Best individual artists according to redditors
We found 1,780 Reddit comments discussing the best individual artists. We ranked the 825 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
12. Expedition: Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV
9 mentions
The album forgot to mention why is was created.
The artist remembered being a little kid, before knowing how to read, and wanted to recreate the feeling of looking at an encyclopedia for the first time. Seeing all of the pictures and charts and diagrams, knowing they mean something but not what that something is.
Edit: You can get the book here. It's hardcover, and also an art piece, so don't be too surprised by the price.
It should be said that the artist is a Swedish painter named Simon Stalenhag. He's constantly releasing new work like the one you see here.
I would highly recommend checking him out
http://www.simonstalenhag.se/
EDIT:
I see a lot of you are really liking Simons work, so I figured I should also mention that he has published two hardcover books containing larger prints of his work along with backstory for most of his art.
Tales from the Loop and another that just came out 11 days ago (November 1st, 2016) called Things from the Flood.
Both books are fairly cheap and would make great Christmas gifts in my opinion
I'm glad to see someone discussing these post-modern philosophies in the context of games. Like others have mentioned, these are not unheard of concepts in the realm of academia and the arts. You seem to have that crucial curiosity that leads to learning and understanding, but little of the cultural and historical context to make it concrete, so maybe I can direct you to a few examples that might supplement some of these thoughts and might serve as a launching point for further research!
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First, I'll suggest something more accessible in podcast form: this is a lesser-known science/culture topical podcast of very brief, 20 minute episodes, but is also a comedy podcast, so you might find it fun as well. Doesn't get too deep into it, but is a very good and enjoyable point of entry!
I. http://wehaveconcerns.com/2014/08/like-this/
Discusses how Facebook's underlying algorithms recursively feed us information and points of view we want to see and agree with. Suggests the increasing machination of the human interaction with logic algorithms and how it reinforces our tribalist tendencies, like Campbell was talking about in Metal Gear.
II. http://wehaveconcerns.com/2014/12/must-seethe-tv/
Discusses the phenomenon of "Hate Watching," or consuming a show, movie, or other media for the express purposes of hating on it. Points to that same moral tribalism from earlier, and our tendency to use media to reinforce in-groups and out-groups.
III. http://wehaveconcerns.com/2015/01/creeping-self-doubt/
Discusses the paradoxical concept of 'self' and our relation to the physical universe as it relates to the brain and body. Describes a Post-Cartesian self; Descartes said "I think, therefore I am," but a post-modern definition of self suggests a more distributed organism rather than a neuro-centric one.
EDIT: This being a gaming sub, the podcast hosts have worked in the gaming industry and might be familiar: Anthony Carboni, formerly of Rev3games, and Jeff Cannata, formerly of The TotallyRadShow and currently of DLC podcast.
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Next up is a bit more of a read, but you should find it interesting. (Two excellent reads!)
I. http://www.academia.edu/3868290/What_Can_a_Body_Do_Stelarc_and_the_Body_s_Potentiality
Stelarc, Australian artist, whose work discusses the Post-Cartesian self & the prosthetic identity of the human. Notable exhibitions include The Prosthetic Head and The Ping Body.
Borrowing from the work of Marshall McLuhan, (who coined the phrase "The medium is the message," you can read more about his ideas here and here,) he conceptualizes the body as a permeable boundary, and thus sees media as an extension of the human central nervous system. Campbell was suggesting similar concepts in Metal Gear, as the branches of the collective media are informed by central human tendencies. Speaking of games and McLuhan, Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid and The Witness, gives an interesting talk on the gaming medium, entitled "The Medium is the Message." Only tangentially related, but very much worth the watch!
II. http://stelarc.org/documents/ZurgruggARTICLE-Stelarc_Virilio.pdf
Discusses how media-technology has made a much broader spectrum of geography and time instantly accessible to the modern man, making the concept of 'now' completely bastard, where nothing dies and, perhaps, nothing lives.
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Finally, I'll direct you to my favorite writer, post-modern fictionalist and grand-daddy of cyberpunk, William Gibson.
I. http://lib.ru/GIBSON/frag_rose.txt
Gibson's first published story, the very brief Fragments of a Hologram Rose, (1977.) Again, the post-modern concept of self, of relationships with others, the world, and technology.
And if you liked it, of course move onto his Sprawl Trilogy, which further portrays these concepts in the context of cyberpunk. Can't go wrong with his seminal Neuromancer, (1984,) the first entry into Sprawl, which inspired pretty much the entire shape of our increasingly decentralized world, the internet, and cyber-culture e.g. The Matrix (1999.)
The works of Italian writer Umberto Eco and Argentine writer Jorges Luis Borges might also intrigue you, (but they are admittedly dense, at least it was for me!)
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On a relatively minor note, because it's a gaming subreddit, I'd like to throw in Bioshock, (2007,) which did some wonderful stuff with narrative that is slightly relevant. [Bioshock, 2007 SPOILERS](#s "Fontaine, disguised as the voice of Atlas, guided you through the story in, quite literally, the most video-gamey way possible: invisible-narrator-guy says "Kindly do this, pick this up, go here, shoot this guy." When it's revealed that you were being manipulated the whole time, the sense of player agency; the most unique aspect of the video game medium, is revealed to have been a farce. Bioshock, in a really awesome twist, uses the video game medium to discuss the illusory nature of individual agency in a compelling fashion. It really speaks to the relationship we have with media, and how it can pose very interesting questions about the nature of self. As McLuhan said, the medium is the message.")
Another quick note, but can we all take a second to appreciate how awesome Kojima is? I know that Kojima love is in-vogue as of late, particularly because of his falling out with Konami, but as evidenced by your post, there is a lot more going on in his work than most people realize. Even his new Death Stranding trailer is filled with batshit ontological symbolism!
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Well, I hope my mini-crash-course at least piqued your interest in the slightest. It's not by any means comprehensive, but I hope you might glean something from it. And let's not understate the fact that we're interacting through the internet right now, and the very themes we are discussing that these great artists and thinkers have espoused are manifesting, literally, as we speak. Again, the medium is the message. If you (or anyone) end up checking any of it out, feel free to let me know what you thought! If not, it's cool!
EDIT: Almost forgot! Check out Spike Jonze's, Her. One of my all time favorite films. (Watch online, Amazon) Again, portrays the increasingly post-modern relationship we have with technology, society, and other people in an absolutely beautiful, affecting way. Highlights inevitability of growth and the subsequent fundamental needs and incompatibilities inherent in any relationship.
Amazon link to one of his books
I have this coffe table book. Good laugh. Underwater Dogs: http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Dogs-Seth-Casteel/dp/0316227706
It's in the first few pages of his book, 'Wall and Piece'. You can see part of the paragraph in the preview.
As well as 'Banksy's Bristol: Home Sweet Home' by Steve Wright.
Here in Gaza for example you can see the children are clearly stenciled, a hand painted white base with a black stencil over the top While the edges of the 'cracks' have running paint as if it was done too close by hand.
Old man You paint the wall, you make it look beautiful
Me Thanks
Old man We don't want it to be beautiful, we hate this wall, go home
From Banksy's Wall and Piece
(Tales from the Loop https://www.amazon.com/dp/1624650392/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LQj7Ab8JE5WX3)
lol dude it’s just clothes, it’s not that serious. Your biggest problem is you’re trying to make someone else’s style your own and trying to have your style say something about you as a person, which it can never do. Plus it’s not like your personal style needs to fit in a neat little box of “streetwear”, “minimimalisr” etc every day. Have a little fun with it my dude. I recommend instead of buying clothes you buy this book https://www.amazon.com/Fruits-Shoichi-Aoki/dp/0714840831 flip through and have a smile.
http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137864
It's a pretty good read!
If you need help identifying between different wild species, check out the The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification.
It's helpful AND informative.
The book in question
From The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. I found this gem when I worked at a bookstore a few years back and immediately snatched it up.
On the other hand, this Ralph Mcquarrie Star Wars Art Book is $155 on Amazon right now. I remember seeing it listed at $250 when it was first released. I mean, it's a really beautiful book, but I don't think I could spend that much on it.
The [book](The Medium is the Massage https://www.amazon.com/dp/1584230703/) is good too
If you like this, check out Stålenhag's books: Tales from the Loop, Things from the Flood, and The Electric State
You can see the Banksy quote from the Amazon listing for the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137872/
I'm pretty sure an agent just called the MET, spoke to someone in their press department and then just printed whatever they said for comic effect.
Looks as if you need this:
The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification https://www.amazon.com/dp/0810955202/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dWXFDbEPBYNDV
I love Ralph McQuarrie's art, and I'm glad that some of the new Star Wars media is going back to it (such as the new X-Wings in Ep 7 being based on Ralph's concept art and the design of Zeb from Rebels coming from an original concept for Chewbacca).
There's an art book set coming out in September with all of his art for the trilogy. Unfortunately, it's going to go for around $250 US.
He's just mad he wasn't the photographer.
But then, Nimoy prefers to take pictures of plus-sized women anyway.
Okay, I know you were probably joking, but I immediately thought "Yes! I have seen the picture book about dogs!" [This] (http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Dogs-Seth-Casteel/dp/0316227706) was the book I was thinking of and if you do indeed like dogs, it's a fun read.
It's actually being reprinted later this year by Rizzoli. It is on Amazon for pre-order at $75... this is the price that the Abbeville edition was back in the mid-80s.
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381460218&sr=8-1&keywords=codex+seraphinianus
I want to see less sexual dimorphism in all theses fantasy/sci-fi races. How about some tri-morphism? Or no sexes at all? It's speculative fiction; I want more speculation. Not just "this species is HUMAN-BUT-X". More writers need to pick up Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials.
You would like this book: Amusing ourselves to death. And/or this book: The Medium is the Message which is cited a few times in the former.
Is that from Leonard Nemoy's book?
EDIT: Since I'm being downvoted, I should point out that it appears I'm right.
I like to coloring with swear words coloring book LOL https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Down-Irreverent-Adult-Coloring/dp/1522864741/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2/145-9784342-8218341?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H2FFW76E5X7YJDPJ5Y3C like this one haha
Description For future reference
FTFY
Tales from the Loop
A Jamie Hewlett art retrospective :) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jamie-Hewlett-Va-Julius-Wiedemann/dp/3836560933
Have you heard about an amazing website called google?
https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
This guide for field identification gets good reviews and is about your area...
They do! This is one of the coolest things I own:
Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419717936/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IBiqDbV0GAW7Q
https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
Consider this for a more in-depth look at the plights of carts.
Huh, there's a new edition being released in under a month...
http://www.amazon.ca/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381417007&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=codex+seraphianus
You might want to look at Leonard Nimoy's work for examples. Yes, the Star Trek actor. Later in life he did a series of portraits of large women. "Full Body Project."
https://www.amazon.com/Full-Body-Project-Photographs-Leonard/dp/0979472725
I've been following this guy's stuff for a while. I totally love it.
I can't always figure out why but I always get a weird sense of dread from the world he's creating in his "tales from the loop" series. Even when it's just kids playing in the snow there's a sense of something ominous. Like something is about to happen
There's a book and a roleplaying campaign for it :D
It's all in his book Wall and Piece (it'll be the best purchase you've done all week). Wikipedia has some good background information about him too.
Looks like you need an identification guide.
Extremely ironic, given that Leonard Nimoy made this later in his career.
Cars
Photography
Comic Books 1, 2
Apple
LEGO's
American Football
PostSecret
Video Games
Vinyl
Warhol
Outdoors
Star Wars
Motorcycles
The Dark Knight
Paris
Interior Design
World Atlas
Banksy
Wes Anderson
Tribal Cultures
Playboy
Girls
Libraries
The Cosmos
The Beetles
Travel
Preppy
Steve McQueen
The Moon
Something else came to my mind. I own this book, it's like a pseudo-science encyclopedia from a different world with drawings that make no sense and stuff you can't read. it's awesome.
wiki entry, [Amazon link] (https://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549192885&sr=8-1&keywords=codex+seraphinianus)
My wife says if you want to f-with his head, you could get pictures from Leonard Nimoy's book of fat nudes and post one of those as your profile pic.
According to the description of his art book Tales from the Loop, the interdimensional convergence was a trippy side effect of a particle collider experiment.
More in this book. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137864
In case anyone else was wondering what this is (as I was) it's the back cover of Banksy's book, Wall and Piece.
Well you have a few options, if you are starting out fairly new to the bigger world of Tolkien then go for the wonderful books 'The Art of the Hobbit' and 'The Art of the Lord of the Rings' both edited and introduced by Wayne Hammond & Christina Scull. If you are not aware of them they are a very dedicate pair who have worked wonders to expand the world of Middle-earth. Followed by 'Artist and Illustrator' again from Hammond & Scull. You should find those immensely informative and maybe quite a revelation that Tolkien was a superb illustrator.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Lord-Rings-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0544636341
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0547928254/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TCC0X4650YGR6KYX2CX4
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0618083618/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498172899&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=artist+and+illustrator
The links are all to Amazon US but you will if you shop around on marketplace or eBay find them cheaper.
The Hobbit and Rings books are both slipcased and are superbly put together.
An Essential Reading List For Designers
Source: www.tomfaulkner.co.uk
All books have been linked to Amazon for review and possible purchase. Remember to support the authors by purchasing their books. If there are any issues with this listing let me know via comments or pm.
Architecture
Communication Design
Fashion Design
Angela ButtolphEditors of Phaidon ?Furniture Design
Game Design
Graphic Design
Information Design
Industrial Design
(cont'd)
Here's a little list of best-sellers on Amazon and a few from this thread:
If anyone's interested in this stuff, they should check out the Fruits books! [One] and [Two].Although they are probably a little out dated now, they are beautiful books by themselves, and there are loads of other japanese fashion photobooks as well.
The thing I like about these books is that they also have little bio's of the people who have been photographed, like their name and age, where they bought the clothes from and what their interests are.
There's one surefire way to find out.
> I've heard talk that there may be more pressings made soon at higher volume, making it more affordable
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/
Amazon says the release date is October 29.
Interestingly, they are doing release-date delivery for the Codex as well as the Autechre and Boards of Canada vinyl pre-releases I put in the same order. Amazon used to only do release-date delivery for video games.
I bought his book https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Loop-Simon-St%C3%A5lenhag/dp/1624650392 and its more of a diary of growing up in the islands of Stockholm, during the swedish experiment called the ring installation is taking place, and he's explaining what's in every picture of the book and what he sees etc. Great scifi in the 70/80 , I also bought a print of http://i.imgur.com/MFzUwwB.jpg since it's from the town I'm living in
I have both his books, Tales from the Loop and Things from the Flood and they're both very nicely printed. There's a relatively short story for each as well that isn't particularly interesting, but definitely fleshes out his world a little more and connects the art all together a little bit.
I haven't picked it up yet, and I know he's got more than one, but you'd probably love his art books!
Banksy likes to juxtapose contrasting imagery, e.g anarchist throwing flowers rather than molotovs, war machines with bow ties, infantrymen painting peace symbols and so on.
Here's its original context http://imgur.com/h9F17RD
We perused this book for ideas http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137872
Check out [Bargue's Drawing Course] (http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Bargue-Jean-L%C3%A9on-G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me-Ackerman/dp/2867702038) . The original course was put together by Charles Bargue and Jean Leon Gerome in the 19th century intended for training students at french academies / decorative arts schools. The book consists of many plates of lithographs made after famous greek/roman sculpture and drawings by various masters.
It teaches the artist how to begin a drawing such as this one by blocking in simple shapes and gradually refining those shapes, eventually into light and dark. The final drawings can be quite complex.
There is zero concern with perspective in this approach, which is entirely devoted to developing the artist's ability to draw from his or her visual field. Objects are not seen as 3 dimensional, but as a collection of 2 dimensional shapes that the artist must reproduce. The course is also concerned with instilling s classical taste in the student. It is also a great prelude to drawing a physical cast.
Puppies underwater is a great book
https://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Dogs-Seth-Casteel/dp/0316227706/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543533185&sr=8-2&keywords=puppies+underwater
Pandemic is an amazing adult board game that they might like
https://www.amazon.com/Z-Man-Games-ZM7101-Pandemic/dp/B00A2HD40E/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1543533222&sr=1-1&keywords=pandemic
Or also getting their dogs face as a magnet on for their fridge. You can get them done at Wallgreens or CVS, just bring your phone, plug it in and pick which photograph in your album and they turn it into a magnet.
Check out JRR Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator
Your friend might enjoy some adult coloring books, or even regular ones. I have this one and I enjoy the irreverent sayings and such. https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Down-Irreverent-Adult-Coloring/dp/1522864741/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=adult+coloring+book&qid=1574317650&sr=8-7
Food, I'd say they'd appreciate whatever you bring. Something that's quick to eat or drink and gives them energy. Would a case of soylent be weird? I'd imagine they'd love them.
Tales from the Loop
Tales from the Flood
The Making of Tron
Intron Depot
Alien: The Archive
Akira Animation Archives
The Art of Deus Ex Universe
N is for Neville, who died of ennui!!!
That's where I first learned this word, and whenever I hear it or think of it, I think of the Gashlycrumb Tinies!!
FYI: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0151003084/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8
Relevant link to reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202. Looks like it's at least $50, so that book might be worth its weight in gold.
> Codex Seripiphanus
https://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134 this one? googling Codex Seripiphanus brought up 0 results
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials is your friend.
There's a book called ART/WORK it covers everything... Everything... On the business side of art. It has been an invaluable resource for me. I have always had a problem with motivation, sadly book doesn't help with that, but baby makes it soooo much worse.
I'd strongly recommend the book Art/Work, it's one of my textbooks for a portfolio presentation class I'm taking and it's a really good guide for artists and designers looking to enter the professional world
https://www.amazon.com/ART-WORK-Everything-Pursue-Career/dp/1416572333
I got you!
If anyone is a fan of Pen-and-Paper RPG's, Free League made a game using his art called Tales From the Loop
You can also get just the art for Tales From the Loop and the upcoming expansion for the the games Things From the Flood, which has some of my favorite pieces of his.
If you're interested in buying, Modiphius has the stuff available for purchase in your local currencies.
If anyone is curious about the drawing book at 37:35, it's called Cours de Dessin (Drawing Course) by Charles Bargue
Edit: I got that book for Christmas after putting it on my Amazon Wishlist. It's fascinating!
Here's the book http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316227706/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1407077749&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40#
And a simple google search of Underwater Dogs Pitbull will bring up this image first thing. I like the brighter colors in the mural. It's amazingly well executed!
I found this. There was a website that had all sorts of great artwork by Tolkien himself.
I always recommend the art of looking sideways by Alan Fletcher. It's a great book to just have laying around so you can look at it whenever you've got a couple minutes to spare.
awesome! and yes very impressed - I love the Phaidon series of pretty much anything and will (sometimes reluctantly) spend the outlandish prices for them - even things like Fruits are fun to put out for when guests are over
You can classify them with this: http://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification
Codex Seraphinianus
Oh, sorry for being vague. The edition pictured has a black cover, released in the early 80s in Italy and eventually the US and is a collectors item (expensive), think it was in two volumes as well. In 2006 they reprinted it, it has a small pamphlet about the author in Italian but translations can be found online. It's not hand drawn or handwritten but it's printed really well so it looks like it. THICK art paper with rugged edges is used, and the ink quality is very nice. The one I have is the 2006 edition 2010 reprint. Here's the Amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381961533&sr=8-1&keywords=codex+seraphinianus
EDIT: Sorry, just checked ,edges are not rugged, still a beautiful, weird book nonetheless. And it comes as a single volume just to clarify.
Purchase link
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0
$75 hard cover coming at the end of the month.
When I was in high school, oh, so many years ago, we played a game that we called Star Discoveries. It was a generic D20 sci-fi game, with each player playing a different alien species.
Our character generation bible was Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials. Each player picked an alien from the book, and their player class was based on the traits described about that race, ie. big tough furry beast with claws made for a good fighter, little spindly insectoid alien with a big brain made a scientist, etc.. Was quite fun, and Barlowe's illustrations are based on scifi literature so it's a good springboard into excellent reading.
For pure worldbuilding stuff, there's several things out there. Try the Orion's Arm fictional universe encyclopedia galactica.
It's huge. Or try reading wikis of fictional universes. The big ones are obviously Star Wars (wookiepedia) and Star Trek (memory alpha). You'll have to file the serial numbers off stuff unless it's really obscure, but could still be useful. There are less well known ones out there too, like the traveller wiki or the encyclopedia of known space.
For aliens you've got contacting aliens and barlowe's guide to extraterrestrials
Anatomy.
Take a look at some of Wayne Barlowe's alien designs, or the stuff from Inferno. He makes them seem believable by having a working understanding of the underlying physiognomy that allows for his concept.
For instance, with your design, how are the heads attached to the body? Is it one neck with three heads, fused at the rears of the skulls? Do they share one esophagus? Is it one freakish, non-symmetrical skull with three faces? How thick would the vertebrae need to be to support that weight on a single neck? How much bigger would the neck and shoulder muscles have to be to move it? Etc.
This painting was created for Barlowe’s speculative xenobiology work Expedition. For the Amazon page, please click here:
https://www.amazon.com/Expedition-Account-Artwork-D-Voyage/dp/0894806297
You like that, you're gonna love this: the book it was based on. Awesome stuff from Wayne Barlowe.
Pure worldbuilding and minimal narrative describes pretty well Expedition and Barlowe's Inferno by Wayne Douglas Barlowe.
Granted, these are books where the framing story (a person exploring the setting in question) is there to provide context for Barlowe's paintings, but you can do pretty much the same thing with words as he does with illustrations- take an explorer, an archaeologist, a historian, or some other sort of researcher, and follow them as they acquire knowledge about the setting. The story will thus focus on their discoveries, rendering exposition and story one and the same.
The SCP Foundation's various exploration logs are the best examples of this that I can name at present, as the characters involved in the framing story are generally anonymous redshirts whose only significance is the strange phenomena they encounter. As far as novels go, I also see the general formula in Jeff Fahy's Fragment.
Another example of an approach that works is the SCP-Foundation. There are traditional narratives on the site, but the main attraction for most of the Foundation's existence has been the collection of fictional documents describing various paranormal phenomena.
A fictional document or fictional documentary strikes me as a perfect method of doing what you seek. You can have an in-universe history book, an in-universe encyclopedia, some other sort of reference work like the Zombie Survival Guide, etc. You could call some of these "stories" by some definition of the word, I guess, but the bottom line is the format and content are quite different from what you typically see in things described as stories.
It's called Expedition. I think it's out of print, but copies are available: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0894806297/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510516372&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Expedition+Barlowe&dpPl=1&dpID=71DAHD99H5L&ref=plSrch
And then he had a follow up book of naked fat ladies...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0979472725?pc_redir=1411899488&robot_redir=1
I always wondered what his motives regarding this were. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0979472725/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_twi_pap_2?qid=1450475629&sr=8-2&keywords=leonard+nimoy+book&dpPl=1&dpID=5138eyJrNiL&ref=plSrch&pi=SX200_QL40
> Any and all advice would be amazing.
read this book
https://www.amazon.com/ART-WORK-Everything-Pursue-Career/dp/1416572333
read the business of art here
https://abj.artrepreneur.com/
keep your overhead low, as low as possible
you might have to get a job or something to support yourself and your art while you ramp up, it will be like having 2 jobs
be ready for the long term
TBH, some of them are pretty fucking dope.
And a book.
yes
Chris Foss is amazing... I can highly recommend this book here
He has a book which is pretty good value considering it's a big heavy full-colour hardcover.
https://www.amazon.com/Hardware-Definitive-Works-Chris-Foss/dp/1848566980
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Ivtwpmn5g
Guardians of the Galaxy istself really is a celebration of concept art as a whole. There's also Oliver Pron who designed the environments which is why they're all so lush, intricate and vast. Same goes for Doctor Strange the weird fractal buildings and everything all have his signature.
In the meantime, draw everything. Everything. EVERYTHING.
Keep a sketch book with you always! Draw people waiting for the bus, cars parked outside, city blocks, landscapes, trees, ideas, concepts, doodles, nonsense.
Take pictures of things and use them for reference. Constantly! Can't figure out how an arm looks like in a certain pose, get someone to pose the same way and take a shot with your phone. Its not "cheating" and most artists worth their salt will stare at you like you're insane if you told them to do a large scale project with no live or photo references.
Go to figure drawing meetups. There's usually some at art schools or in any big city. You will be terrible at first but drawing people is a good way to train your eye.
Copy your favorite artist. Not just draw from, but try to copy a whole piece of art, from start to finish, line for line, as closely as possible. Do this a lot! It will help you understand why they put this thing there, and put that thing here, and drew that thing like this.
Its the same reason musicians practice other people's work before they start composing their own!
Figure out who their influence are, and do the same thing with them.
If you're looking for books to get you started, here are some good ones.
Oh, I forgot! If you're interested in drawing people, get a copy of Bridgeman's Guide to Drawing from Life, and any other Bridgeman books you can get your hands on. He draws in a way that's very exaggerated and bizarre looking, but it's to emphasize subtleties that you wouldn't otherwise know to look for. Don't be fooled, he's a master at depicting the human figure in all its subtle glory. Definitely grab a copy; it's one of the few books it's worth dropping some money on as a beginner. Check around on ebay etc. or see if you can find a PDF somewhere (I think it's in the public domain). If you really want to hit your life drawing skills hard, pick up The Charles Bargue Drawing Course. It's co-authored by Gerome, and is the method that Van Gogh used to teach himself art. It's not much fun, though, and a bit difficult to do without direction, so you may want to take a year or two and see how serious you want to get about things.
EDIT: Also, be very selective with what you read and look at. There's a LOT of shitty art out there, and just because it's published doesn't mean it's good. Teach yourself to look for good art, and art that you want to emulate. Something like this may look good on its own, but it's not very proficient, which becomes noticeable when you compare it to this piece by my instructor. Don't be fooled, the fact that you're a beginner doesn't mean you shouldn't be selective about who you take advice from. Obviously hardcore expressive realism may not be your game, but find what you like, and then figure out what is the best stuff in that area and look at it as much as you can.
The book is $15 on Amazon right now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/3836560933/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rhRUBb6NM5WNB
Note, since this is Taschen, this may be a more retrospective book than the art book included with album pre-orders.
US Amazon Link. Cheers.
It's from that one book, right? I can't recall the name but I remember the pictures. Something about an alphabet.
Edit: Aha! Found it.
Or you can buy it by itself. It makes a great Xmas present.Link
It's based on a children's book. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0151003084/
best use of this word can be found in Edward Gorey's " The Gashlycrumb Tinies ". The theme of the book is surprisingly applicable to this thread.
This picture is from the greatest book I have ever owned: Underwater Dogs.
There is also a coffee table book available ;)
http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Dogs-Seth-Casteel/dp/0316227706
Here is a book about his art (featuring reproductions of it) and Here is a book of his art, although the prices are a bit extraordinarily high in my opinion.
J R R Tolkien Artist & Illustrator is a great collection of all his illustration work.
http://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Illustrator-Wayne-Hammond/dp/0618083618
If you like Tolkien's artwork I'd look for a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator. It is a much more comprehensive volume of his paintings and drawings.
I love the atlas. You should check out “J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator”. I just got it this week and I love it
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618083618/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yucRCbHV5B7KF
Check out Tolkien, artist and illustrator by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull. It's an incredible look at Tolkien as a visual artist, he's got a very interesting style.
The Art of Looking Sideways
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Looking-Sideways-Alan-Fletcher/dp/0714834491
It's a special kind of awesome and inspiration you'll go back to for years
I own this book somewhere - it's quite an interesting 'read' but it is more on the 'arty/abstract' side of creative thought. I've recommended it to designers before - for editors it's... different.
Anyway if you like this type of book I can recommend "The art of looking sideways" - note it is as big as 'How Good' is small; but it's very thought provoking...
Art Of Looking Sideways - Alan Fletcher
Oh sorry. My bad. Muller-Brockmann is a legend. I haven't read his book. Is it any good?
I suggested Alan Fletcher's "The Art of Looking Sideways". It's good for replenishing the creative juices. Also, "False Flat" by Aaron Betsky is awesome. And you can't go wrong with Phillip "Meggs' History of Graphic Design". Far too many people don't have that book.
EDIT: I haven't read Muller-Brockmann's book but I imagine it's a great take on the modernist/rationalist grid. Though, times are a-changin' my friend. If you look at the top design programs out there, say Yale MFA Graphic Design, Werkplaats or KABK for example, things aren't exactly the way they used to be. The only name we have for what's happening right now is Contemporary Graphic Design. I love it. It's an amazing time to be practicing Graphic Design. Though most web design doesn't even come close to interesting, unfortunately.
I love this! It reminds me of the Fruits book but sweet and country style.
Nothing a few hash coins could buy.
it's a pretty common phenomenon all over
http://amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
This is part of my bathroom reading collection.
Anybody get a read on that cart?
https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
That’s a 2100 series DECENT! If you’re wondering more about the wonderful world of shopping carts here’s a Helpful Guide
You sir are correct. Here's a reading reccomendation: http://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
Wow that's a great one mate! A fine specimen indeed. If you need help identifying the breeds of shopping carts you find in the wild, I suggest this book -- https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
The post is dated 2013, so the book is already available.
Amazon page
Codex Seraphinianus is now back in print, my wife bought it for me for my anniversary in January.
It was recently reprinted and is available from Amazon for $89.50: http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396505563&sr=1-1&keywords=codex+seraphinianus
It is beautiful. Not a cheap copy and big
or if you want to kick it up a notch on the occult ladder, may I recommend..
http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Psychology-Brain-Software-Programs/dp/1561840718/
http://www.amazon.com/Not-Two-Peace-Expanded-3rd-Samraj/dp/1570972621/
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/
and, goes without saying really,
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Lies-Aleister-Crowley/dp/0877285160/
Burn after reading.
Amazon link
When I was a kid I used to own this book. It's not really what you're looking for with respect to taxonomy, but it's a guide to the extraterrestrials of sci-fi literature. Might give you some inspiration?
Was the illustrated book Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials?
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials?
Barlowe's Guide to Etraterrestrials is a coffee-table book with illustrations of aliens from a variety of classic science fiction books.
​
https://www.amazon.com/Barlowes-Guide-Extraterrestrials-Science-Literature/dp/0894803247
Oh my god.
I had this book as a kid growing up.
Really creepy and unsettling as fuck for a young kid, but I loved it to death. I lost track of it decades ago and totally forgot what it was called and who illustrated it. You just solved that puzzle for me!
Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition, the miniseries of which is also available on Youtube here.
I hope that she gets to do exactly that. Better if im still alive to see it.
Has she ever seen Alien Planet?
There is also a book that inspired the movie. It was considerably cheaper when I bought it.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Full-Body-Project-Photographs/dp/0979472725
Simple and in broad stroke:
Of course it's simple but not that easy. Keep on trying.
This is an ok book, not great but some https://www.amazon.com/ART-WORK-Everything-Pursue-Career/dp/1416572333
Also check out Clara Lieu AMA on Reddit https://claralieu.wordpress.com/2016/05/12/ama-ask-me-anything-on-reddit/
If you're able to find out what brand of watercolors and/or pencils she uses, and what colors she uses most often, that might be helpful.
If she's serious about pursuing a professional career as an artist, Art/Work is a really valuable reference for navigating the business side of the industry.
Who is her favorite artist? You may be able to find a nice catalog of their work on AbeBooks or Amazon.
Ralph Angus McQuarrie (June 13, 1929 – March 3, 2012) was an American conceptual designer and illustrator. His career included work on the original Star Wars trilogy, the original Battlestar Galactica television series, the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and the film Cocoon, for which he won an Academy Award. - wiki
Star Wars article . Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie book on Amazon
/u/peasant-momma random
If you have a candy store close to you you can get him a few bags of all purple candy (party city is great for this), throw in some socks, an adult coloring book maybe like this ^^nsfw, a mug, hot chocolate mix (?), and you can do a shirt too, or some combo of things like this? Seems fairly safe, but still thoughtful.
My favorite color is teal/turquoise
> calm the fuck down
Maybe do some coloring to pass the time? ;-)
I think this may be it.
They make adult coloring books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1522864741/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_TjzVzbB1KPJ08
Maybe try yoga or meditation? Lego sets?
Also if you watch a movie, it should be a foreign language one. Watch without subtitles and try to figure out what's happening, it's a fun game
Bullet journaling is very therapeutic and requires very few items. (Bullet journal, stencils, pens/colors, and stickers) all can be bought on amazon for under $20 or can get most of the supplies at dollar tree. Amazon has many great bullet journals for under $6. It helps you get your thoughts together and can feel empowering as it gets you more in tune with your thoughts and habits. my bullet journal but if you search bullet journals they have them with so many different pretty covers. This is also the size of a regular notebook as I like to make my things big.
journal stickers these stickers are my favorite as they are empowering and cheap. But I also buy stickers from dollar tree and michaels (michaels has washi tape for .33 each and sales on the tape and stickers all the time)
Cross stitch or crochet is another great craft to learn that doesn’t cost a lot or need a ton of supplies.
Diamond painting kits look like fun and get great reviews.
Scrapbooking can be a lot of fun and remind you of happy times but is more costly and uses more materials than the others.
Adult coloring books are my favorite art stress reliever; you can get a cute book for under $7 and then whatever coloring medium you prefer (I love crayons) my favorite coloring book
2nd favorite coloring book
I hope these ideas help and ask any questions you may have. 💕💕💕
Definitely! Visual Culture/Media Studies are my jam. There's a thousand vis culture books out there. However, the reader by Mirzoeffand by Jessica Evans are totally essential.
As far as Media Studies goes, there's a lot of directions you could start. In the US, there's a lot of schools that focus on the social science aspect of it, but my approach is far more philosophical. So, I'd suggest McLuhan, Walter Ong for some of the classical background stuff. Then, read Lori Emerson and Jussi Parikka for more contemporary theory. Again, these are just some nice places to start!
Oh! Also /r/mediastudies, continentcontinent.cc, http://www.ctrl-z.net.au/, Flusser Studies, and Fiberculture are all good online resources and journals.
He actually wrote some books about his world [here] (https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Loop-Simon-St%C3%A5lenhag/dp/1624650392).It's kind of like a alternate reality version of our world if we had advanced tech in some aspects of the 70-80's. (The whole robot thing along with the old cars, ect.)
The first, Tales from the Loop, is on Amazon. The second one, Things from the Flood (formerly Swedish Machines, Lonely Places) is backer-only, I believe.
Not exactly what you were asking for, but she might enjoy Simon Stålenhag's Tales From the Loop and Things From the Flood as well. They are gorgeous, artsy coffee table books that spin an 80-s sci-fi story about growing up amongst futuristic government-run energy installations, and the weird things that tend to happen around them.
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Loop-Simon-St%C3%A5lenhag/dp/1624650392
Tales From The Loop gets discribed as an rpg version of Stranger Things.
> Stålenhag’s paintings and stories take place in an alternate version of Sweden in the ’80s and ’90s
From the Amazon description of his book.
Very nice.
Congrats on quite a model; I knew it looked familiar stylistically (re: the artist you referenced.)
Your might also like:
https://machinationstudio.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Loop-Simon-St%C3%A5lenhag/dp/1624650392
Yeah love his art, espeically Tales From The Loop, where many of the works are of the countryside outside of Stockholm, namely Ekerö.
His splashes of sci-fi in these settings are hauntingly beautiful.
I just brought his book... it's amazing!
In case anybody's interested
Confirmed.
https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137872/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475243948&sr=1-1&keywords=banksy+wall+and+piece
(Click the second thumbnail below the cover photo)
Wall and Piece by Banksy.
I'd like to more too.
Like this :
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--GXVXlNZP--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/zswgdysfpugdampmodv4.jpg
The Type-6 turbulence pack was a good start. Don't think it sold well though.
EDIT : Another one https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--AZmyFTlp--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/tvandzmo4wnhejndvmj7.jpg
EDIT 2 : Forgot the guys name, but stuff like the Chris Foss's designs https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1848566980/
just ordered this, for further inspiration:
Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss
Also, they both have a site that features galleries.
Have you heard of Chris Foss? He is an illustrator who did paintings for innumerable pulp SF covers, mostly in the 70s and 80s. You should check out Hardware, a collection of his prints that was recently published. Fun fact: he was also the illustrator for The Joy Of Sex.
This is also a really great book, you can download a PDF too :)
Wow thanks for the answer. I'm amazed that I could get such advice from a simple post.
The stick approach is something I discovered looking at Matisse
I was always losing myself in details and never focusing on the whole. This helped immensely in my process. I also noticed a lot of people tackle this process with a projector and rendering it bit by bit. But I didn't feel this would learn me that much. I treated the enormous paper as a sketchbook page that needs enlarged tools to do so. Now it's very rewarding experience that I can draw portraits from people posing for me.
Interesting you write about adding and subtracting mass. I recently graduated in architecture but to learn to draw portrait I had to turn off all that spatial/constructional/sculptural thinking from model making to really see values, contours and negative space. I hope by adding it back in it will help me in future projects.
Hair is something where I have a real issue with. I always start off trying do it very detailed to then realise it sucks, erase it and go roughly about it with some tones. A lot of books and teachers say that the haircut is an extension of the face but it doesn't seem to stick with me. Maybe seeing it as shapes will help me.
The background I'm also not sold one entirely. I wanted something else but eventually defaulted to the strategy of adding a dark tone next to a light (hair).
Thanks for again for the advice. It always helps to get some kind words to keep going. For practising proportions I was interested in the Bargue excercises. But I don't know if it is really helpful to copy away for 200 pages.
This looks like it was a study done following the methods laid out in the Charles Bargue Drawing Course.
Here's the book on amazon https://www.amazon.com/Charles-Bargue-Drawing-Gerald-Ackerman/dp/2867702038
​
I'm not sure of the exact terminology, but you'd basically do a simple lay-in (like a simplified version of the body), heavily measured from your reference. Then you go in and add or remove shapes making the forms more complex.
The process would be similar to this but on a larger scale: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0319/2345/files/bargue_2_large.jpg?589
​
Hope that helps.
Which artists would you say you like most? Would you ever like to create artwork in a similar fashion?
I think you dodged a bullet by not getting into the design college. I know plenty of recent graduates who found it to be a waste of time and money, not to mention not finding any decent work.
If you can afford it, I would highly suggest buying the Drawing Course by Charles Bargue and Jean-Léon Gérôme. It will give you great advances in drawing skills that you can apply to any sort of drawing. You could easily draw one plate once per day, or even week.
At the very least, you could devote 15 minutes per day, just sketching whatever catches your fancy. You got a new puppy, sketch him! Also, don't feel like you have to share your sketchbook with anyone. I found that by being very particular about who I show my sketches to, I can be more free to make necessary mistakes without worrying about scrutiny. Critiques are definitely overrated, especially if you can see what mistakes you've made. I know if what I drew was crappy, I don't need others to tell me.
Remember that you will have days where you draw really well and days where you draw like complete crap. You did a drawing, that's all that matters. The more practice you get, the better you'll be. Even artists who've been selling art for decades still need to practice often to keep their skills sharp.
A side note: Artwork that has agriculture and livestock as the subject tend to sell really well in certain markets. So if that's something that interests you, it may prove lucrative!
I’m based in the U.K., I brought it on amazon after someone here on the Gorillaz sub, recommended it. It’s called Jamie Hewlett - Va
Here’s an Amazon link to it however it’s a U.K. link do not sure how it’ll translate elsewhere.
In Europe? It was released Nov 5th.
Try Amazon .co.uk, .de, .fr etc or some of these sellers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/3836560933
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/3836560933/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500123491&sr=8-1&pi=CB192198896_AA75_QL70&keywords=jamie+hewlett
There used to be an image for it, so now it looks even more sketchy lol
At least give credit where due:
Edward B Gorey
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gashlycrumb-Tinies-Edward-Gorey/dp/0151003084/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346934059&sr=8-1&keywords=edward+b+gorey
Who else thinks that this is going to be the cover of the human version of this book?
Likelihood: 12/10
A funny hat is always great gift.
If she loves cooking and baking, believe me when I say kitchen goodies are always welcome. A fun new tool to use in the kitchen might just have her is awe and delight. Zoom garlic mincer or one of my favorite companies Fred & Friends, useful but funny kitchen gear.
If these were in distribution already I would say get one of these.
For dog people, one of the funniest books I've seen in a while is Underwater Dogs. Could not stop laughing for the longest time looking at these.
Another simple and sweet gift.
Just a couple possibilities.
Photographer: Seth Casteel
Book: Underwater Dogs
You're looking for a coffee table type book?
There's cute and goofy ones like this one.
Or more general info about care, training and activities with a huge dog breed section with photos like this one.
Or a story about real life with a dog like this one.
I guess I'm not 100% clear on what exactly you want.
I have a book (or i would if a friend of mine ever returned it) that is full of Tolkien's artwork. It is brilliant. I think his art style is very fitting.
www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Illustrator-Wayne-Hammond/dp/0618083618
You can find all 5 of them and some commentary in J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator by Hammond & Scull.
The one you're missing is this one: Merking's Palace.
Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator is a pretty good coffee table style book with quite a few illustrations and text by Hammond and Scull. I have the hardcover on a shelf in my living room, and I know at least twice guests have taken a browse through it.
Unfortunately it's not overly concentrated on the Silmarillion (and not entirely middle earth even), and I don't believe it is available in anything other than the standard (oversized) hard and soft cover.
The coolest book in my shelf is 'The art of looking sideways'.
It is about design, art, literature, language, science, creativity, typography, weird facts, riddles, paradox, mystery, human nature. In fact, it's a book about everything.
You can read it in any order as every page has its own idea.
It is a book that can never be translated to kindle because it kind of has to be a book. There is different page textures and weights that relate specifically to the ideas on those pages.
Seriously, I've owned it now for four years and I am still surprised and delighted every time I open it up. Guaranteed boredom killer and the best coffee table book around.
It is also big enough that you could fight off a burglar with it.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Looking-Sideways-Alan-Fletcher/dp/0714834491
Fruits are interesting.
Teach her to fish, don't just hand her a single meal. :)
High school is the deep end, so it's sink or swim anyway. Might as well overwhelm her with input/education/inspiration.
Does she ever make sushi at home? Something like this cute [sushi mold](https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/471023143/panda-rice-press-sushi-rice-mold-panda https://www.etsy.com) could be fun! Or a sushi-making class you could go on together?
This [watermelon trinket dish](https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/266317324/angie-dish-watermelon-porcelain-little https://www.etsy.com) is cute and useful.
Fruits is a book of Japanese street style photography, very fun to look at.
I love the obscurity https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
Found this on Amazon ages ago. Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America.
http://www.amazon.com/Stray-Shopping-Carts-Eastern-America/dp/0810955202
Thanks for reminding me of the book The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America that I found on Amazon a few years ago. I had forgotten all about it, but this photo would've fitten right in.
Seems like you could begin to collect data for an Ozzie version of this.
I keep hoping Mike Smith will use a book on spotting Canadian shopping carts in the wild I sent him as a prop on the show. :) Mike, if you're reading this...it would be hilarious.
I know he got it because he opened it up on Swearnet, lol...
I'm 2 episodes into Season 10...lol...hilarious.
This
I don't have a specific one but my interest started as a kid when I had a fascination with old maps. You know how they would have little sea monsters sketched in the oceans? I think what I like so much is the imagery.
I've always wanted to page through the Codex Seraphinianus it's my lazy quest to find it in a dusty corner of a used book shop.
It is believed that the artist (or author, depending on how you classify the piece) was inspired by memories of his childhood of him paging through an encyclopedia before he was able to read. This work is created to replicate that feeling of awe and wonder produced by his experience. The early editions of the book have been sold for thousands of dollars. Attached is an imgur link with additional pictures of the book with descriptions of the believed chapter subjects as well as an Amazon link to purchase the book yourself:
http://m.imgur.com/gallery/ftHne
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134
I don't know if it's really what you're looking for, but I've been interested in getting the Codex Seraphinianus sometime. Not your typical "story" or anything but it certainly would be interesting to run through.
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134
A re-released version is available soon on Amazon as the author is apparently still alive.
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381301228&sr=8-1&keywords=the+codex+seraphinianus
New edition available in late oct.
Oh wow - it's being reprinted!!
http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376933495&sr=8-1&keywords=9780847842131
My wife bought me a hardcover copy of the Rizzoli printing of The Code Seraphinius. (This one I think: http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Seraphinianus-Luigi-Serafini/dp/0847842134) It's incredible. The printing, binding, and feel of the book is stunning. I have spent many hours flipping through it already.
Just ordered my copy of the new edition of The Codex Seraphinianus, can't imagine how bad it would make the Tin-foilers freak out if they saw it.
Crazy good price.
Preordered it a couple of months ago and it just came in today.
I like that book but I also recommend this http://www.amazon.com/Barlowes-Guide-Extraterrestrials-Science-Literature/dp/0894803247 Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials: Great Aliens from Science Fiction Literature. This book is literally the most accurate depictions of aliens in my opinion. This will get you hype for the creatures in NMS.
See Barlowe's guide it has an entry for Old Ones - not dissected though
http://www.amazon.com/Barlowes-Guide-Extraterrestrials-Science-Literature/dp/0894803247
That's Wayne Barlowe of Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials, right?
I've seen most of his stuff (at least, I thought I had), but none of it looks anything like Dixon's books. How on Earth did he manage to convince anyone of that?
RIFTS doesn't have a bestiary book per se, but you might find inspiration in their conversion books. or in the Phase World setting books, all of which are packed with aliens. Likewise, Aliens Unlimited for Heroes Unlimited may also have some good inspiration (and to be honest it shouldn't be that hard to convert from Palladium to D20 or OSR).
Uncle Ernie's Minions of Doom (no, really that's what it's called) for Battlelords of the 23rd century. Most of these monsters are stupendously deadly even in the already Brutally deadly Battlelords setting. http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=3073
Paizo just published their Iron Gods adventure path which is science fantasy, they've statted up robots and androids and other sci fi monstrosities in the Inner sea bestiary, and in the AP itself and some of the books they published last year to support it. Some if not all of that should be statted up on the http://www.d20pfsrd.com site and being d20 should be easy to convert to SWN.
The other suggestions here are good, especially the Numenera bestiary and alien anthology. You might consider Barlowe's guide to extra-terrestrials which is a non-gaming book but is really good, I'm gonna put it to use for Numenera myself:
http://www.amazon.com/Barlowes-Guide-Extraterrestrials-Science-Literature/dp/0894803247
Guardians of order did a bunch of scifi d20 stuff back in the day, not sure if they had a bestiary but if you just want cool robots, you can't go wrong with d20 mecha. http://www.together.net/~tjoneslo/MechaD20%20SRD.pdf
Fantasy flight back before they published licensed games had their own d20 d&d in space setting: Dragonstar. https://fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/dragonstar/
Reading my 4-year-old son Expedition, which is probably my favorite book of all time. I thought it might be a bit too old for him but he seems really into it.
It may not be quite what you're looking for, but I always liked Expedition by Wayne Douglas Barlowe.
http://www.amazon.com/Expedition-Account-Artwork-D-Voyage/dp/0894806297/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417873811&sr=8-1&keywords=expedition+barlowe
"if the stars were gods" by benford and eklund has some imaginative alien life, and at least starts to get at the xenobiological challenge of the anthropic bias - truly alien life could well be so strange and fundamentally different that we won't recognize them as being alive at all, let alone understand anything about their culture. spherical jovian gas whales? you bet. maybe it's because writing stories about humans not noticing that space rocks are actually alive is hard, but i haven't seen this explored that much in scifi.
wayne barlowe does some good work on astrobiological speculation grounded in science: http://www.amazon.com/Expedition-Account-Artwork-Voyage-Darwin/dp/0894806297/ref=pd_sim_b_4
sorry if this is kind of off topic, as you were asking about culture rather than biology. but to me, biology must come before culture, as it's an evolutionary precursor that cannot be circumvented. and if the xenobiological groundwork has been done well, you can well extrapolate that into culture.
Yep.
no problem. if youre in classes, schedule some office hours and have a serious conversation with your instructors. if they cant offer direct advice, they should at least be able to refer you to someone.
You can also call local photographers/businesses and ask for quotes on hypothetical jobs
Art/Work is a pretty great book to give you a framework to pursue the business of art making. Lots of great advice from professionals.
If you arent already, please start keeping a log of your expenses. I always have a notebook to record exposure values and other notes - keeping a ledger of price of items purchased, time committed and so on will help you adjust your final asking prices. It also makes taxes crazy easier/not terrifying. Good organization is key. Have a nice accordion folio with 12+ folders to store monthly receipts. put it all into excel pages for easy book keeping.
just be aware that depending upon your business type... it is very difficult to raise prices on existing clients. Bigger clients wont be bothered as long as your work warrants it and you arent raising above market/competitor value. Better to negotiate higher rates from the get go and YOU spend more of YOUR time to making a project as polished as possible. Over time youre learn your trade and work faster, thus making more money
edit: also. never accept a gallery to frame your work for you. its a con. the gallery will charge you above material cost if your work doesnt move. there are several "gallery" frame shops in town who do this. dont just throw your work up anywhere. visit the place and be sure theyre trying to move your work.
rather than hang in local businesses (and relegate your work to "art object"), spend your time applying to exhibitions/contest/artist calls/shows/etc. if your into editorial work, try to partner with local aspiring journalists or even product designers. group up with them to complete a project. or even just start your own project and publish it online
Is there a certain price range you're aiming at?
Many have rightly pointed out that this year is the 40th anniversary, so it may well be worth waiting a while as we could see a lot of stuff come out.
And you can't go wrong with this Ralph McQuarrie two-book set. May not be in your price range, but it slipped under many die-hard fan radars and is not only great for a Star Wars fan of any age, this thing is going to climb into the thousands of dollars in my opinion in the coming years.
If you're ready to drop quite a bit of money there's this: https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Art-Ralph-McQuarrie/dp/1419717936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474836782&sr=8-1&keywords=ralph+mcquarrie
Available for pre-order on Amazon.
Yeah, the one I bought is called "Calm The Fuck Down."
here 😊
Yep, I love reading on acid, especially this book and this one here.
Use Amazon's Look Inside feature and you can flip through some of the book. You will find many of the same images. But they are better presented as a coffee table / art book format. There are also unique story blurbs for many of the images that are missing from the rulebook.
The book describes this alternate reality in more detail.
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Loop-Simon-St%C3%A5lenhag/dp/1624650392
Found the english names for the books.
Tales from the Loop
Things from the Flood
He's released some hardcover books of his work: 'Tales from the Loop', 'Things from the Flood'
He's also working on his Third, which looks like it might be my favorite
This story is heavily inspired by the artwork and stories of Simon Stålenhag's Tales From The Loop. He's an amazing artist with amazing books that go along with his work, and it's even being made into a tabletop RPG. Check him out!
I just purchased his book Tale from the Loop--marvelous stuff. And, there's a sequel Things from the Flood--I will be sending for that, too!
I think Neill Blomkamp would be an awesome choice for a director. The closest thing to a movie is a book Stålenhag wrote consisting of short stories based on different art pieces.
Also, if you'd like, go here for more of his work.
Yes, he did. One of my BiLs gave me his book a few years ago, and it's in there. One of my favorite parts of the book is the back cover. The following quote is on there:
"There's no way you're going to get a quote from us to use on your book cover" - Metropolitan Police Spokesperson
ETA: Here's a link to the book, BTW. It's very good. http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137872
'Wall and Piece by Banksy
Link to book: http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137872
His Wall and Piece book is great too
https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137872/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ON0BK1SOYNYU&keywords=banksy+wall+and+piece&pldnSite=1&qid=1550583706&s=gateway&sa-no-redirect=1&sprefix=banksy+wa%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1
Hopefully, sundogdayze can get some cheap prices from the printer. But if we go with Blurb my vote is on the 8" x 10" Portrait softcover.
In my head, I have this turning out sort of like Banksy's Wall and Piece.
You want books by either Chris Foss or John Harris. Both are cover artists from the 80s and I think still do modern scifi covers as well. John Scalzi's books are all by John Harris.
I have The Definitive Works Of Chris Foss and thumbing through it makes me feel like I am twelve again.
Oh man. We have a small collection of these that I am always looking to expand (although my four large billy bookcases groan every time I think about it).
I think my current favourite is my Chris Foss art book. I'm a huge fan of retro sci-fi artwork, and would love to add some art books of Moëbius or Giger or Syd Mead to my stack.
Seconding what others have said - find a movie or videogame that you love the look of. Chances are they've put out an art book just for people like us who love this shit. Some of the books in my collection include books showcasing visuals from Destiny, Mass Effect, Diablo III, How To Train Your Dragon, Brutal Legend, Myst, Doctor Who... and some others I can't remember and am too lazy to get up and look at.
Just found this at Amazon if anyone is interested:
Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss Hardcover – September 6, 2011
by Chris Foss
http://www.amazon.com/Hardware-Definitive-Works-Chris-Foss/dp/1848566980/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412170512&sr=8-1&keywords=chris+foss
New Foss book coming out next year...
Link
This is a pretty good beginning book: https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Head-Figure-Jack-Hamm/dp/0399507914
if you've very serious about this and want to do realistic renderings, I would try practicing with bargue plates for a while: https://www.amazon.com/Charles-Bargue-Jean-L%C3%A9on-G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me-Ackerman/dp/2867702038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467062406&sr=1-1&keywords=barque
Charles Bargue http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Bargue-Jean-L%C3%A9on-G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me-Ackerman/dp/2867702038
Godfried Bammes "Die Gestalt Menschen" http://www.amazon.ca/Die-Gestalt-Menschen-Gottfried-Bammes/dp/3862300013 or Der nackte Mensch
It is helpful to make you more accurate. However most people dont spend the correct amount of time on them. They are suppose to take hours and hours and hours of refinement making them super accurate. The project book is here but it has slowly gotten more and more expensive it seems. or maybe it was always this expensive its just shocking me for the second time i look at it lol.
http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Bargue-Jean-L%C3%A9on-G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me-Ackerman/dp/2867702038
Oh weird. Well amazon's US product page still says its out December 29th, so about 2 months from now. https://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Hewlett/dp/3836560933/ref=sr_1_1
But now I have no idea what the real date will be, like maybe Dec 12th is when they start shipping to distributors like amazon.
A book and a pdf of a book are two different mediums. The same way a play and a film are different and live music and a recording are different. C is fine with people scanning then uploading their work's but, like a band who only plays live, believe that the "context" in which you interact with their work is as important as the work itself.
http://www.amazon.com/Medium-Massage-Marshall-McLuhan/dp/1584230703
>Simon Stålenhag’s Tales from the Loop is a wildly successful crowd-funded project that takes viewers on a surprising sci-fi journey through various country and city landscapes―from small towns in Sweden and the deserts of Nevada to the bitter chill of Siberia―where children explore and engage with abandoned robots, vehicles, and machinery large and small, while dinosaurs and other creatures wander our roads and fields.
>
>Stålenhag’s paintings and stories take place in an alternate version of Sweden in the ’80s and ’90s, primarily in the countryside of Mälaröarna, a string of islands just west of Stockholm, and how this reality came about: the development of the Loop, a large particle accelerator and the side effects of the massive project.
>
>These incredibly captivating works and accompanying text capture perhaps a not-too-distant reality that is both haunting and imminent: addressing the many ways developing technology and nature can create havoc and wonder in our world―plus, its impact on the next generation. This is the English edition of the first book in Swedish that sold out in its initial printing.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1624650392/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LQj7Ab8JE5WX3
Is itthe gashlycrumb tinies?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0151003084?pc_redir=1409138465&robot_redir=1
Don't read this book, then.
Powerful imagery here. Much like his entire gallery!
Then again he has those few sprays that are lighthearted in nature.
Check this book out, Wall and Piece, for his legacy works! I have read it myself can review it with 5 stars eaasy. It sheds beautiful light on the underground art of graffiti.