"When I grow up I want to be an astronaut!" declared a six-year-old Stephan in 1968, a year before man walked on the moon. Not surprisingly, his first doodles featured blazing rockets and spaceships. Growing up in France, and not permitted to watch much TV, Stephan spent a lot of time at the corner cinema. There he was introduced to the likes of the Werewolf, the Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein and King Kong. He traveled on the Voyage to the Center of the Earth and experienced The Day the Earth Stood Still. The fantastic creatures and worlds in all of these classics were overwhelmingly cool. As Stephan's doodles of astronauts became doodles of monsters and aliens, he found himself enjoying drawing more and more--and the dream of becoming an astronaut gradually evolved into becoming a visual artist.

Illustrated with more than 130 photographs, this book tells the engrossing story of Urban and Bel Geddes. Christopher Innes shows how these two men with a background in theater lent dramatic flair to everything they designed and how this theatricality gave the distinctive modernity they created such wide appeal. If the American lifestyle has been much imitated across the globe over the past fifty years, says Innes, it is due in large measure to the designs of Urban and Bel Geddes. Together they were responsible for creating what has been called the “Golden Age” of American culture.

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Following the unrelated project Autograf: New York City's Graffiti Writers (powerHouse), which also took an auteur-based approach this past season, Granz (whose pen name is Keinom) widens the scope to present those he sees as the world's top graffiti writers, offering alphabetical sections of artists from the Americas, Europe and "The Rest of the World." Short prefatory histories put New York at the center of the modern graffiti world, with South American countries like Brazil later having "reached a high standard." The work is beautifully photographed throughout; multiple pieces by each artist are laid out appealingly over verso-recto spreads, along with a paragraph by Granz detailing the artist's origins and the main thrust of the work (and occasionally a photo of the artist him or herself). From gigantic murals to tiny stickers, Granz has seen and photographed it all and talks knowledgeably about everything from "wildstyle" fontage to the non-orthographically based "character culture," where artists create (and replicate) cartoonish figures in various figurative exploits. Striking a colloquial balance between insider's knowledge and thoughtful presentation, Granz's book should be durable for its cohesion of vision, if not for the scale of presentation of each artist.

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nlike the early days of Photoshop, for several years now most Photoshop books have been aimed at photographers; there is a big hole on the bookstore shelf that needs to be filled by a Photoshop book that is geared specifically towards graphic design professionals and production artists. This core audience should not have to wade through useless chapters of content geared towards other users of the application, namely professional photographers, web designers, and video editors. Mastering Photoshop for Print Design and Production sets graphic designers and production artists in the right direction when implementing the latest version of Photoshop into their everyday workflow. It demonstrates how to use Photoshop for all aspects of print, from simpler tasks such as basic color correction and masking, to more advanced tasks such as color management, utilizing layer comps, and troubleshooting and automating RGB-to-CMYK color conversion. Entirely four-color throughout, Mastering Photoshop for Print Design and Production fulfills the promise of the Mastering series, to provide real-world skills to professionals and students. Like all Mastering books, this one includes:
- A "by pros for pros" approach: The author is an active professional working in graphic arts, layout, and design, writing for professionals who want to improve their skills or learn new skills.
- Real-world examples: Running throughout the text are examples of how the various skills are applied in scenarios faced by real practitioners.
- Skill-based teaching and hands-on exercises.
- Companion files for tutorials and projects are provided on the accompanying CD-ROM. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2:
A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
Rockport Publishers | Pages:208 | 2007-02-01 | ISBN:1592533175
A plethora of patterns and palettes! This hardworking reference book is the second volume in Rockport's Pattern and Palette series. Like the first, it is an invaluable tool for art directors, designers, and students working in the fashion, product, and graphic design fields, as well as anyone in the business of visual communication. With close to 1,000 new patterns, Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2 is a desktop library of colors and patterns that address the professional's needs in working with harmonies and contrasts. Divided into six unique style sections, the book provides readers with fifteen appropriate colors for each section, which are then incorporated into twenty-five different patterns shown in six or eight color variations each. This enables readers to see the dramatic effect colors have in design and helps them understand how to use color effectively. The book also demonstrates ways of creating designs that are distinctly unique from one another yet hold together in a group. Also included is an interactive CD ROM that contains the patterns featured. Users can choose patterns, experiment with colors, and print out a sample of the patterns for reference.

Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2:
A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
Rockport Publishers | Pages:208 | 2007-02-01 | ISBN:1592533175
A plethora of patterns and palettes! This hardworking reference book is the second volume in Rockport's Pattern and Palette series. Like the first, it is an invaluable tool for art directors, designers, and students working in the fashion, product, and graphic design fields, as well as anyone in the business of visual communication. With close to 1,000 new patterns, Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2 is a desktop library of colors and patterns that address the professional's needs in working with harmonies and contrasts. Divided into six unique style sections, the book provides readers with fifteen appropriate colors for each section, which are then incorporated into twenty-five different patterns shown in six or eight color variations each. This enables readers to see the dramatic effect colors have in design and helps them understand how to use color effectively. The book also demonstrates ways of creating designs that are distinctly unique from one another yet hold together in a group. Also included is an interactive CD ROM that contains the patterns featured. Users can choose patterns, experiment with colors, and print out a sample of the patterns for reference.

Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2:
A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
Rockport Publishers | Pages:208 | 2007-02-01 | ISBN:1592533175
A plethora of patterns and palettes! This hardworking reference book is the second volume in Rockport's Pattern and Palette series. Like the first, it is an invaluable tool for art directors, designers, and students working in the fashion, product, and graphic design fields, as well as anyone in the business of visual communication. With close to 1,000 new patterns, Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2 is a desktop library of colors and patterns that address the professional's needs in working with harmonies and contrasts. Divided into six unique style sections, the book provides readers with fifteen appropriate colors for each section, which are then incorporated into twenty-five different patterns shown in six or eight color variations each. This enables readers to see the dramatic effect colors have in design and helps them understand how to use color effectively. The book also demonstrates ways of creating designs that are distinctly unique from one another yet hold together in a group. Also included is an interactive CD ROM that contains the patterns featured. Users can choose patterns, experiment with colors, and print out a sample of the patterns for reference.

Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2:
A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
Rockport Publishers | Pages:208 | 2007-02-01 | ISBN:1592533175
A plethora of patterns and palettes! This hardworking reference book is the second volume in Rockport's Pattern and Palette series. Like the first, it is an invaluable tool for art directors, designers, and students working in the fashion, product, and graphic design fields, as well as anyone in the business of visual communication. With close to 1,000 new patterns, Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2 is a desktop library of colors and patterns that address the professional's needs in working with harmonies and contrasts. Divided into six unique style sections, the book provides readers with fifteen appropriate colors for each section, which are then incorporated into twenty-five different patterns shown in six or eight color variations each. This enables readers to see the dramatic effect colors have in design and helps them understand how to use color effectively. The book also demonstrates ways of creating designs that are distinctly unique from one another yet hold together in a group. Also included is an interactive CD ROM that contains the patterns featured. Users can choose patterns, experiment with colors, and print out a sample of the patterns for reference.

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Workflow is critical for digital photographers. Whether you're new to Photoshop Elements or an experienced image editor, this professional book will show you how to create consistent high-quality images by establishing a logical sequence of essential tasks. From sorting images and RAW conversion to advanced editing and output, it's all here in the friendly, professional style that readers know and trust from the Tim Grey Guides series. Go well beyond the basics in this one-of-kind guide to Photoshop Elements.

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