Book picks similar to
Shooting Stars: The Rolling Stone Book of Portraits by Annie Leibovitz


general-nonfiction
learn-photography
picture-books
pictures-and-images

The Painter of Time


Matthew O'Connell - 2015
    The star of the restoration team is a handsome Italian named Anthony Bataglia, world renowned for his ability to bring pre-Renaissance treasures back to life. Despite a rocky start, the two form a close working relationship, which Mackenzie hopes will blossom into something more. But the more she works with him the more she notices peculiar patterns and unexplainable similarities in all of his restorations. Is Anthony really who he claims to be? Too many strange coincidences lead Mackenzie and her father, a retired detective, to think otherwise. Something is clearly not what it seems to be with the dashing Mr. Bataglia, and the resourceful Mackenzie is determined to get to the bottom of it. What she finds is even more incredible — and shocking — than she could ever imagine. Weaving its way between the dawn of the Renaissance and modern day New York, The Painter of Time explores the cost of pursuing fame and fortune at the expense of true art.

The Contemporaries: Travels in the 21st-Century Art World


Roger White - 2015
    Since then, painting has been declared dead several times over, and contemporary art has now expanded to include just about any object, action, or event: dance routines, slideshows, functional hair salons, seemingly random accretions of waste. In the meantime, being an artist has gone from a join-the-circus fantasy to a plausible vocation for scores of young people in America.But why--and how and by whom--does all this art get made? How is it evaluated? And for what, if anything, will today's artists be remembered? In The Contemporaries, Roger White, himself a young painter, serves as our spirited, skeptical guide through this diffuse creative world.White takes us into the halls of the RISD graduate program, where students learn critical lessons that go far beyond how to apply paint to canvases. In New York, we meet the neophytes who assist established artists--and who walk the fine line between "assistance" and "making the art." In Milwaukee, White trails a group of friends trying to create a viable scene where rent is cheap, but where the spotlight rarely shines. And he gives us an intimate perspective on three wildly different careers: that of Dana Schutz, an emerging star who is revitalizing painting; Mary Walling Blackburn, whose challenging art defies market forces; and Stephen Kaltenbach, a '70s wunderkind who is back on the critical radar, perhaps in spite of his own willful obscurity.From young artists trying to elbow their way in to those working hard at dropping out, White's essential book offers a once-in-a-generation glimpse of the inner workings of the American art world at a moment of unparalleled ambition, uncertainty, and creative exuberance.

Tiepolo Pink


Roberto Calasso - 2006
    The life of an epoch swirled around him - but though his contemporaries appreciated and admired him, they failed to understand him.Few have even attempted to tackle Tiepolo's series of thirty-three bizarre and haunting etchings, the Capricci and the Scherzi, but Roberto Calasso rises to the challenge, interpreting these etchings as chapters in a dark narrative that contains the secret of Tiepolo's art. Blooming ephebes, female satyrs, Oriental sages, owls, snakes: we will find them all, including Punchinello and Death, within the pages of this book, along with Venus, Time, Moses, numerous angels, Cleopatra and Beatrice of Burgundy - a motley, gypsyish company always on the go.Calasso makes clear that Tiepolo was more than a dazzling intermezzo in the history of painting. Rather, he represented a particular way of meeting the challenge of form: endowed with a fluid, seemingly effortless style, Tiepolo was the last incarnation of that peculiar Italian virtue sprezzatura, the art of not seeming artful.

Vatican: All the Paintings: The Complete Collection of Old Masters, Plus More than 300 Sculptures, Maps, Tapestries, and other Artifacts


Anja Grebe - 2013
    Each one of the 976 works of art represented in the book -- including 661 classical paintings on display in the permanent painting collection and 315 other masterpieces -- is annotated with the name of the painting and artist, the date of the work, the birth and death dates of the artist, the medium that was used, the size of the work, and the catalog number (if applicable). In addition, 180 of the most iconic and significant paintings and other pieces of art are highlighted with 300-word essays by art historian Anja Grebe on such topics as the key attributes of the work, what to look for when viewing the work, the artist's inspirations and techniques, biographical information on the artist, and the artist's impact on art history.

The Art of Amy Brown


Amy Brown - 2003
    It was published by Chimera Publishing in 2003. The book is 157 pages of art, with a commentary by Amy Brown for every piece of artwork. The Art of Amy Brown has an introduction by the well-known author Charles de Lint. There are three editions of this book—a paperback, a hardcover, and a special leather-bound edition limited to 750 copies, which will be signed by Amy Brown and Charles de Lint.

WWE Undertaker


Kevin Sullivan - 2009
    It teaches children the ins-and-outs of his finishing moves, his nicknames, signature taunts and manager, as well as helping them become more comfortable with reading.

Zakka Embroidery: Simple One- and Two-Color Embroidery Motifs and Small Crafts


Yumiko Higuchi - 2016
    The motifs and patterns are spare and graphic, yet softened with organic shapes and imagery drawn from nature. The result is embroidery that evokes a personal feel and conjures a sense of nostalgia. The task of picking just the right palette for an embroidery project can be overwhelming to beginners and experienced stitchers alike. But when you take away that challenge, a whole world of texture and style becomes available. Here Japanese designer Yumiko Higuchi presents embroidery motifs to be stitched using just one or two colors--creating patterns and designs that are more evocative for their form than for a play of colors. Each embroidery design is paired with a simple craft project, transforming the stitched fabric into a functional object, including pouches, pillows, aprons, and more. With beautiful photographs, clear step-by-step instructions, and detailed diagrams, Zakka Embroidery will be an inspiring guide for those new to embroidery and a delightful experience for those experienced with needle and thread.

Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Trucks and Trains


Ed Emberley - 2002
    The thirty-two pages are packed with the trucks and trains that kids-and not a few adults- really want to draw. Easy and fun, the book provides hours of art-full fun.

Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia


Robert Greenfield - 1996
    It sheds new light on Garcia's childhood in San Francisco, the formation of his musical identity, the Dead's road to rock stardom, and his final, crushing addiction to heroin.At once an evocative chronicle of Garcia's public and private journey and a fascinating look at why his music and his lifestyle had such a tremendous impact on so many, Dark Star is the full, behind-the-scenes story of the making of all icon, and the price of fame.

Drag: The Complete Story (A Look at the History and Culture of Drag)


Simon Doonan - 2019
    This fearless book observes this increasingly complex world by exploring drag's journey – from the surprising, to the sophisticated, to the utterly bizarre – through the twentieth century and up to the present day.With witty text, dazzling photography, and corralled into thematic chapters, this is the first flamboyant and poignant survey of drag culture. Drag is not just for fabulous queens and drag enthusiasts, but for anyone interested in gender fluidity and the culture surrounding it.

The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets: Easy Techniques for Drawing People, Animals and More


Carrie Stuart Parks - 2009
    As award-winning teachers, they have a proven game plan for helping artists of all levels overcome common problems and see immediate improvement in their work. As professional composite artists, they know the tricks and tools for achieving incredibly lifelike results. In this friendly, foolproof guide to drawing, they share it all: Easy-to-master techniques for achieving a convincing sense of depthHow to draw challenging textures like metal and furPutting personality into your portraits40+ step-by-step demonstrations featuring a variety of people, animals and natureEasy enough so that beginners can jump right in, and comprehensive enough to help more accomplished artists refine their skills. This book covers all the essentials, teaching you the secrets of realistic drawing one step at a time, building the skills you need to tackle any subject convincingly--even those you've always thought were beyond your reach. Before you know it, you'll be turning out picturesque landscapes, stellar portraits--any subject that inspires you to put pencil to paper!

Iron Empires Volume 1: Faith Conquers


Christopher Moeller - 2004
    Volume 1 collects the four part series originally titled Shadow Empires, published in 1994, and features the three-part story "The Passage," originally published in Dark Horse Presents, now in full-color for the first time!