Book Description
For over fifty years, the Type Directors Club has encouraged the worldwide graphic arts community to achieve excellence in typography through its annual international competitions. TYPOGRAPHY 27 is the only annual devoted exclusively to typography and presents the finest work in this field for the year 2006. Selected from approximately 2300 international submissions to the fiftieth Type Directors Club competition, the 240 winning designs are models of excellence and innovation in the use of type design, encompassing wide range of categories, including books, magazines, corporate identities, logotypes, stationery, annual reports, video and web graphics, and posters.
Customer Reviews:
Doesn't Live Up.......2007-09-26
I am a fan of great typography, and within this annual series I have seen some beautiful work presented in a beautiful book. Typography 24 and 26 stand out as great examples, while this book, 27, just doesn't cut it.
Let's begin with the book's cover. It is a photograph of a lowercase x in some black didot with a cheesy reflection and almost no sense of design or attention to detail to be found. This isn't a beautiful typeface to photograph even. It looks like the work of a first-year typography student learning the history of typesetting.
The work inside is beautiful, yet my attention was constantly drawn to the credits which look like pages from a bad early 90s design magazine, and its divider pages I won't even begin to discuss as I might get so angry as to smash my fist through my iMac.
I don't know what happened since last year, but this book isn't the proud piece of design work that I would like to put on my coffee table for people to actually see. Maybe when Typography 28 comes out in a few months we'll have a book worth recommending.
Typography 27.......2007-05-10
A 'must have' for the professional Graphic Designer. Perhaps not the best edition, with a little too much Student work, but when you want to free the mind and flip through something that feels like NOW, The Type Directors Club Annual always does the the trick!
Great work as usual.......2007-01-10
This 27th annual from the Type Director's Club does a great job selecting the best of the best in typographic designs. It's chock full of various pieces from calendars, journals, magazine spreads to student work. The annual can use some organizing. It does a great job displaying all of the winners. However, it doesn't do a good job in dividing works into catagories. Otherwise the work is top notch!
Book Description
This book is a hands-on guide to the entire process of making logos and fonts and even icons, all of which, essentially, start with the ability to draw letterforms. The intent of the book, in fact, is to enable the user to end reliance on "OPF" (other people's fonts) and learn to draw your own custom logos, fonts and lettering! There are many books on the market that simply display collections of logos and fonts, and that give the history of logos and fonts. But Logo, Font & Lettering Bible is unique in that it teaches you how to create logos and fonts from scratch using traditional tools as well as the computer programs Adobe Illustrator and Fontographer (plus a bit about FontLab). The book provides all the traditional rules and tips about letter formation relating to proportion, shaping, balance, spacing, composition and actually teaches five different methods of drawing letters on computer using bezier curves. There has never been a book like this one that goes into so much detail about drawing letters and takes such a fun and irreverent approach while doing so. The book is also full of inspiration and analysis of tons of great examples of vintage and current lettering from old manuscripts to graffiti. Logo, Font & Lettering Bible also shows you how to create fancy drop shadows and other type effects. And finally, the last section provides straight talk on the business of being a logo and font designer, from advertising your work and pricing to dealing with difficult clients (aren't they all?).
This book has been almost unanimously acclaimed by professional letterers, logo designers and font creators, both young and old. It is currently in use as a text in many typography programs and several Design college educators have stated it is one of the few texts that "students are actually happy about having to purchase."
Customer Reviews:
My secret weapon!.......2007-08-17
Not only is it a terrific and easy-to-understand how-to book, but a fabulous idea-starter and it doubles as a coffee table book because it's beautiful to just thumb through.
An Excellent Book for a Typophile!.......2007-06-18
As a design instructor, I found this book an excellent resource for ideas and examples. It has a thorough explanation of Bezier curves, which is invaluable in understanding how vector based applications like Adobe Illustrator, work. Fine examples of type design are included as well.
Candy store for creative minds (recommended).......2007-04-01
Yummy! With humor, clear illustrations, and useful suggestions, Cabarga provides a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to be a letterer, illustrator, font or logo designer. But this hardbound book is not just for "wanabes." I found it includes comprehensive coverage of most everything learned throughout 30 years in the same disciplines along with new valuable timesaving tips. If I had the patience and tenacity to attempt such a compilation, it could be no more complete and not nearly as well presented as LOGO FONT & LETTERING BIBLE. My essay can now be reduced to three words: "What he says."
Leslie Cabarga, a talented illustrator and designer in his own right, does not limit examples to his own. World-renowned artists such as Gerard Huerta, Michael Doret, Tim Nikosey, Tony DiSpigna, and Seymour Chwast -- four dozen in all -- contribute to the wealth of inspiration. In the 1980's I had the privilege of working with uncles for one of these typography leaders -- producing over 200 hand-lettered packaging logos. It was there that I first saw an original triple outline inking of flourished letters by Gerard Huerta and was privileged to study a fraction of the techniques used.
Cabarga urges readers to become critics of their own work. This also reminds me of employment at the Huertas. A bulge could occur when joining curves using technical pens. After working on it for a while and thinking to myself "It's good enough," this infinitesimal area would be the first thing the creative director would point out. After admitting that I saw it too, he remarked, "If you saw it, why show it to me?" I quickly learned to be obsessively concerned about adjoining curves. Ink bulges may not be a problem today with digital lettering but there are other telltale signs of an amateur. Cabarga shows what to look for.
Your eyes are in for a tasty treat. Beautiful examples of calligraphy, and their influence on Roman font characters, are well demonstrated and discussed. But the book is by no means limited to calligraphy. Cabarga patiently differentiates cartooning, illustration, logo design, icon artwork, trademarks, and font design. LOGO FONT & LETTERING BIBLE compares digital tools such as the now defunct Macromedia FreeHand (my past favorite), Adobe Illustrator (which has supplanted the former), the seemingly forgotten Mac OS 9 version of Macromedia Fontographer (which in 2005 was integrated into the FontLab line of digital typography tools and updated to Mac OS X -- hooray!), and the preeminent FontLab.
LOGO FONT & LETTERING BIBLE covers the history of typography and encourages users to build a library of signage photos and magazine scraps for inspiration. Each subject I thought might be overlooked was eventually covered. Even esoteric techniques such as what I refer to as character ink reservoirs (called clog reduction on page 115) are here. Skeleton Strokes on page 152 demonstrates wonderful timesaving suggestions for digital lettering. Optical character spacing and stroke widths are discussed in detail beginning on page 112. Do you want to learn how to clean up the best scans for converting drawings to vector art? Jump over to page 158. Everything you want to know about Bezier (pronounced "Bez-zee-ay," thank you) curves but were afraid to ask is, well, practically everywhere but particularly in the section Bezier Curves for Cowards that begins on page 140.
Mississippi readers will approve. Just as I was thinking, the author needs to demonstrate how to arch text on a path (FreeHand did a better job than Illustrator), I turned to page 191 and, bam! There it is. The comparison on page 226 of residual shape differences in Illustrator and Fontographer after Bezier points are removed from a path is insightful. Not to leave you hanging, the book concludes with suggestions for getting work, building a portfolio, and negotiating fees. Additional resources and a helpful index rounds out 240 pages, which, like all trips to a candy store, seem to end too soon.
Great resource!.......2007-03-09
I found the book to be a great resource in logo creation. The mock logos section quickly steers one in the direction to go in your own projects. The typography part of the book is also a very interesting read. With examples and the background for the fonts in use today.
You can of course find all of this information on your own and in fact most of the issues in this book are familiar to a seasoned designer. But still I found it tremedously interesting to refresh the knowledge of the letters and their different forms.
One minus for me was in part a very cluttrered layout. Though not unreadable it was in places quite colourful and abundant - to a point where the main issue sometimes took a second seat. All in all a great book. Highly recommended!
Fun, witty and informative.......2007-03-05
A designer colleague loaned me this book and it has been a very enlightening and hilarious read. Leslie Cabarga is a very effective communicator; he combines humor, graphics, and verbal communication to tremendous effect, and beginner types like myself come out much richer for the experience. There's really a lot in this book, whether you're looking for hard and fast rules or maybe just a more robust visual sensibility, and it's got plenty of wit to spare.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
Both hobbyists and students of design will value this easy-to-use self-teaching book. Each of its 100 sections shows a complete A-to-Z calligraphy alphabet, with lessons on correct pen strokes and advice on avoiding errors. Beginners will find sound basic instruction, while experienced calligraphers can extend their repertoire with letter styles that range from classic Roman to clean and elegant contemporary styles. In addition to analysis of each alphabet's features, the book's detailed instruction provides information on— Tools and materials * Layout basics * Numerals and punctuation * Illumination and ornamentation * Tips for the left-handed calligrapher . . . and more. Readers will also find examples by master calligraphers from past eras. This book's spiral binding ensures that pages lay flat when opened, allowing calligraphers to study and copy each pen stroke with ease. The Calligrapher's Bible is printed in color and features more than 350 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful tool.......2007-08-27
This is an excellent reference book for the beginner or advanced calligrapher. The spiral binding is a wonderful feature allowing the book to stay open while you practice. The pages are heavy duty and full color. The samples are beautiful and the history of writing is fascinating. Even though this book is available at my local library, I will probably purchase a copy for my everyday use at home.
Great!.......2007-02-25
This is a great book for beginners. It has a great layout and is easy to understand.
The art of caligra[hy.......2007-01-06
I need already to be a calligrapher in order to enjoy this 100 alphabets. Only two pages are dedicated to each of them. It is not enough if youa have not practiced previously the art of writing.
Marvellous handbook!.......2006-05-08
I have dabbled with calligraphy and have several books myself, most of them are big and have beautiful pictures and present the same styles; Roman, Uncial, Italic and Gothic styles with some variations. I ordered this book because of the raving reviews and its low price and was greatly, pleasantly surprised!
Firstly: the book isn't big in size, it's actually about the size of a normal novel but had 256 pages. Secondly: it is spiral-bound which means it will stay flat and the spirals are inside the cover, safe from damage. And as the book doesn't take up much room on the table it's ideal to have around when you're working. Calligraphy equipment takes a lot of space. And thirdly: yes, there really are lots and lots of styles! I found beautiful, tempting styles with romantic names such as Luxeuil, Cancelleresca and Beneventan. There are two pages for every style, the alphabet is presented on the left page and basic structure on the right one. And many styles seem to include also such rare latters as German double-s, Swedish o (a with a little square on top) and Icelandic o with / over it.
I think this book works best for those who have already done some calligraphy, because it isn't as detailed when it comes to layout and other technical points as some of the books I have, the ones that have big pages and big pictures. But this is a very good book indeed for anyone interested - and look at the price! It's ridiculously low!!
Caligrapher's Bible.......2006-03-18
I was able to pick up a few new styles. Not enough help for the lefties.
Book Description
"A fun and varied collection of recent posters, books, ads, and other designed pieces that all employ type that is scrawled, scratched, stitched, or otherwise noodled."—Communication Arts
Hand-drawn graphics mark a return to the creator's immediacy and craft. Increasingly, advertising campaigns, CD covers, and branding are adopting the rough-hewn style of manually created typography. This is the first publication to offer a complete overview of handwritten typographics, drawing on an extensive array of letterforms from around the world.
At the heart of the book are hundreds of examples, presented in creative themes: "Scrawl" (letterforms that are raw, splotchy, untidy); "Scratch" (scraped, cut, and gouged fonts); "Script" (type that is sinuous and ornate); "Simulate" (faces that have been redrawn or copied); "Shadow" (dimensional, voluminous, and monumental letterforms); "Suggestive" (forms that imply the metaphorical, surreal, and symbolic); and "Sarcastic" (the ironic, comic, and satiric in lettering).
In an age of digital typography, Handwritten returns to the values of craft. This outstanding collection of unusual, meticulously wrought, and often breathtaking pieces is a must for students and practitioners of design. 500+ illustrations, most in color.
Customer Reviews:
From a teaching pt of view.......2007-07-21
Nice range of examples categorized by how they look. An example is "ornate, curlique, sinuous". More a look book reference than a topic/subject reference. Examples include books, posters, ads, CD/DVD, web designs...all using art with a human touch.
Inspiring and informative.......2006-09-21
Handwritten is a history lesson and an inspiration piece, breaking into a series of successive styles from polished to grunge. The exploration is seemingly complete, and as the above commentor wrote, will inspire you to pick up a pencil and sketchbook, and have at it.
a diverse and complete collection of graphic design that merges the handwritten with the computer.......2006-05-05
Heller and Ilic's book is a collection of (in my opinion, and theirs), exemplary work in the world of graphic design in which the "handwritten" has been implemented in the artists' works.
Examples range from magazine covers, traditional advertisements, film festival posters, album covers, book covers and other media/art. There is a wide range of styles covered, and though there is not a lot of text that accompanies each featured piece, the descriptions of the work are insightful to how (in the opinion of the authors) the text/design work, and in what ways. For instance, the authors comment on one poster which used a childish scrawl saying, "Scrawl is most effective when located with a generous helping of negative space, as is portrayed elegantly in this poster etc.etc."
Though you might not agree with their observations, you will most definitely get something valuable out of your disagreement, wether it is a better sense of your own visions and style/likes/dislikes.
All in all, this book is worth the money. It is bound to inspired you to break out a pencil and your sketchbook again.
Book Description
BL The most comprehensive study yet of the ancient art of Islamic calligraphy The Nasser D. Khalili Collection holds examples of Islamic calligraphy that span six centuries and demonstrate the continuity of this central art form into the modern era. The holdings - nearly 300 in total - include exceptional items that feature the work of many of the most famous master calligraphers, including Seyh Hamdullah and Hafiz Osman. The author discusses items from the Collection under nine headings that exemplify the variety of the artform and the discipline required to master it: mufradat (exercises from the calligraphic curriculum); muraqqa`at (collections of calligraphic samples); and hilyahs (treatments of the description of the Prophet) form the major sections, and there are studies of ijazahs (certificates of competence in the art), karalama (rough copy work), decoupage (cut work), kalib-making (stencilled reproductions), the miniature ghubar script, and leaf gilding.
Customer Reviews:
Synopsis.......2000-06-20
The power of the written word to convey emotional intensity in a pleasing visual form, particularly when dealing with sacred subject matter, has been a constant them in Islamic culture. The demanding discipline of Islamic calligraphy, transmitted from master to pupil throughout the ages, has been the source of one of the humanity's richest artistic traditions. The Nasser D Khalili Collection holds examples of the Islamic calligraphy that span six centuries and demonstrate the continuity of this central art form into the modern era. The holdings - nearly 300 in total - include exceptional items that feature the work of many of the most famous master calligraphers: Yaqut, Seyh Hamdullah, Hafiz Osman, Mahmud Calaluddin, Mehmed Rasim and Yusuf 'Hafiz al-Qur'an'. This book is intended for islamicists, collectors and curators of Islamic art, specialist art trade, some students, and general readers. With a contribution by: Zakariya, Mohamed;
Book Description
In an age of myriad computer fonts and instant communication, your handwriting style is increasingly a very personal creation. In this book, Margaret Shepherd, America's premier calligrapher, shows you that calligraphy is not simply a craft you can learn, but an elegant art form that you can make your own.
Calligraphy remains perennially popular, often adorning wedding invitations, diplomas, and commercial signs. Whether it is Roman, Gothic, Celtic, Bookhand, or Italic style, calligraphy conveys class and elegance. Margaret Shepherd makes this ancient art form accessible in a completely hand-lettered technical guide that will:
* Provide context for calligraphy as an art, exploring the rich tradition of hand-lettering and mapping the evolution of the most popular styles.
* Give detailed technical advice on choosing pens, paper, and inks, setting up your workspace, mastering various pen angles, along with step-by-step illustrations to guide you as you practice.
* Explain which alphabets are appropriate for different forms of writing. For example, the Roman alphabet works well for short, unpunctuated passages, while the Italic alphabet is more suited to informal everyday communication.
* Encourage you to personalize your lettering by using variant strokes and interpreting how you would like the words to look on the page.
* Inspire you with carefully chosen illustrations and examples, which bring letters to life.
In Margaret Shepherd's own words, "Calligraphy trains not only your eye and hand, but your mind as well."
Learn Calligraphy is the authoritative primer for this age-old craft, and will help develop a new appreciation for lettering as you discover your creative personality.
Customer Reviews:
Art in hand writting.......2007-09-19
Margaret Shepherd has written many books about this subject (Calligarphy), this is special because include a sort of recomendations for students.
I really enjoyed this book.
Good buy.......2007-06-06
This book is excellent. When I received my book, I started to practice for 1 week and now my handwritting is pretty.
Great Author, great books.......2007-04-14
I was really having a hard time picking out calligraphy how to books so i went to the book store. unfortunately they do not have a lot to choose from, at the second store i found a better selection and found Margaret Sheperd's books. Wow, great books and great way to learn, she has a funny side to her and this book is incredible, not only do you learn you have fun doing it. i also saw a few more books in her name. Unfortunately i didn't have very much time to look at them all and i cant wait to go back to see the rest. I am thinking of picking up all her books.
I think this is the best of the starter books. Very easy and a fun read too!
Cheryl
Response with gratitude.......2005-05-26
I am the author of this book and just want to respond that I agree with the very critical reviewer who felt strongly that Copperplate should have been included. I wish so too. But it would need a whole other set of supplies and hand positions. Copperplate comes along much later, and is really outside the main core of the broad-pen historic hands. Maybe some day!
To respond to Gary Bisaqa's review, I agree and I have covered the business end of calligraphy as a free-lance job, in a whole other book, Calligraphy Projects for Pleasure and Profit.
I wrote this, like all my other books, because I wish I'd had such a book when I started out. Thank you to others who wrote in to say that it helped them start out too.
Excellent book for learning.......2003-06-10
I am learning calligraphy and have looked at a number of books on the subject. This book is almost perfect. She gives you so much more than alphabets: key exercises to do before you start the alphabets, typical beginner's problems (most of which I have experienced!), practice pages you can reproduce. Her sections on swashes and "accessorizing" Gothic capitals are also wonderful - what had always seemed highly mysterious to me turns out to be a matter of combining building blocks, creativity, and - who would have thought - a lot of fun.
One thing she does not do is to cover every hand imaginable. There are lots of books like that out there. Rather, she only covers a small number of hands, but covers them very thoroughly, with a special eye to us novices. For example, once I got the basic hands down, I found one of my main problems was spacing the letters. Nothing looks worse than inconsistent horizontal spacing. She gives good coverage to this important issue, for example suggesting that you step back and look at it from a distance. Try it - if you're a novice, you'll be surprised at how different (and maybe bad) it looks.
I also very much enjoy the samples of projects that she shows as examples of how to apply each hand. In this she highlights the talents of (I assume) her friends, and it adds to the book. Looking at alphabet after alphabet as is done in typical calligraphy books, you don't get a good feel for how you'd use each one, and variations you can apply. Her other book "Calligraphy Projects for Pleasure and Profit" (which I also have) gives you lots more along these lines, but the ones in this book are different and I find them just as valuable.
I even like the way she letters the whole book in her (what she admits is slightly idiosyncratic) italic hand. You want examples - there's a whole book-length example. I don't agree with the other reviewer that this detracts from the book. It's as if she does it because it's fun - an important thing to remember when you're doing the drudgery of straight lines or circles.
The only tiny drawback, if it is one, is that the book doesn't contain a lot that is good to know about techniques of setting up a drawing table, selling, etc. For that (as well as an excellent chapter on type design by Hermann Zapf himself), the book "Calligraphy and Illumination" provides more than you ever wanted to know. I don't think that book replaces this one, however. I find Margaret's explanations well worth the small amount this book costs, and she is much more complete. She'll even autograph it for you (see her web site for details).
This is a wonderful book that every calligraphy student should have. If you can only have one, this is it.
Average customer rating:
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Sultan Ibrahim Mirza's Haft Awrang: A Princely Manuscript from Sixteenth-Century Iran
Marianna Shreve Simpson
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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Customer Reviews:
of turk art.......1999-02-10
I'm student and I have very intrese for the ottoman art for islamic. the miniature of this kultur ýs very nice.
Book Description
Comprehensive compilation of elegant, imaginative two-letter monograms — ideal for enhancing scrolls, certificates, awards and other graphic projects in need of calligraphic excitement. Easily reproduced, royalty-free letters are also perfect for use in art, needlework, craft and other decorative projects.
Customer Reviews:
2,100 victorian monograms.......2007-05-30
This book has the type of monograms I was looking for with decorative curly designs around the letters. The book arrived in a timely manner and is in good condition.
Disappointed with Amazon!.......2004-06-03
I paid $24 for this book only to receive it and the price is stamped on the back "$9.95 in USA"! I would look for this book elsewhere.
Disappointed.......2004-06-03
I paid $24 for this book only to receive it and the price is stamped on the back "$9.95 in USA"! I would look for this book elsewhere.
Book Description
Americans in search of family oriented domestic travel, safe and inexpensive, are buying trailers and RVs in record numbers. At the same time-with fantasies of Lauren Bacall sipping an extra-dry Gibson against a gleaming metal doorway in Palm Springs and Lucy and Desi's madcap Long, Long Trailer trip-they crave the vanished luxury and quirkiness of antique auto trailers. Those simpler, slower days of freedom and security are being recaptured in trailers from all eras, rescued and restored as living, road-ready Americana.
Ready to Roll, with more than 300 color photographs, taps into this trend in gloriously illustrated and insightfully chronicled retro style. Here is the complete evolution of the trailer, from the utilitarian Covered Wagon to the aristocratic Airstream and Aerocar Land Yacht to the homemade Hammer Blows of the Depression. Here too are the people who drove these cherished chariots and increasingly lived in them in trailer parks, from the stereotypically seedy to the likes of Bing Crosby's exclusive Blue Skies Trailer Village. The amazing camaraderie of groups like the Tin Can Tourists marks the trailer phenomenon as a major segment of American consciousness and history.
Customer Reviews:
Vintage Beauties.......2006-08-30
This book has a fine combination of beautiful photos and well written text about an American niche. There are stories and examples from all over America that give a glimpse of the joy of seeing the world from a home away from home.
This is my trailer bible!.......2005-11-15
I have a weakness for books on architecture and interior decorating anyway. But this is the one I turn to again and again. For those of us with Champaign tastes and beer budgets, a vintage trailer is ulimately doable. Own your own piece of modernist archeture, albeit on wheels, even though you could never touch a Mies or Wright. When ever I try to figure out what to do with my 1957 Sportcraft (a classic silver-clad "canned ham"), I flip through these pages. I always find something inspiring.
A must read.......2004-11-29
This is an incredible wealth of information for anyone interested in architecture, travel trailers, and Americana in general. Lovely photography is augmented by nicely coordinated text. Some redundancy is my only criticism.
Bob
A Photographic Romp Through the World of American RVing.......2004-03-01
An architect and a photographer co-authored this classic mix of pix and text that rolls us down the American back roads in high style. From the early almost-train cars manufactured for the wealthy, to the poor man's alternative --- "Sleep in Your Car," one ad suggests --- we are drawn along by the fantasy of life fully lived away from home, a fantasy that could only have taken root in America, where roads and cars grew up together in serendipitous symbiosis.
Before the metal bodies and custom interiors, there had been the Conestoga wagons and, before that, the wooden gypsy vardos of old Europe. Sheepherders had "arks" made for crawling across the lonesome prairie, precursors to "tin can tourism" that attracted freedom-loving Americans almost as soon as they discovered the practicality of the auto itself.
From the 1930s onward, the question was not if they would buy it but what shape they would purchase, as independent companies vied for a market share, assembling campers shaped like teardrops, bread loaves and fantastical avian forms lifted from the burgeoning airplane industry.
Today's RVers owe much to Wally Byam, a true fanatic whose conception of a trailer accessible to the average middle-class family resulted in the Airstream, arguably the finest development of the pull-along format. With wood paneled mod cons within and an aerodynamic metal bullet exterior, the Airstream divorced trailering from the Oakie image and spawned many imitators. While confections like the Curtiss Aerocar and Pierce Arrow's faux railcar sought the aristocratic end of the market, and utilitarian itsy-bitsy tent-trailer combos attracted the low budget traveler, Airstream sat doggedly in the middle, offering class, ease of hauling and fine workmanship at an affordable price. "Today, more than four decades after his death in 1962, Byam's basic Airstream design continues to roll off the Jackson Center production lines, still widely regarded as the Rolls-Royce of trailers, and still inspiring imitations."
For nearly fifty years in the heyday of over-the-road vacationing, there was a Very Large Array of metal boxes on wheels, with names like Comet, Gypsy Wagon, Spartanette and Airfloat, and some more durable brands like Shasta. Because these ephemeral blips on the trailering screen were often handcrafted and built, remarkably, to last, many are still rolling or at least set up on blocks in mint condition, alluringly photogenic.
Gellner and Keister sought them out and tastefully snapped their innards and their outer skins, along with the cars that pull them. Where the snowbirds flock, these metal bubbles proliferate, often hauled by cars of equal interest to collectors. Now there's a new craze, and why are we not surprised --- that of building "vintage" campers, look-alikes to the old timey road runners of the early 20th century. Is this true "camp" or what?
Peering inside these metal marvels, via the camera's eye, we get a feeling for what was considered essential to the traveler in times past: parquet flooring, lounge chairs, recessed doors and plastic laminate kitchen counters, the latest thing. Beginning as a simple imitation of home interior design, trailer construction soon became a playground for experimentation in the technology of the tiny, the art of making things work smoothly in cramped quarters without skinning knuckles or having to sleep in a ball.
Like millions of Americans, I've followed the camper craze, the boondoggling and midnight interstate rest area getaways. I've moved with the carnival where homes on wheels have to be durable for the weekly hops. Maybe when I retire I'll look for a campsite at Slab City in California or Quartzite, Arizona.
If you love this book, then you're the guy for me. You and I could hit the high spots --- starting at Braden's Castle in Reno (that's where we'll get married), then on to Shady Dell in Bisbee, Arizona, where overnight guests can stay in vintage trailers. We'll honeymoon there in the Spartan Royal Mansion.
--- Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
Perfect Blend of Text and Photos.......2003-10-17
Ready to Roll: A celebration of the Classic American Travel Trailer
Although I am admittedly a bit biased because of Tin Can Tourists' association with Dough Keister and this project, I found the book to be top notch. The blend of Arrol Gellner's text with Doug's pictures provides the reader with much more than a typical "coffee table" book.
I believe it deserves a place with Galloping Bungalows and Wheel Estate as a must for those that require a fuller understanding of the RV evolution from the Tin Can Tourists to Airstream Founder, Wally Byam.
Book Description
Scrapbookers will discover more than 15 new alphabets created by the nation's top scrapbook lettering artists as well as find the favorite lettering styles from Memory Makers over the past five years. With styles ranging from elegantly classic to cutting-edge creative, there's sure to be a font to suit every scrapbook project.
Every lettering style is featured on a completed scrapbook page and the book is designed to make it easy for scrapbookers to photocopy or trace the alphabets for use in their own albums. In addition, the book includes a multitude of ways to personalize and customize the lettering styles using torn paper, beads, chalk and more. Every scrapbooker can use these stunning alphabet styles to create page titles that pop!
Customer Reviews:
Best variety of draw-it-yourself alphabets for scrapbookers.......2003-06-11
This book is relatively new on the scrapbooking scene, but already I find myself pulling it off the shelf frequently. It is great to be able to create my own titles in the ideal lettering styles, sizes and colors for each page, rather than having to rely on letter stickers and die cuts.
Scrapbook Lettering starts with a short, helpful introduction that runs through basic tools and techniques, then illustrates the process of freehand lettering. The main body however is devoted to the 50 alphabets. Each font has a two-page spread devoted to it that features its use in sample layouts. The authors are very thorough about explaining the simple techniques you will use to draw each alphabet yourself. Suggested theme pages that go particularly well with the alphabet are included, along with variation ideas & tips. I love the last ten alphabets, which are organized chronologically according to which decade they best complement ý great for those heritage pages!
Hereýs what I discovered after practicing with other creative lettering books: the font styles that can be ýfleshed outý from a basic outline alphabet tend to have a fun, casual feeling to them, but quickly run out of designs for more formal titles and pages. The impressive thing about Scrapbook Lettering on the other hand is that the alphabets are designed by about 20 different published lettering artists, so there is enough style variety that you can match a font to suit any page from wedding albums to baby books. You can draw more than half of them completely freehand; with the rest you will need some help from photocopiers, grids or some tracing paper in order to accurately transfer the lines and maintain the precise look of the fancier fonts.
Some scrapbookers, who are used to completely freehanding the more casual styles of other lettering books, may feel that this is too much trouble to go to for a page title. My advice would be not to give up so easily on your artistic instincts! I think that if you find a more technically involved alphabet that you think would put the perfect finishing touch on your memory page, you should invest the little extra effort it will take to transfer it with grid paper or enlarge with a photocopier first. It will be worth it.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle
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