Book Description
From Graceland to Dollywood, from Las Vegas to Disneyworld, this book explores the origins, nature, and future of themed environments in information-overloaded America. The Theming of America explores the nature of social change in America since the 1960s-from Graceland to Dollywood, from Las Vegas to Disneyworld, from the Mall of America to your local mall. Modern Americans cannot escape the profusion of recognizable symbols and signs attached to virtually all aspects of our culture, tying our media culture and the seductions of consumerism to the production of ingeniously designed spaces. This accessible second edition has been revised and updated. This second edition of Theming of America is an analysis of American society in which the author, Mark Gottdiener explores the nature of social change since the 1960s as reflected in the "theming" of America--from Graceland to Dollywood, from Las Vegas to Disneyworld, from the Mall of America to your local mall. Nowhere can modern Americans escape the profusion of recognizable symbols and signs attached to virtually all aspects of our culture, constantly reminding us that we are on familiar and comforting ground."Just come in, friend, and buy; make yourself at home," these symbols seem to say, thus tying our media culture and the seductions of consumerism to the production of ingeniously designed symbolic spaces. Mark Gottdiener's book is the first to explore the origins, nature, and future of themed environments in our information-overloaded world. This second edition has been revised and updated. Gottdiener begins with a brief historical account of the shifting importance of themes in the construction of built space. He then evaluates the economic basis for the increasing reliance on symbols in the marketing of commercial enterprises and analyzes contemporary trends in themed restaurants, malls, airports, theme parks, museums, and war memorials. Final chapters are devoted to examining such critical issues as the disappearance of public space, the relation between themes and mass media industries, and the future of symbolic spaces.
"Gottdiener's historical and semiotic exploration of the cultural forces behind 'theming' will engage readers across a number of disciplines. His inquiry into the ways in which material culture enables consumers to coproduce the experience of consumption is especially timely. Just how pervasively these structured environments shape and reflect consumer culture is revealed in his thoughtful treatment." -John F. Sherry Jr., Northwestern University
"This book is a much-needed and valuable addition to the literature on semiotics and the built environment. Gottdiener's use of a semiotic methodology to link themed environments as diverse as Disneyland and Las Vegas is brilliant and contributes to our understanding of the multiple meanings such environments have for all of us." -Talmadge Wright, Loyola University at Chicago
"The Theming of America brings cultural studies down to earth and illuminates some of our most familiar public spaces. It helps us to understand and navigate the themed environments that are colonizing our everyday life." -Douglas Kellner, University of Texas at Austin
Praise for the first edition, Theming of America: "Rich in historical detail and critical interpretation. It shows a thinking mind at work." -Contemporary Sociology
Customer Reviews:
Not very satisfying.......2006-06-08
Not a lot of information in this book (i.e. 'tiny lines must be drawn with an inky or soupy like substance'. However the book does not tells you how to get this substance. Water, a medium or what and how much?).
Much book space has been spent on showing paintings.
A "Must-Have".......2002-02-03
If you can only purchase one book on acrylic painting, this is the one to have. The author covers every aspect of painting from landscape (trees, leaves, bushes, rocks, etc.) to portrait painting. She covers the types of brushes and how they are used. This book has everything I was looking for and more. There are some nice illustrations to follow. I'm so glad I purchased it!
Customer Reviews:
Very inspiring but his DVD is better for learning.......2006-07-25
I find the book very interesting to get the basic idea about his work and technique. Some nice tips and some explanation on how to paint the fur, but if you really want to see him in action and get a real step by step, you are better off buying his DVD. I have the book and the DVD and I much prefer the DVD. Although the book as some very nice painting and material that is not in the DVD. I guess I could say that both are valuable tool. I don't regret buying the book as it was not expensive and worth it.
Painting the Drama of Wildlife Step by Step.......2005-08-09
This book was a gift to an inmate, so I don't know anything about it. Sorry!
This is a dramatic wildlife book!.......2002-08-23
I like this book, it is very attentitive to small details, the resulting paintings are very naturalistic and often very dramatic as well. The artist knows about nature and it shows.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and you just sit there, stuck and fascinated.
The book is using acrylic paints, but the book can be absolutely and utterly recommended for oil and watercolor as well. Even if you aren't an artist it is well worth just for browsing on the coffee table... Buy it, steal it, borrow it, just Get it.
Not Just for Acrylic Painters.......2001-10-18
In contrast to the abundance of books on oil and watercolor painting there are few high quality books on acrylic painting. This book however helps fill that gap. The numerous photos of step-by-step techniques for painting everything from backgrounds to various types of fur (dry, wet, patterned, white) to eyes, feathers, leaves, grass, clouds, water, waterdrops, rocks, snow, special effects and a gallery of textures is a feast for the eyes. If not for the close-up photos I would think Mr. Isaac was painting in oil.
The author covers composition do's and don'ts, balance, repetition, lighting, getting a correct pose and other tips for integrating the subject into the scene. The numerous demonstrations list the supplies used for each painting followed with step-by-step details of composition and techniques. The end of the book shows a gallery of some of Isaac's paintings and an index. These techniques can be used by anyone wanting to paint wildlife scenes in an opaque manner - not only acrylics. I've sat with this book open beside my paintings and continually used these techniques for several wildlife paintings I made in casein, Chromacolour and even alkyd. This is a book to be used, not read then stored away on the bookshelf. Get it and see your wildlife paintings improve.
Top of the line..........2000-09-27
This book like the artist is top notch. It's hard to find a book done by a world class artist. Terry Isaac is such an artist. Any one of the concepts presented in this book it worth the books price. All aspects of his thought processes and painting technics are revealed. Terry shows step by step examples of how he created works that he exhibits, not stuff whipped out to create a book. If your looking for a book on wildlife painting or landscape painting your not going to find a better book.
Customer Reviews:
Didn't Meet Expectations.......2006-09-25
I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in this one. For a book that is geared towards the beginner, there was surprisingly little information about actually getting started, with the main focus being on exercises and demonstrations. Speaking as a novice, if this had been the only book I had purchased, I would have been totally lost.
I don't want to say that this book is completely useless, however. The basic information about paints, supports, brushes etc. is good, as are the glossary terms. But beyond that, in comparison to other "How To" books that I've purchased, this one just doesn't measure up. To be fair, some of that can be attributed to personal taste. As someone who is interested in abstract art, the lessons (all still life and landscape) simply didn't interest me. Furthermore, almost half of the photos are black-and-white, including some of the demonstration pages. It's a stretch to expect the reader to understand the difference between opaque and transparent painting techniques by looking at rather poor quality black-and-white images. It just didn't work for me. For the novice painter, there are much better books out there.
The Whole 12 Acrylics.......2001-06-29
Professionals tend to use no more than a dozen of the ACRYLIC PAINTING colors. Watercolor paper's slightly rough texture brings out the precisely fluid color of drybrushing a green pepper and the scrubby back-and-forth strokes of scumbling a peach. An Old Master technique monochromes lights and shadows before color glazing a kettle. The trick to painting glass or water is using the same mixtures as the background for patches of light and dark, but with more white for lights and middle tones. These are some of the tips that Wendon Blake shares as he follows artist Rudy De Reyna's demonstration paintings through covering shapes with flat tones, modeling lights and darks, and adding highlights, textures and details. The author also covers special techniques, such as cloth dabbing; correcting by darkening, lightening or repainting; impasto; paper crumpling; scratching; spattering; and sponging. He says good painting means working with cleanly stored supplies; chemically stable colors on acrylic gesso-coated hardboard, chemically pure 100% rag stock watercolor paper, or real artist's canvas; and museum-quality mat boards for taping with glue-coated cloths or homemade drawing paper strips with white water soluble paste. He has covered just about everything needed for going on to Earl Grenville Killeen's THE NORTH LIGHT BOOK OF ACRYLIC PAINTING TECHNIQUES, Barclay Sheaks' THE ACRYLICS BOOK, and Rachel Rubin Wolfe's THE ACRYLIC PAINTER'S BOOK OF STYLES AND TECHNIQUES.
Book Description
If you’re eager to work in this beautiful and long-lasting medium, begin by getting tips from the experts, and the best techniques for rapidly building up layers of color. Try masking or painting with a knife to give your work an antique appearance. Full-color illustrations on each page, and a sumptuous painters’ gallery will guide your brush strokes!
Customer Reviews:
Passable.......2006-02-21
Your porduct was passable but rather steep a price to pay for a
struggling artist. Delivery was very prompt and all kudos to
Amazon .com for that.
great book.......2001-02-07
This book is great for the begginner in acrylic painting.
Book Description
This new addition to the Acrylic category of our How to Draw and Paint Series features a number of popular pieces by renowned marine-life artist Wyland. The book provides basic information about painting in acrylic, making it easy for beginners to move right into the projects. From a cluster of manatees to a pod of dolphins, this book includes a range of inspiring and majestic scenes for artists to copy. And each project features easy-to-follow steps and clear instructions to make painting a breeze.
Book Description
Mary Wiseman teaches the art of decorative floral painting in a highly visual, stroke-by-stroke fashion that readers are sure to love. Her techniques are built on the basic elements of good painting: shapes, form, values and correct brushwork. She develops these elements by incorporating them into beautiful projects that ensure success--even for a complete beginner.
Each project teaches fundamental flower and foliage painting lessons, such as painting petals with flips and ruffles, painting white flowers, and combining flowers to create your own designs.
* Packed with clear, step-by-step photos and skill-building lessons
* 10 beautiful projects in acrylic--the most popular painting medium
Customer Reviews:
Far Exceeded My Expectations!!.......2001-08-20
This is the BEST book for step-by-step instructional floral painting I have ever seen! Each step is photographed & explained in detail so even the novice painter can follow & learn how to paint flowers like the experts. By far the most comprehensive floral painting book to date! Mary did an outstanding job with this book!! Anyone wanting to learn or improve their floral or leaf painting skills should definitely buy this book! Everyone can benefit from this book, even the most accomplished artist!
Book Description
Beginning painters have always been inspired by the bright colors and delightful variety of their favorite garden birds, and here is a book that gives painters all the tools they need to let their work take flight.
Painting Your Favorite Birds Step by Step features:
* An easy-to-master technique that allows readers to paint quickly without sacrificing results
* 26 projects, from beloved American birds, such as the cardinal to European favorites like the Bohemian waxwing
* Simple instructions for stunning background effects, as well as mix-and-match design elements such as flowers, branches and nests
Book Description
Beginners who want to master the basics of watercolors, acrylics, and oils will find more than 350 color photos to guide them, along with easy-to-follow instructions. More experienced painters can hone their skills using detailed studies of a range of techniques. Each section offers practical information on materials and equipment, a gallery of professional work to inspire creativity, and projects that cover landscapes, still lifes, people, flowers, animals, and buildings.
Book Description
Acrylics are a wonderfully versatile medium, and perfect for both beginners and experienced artists alike. Acrylics expert and renowned artist, David Hyde, provides a clear and practical guide on using acrylics to create beautiful landscape paintings. From mixing greens to capturing the ambience of a still river on a summer's day, this easy-to-follow guide will provide all the tips and techniques you need to become an accomplished acrylic landscape artist.
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Books Index
Books Home
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General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power
Fantasy City: Pleasure and Profit in the Postmodern Metropolis
The Art of Moral Protest: Culture, Biography, and Creativity in Social Movements
Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption
Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity
