Big Book of Contemporary Illustration [Paperback]

Martin Dawber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Following the hugely successful Big Book of Fashion Illustration, this exciting new volume covers the broadest range of illustration available today. From digital drawing, pixilated pictures, and Photoshop fantasies to traditional sketching and painting, it’s a showstopping display of style and technique from more than 160 international artists. With close to 1,000 images, the illustrations range over such categories as architecture, fashion, logos, manga, maps, nature, people, packaging, and pop culture. This is an essential anthology for artists, creative professionals, students, and anyone who appreciates the fine art of illustration.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

This large format 400 page book is perfect for anyone interested in illustration. Over 1000 illustrations show the best in all fields of the subject from 400 illustrators all over the world. The categories include graphic design, fashion, pop, manga and fantasy art. They include traditionally produced work as well as digital. This is an incredible book with detailed illustrations of cars, woodcuts, cut paper, work using digital programmes showing what you can achieve with Illustrator or Photoshop. An excellent book for the budding illustrator or for those trying to get to the top. http://www.karenplatt.co.uk

About the Author

Martin Dawber is the Principal Lecturer in Fashion at the Liverpool John Moores University where he has taught for the last 25 years. He is also a practicing designer and has had his work exhibited in France and Finland. Dawber has a Master’s Degree from the Royal College of Art, specializing in Fashion Design, and is the author of New Fashion Illustration and the Big Book of Fashion Illustration.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Batsford (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906388318
• ISBN-13: 978-1906388317
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,373,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Just picture it, June 5, 2011

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Book of Contemporary Illustration (Paperback)

For the money this has to be a bargain book: over a thousand images from four hundred artists. The eight chapters: Built environment; Natural world; Comic, Graphic; Technical; Lifestyle; Travel; Imaginary cover, more or less, every sort of commercial illustration you'll find. Even more impressive is the range of work because each artist is sort of unique. In the Tech section you'll see the usual cut-away engines (page 232) to very casual but interesting renderings of a cell phone by Alexia Tucker (page 205).

The Graphic section has some stunning letterforms and complex graphics. Si Scott has created an amazing football player out of type (page 179) Thien Tran does an intriguing Psalm 23 with type and curlicues (page 171) Joseph Gonzalez, Robert Marras and Sorin Bechira (all on page 181) produced visual explosions that really grab the eye. The Imaginary section I thought was the weakest because, although most of the artists have mastered the use of paint or digital techniques, they don't all have the imagination to create fresh fantasy ideas. The same old monsters and space vehicles abound. This seems a genre where a new visual idea pops up and it gets copied until the next new thing.

The book's production is nicely thought out with many spreads that feature different artists interpretation of the same subject: churches (pages 44.45) dogs (page 102/103) or exercise machines (pages 238/239). Usefully the back pages have contact numbers and web pages for the artists but someone screwed up by not including a page number for each. The printing uses a 175 screen on a matt gloss which makes the book look pretty good, especially the square format.

###LOOK AT SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars who knew?!, August 18, 2009

By 

Alice Cotton-royer (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Book of Contemporary Illustration (Paperback)

Wow, I had no idea all these wonderful illustrators are with us. Illustration art has not disappeared with the advent of computers - it has only gotten better. I am so glad to see this type of book - well done Martin Dawber!