Customer Reviews

Visual Design Fundamentals: A Digital Approach (Graphics Series)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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This book is for anyone new to design fundamentals, digital art and computer imaging software. The author, Alan Hashimoto, has written two books in one. First, he discusses the elements and principals of two-dimensional art design and how they apply to both traditional art mediums and the digital art medium. Second, the book is an introduction to digital imaging software. He discusses the difference between object-oriented and paint software. Throughout the book he teaches the basic skills needed for creating artwork on the computer using both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. However the two objectives of this book are well integrated. The author has done a great job of demonstrating how to apply traditional design fundamentals to 2D digital art. He then reinforces this with seven digital art projects which help the reader to apply this knowledge while creating computer generated art.

Hashimoto discusses the design elements of line, shape, space, volume, value, color and texture and the principals of design such as unity, variety and balance. His explanations are easy to understand even for the novice and he uses many full-color digital art examples. However the best aspect of this book is the conceptual process used for completing the seven digital projects. This process starts by defining the design challenge and then brainstorming various approaches with thumbnail sketches. Next the design is further refined into roughs which incorporate more details. The final phases of the process are a trial run of the finished design and then the completed design.

The purpose of these seven projects is not only to apply the information in the book to real life examples but to demonstrate how the steps of the conceptual process can be accomplished using the computer. Hashimoto first discusses the traditional methods used for completing the process and then progresses on to digital methods. His step-by-step instructions for the Adobe software are very thorough and easy to follow. Even if you have not used this type of software before, these projects will teach you the basics of the software and how to use it. He also covers related topics such as scanning your artwork into the computer and printing your completed projects. I enjoyed all seven of the projects. But the one that I found especially useful was typeface design.

Project One - Modular Design
Project Two - Letterforms and Shape
Project Three - Figure Abstraction and Non-Objective Shape
Project Four - Value
Project Five - Color Theory
Project Six - Typeface Design
Project Seven - Digital Montage/Collage

Reading this book was like attending an art course at your favorite university. The author's presentation of the information resembled a class lecture which he reinforced with class assignments. So it is no surprise that Alan Hashimoto is an associate professor at Utah State University where he teaches graphic design and computer art. He is also an accomplished artist.

Visual Design Fundamentals: A Digital Approach by Alan Hashimoto (Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Computer Art, Utah State University) is a superbly organized and presented resource and self-teaching guide for artists and designers seeking to take advantage of basic computer skills and techniques to create appealing, emotionally charged, and attention-gathering works of two-dimensional art. Visual Design Fundamentals includes straightforward tutorials and projects using Adobe Illustrator CS and Adobe Photoshop CS in order to provide hands-on experience with principles such as modular design, color theory, typeface design, figure abstraction, and more. An included CD offers files needed to complete the projects and trial versions of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Highly recommended for an graphic artist seeking to create and utilize computer generated illustrations and/or designs, Visual Design Fundamentals is replete with both black-and-white and color illustrations throughout which wonderfully enhance the detailed, practical, "user friendly" instructions.

Hashimoto teaches timeless precepts of visual design. Many of which predate the Internet. The book seems apt for someone already knowing something about Photoshop and Illustrator. It shows how to use those programs to apply changes to a design, in accordance with the precepts. But primarily you benefit at a higher level, in understanding through the book's examples how to use basic key ideas in design. Hence, the book is not necessarily restricted to users of those design programs. If indeed you favour another program not covered here, the book can still be very informative.

By the way, one chapter uses the example of typeface design. This has an air of antiquity about it. Designing letterforms goes back centuries, and has many subtleties that the chapter lets you appreciate.

Received both books for school before I expected them. Great job guys and thanks for the speedy service. Can't wait to use them both!!!!

Thanks for the great service, what more can I say.It was efficient with the tracking number to see where my book was.

After finding out how cheap buying new books are on Amazon.com compared to my school book store, I was mad I hadn't done it in the first place. Never again again will I make that mistake. Amazon.com shall be my new school store.

This book is absolutely wonderful. It is easy to understand and is great at explaining the visual design methods. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Visual Design!!!

This book is an excellent source of information on concepts for anyone in the design industry. Handy useful design and layout concepts fully explained and easy to understand.

The advent of the personal computer and design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop have greatly changed the way in which design work is done. Still, at the fundamental level the essence of good design still require an understanding of the fundamental design theories. The old concepts of line, shape, form, value, color and texture are still fundamental to good design be it of a poster, a kitchen appliance, or an automobile.

This book discusses how to combine the traditional approaches with the advances made possible by digital techniques. This is the second edition and builds on the material covered in the 2003 edition by providing discussion of the more powerful software that is available now.

The CD that comes with the book includes several tutorial projects for the student to complete as well as links to provide trial versions of Illustrator and Photoshop.

The two other reviews seem questionable. They read like an add for the book.

Honestly, the book has nice illustrations. It is short on design princples, and long on examples. Check out Robin Williams Non-Designer's book as well.