Release Date: 10/08/12
SYNOPSIS:
In this darkly humorous book, discover the inner musings of a deliciously demented doll, once loved and now abandoned.
Peek inside her secret diary of twisted thoughts and odd scribbles, hinting at her evil and madness. But beware.
She rules her attic kingdom with a porcelain fist and has minions who carry out fiendish plots against those who dare offend. So play nice. Or else.
REVIEW:
I’m always on the lookout for the quirky and when two of my interests, in this case, horror with a touch of humour collide, then I really can’t wait to get my hands on it.
What this pocket sized book brings to the table is a dark story of a doll who slowly descends into madness after being exiled to the attic. It has quirky humorous lines backed up with some wonderfully constructed photos and to be honest it’s a book that a lot of people will like even though it’s short. Add to this the fact that it’s a great talking point or as a coffee table book and you’ll find that it’s a title that you’ll love flicking through time and again or even just to give as a gift. Cracking stuff.
BOOK BLURB:
The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide presents the best way to create a respectful, productive writing or critique group, discussing all the important details of finding a group, running a critique meeting, and building a group that will evolve with its members. Each chapter, whether discussing plot or character or voice, teaches the writer how to read for a critique, learn from criticism, organize and prioritise feedback, revise based on the specific feedback they receive, and more. This title is perfect for writers and creative-writing students.
REVIEW:
Whilst some would say that the sheer volume of reading that I do is to big to count, I tend to utilise it as a lot of research to learn what not only works within the writing world for me, but also to learn what I didn’t like and thus learn lessons from within. Currently I’m going to be looking into creating some basic tales to learn the background but in order to grow as a writer you have to not only submit pieces but learn how to take critism without turning into the Incredible Hulk. (A lesson that a number of established authors are still learning the hard way.)
What this book will do is help you to find the right (or perhaps write) group for you to submit pieces to, how to critique others pieces and how to take what they’ve got to say about your own. It’s a minefield out there so its always a tricky ground to walk. This book is really an invaluable guide to a newbie as well as one that will help others to learn how to improve some of their already established skills and has something for every writer within. A good title and one that will invariably have the reader flicking from time and again into its pages for a touch of inspiration or to relearn the odd lesson.
BOOK BLURB:
One of the world's finest fantasy artists, Ed Org, takes you on an awe-inspiring journey into the realm of faerie. This book presents practical step-by-step instructions on pencil and colour techniques to help you to create beautiful faerie characters in striking surroundings. It includes an indispensable photo reference of models and props, including costumes, masks and weapons, which you can use to get the most out of your faerie art. It concludes with a stunning gallery selection of Ed Org's finest pieces, topping off a truly inspiring package for any lover of this magical realm.
REVIEW:
As a person who has a happy time trooping through the countryside, I’ve often wondered how the world would look were the world of the Fae erupt into our own and having been an admirer of Ed’s work for years I was pretty stoked when I learned of this release.
What he covers within is pretty phenomenal. Whereas a lot of art books talk about shapes as well as scene composition, Ed takes this concept further. Whilst he does cover these basic’s he delves deeper into the medium by pointing out that the artist has to have the details right, for example facial constructs such as having the eyes as well as mouth as well as the details for the hands. Clothing, can be forgiven, the viewers eyes on such basic’s are not. Then he also goes on to give the reader more advice such as utilising photo’s to help create the flow of the piece. Whilst not everyone can afford to hire their own model and clothing there are sites out there where general photo’s of a model in various period clothing is available in various poses for the artist to use.
All the advice in here is not only beautifully put together but relates to each other to allow the reader/artist to create a piece that would perhaps have taken many years of experience as well as a great many days of trial and error to create. It’s a book of not just wonderful creation but something that will take the reader onto the next artistic stage of development.
BOOK BLURB:
Learn how to draw and paint truly fabulous fantasy females with this practical and inspirational guide for improver artists. This title demonstrates the basics of female anatomical structure, how to use both drawing and painting media effectively, and how to design and build fantasy female characters. Key to this subject matter is capturing female allure, and there are specific sections that tackle female pose, expression, clothing, hair and make-up. This title includes five extended step demos of a valkyrie, a warrior, a fairy, a sorceress and a heroine. The female is the most important subject in fantasy art making this title indispensable to any fantasy artist.
REVIEW:
Having worked for Marvel and DC there’s probably very few modern artists who are more adept at the subject matter of the book than Tom Flemming. What perhaps makes this so superb is that Tom doesn’t just tackle the basics such as shapes but covers everything from clothing to makeup, facial construction through to hair.
Within this offering is material gained through experience that explains the differing aspects not just by stating the facts but putting the information across almost as if you were in the same room as the artist backing up each point with concise and beautifully created artwork.
This title was a real joy to read and will be one that’s well thumbed each time I want to revisit points brought up within. Hopefully allowing me to create not just acceptable art but pieces I’ll be proud to have on my wall.
BOOK BLURB:
This is a highly practical guide for budding artists who want to create their own extreme sci-fi worlds. Core elements of sci-fi art are taught through ingenious exercises and eleven detailed step by step projects. Subjects covered include aliens, robots, space ships, weapons, space stations and strange planets. It contains instruction suitable for beginners and more advanced artists, and is accompanied by an awesome gallery of the author's work.
REVIEW:
With the world developing futuristically with each passing day, the artists are having to come up with perhaps more outlandish yet believable constructs to show us the world of tomorrow today. Whilst some concepts may seem strange the artists follow strict guidelines such as machination creation that borrows a little from today’s technology and adds it into their piece such as Greeble’s that allow the reader to believe the piece their seeing.
Add into this mix detailed step by step guides on the creation of backgrounds and shapes for the humans, robots and aliens and you have a guide that will not only be a source of inspiration but one that will help open the doorway for each persons futuristic interpretation. It’s ideal and through using pieces of advice within this book I’ve managed to construct a beast of a bike for a character within a story I’m writing. Its not only informative, its fun and when you’re creating that’s something that many people forget. Francis’ offering is one that will make an ideal gift this season as it has something for everyone from the most basic of artists but also to the more experienced.
BOOK BLURB:
This collection of 13 dragons is loaded with sketches, drawings, anatomical studies, detailed diagrams, brief natural histories and step-by-step colour art demonstrations for each animal showing the process of making dragon images from start to finish. A cross between an encyclopaedia of dragons and an artist's reference book, readers will enjoy learning all about dragons and the process of their creation.
REVIEW:
If there’s one mythical creature that’s travelled the world and woven within each and every culture, it’s the dragon. But how do they alternate from one place to another, how does each culture’s portrayal of these beasts change and how easy is it to adapt and add them to pieces of art that you’ve dreamed of?
Well, that question and more are answered in O’Connors offering, Dracopedia. What I should add however, at this point is that this is quite a complex book and really not for the inexperienced or amateur artist. This is due to the book relying on a lot of the basic concepts having already been learned throwing the reader deep into the world from a fairly detailed basic drawing up through the colourisation and textures required to create the final piece.
But for those who’ve already got the basics down, this is going to be an adventure as it deals with the creatures from worldwide myths demonstrating, not only construction of a piece, but allows the reader to discover without having to delve too deep which dragon will work for which piece. For example differing skin striations to fit with each culture such as the colourful Aztec option or even an Egyptian selection which will add something special to the pieces that each artist creates.
It is interesting and it is definitely a book I’ll look at for inspiration but at the moment, for me, it’s a bit to advanced for my own use. I will get there eventually and it’s definitely inspirational but currently its just something to look pretty on my shelf that will be opened each time I want inspiration for either writing or when exercising my artistic skills.
BOOK BLURB:
The haiku journal follows our vampire narrator from the birth of America all the way to present time, as he writes sporadically through the centuries. The playful main character has a long biography that winds through numerous wars, a certain tea party in Boston, living the high life during the Great Depression, corrupting Emily Dickinson. The poems intertwine three main elements: being a vampire, living during the entire history of America, and forever longing to find and be with the woman who turned him into a vampire many years ago as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower.
REVIEW:
After the Zombie Haiku book of last year we get to see the pained “soul” of the Vampire in this years offering. Its amusing and written as if hundreds of years apart covering the “turning” or rebirth of the character through to their own blood letting and life throughout the years. It’s amusing, it’s easy to pick up and read a few pages and makes this something of a poetic bathroom book that will have many visitors flicking through and perhaps taking a bit longer than intended as its quite an interesting offering.
If you’re stuck for something special for that Goth or Fangbanger in your life then this is the ideal gift either for their special night or for Christmas Day, however make sure that you don’t take it into the light of day, its unhealthy for many of the brethren. LOL
BOOK BLURB:
Hip designers will love this collection of 25 paper toys ready to be cut out and built. This fun project book includes step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and a section about how to design your own paper toys from scratch. Plus, a bonus CD-ROM features patterns for all 25 toys and even more templates to print out. Complete with interviews from the toy designers, this fun guide gives you everything you need to build and even design your own cutting edge urban paper toys.
REVIEW:
As a child I was the sort of kid that when given things to do with the PVA glue, used to end up with it not only everywhere but was the sort of kid that spent hours pulling it off the hands pretending that it was skin and flicking it at everyone else.
These days, I know better than to do that (even if its still pretty good fun) although I did suspend my self imposed ban so that I could start making these wonderful cut outs. What makes them thrilling is not only are they colourful but also pretty crafty with all the hard bits prefigured and easy to follow instructions. They’re modern and if you’re a collector of the multitude of plastic collectables from Japan then these will add something extra to the collection. Add to the mix that if you’re pretty crafty, what I did was to scan these into the computer and then printed them up in order to keep the book intact, then carefully using the craft knife I cut them out and followed the instructions. The fact that I didn’t end up with my hands glued together as well as something nearly identical to the illustration is a pure testament to the skill used by the creator of this book. Definitely something worth getting if you’re looking for craft projects this Summer and will give you hours of fun with a collection of creatures that you’ll be left wondering how the hell you managed to create them.
BOOK BLURB:
With original colour illustrations, "GRAFF" provides the basics of creating legally sanctioned graffiti, a style that's been around for many years but has become more popular lately. It discusses roots in vandalism and its separation from those roots to the art form as we know it today - dynamic, over-the-top styles that deliver maximum impact with the same sense of creative risk graffiti writers have always taken on. Readers get real instruction for creating graffiti-style art, from sketching ideas based on design principles, to the basics of developing letter forms, to handling spray paint, to step-by-step demos for different types of compositions.
REVIEW:
As a huge fan of the Impact series of How To art books I wanted to get to know the artform that made Banksy a household name. What was staggering was the detail to which Scape Martinez went into for the whole thing taking the reader from beginning concept to colours, from effects to the finished product explaining everything including techniques used by various artists in great detail along with a huge selection of photo’s to back his POV. Its gripping, its compelling and you’ll want to tackle a project of your own, however, one thing I will advise, is to make sure its your own wall or get permission from your local council, who if they refuse permission, will generally know of an ongoing project within your area where you’ll be allowed to practice street art legally.
BOOK BLURB:
Ask yourself: Are you ready for an alien invasion? When it happens, will you find yourself helpless to resist? This book teaches readers the skills they need to battle hostile visitors from outer space, covering everything from escape strategies to improvised weaponry. Helpful line drawings illustrate defensive techniques and pinpoint weaknesses within the alien anatomy. With a blend of humour and pop culture mythology, "The Alien Invasion Survival Handbook" is everyone's must-have guide to combating the extraterrestrial menace in day-to-day situations.
REVIEW:
When this book landed I’d hope it would do for Alien Invasions what the Zombie Survival book did for the groaning, shuffling, undead. Not only did it meet my expectations but passed them though its clever use of diagrams and wit and above all gave me a very enjoyable trip through some of the 50’s B Movies that made the genre so popular. Its fun, its quirky and above all its written tongue in cheek in such a way that you can’t help but chuckle at this essential guide in case they do invade. If you’re a fan of everything from ET to Fiend without a Face (If you haven’t seen this then it’s a must,) then this is the book for you with tips from everything useful from fight tips like the eye gouge to how to hide although some useful phrases in Jawa might have been nice. You never know when you might have to buy a used speeder. LOL
