The Art Nouveau Style Book of Alphonse Mucha


Alphonse Mucha - 1980
    Among graphic artists and commercial designers, Mucha is praised for the innovative style books that pioneered the use of Art Nouveau in commercial packaging, design, and ornament.The most important of these style books was Documents Décoratifs, published in 1901 at the height of Mucha's fame as the high priest of the Art Nouveau movement. While the artist's fame rests largely on his posters, it is in the smaller works of the style books, or design portfolios, that the refinement of his technique can best be appreciated. The present volume, carefully reproduced from an extremely rare and valuable set of originals, contains all 72 plates of the Documents Décoratifs portfolio. Included are designs for jewelry, wallpaper, stained glass, furniture, and tableware; figure and botanical studies; and a selection of Mucha's famous panneaux décoratifs. Eighteen of the plates are in full color, while the remaining 54 are reproduced in two or more color tones.In addition to numerous innovative designs for practical and decorative objects, the elegant draftsmanship and meticulous execution that characterized all of Mucha's work is evident in studies of langorous nudes, portrait sketches, delicately rendered plant and animal motifs, exquisite modeling of drapery and cloth, and the flowing, fantastic forms created as experiments in pure design. In the Foreword by Gabriel Mourey, specially translated for this edition, Mucha's own philosophy of art, and the relation of the Documents to the rest of his work, receive an appreciative and informative discussion.Hitherto available only in scattered sources, or in the libraries of wealthy collectors, the complete Documents Décoratifs is now available in this inexpensive one-volume edition. Lovers of Mucha's work, admirers of Art Nouveau, and the application of that style to the decorative arts, will want to own this fine royalty-free collection by one of the greatest masters of the technique."[Documents Décoratifs is] . . . an encyclopedic source for Mucha's style in every branch of decorative and applied art and one of the few books on design where even individual plates are sought after by collectors." — Marina Henderson, The Graphic Style of Alphonse Mucha

Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History


Paula M. Block - 2016
    Filled with a wealth of rare and unseen behind-the-scenes imagery, this book explores the creation of the film as seen through the eyes of the artists, costume designers, and creature creators who gave Labyrinth its distinctive look. Featuring in-depth commentary from the talented crew and cast—including exclusive new interviews with Jennifer Connelly, Brian Henson, Brian Froud, and George Lucas—this deluxe book brings together a wealth of rare sketches, concept art, and candid set photography to form and incredible treasure trove for Labyrinth fans. With stunning visuals and unparalleled insight into the creation of a true modern classic, Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History is the perfect companion piece to one of the best-loved fantasy films of all time.

What We See in the Stars: An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky


Kelsey Oseid - 2017
     Combining art, mythology, and science, What We See in the Stars gives readers a tour of the night sky through more than 100 magical pieces of original art, all accompanied by text that weaves related legends and lore with scientific facts. This beautifully packaged book covers the night sky's most brilliant features--such as the constellations, the moon, the bright stars, and the visible planets--as well as less familiar celestial phenomena like the outer planets, nebulae, and deep space. Adults seeking to recapture the magic of youthful stargazing, younger readers interested in learning about natural history and outer space, and those who appreciate beautiful, hand-painted art will all delight in this charming book.

Life Lessons from Bob Ross


Bob Ross - 2020
    Chapters range from Blank Canvas: It's Your World, which illuminates how to approach each day, to Bravery Tests: Challenging Yourself, which draws upon your inner strength, to Happy Little Accidents: Creating Success from Failure, which affirms the power of positive thinking.Bob Ross's lessons gently encourage everyone to live their best Bob Ross life--an aspiration more important now than ever before.

ARh+


H.R. Giger - 1981
    Giger (1940—2014) reigned as one of the leading exponents of fantastic art. After he studied interior and industrial design for eight years at the School of Commercial Art in Zurich, Switzerland, from 1962 till 1970, he was soon gaining attention as an independent artist, with endeavors ranging from surrealistic dream landscapes created with a spray gun and stencils, to album cover designs for famous pop stars, and sculptures. In addition, Giger’s multi-faceted career includes designing two bars, located in Tokyo and Chur, as well as work on various film projects—his creation of the set design and title figure for Ridley Scott’s filmAlien won him not only international fame but also an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects (1980).About the series:Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features:●a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance●a concise biography●approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

The Lord of the Rings: Weapons and Warfare


Chris Smith - 2003
    From the graceful and proficient Elves to the horrendous war machines of the Dark Lord, each culture's approach to warfare is explained - how they fought, why they were fighting, what armor they wore and what weapons they used against their enemies. Now you can get as close to a marauding Orc as you could ever wish, without suffering the consequences!Treating the filmmakers' notes, designs and props as a true archive, Weapons and Warfare describes in detail every major conflict depicted in the film trilogy - from The Last Alliance of Elves and Men to the climactic Battle of the Pelennor Fields - each accompanied by a battle diagram from the films' chief designers.Armed with a wealth of fascinating facts and unique imagery, and with an exclusive foreword by Christopher Lee and an introduction by the Academy Award winner Richard Taylor, Weapons and Warfare promises to be the most striking companion to The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy published to date.

The Art of the Matrix


Lana Wachowski - 2000
    An intimate journey into the mind's eyes of the two brothers who wrote and directed one of 1999's most unusual and successful movies of the year (over $170 million in the US and Canada; $350 million worldwide)--The Matrix grew out of the Wachowskis' fascination with ideas that challenge perceptions of reality, and the way that mythology and the Internet informed culture. It tells the story of a computer hacker Keanu Reeves) in the 22nd century who joins a band of freedom fighters (led by Laurence Fishburne) struggling against evil computers that control the earth. To sell their amazing script to Warner executives, the talented Wachowski brothers employed tom comic book professionals to visualize their script in the form of storyboards. This unique book will include the complete storyboards created for 219 scenes by Steve Skroce and others, the Wachowskis' complete shooting script, many of their original sketches, several gatefolds of Geof Darrow's intricate conceptual designs, annotations by Skroce and Phil Oosterhouse, and a section on scenes cut before filming, annotated, wioth script pages and storyboards. A must for all science fiction, cyberspace, comic book, and Matrix fans!This unique volume includes:• The shooting script by writers/directors Larry and Andy Wachowski• Black & white storyboards (600+) by Steve Skroce• Color storyboards by Tani Kunitake and Collin Grant• Conceptual drawings by Geof Darrow, presented in four double-sided gatefolds• Color renderings of Geof Darrow• Conceptuals by Warren Manser• Three storyboard sequences cut before filming• 32-page color album of memorable stills and poster• Commentary by the artists about their work on the film, interviewed especially for this book• Thumbnail sketches by the Wachowski Brothers• Introduction by Zach Staenberg, Oscar "RM" -winning Film Editor• Scene notes by Phil Oosterhouse• Deleted script excerpts• Film credits

Cartooning the Head and Figure


Jack Hamm - 1967
    Step by step procedures with more than 3,000 illustrations . . .

The Art of Fushigi Yûgi


Yuu Watase - 2002
    An 18-volume hit manga series, Fushigi Yûgi combines elements of fantasy, science fiction, humor and romance. Watase is the popular artist and creator behind many best-selling manga series, such as Absolute Boyfriend, Imadoki!, Alice 19th, Ceres: Celestial Legend, and Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden. Including over 100 pieces of art--with new drawings and paintings produced especially for this book. This new edition is formatted the same as the original Japanese book.

The Art of The Last of Us


Rachel Edidin - 2013
    Featuring concept art, character designs, and astonishing settings and landscapes, The Art of The Last of Us provides a unique look at one of the gaming world’s most eagerly anticipated titles.

You'll Float Too: The World of IT


Alyse Wax - 2019
    This compendium includes commentary from director Andy Muschietti; producers Barbara Muschietti, Dan Lin, and Roy Lee; the acclaimed ensemble cast; and other creative players who helped bring a new, disturbing vision of King’s perennial bestseller to life.

Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe


Tim Seeley - 2015
    What followed was a cultural sensation that changed the landscape of children's entertainment forever! Join Mattel and Dark Horse in this comprehensive retrospective chronicling He-Man's decades-long epic journey from toy, to television, to film, to a true pop culture phenomenon!

The Art of Hellboy


Mike Mignola - 2003
    Featuring art never seen before the publication of the hardcover, unused and unfinished covers, and drawing upon ten years of sketchbooks, The Art of Hellboy provides the ultimate inside look at Mignola's design, storytelling, and color work. Page after page of rarely seen art reveals the labor involved in creating one of comics' most acclaimed books.

Femina & Fauna: The Art of Camilla d'Errico


Camilla d'Errico - 2011
    Her handiwork captivates admirers around the world, and some of herbest-known creations are these, her studies of beautiful women and their animalcompanions. Playful and flamboyant, exotic and enigmatic, the women who inhabitthese striking paintings embody a fascinating array of contradictions . . . anda hint of something sinister lurks behind their eyes. They dwell in a fantasticworld - a circus of color and impossibility - where nothing is quite as itseems.Perfect for fans of pop art, fine art, manga, and anime, thisdeluxe hardcover is the largest and most comprehensive collection of Camilla'swork to date!

The Art of Heikala: Works and Thoughts


Heikala - 2018
    Heikala’s artwork combines traditional watercolor painting and inks with a fresh, enchanting approach - fans love her charming characters and scenes that are largely influenced by Finnish and Japanese cultures. This combined with her in-depth sharing of her processes and knowledge, has given Heikala a social media following of over 400,000 on Instagram alone; she also has growing audiences on Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter.This visually appealing and coffee-table worthy, hardback art book not only includes Heikala’s sketches, works in progress and beautifully presented paintings that her fans will be familiar with, it also includes never-before-seen images from along Heikala’s creative journey; all new in-depth tutorials, thought processes and advice on watercolor painting; detailed how-to product design guides; and how she has built a successful career as an artist. A valuable book for fans, budding artists and experienced illustrators alike