Illustrations with Photoshop: A Designer's Notebook (French Edition) (Paperback)

~ Bengal (Author), Nicolas Bouvier (Author), Judith Darmont (Author), Ben Carre (Author), Nicolas Fructus (Author), Joel Legars (Author), Antoine Quaresma (Author), Marguerite Sauvage (Author), Hippolyte (Author), (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

World-renowned French artists share their exciting and innovative digital creations in "Illustrations with Photoshop: A Designer's Notebook," a first-time English translation of the cutting-edge French work. The images in this book will energize image professionals, graphic artists, photographers, computer graphics designers--all creators of images, whether still or animated--and will forever change the way you see and perform your design work.

Photoshop is best known among photographers as a photographic image manipulation tool; it is used largely for retouching and photomontage. But Photoshop is also a powerful and highly sophisticated tool for creating quality digital drawings and artwork. Artists, like the ones showcased within, use it to realize their unique vision through illustration.

In this lavish, full-color collection, nine French graphic artists--well-known professionals from a vibrant culture with a reputation for taking creative risks and producing incomparable graphics and art--are turned loose with Photoshop. Ranging from advertising to children's book illustration, science fiction to settings for graphic novels and role-playing games, their groundbreaking creations will inspire you to see your industry anew, appreciate graphic design from a changed perspective, and revitalize your work.

Representing the very finest of French creation in the world of graphic design and digital imaging, this notebook leads you into the heart of each author's artistic approach, guiding you through the inception and making of nine unparalleled works of art that spring from widely varying sources of inspiration. But you'll come away with more than ideas and inspiration--you'llfind detailed, step-by-step information on making Photoshop do anything and everything you want to accomplish your ideal digital illustration.

Unlike any other available, this visually stunning book will give you the creative license and technical know-how you need to create one-of-a-kind digital illustrations with Photoshop that are limited only by your imagination.

About the Author

At 28, Florian Zeller is one of the most vibrant voices in modern French literature. His previous novels include "Lovers or Something Like It" and "The Fascination of Evil. "In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious Prix du Jeune Theatre by the Academie Francaise for his play, "Si tu mourais," "Julien Parme" marks his American debut.
William Rodarmor is an award-winning French translator, writer, and editor. One of his many translations, "Tamata and the Alliance" by Bernard Moitessier, won the 1996 Lewis Galantiere Award from the American Translators Association.

Product Details

• Paperback: 92 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media (December 1, 2004)
• Language: French
• ISBN-10: 0596008597
• ISBN-13: 978-0596008598
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #622,140 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars something that expresses the artist's creativity, January 27, 2005

By	W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Another book in O'Reilly's series on Photoshop, by a group of French artists. Directed at a user already proficient with Photoshop basics. The emphasis is on serious artwork. In this sense, it differs from standard Photoshop texts which tend to describe Photoshop usage in very mechanistic terms. Quite understandable, as it's the obvious way to explain a computer program's use.

But what this book aspires to is to suggest that you can rise above merely using Photoshop as a craftsman. Instead, it elevates Photostop to the tool of an artist. As an example, there is a chapter, Voyage to Porto. The author describes making traditional pencil sketches of Porto. Complemented by digital photos of the town. Then the bulk of the chapter goes into how these two media are integrated with Photoshop into something that is far more than just a digital photo. Something that expresses the artist's creativity.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Many ideas inside to feed the creative genius in you, January 11, 2005

By	Sean Rendell (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well written, this book provides insight into the tricks used by several artists used in Photoshop. The book is laid out in a quasi magazine format which make it easy to read. The book contains lots of visual examples including examples of the toolbars and menu items. This book does require you to know a certain amount about how Photoshop works and I would not reccommend it for a beginning Photoshop user unless they had a good Photoshop basics book to refer to. Most people that have used Photoshop and that are famillar with the most of the tools, how to use layers and masks, can get a lot out of this book.

There are many different styles used in this book from scanned sketches, digital tablet works of art, to modified digital photos. Some problems can be solved in different ways and the each individual artists each bring different ideas and methods that many graphic artists will appreciate.

I would reccommend this book for anyone who is looking to expand their knowledge of how to use Photoshop in an artistic manner. People looking for a "learning to use Photoshop" book, should look elsewhere, and pick this book up after they have had some experience.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A winner for Right Brain Artists, May 30, 2005

By	Alaska Clint (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews

Take nine world class French digital artists, add Photoshop, a dash of good writing and a heady helping of creativity and you have "Illustrations with Photoshop". As a digital artist, I was intrigued by the title though suspicious. I was an Illustrator devotee but found limitations when it came to colorization. Photoshop is the means to unbelievable eye-poppin' illustrations. I've found most how-to design books to be bland, dry, deserts of left brain techno-babble. I was surprised to discover a full-color right brain revival of design and effect. The book itself is well designed and flows well over the glossy pages with artist notes and lots of pleasing images devoid of stark techno-structure. There is enough variety of art styles represented that it will appeal to most creatively inclined readers.

The contributors span the horizon of artistic endeavors. Video game designers, graphic novel artists, illustrators and a bona fide painter reveal artistic, inspirational photoshop insights elevating 2D illustrations to stunning art. Each artist selected one of their works and walked through their project from concept to completion. Included in the commentaries were not only the technical methods but the artistic motivation for each enhancement. The instructions are clear and very clever. They unveiled many of the mysterious and dubious filters and pallets that were once drop down menu baggage. The other bonus was the eye candy images and layout that illuminated each process and why they chose that direction. This was obviously a book by artists for artists that will fire the imagination and creative possibilities for our own art. It has some fantastic pointers but is not likely to be worth the price for the family photo retoucher who just wants to take the stain out of Aunt Mary's blouse. For the zealots of digital design and effects, it is an appetizing oasis and a must have for your library. Bravo to O'Reilly Books for an impressive winner.