Book Description
A Dutch artist offers his concept of seeing and drawing as a discipline by which the world may be rediscovered, a way of experiencing Zen.
Customer Reviews:
The Zen of the Pencil.......2007-08-10
Although the whole `Zen and the Art of [fill in the blank]' shtick seems rather tired nowadays, this book was written back in the day before it had been done to death. And even though many of the insights in *Zen of Seeing* may now seem as trite as they are timeless, its hard to give this classic anything less than four stars, for it still manages to inspire, enlivened as it is by Franck's irascible spirit and sheer zest for life and the practice of drawing. What's more, this oversized trade paperback is filled with Franck's own uniquely beautiful pen and wash drawings--delicate, suggestive, almost calligraphic, they depict people, landscapes, animals, leaves, anything and everything that caught Franck's enlightened eye. And that's pretty much the point of *Zen of Seeing,* that all the Ten Thousand Things are worth seeing--and drawing--and by drawing even the lowliest insect or common weed, we see it and marvel at its inexpressible wonder for the very first time.
This is really not a book about creating "Art." It's a book about the reverence of life for those who would use a sketchpad instead of a prayer book. Franck doesn't teach you about perspective or negative space, anatomy or shading--he's not teaching you *how to draw.* He's doing something far more important. He's showing you the *why of drawing.*
You can draw on anything with anything and in the end it doesn't matter what your drawing looks like--or doesn't look like! What's important is the act of drawing itself, the quiet contemplation of the thing drawn that engages you fully in the moment and opens your eyes and your heart to the world around you. Have you ever seen--really seen--a sparrow, a turnip, your child's face? Chances are you haven't until you've sat with them, a pad on your lap and a pencil in your hand, and traced their outline as if you were touching them with your heart's own flesh. Chances are you'll see things in each that you've never seen before, that you'll never forget, that will become a part of you forever. For those moments when you draw an object, a person, or a landscape you become a part of what you see--and it becomes a part of you. In this way, drawing becomes a form of meditation, the Zen of Seeing.
For those who already love to draw, this book will serve as inspiration; for those who think they'd like to draw, it will encourage you to do so. For both, it's the sort of book one should have on one's shelf even if it sits there untouched and forgotten for many years. On a rainy day of the heart, on some idle restless afternoon of the spirit, it's the sort of book one stumbles upon again and maybe that's exactly the time you need it most, when what Franck has to say sets off that lightning flash of understanding and you pick up your pencil and begin to see for the very first time the heretofore invisible world all around you.
Draw what you see.......2007-07-13
The Zen of Seeing is exactly what it says in the title: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation. It is not a "How to Draw" book. It is intended for artists who love to draw, but are stuck in the "academic" theories of Art. This book will teach you how to free yourself from your high-school or college art instruction, and enable you to look at the world in a more precise and creative way. In addition, it provides techniques that will introduce you to the subject of meditation, or enhance your current meditation process. I highly recommend this book!
great buy!.......2007-04-10
i ordered two, and they came out perfect! in excellent conditions, great quality and delivery!
Suggests a way to begin.......2007-02-07
This book suggests an approach and a point of view for art. The approach is a direct, no-holds-barred grasping of what you see with the eye and letting the hand do as it will. The point of view is the Zen attempt to remove your small mind to make way for the real one. If you are comfortable with the idea of drawing from the basis of nothing more than your being, the subject's being, a pencil and paper, this book will give you moral support in that direction. But that is all this book is -- a nudge. This is a good nudge. And for some, a nudge is enough.
What is point?.......2006-11-10
When I start reading book, I was enjoying it. I thought it is new view about life and art. As soon as I moved forward, I realize than nothing new was introduced except book appearance (very inconvenient by the way). If you want to learn drawing and see world around you differently, better to take book The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards (brilliant book). If you looking for philosophy or meditation, I think you will find much better books. Also original drawing in the book does not inspirit.
Customer Reviews:
I think I see.......2007-09-23
This book started out badly for me. The author said up front he doesn't call himself an artist. Only smug people do that. If you are an artist without a purpose, then you probably aren't really an artist, so I believe him. Then he goes on a rambling journey explaining how no one can do art like him, that all the modern art and the people who view it are unenlightened and he is enlightened and you can be too. All you have to do is a bunch of blind contour drawings and then modified contour drawings. Do them in ink. Don't pay attention to light and shadow. Apparently really being able to "see" means seeing ink lines around everything in one color even. Mkay. Apparently it's all part of the Zen thing. I wonder if crass comments around everybodies art but you own is part of the Zen philosophy. He obviously likes eastern art and he keeps talking about eastern religion at the same time admitting he isn't religious. Now I'll say something positive. He does have some nice ink drawings and they do kinda remind me of Rembrandt ink drawings. But Rembrandt followed though and he was famous for his use of light and shadow. I guess he wasn't Zen. He's right about blind contour drawings helping your eye-hand coordination so he did take something away from all the teachers who came before him. But that's about all you are going to get in this book, along with some lessons in ancient eastern philosophy and a strong sense that he knows something nobody else does but can't really explain it too well.
....REMINDS HUMANS THAT THE JOURNEY IS ABOUT CREATION.......2007-03-02
We get caught up in "does it look real" as we draw and make pictures and Franck reminds us that our scrawling lines are like heartbeats and that we must quiet ourselves and focus calmly, with serenity to fully expand our vision and express ourselves with lines and tones. Meditation in Action (subtitle) certainly implies the author's intentions as he draws upon Eastern philosophy and age-old quotes to fully illustrate and expound his ideas. I enjoyed the "journey" of this book and Franck's relaxed insights and stories about putting pen to paper, the getting "lost" in our cognitive shifts as we sketch and perceive the "ten thousand things" that surround us. A little bit of technique is discussed about drawing and picture-making too! A fine, spiritual and percolating brew!
A life changer.......2002-07-31
This book changed my life. I can now "see". As a begining art student, I was having difficulty "seeing". I read this book 3 times in a row when I first got it. It changed the way I look at everything. People, places, life. Such a passion for life, drawing and humanity comes through Frederick Franck's drawings and words. Frederick Franck is an amazing conduit. I'm grateful he wrote this book. Highly, highly recommended.
Be aware of what you see.......1999-07-29
No, it's not a book about Zen or drawing, but it is an ispiration for both. This book inspires the reader to see the world for the first time, not just look at things for the sake of avoiding them while driving. Franck's style is not bombastic, but his entusiasm for drawing, for life, and for awareness shows through every word he writes.
Delightful book about SEEING as opposed to "looking at".......1999-01-12
This book is one of the few that has had a profound impact on my life, and one of the very, very few which will always have a place on my bookshelf. I go back to this delightful book again and again when I need to be inspired and refreshed.
"Zen Seeing / Zen Drawing" is neither a primer nor a thorough discourse on either zen or drawing technique, and thank goodness - the last thing we need is more "talking" about zen or "how to's" about art. This book, plain and simple, is about the experience of SEEING, truly seeing, not just with ones eyes, but with all of ones senses, ones heart and ones spirit.
If you have always wanted to draw but somehow never have, then this book may be just what you need to get started, especially if you have any inclination towards things "zen" or spiritual.
Book Description
In any season, any weather, and any place, a nature journal offers people the opportunity to slow down, observe, reflect, and renew their connection to the living world, whether in the city, the suburbs, or the country. In Keeping a Nature Journal, readers will learn simple techniques for starting and maintaining a journal that will enhance their appreciation of the natural world.
Using the methods Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth have
developed over years of journaling and teaching, Keeping a Nature Journal guides readers in creating ongoing journals for all seasons and purposes, describes simple ways to capture the natural world in words and pictures, and inspires readers to make nature journaling a part of daily life. Step-by-step drawing instructions show how anyone can learn to draw.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent introduction to nature journaling.......2007-06-14
I bought this book unseen hoping to get some good ideas for a curriculum development project for elementary school kids I'm working on. I wasn't disappointed. This is a beautiful book. It's well written by 2 authors who are obviously passionate about the subject matter. Reproductions of Leslie's journal pages throughout the book also help you see the sorts of things that are possible and are a real inspiration. Her images are often quickly drawn and a little on the rough side, suggesting that anyone with a few minutes, a few colored pencils, a blank book, and a love for nature is capable of making a gorgeous nature journal. The book covers ideas for how to start a nature journal, the kinds of equipment you need, things you might want to keep an eye out for, and suggestions for improving your artistic skills. As I'd hoped, there is also a section for eductators who wish to use nature journals to teach people, young and old, about nature and the environment in which they live.
This book contains a lot of great information and the images from Leslie's journals are amazing. I think anyone who is into nature journals (as I am) would appreciate this book, as well as those who wish to start one.
Beautiful and Useable Book.......2006-08-11
I love this book- the art is absolutely beautiful and the general layout really shows it off. It talks about how to begin nature journaling, giving tips on both starting the habit and learning to draw! I love the approach it takes, fostering a closeness and syncronicity with nature and its cycles!
Love This Beautiful Book!!!.......2006-04-29
Our family loves this book - we love the examples from actual nature journals and it has really inspired myself and my children to keep our own nature journals. As we do so, we come to have a better appreciation for the amazing creations all around us. The author really helps to encourage even budding artists to keep nature journals, which helps some of the more timid artists in our family.
Wonderful teaching tool........2004-02-03
I coordinate outdoor workshops for women to provide them the opportunity to learn new skills. We hosted a new class,Nature Journaling, and the instructor needed a book to suplement her curriculum. I selected this book based on the Amazon recomendations and further research. Both the instructor and participants loved the book. It was very helpful and useful once they left the workshop.
I think this book is a great resource in any EE/nature/writing library.
Wonderful, inspiring book!.......2002-11-14
This book inspired me to start my own nature journal and gave me the confidence to draw in it! Wonderful, encouraging and instructional. If I can draw nature, then anyone can!
Customer Reviews:
If You Could Have Only One Book About Painting..........2007-04-08
This would be the choice for a book about painting and picture-making in general. Brandt discusses drawing (basis for painting generally) and composition and tonal value, etc., but also details and explains illusory methods and color/tools commonly used by various artists throughout history. The man really LIVED through making art, teaching, publishing and truly earning his bread through illustration and commercial interests...Not a prima-donna, but a talkative, teaching artist, who imparted "bohemian" wisdom to his students. Many of those went on to become famous in their own right....Robert E Wood for one. I personally like to thumb-thru this volume now and then, if for no other reason than to remind myself of the many ways there are to "see" the world and how to express those visions thru painting. Must've been fun to be around Southern California from the 20's thru the 50's as were many of these California fine artists such as Brandt. Definitely 5 stars!
Excellent, distinctive book on painting.......2004-11-10
The late Rex Brandt brought a distinctive and well-informed perspective to the art of painting in general and to watercolor painting in particular. This 20-year-old book is not, however, a watercolor painting instructional book per se; that's what makes it unusual. It is a detailed, fairly sophisticated, but very accessible analysis of various aspects of visual perception and visual communication through painting. It should be very valuable for most painters, particularly--but not only--the more traditional ones. The book is most suitable for intermediate or advanced painters, although beginners should find it helpful, too. Brandt looks at painting in a surprisingly systematic way (so much so that some painters might be bothered by this analytical approach to developing a "painter's eye"). He provides an extensive painter's vocabulary that artists can use to evaluate their own work and that of other artists. Using plenty of his own paintings and drawings as examples, he discusses a variety of topics about the painting process, including the role of drawing, shape and proportion, methods of depicting light and shadow, the use of signs and symbols, the dynamics of spacial relationships, contrast in values, the perception of color, texture, composition, stylistic approaches, and many other aspects of visualizing a painting. His analysis is drawn from his own long and varied experience as a painter and teacher, enhanced by his well-informed sense of art history. It's a pity that this book is no longer widely available.
Average customer rating:
- Jim Woodring is the artistic antidote to Thomas Kinkade
- Invites viewers to observe in a different light
- oh god it's jim
|
Seeing Things
Jim Woodring
Manufacturer: Fantagraphics Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Illustration
| Commercial
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Artists, A-Z
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Cartooning
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comic Strips
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Fantagraphics
| Publishers
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Frank Book
-
Trosper
-
Jim Woodring Pupshaw And Pushpaw #1
-
Der Struwwelmaakies
-
Black Hole
ASIN: 1560976489 |
Book Description
Jim Woodring's charcoal drawings take the otherworldly qualities of his comics (The Frank Book) to a higher level of clarity and nuance. These crisply rendered images reflect his life-long obsession with hidden worlds, alternate realities and the inexplicable resonance of the unprecedented and irrational in lucid art.
Seeing Things collects the most toothsome of these drawings and arranges them in four sections. "Lazy Robinson" is a series of portraits of forms taken by a cognizant object during the course of a specific and identifiable stream of thought. "Frogs" celebrates the tender proclivities of the most noble of all animals, by placing them in situations that would dismay a horde of saints. "The Visible World" is a roundup of appalling scenes of sub-rational political activity involving catalytic entities with a high ratio of motivation to altruism. And "The Portfolio in Color" appears like a rainbow at the end of all this exalted storminess to send readers out into the world whistling with delight.
Many of these images were created for "Mysterio Sympatico," Woodring's multimedia stage collaboration with guitarist Bill Frisell. The rest were created to serve other needs. As promised, the grimmest drawings have been left out of this collection. There is nothing here that will upset the adventurous connoisseur of mysterio autentico, but there is plenty of echoless, glowing furniture to add to that already crowded storeroom which is briefly, but brilliantly, illuminated in the pages of this stately book.
Customer Reviews:
Jim Woodring is the artistic antidote to Thomas Kinkade.......2006-08-08
There is a malicious rumor being bantered about in the hip bistros and skidrow dives of Seattle's Belltown and in the Fremont District's street fairs and opium dens that there is no such human individual named Jim Woodring but that, in fact, this name is the invention of a collective of highly talented but anarchistic Elfish refugees from the North Pole. They supposedly immigrated to Seattle after being sacked from Santa's workshop for "designing toys of a degenerate and dangerous nature" and for "failing to abide by the Kringle dress code", which doesn't permit tattoos or body piercings. They settled in the Emerald City and garnered some success by exploiting the craze for blown glass art until the Chihuly art cartel's Double Eyepatch Posse made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Preferring to keep the use of their eyes the elves decided to cease glass blowing and, working under the pseudonym "Jim Woodring" (Which is a euphemism for a marital aid), adapted their skills to the burgeoning comix/graphic novel industry. Here they found their raison d'etre.
I can attest that this story is false and that Mr. Woodring is an individual and a human. One only needs to peruse Jimwoodring's website to find a nice photo of the artist; who is by all accounts a very nice elderly gentleman. Now on to the book.
This generously illustrated book doesn't contain any of Mr. Woodring's sequential comic art but does contain work of a more artistic bent, done in a virtuosic hallucinatory style. It is divided into four sections: The Visible World, Lazy Robinson, Frogs, & Color. The first three are comprised of delicious black and white drawings and fourth is, oddly enough, color work. Each division is fronted by an essay which, while shedding no light on the art, is often hilarious and occasionally disturbing autobiographic confabulations and ruminations.
"The Visible World" is composed of 27 drawings, most one per page and some double page spreads (The double spreads are bifurcated by the binding; a keyfold would have served them better. Subtract one star.). These illuminate polymorphic entities involved in various narratives in interior spaces, landscapes or in undefined locals.
"Lazy Robinson" has 29, one per page, drawings that resemble a collection of specimens collected by a marine biologist from a dream ocean or perhaps slides from a meta-dimensional microbiologist's sample case.
"Frogs" contains 14 illustrations (Again, some marred by being split across two pages.) of our amphibious brethren "enjoying" interesting times.
"Color" also show 14 works (Some split up the middle by the crease in the book.), this time in watercolor, acrylics (I think.), and oils presenting wonderfully sadistic and disturbing wind up tin toys, more frogs in extremis and landscapes and interiors inhabited by poly-biomorphs (Sorry, that's the best term I can conjure up to apply here.).
Mr. Woodring is a skilled draftsman and his meticulous charcoal renderings are perfectly balanced and subtlety nuanced. He employs a smooth blended technique that gives life and a depth to his surreal images. The mood and drawing technique here find their nearest stylistic kin in M. C. Escher, with imagery more attuned to Hieronymus Bosch by way of Chuck Jones.
The color work is equally astounding. Whether working in watercolor, acrylics or oils Mr. Woodring's painting ability never ceases to impress. His colors are bright, rich and saturated. And this color sense meshed with impeccably smooth technique enhance these bizarre tableaus with charm and buoyancy. Yes, buoyant charm!
When I showed this book to my wife, Empress Zip, she exclaimed "Wow! Bizarro! This guy's seriously disturbed!" I was in heaven!
I give this four stars not five because some of the double page reproductions cut the image in half. Thus ruining the picture. Otherwise, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Invites viewers to observe in a different light.......2006-06-22
Jim Woodring's charcoal drawings are images that come from his interest in hidden worlds and lucid art - and SEEING THINGS gathers some of the most intriguing, arranging them in sections by topic: Visible World, Lazy Robinson, Frogs and Color. 'Color' by far seems the most exciting, dramatizing the drawings and providing eye-catching involvement in the symbolism of the unseen - while the black and white charcoal drawings might appeal most to artists who find color distracting. With its blends of surrealism and irony, SEEING THINGS invites viewers to observe in a different light.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
oh god it's jim.......2005-07-19
This tome is worth the price of admission for the chapter introductions alone. The rest is the algae on the pond water. If you're familiar with Jim Woodring, you know what to expect, which is that you don't know what to expect: a fresh, heaping gobbet of queasy delight around every page, a snapshot of that lushly sterile suburban landscape where deliciously canted reality keeps intruding like crusty mold fingering its way through the kitchen wall. If you're not familiar with Woodring, I suggest going to sleep immediately after viewing the contents, before they have time to take root in the febrile soil of your high pink garden. Either that, or don't sleep for three days after. Either way, it doesn't get comfortable. I would shower this with 5 stars, but Jim knows better than I that nothing is perfect, not even our own opinions. Once as a child, I chopped a centipede in half with a toy shovel (they were metal in those days); the back half kept walking while the front half stayed put, contemplating, no doubt, an afterlife where you'd need your ass more than your eyes.
Book Description
Draw Naturally proposes a new way of learning to see and draw with shapes that makes the process of drawing as simple as possible. Artists learn to translate three-dimensional subjects into big shapes, then to gradually add dimensionality and develop detail, an approach that is particularly effective for capturing life and action. Artists are taken through a series of exercises that teach them how to transform their new way of seeing into a variety of practical skills-including how to create an action line, break a large shape into smaller ones, simplify values, quick-sketch heads and faces, and capture the expressive character of trees and other landscape elements-eventually enabling them to create fully developed drawings.
Book Description
Artist Mary Whyte has learned many lessons over the years--lessons about art and, perhaps more important to her, lessons about life.
Customer Reviews:
Lotus Blossoms and Sunflowers.......2006-07-28
"I like to arrive early in the morning at the pond so that I can watch the lotus flowers open before noon." ~ Mary Whyte
Mary Whyte's art has been exhibited by art galleries and has been collected by museums. She is also the author of Watercolor for the Serious Beginner and has illustrated children's books. I think the reason people love her art is because of the spiritual elements she is able to capture in watercolor. She also adds a magical dimension with color, like she adds blue to the steam from the pan on a stove. The sky burns in a rosy orange as a beautiful woman holds sunflowers.
What I love most about her paintings is the use of blue colors to warm the moments. She also has an expert eye for capturing reflections in water. Her "Moon Over the Meadow" makes you wish you were there, bathed in the blue silvery light.
Mary Whyte's paintings are all beautiful expressions of detailed observation, but where she truly excels is when she paints beautiful women in fields of flowers. They are just stunning.
The beauty of this book is not only the artwork; it is also in the poetic writing and artist comments. Like a diary of experience, Mary Whyte explores landscapes, discusses specific ways she captures moments and is a true teacher in the way she explains how you can create your own watercolor magic. An Artist's Way of Seeing is a true inspiration and rare find!
~The Rebecca Review
Average customer rating:
- An Outstanding Artist and Book
|
Seeing & Drawing
Mason Hayek
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Drawing
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1402727860 |
Book Description
Anyone who can put a pen to paper can learn to produce realistic drawings--especially with the help of a skilled artist who knows how to break down the techniques into manageable bites. Using exquisite examples of his own work, Mason Hayek demonstrates an array of drawing skills, including broad-stroke, sharp-pointed-pencil, and detailed pen-and-ink. Develop your own abilities by selecting a simple subject, such as a leaf, and rendering it using contour, modified contour, and gesture drawing. Plenty of guidance is given on every facet of drawing, including equipment and supplies; good composition; choosing the right medium for a subject; capturing a fleeting scene; creating depth and shading, and correcting mistakes. The results will amaze you.
Customer Reviews:
An Outstanding Artist and Book.......2005-03-30
Mason Hayek is an artist and teacher of exceptional vision and talent. His drawings express the richness of his appreciation for the scenes he portrays--his work is poetry in line and shading. The text of Seeing & Drawing is clear, helpful, and encouraging to artists, whether they are experienced at drawing or are absolute beginners.
Books:
- 9 Heads: A Guide to Drawing Fashion (3rd Edition)
- Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks & Techniques for Working With the World's Most Versatile Medium
- Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks & Techniques for Working With the World's Most Versatile Medium
- Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition (Book only)
- Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition (Book only)
- Art for Kids: Cartooning: The Only Cartooning Book You'll Ever Need to Be the Artist You've Always Wanted to Be (Art for Kids)
- Art for Kids: Drawing: The Only Drawing Book You'll Ever Need to Be the Artist You've Always Wanted to Be (Art for Kids)
- Artists Photo Reference Birds (Artist's Photo Reference)
- Basic Blueprint Reading and Sketching (Delmar Learning Blueprint Reading)
- Botanical Illustration Course: With the Eden Project
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church
- Monkey Business: 7 Laws of the Jungle for Becoming the Best of the Bunch
- Handbook of Heterocyclic Chemistry
- Mother of Sorrows
- Introduction to Statistical Quality Control
- New Moon
- Mode One: Let the Women Know What You're REALLY Thinking
- The Haunted Inkwell: Art and Our Future
- Japanese Childrens Fabrics 1950s to 1970s
- Wild mushrooms--food and poison;: Guides and rules on collecting wild edible mushrooms, the food val
Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing: Meditation in Action
What Matters: Spiritual Nourishment for Head and Heart
A Passion for Seeing: On Being an Image Maker
Drawing on the Artist Within
CREATIVE LICENSE, THE: GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE THE ARTIST YOU TRULY ARE
