beaten track, others in alleyways no one would ever think to walk down.
Without this book I think it would have taken me the best part of a year of walking through London to find these. I took the book out a few weekends in a row when travelling into London, and I had pretty much seen them all! The little tips given throughout the book are a good addition too, giving you points of interest along the way to look out for.
Also, its not just all Banksy, there are loads of other tips for spotting graffiti all over the capital city.
A really brilliant book, sod jack the ripper tours. Given me Banksy Location Tours any day of the week me old china plate!
|
|
|
 |
|
The Monster Book of Manga
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £7.93
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
"Your phd for living", 23 Sep 2008
If you search on youtube for "the art of looking sideways" you'll come across a 10 minute interview with the late Alan Fletcher. The man was clearly a visionary and apparently loved his Mac ;-)
If you're not into graphic design that much (like me) yet you're into philosophy or psychology, marketing or coaching, leadership or teaching or any other field where the human condition is front & center you'll still find lots of wonderful things in this book, if only by reading the quotes and the stories.
This book has been created by a discovering man, a collecting man and especially a listening and thinking man. He supposedly worked 18! years on this book. No wonder it's such a source of inspiration and insight.
I adore the 'chapters' on creativity and meanings. There are 72 'chapters' in total in this book, each covering a certain 'topic'. I prefer to call them 'mentalities'. Fletcher calls them '72 slices of life' and '72 slices of your brain'.
The two most genius properties of this book are:
- no two pages have similar layout
- you don't know what to expect when turning any page
Only buy this book if you want to discover. Fletcher was a designer but before one can design one has to discover. This book is a discovery by itself and it's filled with thousands of discoveries.
Stuck for an idea? Dive in here..., 24 Mar 2008
Alan Fletcher was one of the creative powerhouses of design from the 1960s on, and this book puts together some of his musings on life, the Universe and everything. The book is designed to spark ideas and thought, so even the paper used changes from page to page.
In typically quirky fashion, only the left hand pages are given a number so if you buy this book you actually get over a thousand pages of inspiring graphics, calligraphy, typography and photographs collected over the course of a long and illustrious career: he founded Pentagram; he designed logos for Reuters and the Victoria and Albert museum. The book gives a glimpse of the thought processes that went in to that work. For the money it's an astonishing bargain.
A homage to concept-driven design and thinking, 27 May 2007
This book provides so many examples of both the mechanics of a good concept and the power of lateral thinking. A great feat to have documented and communicated such an eclectic range of thoughts and ideas.
Inspirational, 27 Jan 2007
This is the book to have next to your desk: dip into it, when you need escape or inspiration. Or start from the beginning and work your way through it: whichever way you do it: I defy you not to find something interesting on virtually every page!!
Rowland Jones
A fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and a good dose of self-indulgence by the author, 31 Dec 2006
What a wonderful title for this book of more than 530 pages. The target is visual awareness and it has 72 chapters devoted to themes such as "ideas", "thinking", "seeing", "camouflage" and "handedness". The author claims it is "a journey without a destination", and he is probably right, the implication being that it is the voyage that counts in life. It is truly a massive collection of bits and pieces collected by the author, thrown on to a basic structure, and presented "shaken not stirred" (to misuse a common quote from James Bond). Her lies the books major asset and its major defect. It is full of interesting images and text bites, yet at the same time it is full of bits of useless or uninteresting trivia. There are times when you get the impression that the author has been overly self-indulgent, but it is certainly a lesson to us all - collect every little bit of dross since it could become a book one day. Yet it also a fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and for the price it is certainly worth having on your shelves. I suspect it is also a book that I will go back to occasionally just to skim through the odd 100 pages. I was planning to give this extravagantly over-indulgent book only 3-stars, but in writing this review I've convinced myself to give it a solid 4-stars for its fun content and the gall of the author in thinking his lifetime collection of "odds and bods" would interest others. It did.
WOW, 18 May 2008
This book is truly beautiful. I adore fashion books and this is one of my favourites; whether you are interested in fashion, illustration, art or just want a beautiful coffee table book, this is the one to buy!
Buy this book!, 25 Jun 2007
Whether your studying fashion or you just love to shop this book is an amazing insight into the world of fashion illustration. Each page features a beautiful drawing, information about the author, and the media used (when possible). There are some reading pages throughout out the book highlighting changes in fashion and the influences on fashion illustration. This book is a perfect guide for those studying fashion to find reference and inspiration. Each page is colourful and different from the last. It is definately worth the money and is a great book to have! It would also make a gat gift for anyone with a remote interest in fashion, BUY IT NOW!
The cleaned up version, 12 Apr 2008
There are a significant number of entries that tell you where the banksy graffitti used to be, before it was scrubbed.... provides a good guide to the efforts of the cleaners... but there are a few worthwhile entries ... i would not have felt cheated by a thinner book.
What a bloody amazing book, 06 Mar 2007
I got into Banksy last year when he went to LA and had the Barley Legal show. His work is amazing, I just didn't realise how much of it actually existed on the streets of London! And loads of its is still in excellent condition too, some hidden off the beaten track, others in alleyways no one would ever think to walk down.
Without this book I think it would have taken me the best part of a year of walking through London to find these. I took the book out a few weekends in a row when travelling into London, and I had pretty much seen them all! The little tips given throughout the book are a good addition too, giving you points of interest along the way to look out for.
Also, its not just all Banksy, there are loads of other tips for spotting graffiti all over the capital city.
A really brilliant book, sod jack the ripper tours. Given me Banksy Location Tours any day of the week me old china plate!
The monster book of manga, 14 Sep 2008
I found this book great for poses and step by step instruction, it also provides great tips about lighting and thing relevant to each character. I personally would probably not make use of the rather extensive selection of Monsters - fantasy and science fiction, however I still felt that this was a great buy - the section on girls at the front was great for improving the way I draw, and there is a fantastic section on Drawing Manga digitally at the back which I didn't even know about when purchasing the book, but is extremely useful - digital art is hard! The artist has an elegant line and a refreshingly cartoony style in comparison to "How to draw manga" books - but it is still too detailed to copy exactly in pencil. The tips are useful for development of original characters. It is great for the beginer manga artist as the step by step images are easy to copy and learn from, and become more complicated gradually.
Brilliant For Ideas, 27 May 2008
A lot of people discuss the fact that the book only looks at a certain character type once, however I think that this book is brilliant for poses and great for the stereotypical characters of manga. The book is sorted into step-by-step guide: starting with a basic line drawing using shapes then going on to filling out the arms and legs, an underwear pose and finishing with lineart then photoshopped showing you where the light source is coming from. I have a lot of books on drawing manga and I feel that this is the best for helping people to understand the steps and allowing you to make your own characters. The book is sorted into Girls, monsters, fantasy, music (such as Jrock, Jpop and other styles) and Japanese (samurai, ninja, geisha, princess etc.) The book can be used by both beginners and more improved manga artists, however if you are a beginner I would suggest getting a book on facial features as well.
Great =], 25 Jan 2008
I Got Into Manga A Few Months Ago and Rented Out Books From The Library and Really Took To It. I Was Quite Good So i Asked For Some Books For christmas, I Got A Couple From The How To Draw Mangs Series and Thought They Were Great, They Have Loads OF Stuff About Technique. But I Wanted Something Step By Step So That I Could Really Work On The Basic Shapes So I Bought This Book.
It Arrived The Other Day And I Have Already Done A Couple Of The Drawings, And Its Great! Some Of The Drawings Are Really Far Fetched But Its Beautiful And Yet Not Too Hard! Not For Complete Beginners But A Great Purchase For People Who ALready Know Basic Manga.
^^, 09 Nov 2007
Thi is a really good book on how to draw manga...It explains you the stereotypes very well!!It also teaches you how to trace the human anatomy very well!!!I really recommend it for ppl who want to learn how to draw manga!!!!!
Fantastic, 01 Mar 2007
I have many guides to drawing, mostly from the how to draw manga series. I'm happy with my collection as it is all great referrence material and has improved my art greatly but I've longed for a book I can work from in a step by step fashion. Now I have it. The Monster Book of Manga is simply fantastic, it's all step by step with helpful notes and a little photoshop tutorial at the end. Best of all is the size, it is a Monster Book and there are a wealth of drawings to go through the steps with. I've only just started following the steps and I can already feel I'm learning a process that will be able to bring my art together and allow me to consistently produce material of my own that I can be proud of. One thing must be mentioned; this is not for an absolute beginner, there are six steps that start with basic skeleton sketch through to full colour, so there you do have to piece some bits in yourself (it's okay for me as it's the initial steps I have trouble with, along with feet and hands, all of which I feel are covered quite well). Also, because there is so much in this book if you work your way through it with patience then you will certainly learn essential basics that can lead you onto more advanced techniques. I love this book after owning it only a couple of days and I love all the images inside of it.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
"Your phd for living", 23 Sep 2008
If you search on youtube for "the art of looking sideways" you'll come across a 10 minute interview with the late Alan Fletcher. The man was clearly a visionary and apparently loved his Mac ;-)
If you're not into graphic design that much (like me) yet you're into philosophy or psychology, marketing or coaching, leadership or teaching or any other field where the human condition is front & center you'll still find lots of wonderful things in this book, if only by reading the quotes and the stories.
This book has been created by a discovering man, a collecting man and especially a listening and thinking man. He supposedly worked 18! years on this book. No wonder it's such a source of inspiration and insight.
I adore the 'chapters' on creativity and meanings. There are 72 'chapters' in total in this book, each covering a certain 'topic'. I prefer to call them 'mentalities'. Fletcher calls them '72 slices of life' and '72 slices of your brain'.
The two most genius properties of this book are:
- no two pages have similar layout
- you don't know what to expect when turning any page
Only buy this book if you want to discover. Fletcher was a designer but before one can design one has to discover. This book is a discovery by itself and it's filled with thousands of discoveries.
Stuck for an idea? Dive in here..., 24 Mar 2008
Alan Fletcher was one of the creative powerhouses of design from the 1960s on, and this book puts together some of his musings on life, the Universe and everything. The book is designed to spark ideas and thought, so even the paper used changes from page to page.
In typically quirky fashion, only the left hand pages are given a number so if you buy this book you actually get over a thousand pages of inspiring graphics, calligraphy, typography and photographs collected over the course of a long and illustrious career: he founded Pentagram; he designed logos for Reuters and the Victoria and Albert museum. The book gives a glimpse of the thought processes that went in to that work. For the money it's an astonishing bargain.
A homage to concept-driven design and thinking, 27 May 2007
This book provides so many examples of both the mechanics of a good concept and the power of lateral thinking. A great feat to have documented and communicated such an eclectic range of thoughts and ideas.
Inspirational, 27 Jan 2007
This is the book to have next to your desk: dip into it, when you need escape or inspiration. Or start from the beginning and work your way through it: whichever way you do it: I defy you not to find something interesting on virtually every page!!
Rowland Jones
A fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and a good dose of self-indulgence by the author, 31 Dec 2006
What a wonderful title for this book of more than 530 pages. The target is visual awareness and it has 72 chapters devoted to themes such as "ideas", "thinking", "seeing", "camouflage" and "handedness". The author claims it is "a journey without a destination", and he is probably right, the implication being that it is the voyage that counts in life. It is truly a massive collection of bits and pieces collected by the author, thrown on to a basic structure, and presented "shaken not stirred" (to misuse a common quote from James Bond). Her lies the books major asset and its major defect. It is full of interesting images and text bites, yet at the same time it is full of bits of useless or uninteresting trivia. There are times when you get the impression that the author has been overly self-indulgent, but it is certainly a lesson to us all - collect every little bit of dross since it could become a book one day. Yet it also a fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and for the price it is certainly worth having on your shelves. I suspect it is also a book that I will go back to occasionally just to skim through the odd 100 pages. I was planning to give this extravagantly over-indulgent book only 3-stars, but in writing this review I've convinced myself to give it a solid 4-stars for its fun content and the gall of the author in thinking his lifetime collection of "odds and bods" would interest others. It did.
WOW, 18 May 2008
This book is truly beautiful. I adore fashion books and this is one of my favourites; whether you are interested in fashion, illustration, art or just want a beautiful coffee table book, this is the one to buy!
Buy this book!, 25 Jun 2007
Whether your studying fashion or you just love to shop this book is an amazing insight into the world of fashion illustration. Each page features a beautiful drawing, information about the author, and the media used (when possible). There are some reading pages throughout out the book highlighting changes in fashion and the influences on fashion illustration. This book is a perfect guide for those studying fashion to find reference and inspiration. Each page is colourful and different from the last. It is definately worth the money and is a great book to have! It would also make a gat gift for anyone with a remote interest in fashion, BUY IT NOW!
The cleaned up version, 12 Apr 2008
There are a significant number of entries that tell you where the banksy graffitti used to be, before it was scrubbed.... provides a good guide to the efforts of the cleaners... but there are a few worthwhile entries ... i would not have felt cheated by a thinner book.
What a bloody amazing book, 06 Mar 2007
I got into Banksy last year when he went to LA and had the Barley Legal show. His work is amazing, I just didn't realise how much of it actually existed on the streets of London! And loads of its is still in excellent condition too, some hidden off the beaten track, others in alleyways no one would ever think to walk down.
Without this book I think it would have taken me the best part of a year of walking through London to find these. I took the book out a few weekends in a row when travelling into London, and I had pretty much seen them all! The little tips given throughout the book are a good addition too, giving you points of interest along the way to look out for.
Also, its not just all Banksy, there are loads of other tips for spotting graffiti all over the capital city.
A really brilliant book, sod jack the ripper tours. Given me Banksy Location Tours any day of the week me old china plate!
The monster book of manga, 14 Sep 2008
I found this book great for poses and step by step instruction, it also provides great tips about lighting and thing relevant to each character. I personally would probably not make use of the rather extensive selection of Monsters - fantasy and science fiction, however I still felt that this was a great buy - the section on girls at the front was great for improving the way I draw, and there is a fantastic section on Drawing Manga digitally at the back which I didn't even know about when purchasing the book, but is extremely useful - digital art is hard! The artist has an elegant line and a refreshingly cartoony style in comparison to "How to draw manga" books - but it is still too detailed to copy exactly in pencil. The tips are useful for development of original characters. It is great for the beginer manga artist as the step by step images are easy to copy and learn from, and become more complicated gradually.
Brilliant For Ideas, 27 May 2008
A lot of people discuss the fact that the book only looks at a certain character type once, however I think that this book is brilliant for poses and great for the stereotypical characters of manga. The book is sorted into step-by-step guide: starting with a basic line drawing using shapes then going on to filling out the arms and legs, an underwear pose and finishing with lineart then photoshopped showing you where the light source is coming from. I have a lot of books on drawing manga and I feel that this is the best for helping people to understand the steps and allowing you to make your own characters. The book is sorted into Girls, monsters, fantasy, music (such as Jrock, Jpop and other styles) and Japanese (samurai, ninja, geisha, princess etc.) The book can be used by both beginners and more improved manga artists, however if you are a beginner I would suggest getting a book on facial features as well.
Great =], 25 Jan 2008
I Got Into Manga A Few Months Ago and Rented Out Books From The Library and Really Took To It. I Was Quite Good So i Asked For Some Books For christmas, I Got A Couple From The How To Draw Mangs Series and Thought They Were Great, They Have Loads OF Stuff About Technique. But I Wanted Something Step By Step So That I Could Really Work On The Basic Shapes So I Bought This Book.
It Arrived The Other Day And I Have Already Done A Couple Of The Drawings, And Its Great! Some Of The Drawings Are Really Far Fetched But Its Beautiful And Yet Not Too Hard! Not For Complete Beginners But A Great Purchase For People Who ALready Know Basic Manga.
^^, 09 Nov 2007
Thi is a really good book on how to draw manga...It explains you the stereotypes very well!!It also teaches you how to trace the human anatomy very well!!!I really recommend it for ppl who want to learn how to draw manga!!!!!
Fantastic, 01 Mar 2007
I have many guides to drawing, mostly from the how to draw manga series. I'm happy with my collection as it is all great referrence material and has improved my art greatly but I've longed for a book I can work from in a step by step fashion. Now I have it. The Monster Book of Manga is simply fantastic, it's all step by step with helpful notes and a little photoshop tutorial at the end. Best of all is the size, it is a Monster Book and there are a wealth of drawings to go through the steps with. I've only just started following the steps and I can already feel I'm learning a process that will be able to bring my art together and allow me to consistently produce material of my own that I can be proud of. One thing must be mentioned; this is not for an absolute beginner, there are six steps that start with basic skeleton sketch through to full colour, so there you do have to piece some bits in yourself (it's okay for me as it's the initial steps I have trouble with, along with feet and hands, all of which I feel are covered quite well). Also, because there is so much in this book if you work your way through it with patience then you will certainly learn essential basics that can lead you onto more advanced techniques. I love this book after owning it only a couple of days and I love all the images inside of it.
Very over valued, 29 Jun 2008
I have to say I am extremely disappointed with this. Everyone at college has said you have just got to buy this book, its amazing. Is it?? No it isn't. Sagmeister is nowhere near being the design genius that he has been tagged with. When you compare it to Alan Fletcher, there is just no competition. I have seen far better work being displayed at the various university degree shows this year to be honest. Especially at Stoke, Birmingham and the fantastic illustration work at Bristol which was truly fantastic.
So whatever you do, keep hold of your money and buy something else. He is very over rated and has been built up on a pedestal when he clearly doesn't deserve to be.
Can graphic design touch someone's heart?, 16 May 2008
There are countless books on design and many of them are good, even brilliant. And yet one looks for something that is more than a design book with lots of designers' work. One always searches for a book that would act as a trigger, as a spark than can light a million ideas in one's own brain.
A book to do that was Alan Fletcher's Art of Looking Sideways.
And a book which surpasses everything that I have ever seen is Stefan Sagmeister's Things I have learned in my life so far.
Why? Because it is brutally honest.
It is what design was meant to be.
Sagmeister uses his own learnings and converts them into magic. You turn the pages and you are mesmerised by the immensity, the sheer scale of ideas there.
Your mind begins to fill up with images and words and ideas you never thought existed.
You turn the pages and it hits you: Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
And `now' to me started with the book. This book truly changed my life.
I have read the critics say many things like this book being self indulgent. Well, a man who take pains to go around the world to encourage design and design students cannot be self indulgent. He is honest. And every page of this book is a primer for honesty.
And of course, brilliant design.
Sagmeister's design and typography are stuff legends are made of. I am a mere mortal to comment upon those. But I can say this, I have never seen an explosion of so many brilliant ideas in one place ever before.
Stefan Sagmeister has always asked the question: Can design touch someone's heart?
This book will touch millions.
A priceless book.
Emperor's New Clothes or Design Genius?, 12 Mar 2008
Is Stefan Sagmeister the Emperor's new clothes of the design world, or does he really deserve the genius tag he's so often given?
After reading Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far, I firmly believe the latter. Sagmeister doesn't disappoint; he makes design fun and accessible, without dumbing down or losing effect - this book illustrates perfectly, both in content and format, that good design works.
The featured projects are fascinating; my reactions ranged from `oh that's sooo gorgeous,' to `how on earth....?' to `what HAPPENED to him to make him think like that?!'
It's beautifully put together - a design book that's not just for designers, with essays and Sagmeister's explanations of the projects, along with fantastic images.
As Sagmeister says, via the help of giant monkeys, "Everybody always thinks they are right," and I think I am in this case - buy it, swap around the covers to your heart's content, and enjoy your very own piece of Sagmeister!
A True Chameleon, 24 Feb 2008
There are lots of design books that are about design. Design books for designers. This isn't one of them - it's much more than that. The sheer richness of this book takes a while to take in - you will find new things every time you dip into it. This book is inventive, poignant, informative and unusual - but above all it is beautiful. There's such a wealth of ideas executed with style and an individual confidence that it is hard to say which is best, but I would say it's worth buying the book for the Singapore 'Keeping A Diary' section alone. Also there are a lot of monkeys, and that can never be a bad thing. Full marks.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
"Your phd for living", 23 Sep 2008
If you search on youtube for "the art of looking sideways" you'll come across a 10 minute interview with the late Alan Fletcher. The man was clearly a visionary and apparently loved his Mac ;-)
If you're not into graphic design that much (like me) yet you're into philosophy or psychology, marketing or coaching, leadership or teaching or any other field where the human condition is front & center you'll still find lots of wonderful things in this book, if only by reading the quotes and the stories.
This book has been created by a discovering man, a collecting man and especially a listening and thinking man. He supposedly worked 18! years on this book. No wonder it's such a source of inspiration and insight.
I adore the 'chapters' on creativity and meanings. There are 72 'chapters' in total in this book, each covering a certain 'topic'. I prefer to call them 'mentalities'. Fletcher calls them '72 slices of life' and '72 slices of your brain'.
The two most genius properties of this book are:
- no two pages have similar layout
- you don't know what to expect when turning any page
Only buy this book if you want to discover. Fletcher was a designer but before one can design one has to discover. This book is a discovery by itself and it's filled with thousands of discoveries.
Stuck for an idea? Dive in here..., 24 Mar 2008
Alan Fletcher was one of the creative powerhouses of design from the 1960s on, and this book puts together some of his musings on life, the Universe and everything. The book is designed to spark ideas and thought, so even the paper used changes from page to page.
In typically quirky fashion, only the left hand pages are given a number so if you buy this book you actually get over a thousand pages of inspiring graphics, calligraphy, typography and photographs collected over the course of a long and illustrious career: he founded Pentagram; he designed logos for Reuters and the Victoria and Albert museum. The book gives a glimpse of the thought processes that went in to that work. For the money it's an astonishing bargain.
A homage to concept-driven design and thinking, 27 May 2007
This book provides so many examples of both the mechanics of a good concept and the power of lateral thinking. A great feat to have documented and communicated such an eclectic range of thoughts and ideas.
Inspirational, 27 Jan 2007
This is the book to have next to your desk: dip into it, when you need escape or inspiration. Or start from the beginning and work your way through it: whichever way you do it: I defy you not to find something interesting on virtually every page!!
Rowland Jones
A fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and a good dose of self-indulgence by the author, 31 Dec 2006
What a wonderful title for this book of more than 530 pages. The target is visual awareness and it has 72 chapters devoted to themes such as "ideas", "thinking", "seeing", "camouflage" and "handedness". The author claims it is "a journey without a destination", and he is probably right, the implication being that it is the voyage that counts in life. It is truly a massive collection of bits and pieces collected by the author, thrown on to a basic structure, and presented "shaken not stirred" (to misuse a common quote from James Bond). Her lies the books major asset and its major defect. It is full of interesting images and text bites, yet at the same time it is full of bits of useless or uninteresting trivia. There are times when you get the impression that the author has been overly self-indulgent, but it is certainly a lesson to us all - collect every little bit of dross since it could become a book one day. Yet it also a fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and for the price it is certainly worth having on your shelves. I suspect it is also a book that I will go back to occasionally just to skim through the odd 100 pages. I was planning to give this extravagantly over-indulgent book only 3-stars, but in writing this review I've convinced myself to give it a solid 4-stars for its fun content and the gall of the author in thinking his lifetime collection of "odds and bods" would interest others. It did.
WOW, 18 May 2008
This book is truly beautiful. I adore fashion books and this is one of my favourites; whether you are interested in fashion, illustration, art or just want a beautiful coffee table book, this is the one to buy!
Buy this book!, 25 Jun 2007
Whether your studying fashion or you just love to shop this book is an amazing insight into the world of fashion illustration. Each page features a beautiful drawing, information about the author, and the media used (when possible). There are some reading pages throughout out the book highlighting changes in fashion and the influences on fashion illustration. This book is a perfect guide for those studying fashion to find reference and inspiration. Each page is colourful and different from the last. It is definately worth the money and is a great book to have! It would also make a gat gift for anyone with a remote interest in fashion, BUY IT NOW!
The cleaned up version, 12 Apr 2008
There are a significant number of entries that tell you where the banksy graffitti used to be, before it was scrubbed.... provides a good guide to the efforts of the cleaners... but there are a few worthwhile entries ... i would not have felt cheated by a thinner book.
What a bloody amazing book, 06 Mar 2007
I got into Banksy last year when he went to LA and had the Barley Legal show. His work is amazing, I just didn't realise how much of it actually existed on the streets of London! And loads of its is still in excellent condition too, some hidden off the beaten track, others in alleyways no one would ever think to walk down.
Without this book I think it would have taken me the best part of a year of walking through London to find these. I took the book out a few weekends in a row when travelling into London, and I had pretty much seen them all! The little tips given throughout the book are a good addition too, giving you points of interest along the way to look out for.
Also, its not just all Banksy, there are loads of other tips for spotting graffiti all over the capital city.
A really brilliant book, sod jack the ripper tours. Given me Banksy Location Tours any day of the week me old china plate!
The monster book of manga, 14 Sep 2008
I found this book great for poses and step by step instruction, it also provides great tips about lighting and thing relevant to each character. I personally would probably not make use of the rather extensive selection of Monsters - fantasy and science fiction, however I still felt that this was a great buy - the section on girls at the front was great for improving the way I draw, and there is a fantastic section on Drawing Manga digitally at the back which I didn't even know about when purchasing the book, but is extremely useful - digital art is hard! The artist has an elegant line and a refreshingly cartoony style in comparison to "How to draw manga" books - but it is still too detailed to copy exactly in pencil. The tips are useful for development of original characters. It is great for the beginer manga artist as the step by step images are easy to copy and learn from, and become more complicated gradually.
Brilliant For Ideas, 27 May 2008
A lot of people discuss the fact that the book only looks at a certain character type once, however I think that this book is brilliant for poses and great for the stereotypical characters of manga. The book is sorted into step-by-step guide: starting with a basic line drawing using shapes then going on to filling out the arms and legs, an underwear pose and finishing with lineart then photoshopped showing you where the light source is coming from. I have a lot of books on drawing manga and I feel that this is the best for helping people to understand the steps and allowing you to make your own characters. The book is sorted into Girls, monsters, fantasy, music (such as Jrock, Jpop and other styles) and Japanese (samurai, ninja, geisha, princess etc.) The book can be used by both beginners and more improved manga artists, however if you are a beginner I would suggest getting a book on facial features as well.
Great =], 25 Jan 2008
I Got Into Manga A Few Months Ago and Rented Out Books From The Library and Really Took To It. I Was Quite Good So i Asked For Some Books For christmas, I Got A Couple From The How To Draw Mangs Series and Thought They Were Great, They Have Loads OF Stuff About Technique. But I Wanted Something Step By Step So That I Could Really Work On The Basic Shapes So I Bought This Book.
It Arrived The Other Day And I Have Already Done A Couple Of The Drawings, And Its Great! Some Of The Drawings Are Really Far Fetched But Its Beautiful And Yet Not Too Hard! Not For Complete Beginners But A Great Purchase For People Who ALready Know Basic Manga.
^^, 09 Nov 2007
Thi is a really good book on how to draw manga...It explains you the stereotypes very well!!It also teaches you how to trace the human anatomy very well!!!I really recommend it for ppl who want to learn how to draw manga!!!!!
Fantastic, 01 Mar 2007
I have many guides to drawing, mostly from the how to draw manga series. I'm happy with my collection as it is all great referrence material and has improved my art greatly but I've longed for a book I can work from in a step by step fashion. Now I have it. The Monster Book of Manga is simply fantastic, it's all step by step with helpful notes and a little photoshop tutorial at the end. Best of all is the size, it is a Monster Book and there are a wealth of drawings to go through the steps with. I've only just started following the steps and I can already feel I'm learning a process that will be able to bring my art together and allow me to consistently produce material of my own that I can be proud of. One thing must be mentioned; this is not for an absolute beginner, there are six steps that start with basic skeleton sketch through to full colour, so there you do have to piece some bits in yourself (it's okay for me as it's the initial steps I have trouble with, along with feet and hands, all of which I feel are covered quite well). Also, because there is so much in this book if you work your way through it with patience then you will certainly learn essential basics that can lead you onto more advanced techniques. I love this book after owning it only a couple of days and I love all the images inside of it.
Very over valued, 29 Jun 2008
I have to say I am extremely disappointed with this. Everyone at college has said you have just got to buy this book, its amazing. Is it?? No it isn't. Sagmeister is nowhere near being the design genius that he has been tagged with. When you compare it to Alan Fletcher, there is just no competition. I have seen far better work being displayed at the various university degree shows this year to be honest. Especially at Stoke, Birmingham and the fantastic illustration work at Bristol which was truly fantastic.
So whatever you do, keep hold of your money and buy something else. He is very over rated and has been built up on a pedestal when he clearly doesn't deserve to be.
Can graphic design touch someone's heart?, 16 May 2008
There are countless books on design and many of them are good, even brilliant. And yet one looks for something that is more than a design book with lots of designers' work. One always searches for a book that would act as a trigger, as a spark than can light a million ideas in one's own brain.
A book to do that was Alan Fletcher's Art of Looking Sideways.
And a book which surpasses everything that I have ever seen is Stefan Sagmeister's Things I have learned in my life so far.
Why? Because it is brutally honest.
It is what design was meant to be.
Sagmeister uses his own learnings and converts them into magic. You turn the pages and you are mesmerised by the immensity, the sheer scale of ideas there.
Your mind begins to fill up with images and words and ideas you never thought existed.
You turn the pages and it hits you: Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
And `now' to me started with the book. This book truly changed my life.
I have read the critics say many things like this book being self indulgent. Well, a man who take pains to go around the world to encourage design and design students cannot be self indulgent. He is honest. And every page of this book is a primer for honesty.
And of course, brilliant design.
Sagmeister's design and typography are stuff legends are made of. I am a mere mortal to comment upon those. But I can say this, I have never seen an explosion of so many brilliant ideas in one place ever before.
Stefan Sagmeister has always asked the question: Can design touch someone's heart?
This book will touch millions.
A priceless book.
Emperor's New Clothes or Design Genius?, 12 Mar 2008
Is Stefan Sagmeister the Emperor's new clothes of the design world, or does he really deserve the genius tag he's so often given?
After reading Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far, I firmly believe the latter. Sagmeister doesn't disappoint; he makes design fun and accessible, without dumbing down or losing effect - this book illustrates perfectly, both in content and format, that good design works.
The featured projects are fascinating; my reactions ranged from `oh that's sooo gorgeous,' to `how on earth....?' to `what HAPPENED to him to make him think like that?!'
It's beautifully put together - a design book that's not just for designers, with essays and Sagmeister's explanations of the projects, along with fantastic images.
As Sagmeister says, via the help of giant monkeys, "Everybody always thinks they are right," and I think I am in this case - buy it, swap around the covers to your heart's content, and enjoy your very own piece of Sagmeister!
A True Chameleon, 24 Feb 2008
There are lots of design books that are about design. Design books for designers. This isn't one of them - it's much more than that. The sheer richness of this book takes a while to take in - you will find new things every time you dip into it. This book is inventive, poignant, informative and unusual - but above all it is beautiful. There's such a wealth of ideas executed with style and an individual confidence that it is hard to say which is best, but I would say it's worth buying the book for the Singapore 'Keeping A Diary' section alone. Also there are a lot of monkeys, and that can never be a bad thing. Full marks.
A MUST HAVE FOR ARTISTS/ILLUSTRATORS!, 17 Nov 2008
I bought this book a year ago now, and let me say it has been read and re-read many a time, showcasing plenty of street artists, but not much of their street art, their actual rough sketchbook work where they get the ideas for the big wall pieces, the drawings are amazing and there is plenty of variety and loads of pages, and at 9.97!? Bargain. I promise you if you like illustration and street art, and probs graphic design as a whole you will love this book and it is amazing, I only wish i could find more like it.
The best catologe of street art i have ever seen!, 01 Oct 2008
absolutly unbelieveable! i cannot believe that such a quality book is being sold at such a low price. some amazing street artists (not just ur run of the mill graffiti artists) from around the world all with some very unique styles, using schools such as fine art, graphics and illustration.
i was going to go down to my local book shop and pay £30 for this but i amazed to see it here for a lot less! definatly worth a look for any art student wanting a modern perspective on some styles.
amazing , 12 Feb 2008
if you only buy one art book this year i recomend this one it is amazing! everypage is filled with amazing full colour pictures with information on the artists and designers. it actually feels like you are flicking through someones sketchbook which is totally awesome
pictures for all, 10 Feb 2008
Simply put, this is a fantastic array of street styles. From an artists perspective, it's always great to have images lying around for inspiration. Sketchbooks are frequently a fairly intimate form of an artists work, where ideas are collected, and as a result these pages really give great insight into these selected artist's work, both in terms of process and how their final ideas are formed. With a perfectly concise preface, and only a little explanation from the artists on their own work, the images are left to speak for themselves. Particular favourites were Amose, Blu, turf one and Will Barras, but so saying, all artists featured were intriguing, and none felt out of place. Just a great coffee table picture book for urban art fanatics.
Inspiring, 09 Jan 2008
For anyone who loves creating sketchbooks, a great collection of artist's/designers edgy, thoughtful, and dripping with talent. Definatley reccomended.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Why? They ask me. Why does he do it?, 06 Oct 2008
Well, it is art and it is very hard to someone to explain the reason why he's an artist don't you think?
"Why" was the question several of my colleges at work asked me when I received this little book from Amazon this morning. First they've asked me why does he do it and then, why did I bought it. To the first question I answered that Slinkachu is an artist and this is his art. For the second question I didn't need to answer anything. Just passed the book to their hands and let them see for themselves.
I've been following Slinkachu work on the Internet for some time now and when I knew this book was on sale, I just had to bought it.
A little book that's a lot for the money., 02 Oct 2008
An entertaining and extremely interesting form of street art, this little gem will appeal to anyone interested in street art: it's a must if you're a fan of Banksy! Each piece has a shot showing its surroundings as well as a macro shot with its title. You really do empathise with each little figure! I'm sure any student would be happy to add this to his or her collection.
Brilliant street art, 05 Sep 2008
This is a really brilliant idea, and great "little" book. The idea is simple - take small people (1 inch high or so), paint them and put them somewhere, create a story around them, and take close up (macro) shots.
throw in some heartfelt life messages, and you have this book. It's a great alternative view on life, and life in London specifically.
Recommended.
Excellent, 05 Sep 2008
It's strange how something like this can be beautiful and hold so much emotion, but I guess that's the whole point of art.
Flick through and you're reminded that we're all little people at the end of the day. Slink captures that lost, vulnerable feeling we all get sometimes and then throws in the comic moments too.
I first saw "Dreams of packing it all in" when I was trapped in a big corporate and had just been prescribed the happy pills. It now takes pride of place on my self-employed office wall and reminds me of how things used to be.
And at this price, cannot we all afford some art in our lives?
"Your phd for living", 23 Sep 2008
If you search on youtube for "the art of looking sideways" you'll come across a 10 minute interview with the late Alan Fletcher. The man was clearly a visionary and apparently loved his Mac ;-)
If you're not into graphic design that much (like me) yet you're into philosophy or psychology, marketing or coaching, leadership or teaching or any other field where the human condition is front & center you'll still find lots of wonderful things in this book, if only by reading the quotes and the stories.
This book has been created by a discovering man, a collecting man and especially a listening and thinking man. He supposedly worked 18! years on this book. No wonder it's such a source of inspiration and insight.
I adore the 'chapters' on creativity and meanings. There are 72 'chapters' in total in this book, each covering a certain 'topic'. I prefer to call them 'mentalities'. Fletcher calls them '72 slices of life' and '72 slices of your brain'.
The two most genius properties of this book are:
- no two pages have similar layout
- you don't know what to expect when turning any page
Only buy this book if you want to discover. Fletcher was a designer but before one can design one has to discover. This book is a discovery by itself and it's filled with thousands of discoveries.
Stuck for an idea? Dive in here..., 24 Mar 2008
Alan Fletcher was one of the creative powerhouses of design from the 1960s on, and this book puts together some of his musings on life, the Universe and everything. The book is designed to spark ideas and thought, so even the paper used changes from page to page.
In typically quirky fashion, only the left hand pages are given a number so if you buy this book you actually get over a thousand pages of inspiring graphics, calligraphy, typography and photographs collected over the course of a long and illustrious career: he founded Pentagram; he designed logos for Reuters and the Victoria and Albert museum. The book gives a glimpse of the thought processes that went in to that work. For the money it's an astonishing bargain.
A homage to concept-driven design and thinking, 27 May 2007
This book provides so many examples of both the mechanics of a good concept and the power of lateral thinking. A great feat to have documented and communicated such an eclectic range of thoughts and ideas.
Inspirational, 27 Jan 2007
This is the book to have next to your desk: dip into it, when you need escape or inspiration. Or start from the beginning and work your way through it: whichever way you do it: I defy you not to find something interesting on virtually every page!!
Rowland Jones
A fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and a good dose of self-indulgence by the author, 31 Dec 2006
What a wonderful title for this book of more than 530 pages. The target is visual awareness and it has 72 chapters devoted to themes such as "ideas", "thinking", "seeing", "camouflage" and "handedness". The author claims it is "a journey without a destination", and he is probably right, the implication being that it is the voyage that counts in life. It is truly a massive collection of bits and pieces collected by the author, thrown on to a basic structure, and presented "shaken not stirred" (to misuse a common quote from James Bond). Her lies the books major asset and its major defect. It is full of interesting images and text bites, yet at the same time it is full of bits of useless or uninteresting trivia. There are times when you get the impression that the author has been overly self-indulgent, but it is certainly a lesson to us all - collect every little bit of dross since it could become a book one day. Yet it also a fantastic collection of interesting "factlets" and for the price it is certainly worth having on your shelves. I suspect it is also a book that I will go back to occasionally just to skim through the odd 100 pages. I was planning to give this extravagantly over-indulgent book only 3-stars, but in writing this review I've convinced myself to give it a solid 4-stars for its fun content and the gall of the author in thinking his lifetime collection of "odds and bods" would interest others. It did.
WOW, 18 May 2008
This book is truly beautiful. I adore fashion books and this is one of my favourites; whether you are interested in fashion, illustration, art or just want a beautiful coffee table book, this is the one to buy!
Buy this book!, 25 Jun 2007
Whether your studying fashion or you just love to shop this book is an amazing insight into the world of fashion illustration. Each page features a beautiful drawing, information about the author, and the media used (when possible). There are some reading pages throughout out the book highlighting changes in fashion and the influences on fashion illustration. This book is a perfect guide for those studying fashion to find reference and inspiration. Each page is colourful and different from the last. It is definately worth the money and is a great book to have! It would also make a gat gift for anyone with a remote interest in fashion, BUY IT NOW!
The cleaned up version, 12 Apr 2008
There are a significant number of entries that tell you where the banksy graffitti used to be, before it was scrubbed.... provides a good guide to the efforts of the cleaners... but there are a few worthwhile entries ... i would not have felt cheated by a thinner book.
What a bloody amazing book, 06 Mar 2007
I got into Banksy last year when he went to LA and had the Barley Legal show. His work is amazing, I just didn't realise how much of it actually existed on the streets of London! And loads of its is still in excellent condition too, some hidden off the beaten track, others in alleyways no one would ever think to walk down.
Without this book I think it would have taken me the best part of a year of walking through London to find these. I took the book out a few weekends in a row when travelling into London, and I had pretty much seen them all! The little tips given throughout the book are a good addition too, giving you points of interest along the way to look out for.
Also, its not just all Banksy, there are loads of other tips for spotting graffiti all over the capital city.
A really brilliant book, sod jack the ripper tours. Given me Banksy Location Tours any day of the week me old china plate!
The monster book of manga, 14 Sep 2008
I found this book great for poses and step by step instruction, it also provides great tips about lighting and thing relevant to each character. I personally would probably not make use of the rather extensive selection of Monsters - fantasy and science fiction, however I still felt that this was a great buy - the section on girls at the front was great for improving the way I draw, and there is a fantastic section on Drawing Manga digitally at the back which I didn't even know about when purchasing the book, but is extremely useful - digital art is hard! The artist has an elegant line and a refreshingly cartoony style in comparison to "How to draw manga" books - but it is still too detailed to copy exactly in pencil. The tips are useful for development of original characters. It is great for the beginer manga artist as the step by step images are easy to copy and learn from, and become more complicated gradually.
Brilliant For Ideas, 27 May 2008
A lot of people discuss the fact that the book only looks at a certain character type once, however I think that this book is brilliant for poses and great for the stereotypical characters of manga. The book is sorted into step-by-step guide: starting with a basic line drawing using shapes then going on to filling out the arms and legs, an underwear pose and finishing with lineart then photoshopped showing you where the light source is coming from. I have a lot of books on drawing manga and I feel that this is the best for helping people to understand the steps and allowing you to make your own characters. The book is sorted into Girls, monsters, fantasy, music (such as Jrock, Jpop and other styles) and Japanese (samurai, ninja, geisha, princess etc.) The book can be used by both beginners and more improved manga artists, however if you are a beginner I would suggest getting a book on facial features as well.
Great =], 25 Jan 2008
I Got Into Manga A Few Months Ago and Rented Out Books From The Library and Really Took To It. I Was Quite Good So i Asked For Some Books For christmas, I Got A Couple From The How To Draw Mangs Series and Thought They Were Great, They Have Loads OF Stuff About Technique. But I Wanted Something Step By Step So That I Could Really Work On The Basic Shapes So I Bought This Book.
It Arrived The Other Day And I Have Already Done A Couple Of The Drawings, And Its Great! Some Of The Drawings Are Really Far Fetched But Its Beautiful And Yet Not Too Hard! Not For Complete Beginners But A Great Purchase For People Who ALready Know Basic Manga.
^^, 09 Nov 2007
Thi is a really good book on how to draw manga...It explains you the stereotypes very well!!It also teaches you how to trace the human anatomy very well!!!I really recommend it for ppl who want to learn how to draw manga!!!!!
Fantastic, 01 Mar 2007
I have many guides to drawing, mostly from the how to draw manga series. I'm happy with my collection as it is all great referrence material and has improved my art greatly but I've longed for a book I can work from in a step by step fashion. Now I have it. The Monster Book of Manga is simply fantastic, it's all step by step with helpful notes and a little photoshop tutorial at the end. Best of all is the size, it is a Monster Book and there are a wealth of drawings to go through the steps with. I've only just started following the steps and I can already feel I'm learning a process that will be able to bring my art together and allow me to consistently produce material of my own that I can be proud of. One thing must be mentioned; this is not for an absolute beginner, there are six steps that start with basic skeleton sketch through to full colour, so there you do have to piece some bits in yourself (it's okay for me as it's the initial steps I have trouble with, along with feet and hands, all of which I feel are covered quite well). Also, because there is so much in this book if you work your way through it with patience then you will certainly learn essential basics that can lead you onto more advanced techniques. I love this book after owning it only a couple of days and I love all the images inside of it.
Very over valued, 29 Jun 2008
I have to say I am extremely disappointed with this. Everyone at college has said you have just got to buy this book, its amazing. Is it?? No it isn't. Sagmeister is nowhere near being the design genius that he has been tagged with. When you compare it to Alan Fletcher, there is just no competition. I have seen far better work being displayed at the various university degree shows this year to be honest. Especially at Stoke, Birmingham and the fantastic illustration work at Bristol which was truly fantastic.
So whatever you do, keep hold of your money and buy something else. He is very over rated and has been built up on a pedestal when he clearly doesn't deserve to be.
Can graphic design touch someone's heart?, 16 May 2008
There are countless books on design and many of them are good, even brilliant. And yet one looks for something that is more than a design book with lots of designers' work. One always searches for a book that would act as a trigger, as a spark than can light a million ideas in one's own brain.
A book to do that was Alan Fletcher's Art of | | |