Best art history by theme books according to redditors

We found 466 Reddit comments discussing the best art history by theme books. We ranked the 163 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Subcategories:

Women in art history & criticism books
Erotic art books
Human figure art
Landscape & seascape art
Plant & animal art
Art portraits
Science fiction & fantasy art books

Top Reddit comments about Art History by Theme:

u/pincognito · 81 pointsr/darksouls3

>Help a girl out, trying to get laid for father's day

Uhhhhhhhh.......

>and my husband loves Dark Souls

Oh, whew.

Perhaps one of the Design Works books? I don't own one myself, but I've heard/read very good things about them. There's one for each of the Dark Souls games.

u/ArcumDangSon · 53 pointsr/magicTCG

Source for those curious:

"The Madness of Avacyn" (Page 48) in The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Innistrad.

u/etosaurus · 37 pointsr/Dinosaurs

John Conway's Leaellynasaura art is one of my favorites. Honestly, it's worth checking out the whole book it's from, All Yesterdays, which isn't necessarily full of completely out-there interpretations of dinosaurs, but refreshing ones.

u/qbsmd · 34 pointsr/pics

They ripped off the images from Darren Naish's All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. I've heard him interviewed more than once on podcasts, and think he seems like a good source.

u/atomfullerene · 27 pointsr/pics

You may find this relevant

The book it comes from which is all about highlighting the fact that common artistic portrayals of dinosaurs aren't necessarily how they must have looked.

u/lockjaw900 · 21 pointsr/darksouls

As far as I can tell, the art is from the Dark Souls: Design Works book, illustrated by Udon and published by From Entertainment.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Souls-Design-From-Software/dp/1926778898/

u/thikthird · 19 pointsr/Marvel

is there a gallery of ALL of these? i remember seeing galleries of these through the first initial batch, then through the subsequent few months. is there a trade collecting them all? i'd buy that.


asked and answered.

https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Hip-Hop-Covers-Vol-1/dp/1302902334

cheaper here: https://www.dcbservice.com/product/mar160927/marvel-hip-hop-covers-hc-vol-01

though there have been still more since.

u/patton66 · 17 pointsr/wallpapers

this is a piece by Rob Gonzalves, its also the cover of a great book of surreal art called Masters of Deception. a major recommendation for all fans of r/art and/or r/trees

http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Deception-Artists-Optical-Illusion/dp/140275101X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335805202&sr=8-1

u/Superfish1984 · 14 pointsr/WoT

I haven't had a chance to look at it myself, but The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time was released a number of years ago. It sounds like it might be the sort of thing you are looking for.

I agree though that it would be nice to have more books to build on the lore.

u/theborgs · 14 pointsr/zelda

There is another one (about artworks and illustrations) coming in February

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Art-Artifacts/dp/1506703356/

And a third one has been announced for Japan

http://nintendoeverything.com/hyrule-encyclopedia-revealed-as-second-zelda-30th-anniversary-book/

In case you needed ideas for next Christmas ;-)

u/ribaldus · 12 pointsr/battlestations

Those are really cool. Hadn't heard of any of them, but looked them up. From left to right it looks like they're:

u/Radioactive24 · 11 pointsr/anime

The "Bebop Crew Edition" has the coolest design and the most useless add-ons:

Digipak cases suck and PVC Bookends are useless

But $500 is reasonable, right? Just to know how bad Funimation is trying to fuck you:

u/sepiolida · 11 pointsr/IAmA

There's a book that came out recently called All Yesterdays that takes alternative but scientifically valid perspectives on dinosaur appearances and behavior. The idea comes from how today's animals have a diverse range of features that probably wouldn't fossilize well- could dinosaurs have done similar? The second half of the book takes today's animals and draws them from the perspective of paleontologists in the future, if they only had skeletons to work with- what kind of interpretations would they make?

u/LG03 · 10 pointsr/Lovecraft

>I just want illustrations

Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1568820836

It's more or less a coffee table book but you're going to need to get over your weird 'no names' restriction.

u/Halo6819 · 9 pointsr/WoT

The Strike at Shayol Ghul details Lews Therins attempt to shut the bore.

Speaking of the Strike at Shayol Ghul, there is The World of Robert Jordan's a Wheel of Time also known affectionetly as the Big White Book (BWB) or Big Book of Bad Art (BBBA). It delves into a lot about cultures, features write ups of each forsaken, pokes fun at the covers and includes the entire text of Strike.

There was a short story called New Spring included in Robert Silverberg's Legends, this was later expanded into the novella New Spring

The short story about Bao is not considered connanical and is included in the short story collection Unfettered

Eye of the world was re-released for a YA market in two parts with a new prologue Ravens

The Interview Database, just click a topic that looks intresting and prepare to lose a day or two

The Wheel of Time FAQ back in the mists of time (late 90's early aughts) this was the best resource for all things WoT related. It hasn't been significantly updated since about book 10 (i mean, yes there were updates, but nothing on the scale and detail that it used to get). Gives great insight into what the fandom was pulling its hair out about during the two years+ between books. Also, some of the info is evergreen like historical references etc.

There was a terrible video game that has almost zero to do with the series.

There was a d20 based D&D rule set released and a adventure that explained how Taim got to Rand in time to rescue himat Dumai's Wells. RJ later came out and said that this was completely made up by the authors of the module and had nothing to do with the series, which was a BIG clue about Taim's allegiance.

I feel like im missing something, but I can't put my finger on it, so I will leave you with a random fact that you should know

Tar Valon is a vagina

u/aliaswyvernspur · 8 pointsr/gaming

I hope you picked up the art book! (Available in physical or digital on Amazon, ComiXology and iBooks.)

u/noraad · 7 pointsr/WoT

Congratulations! Check out The Wheel of Time Companion, The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, and the canonical (and non-canonical) short stories! And if you haven't already, peruse http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/ - it has good chapter synopses and links between parts of the story.

u/Gamma_Bacon · 7 pointsr/SpecArt
u/BananaLinks · 6 pointsr/magicTCG

The one that came with the release with Oath and part of the new series of lore/art books they're doing.

u/Manadyne · 6 pointsr/magicTCG

If you like the art, consider the official [Kaladesh Art Book] (https://www.amazon.com/Art-Magic-Gathering-Kaladesh/dp/1421590506). Also encourages Wizards to continue making them if they sell well.

u/friedchickendude · 6 pointsr/pathofexile

I think the same thing on Amazon is cheaper ($17.18.)

u/Idoiocracy · 6 pointsr/gamedev

/r/TheMakingOfGames specializes in behind the scenes features for games, and often lists books like these. There's an alphabetical listing of all submissions that you can press CTRL-F on and search for your favorite game.

Dark Souls: Design Works is an art book about From Software's action RPG that also features interviews with the developers. The interviews can be read online, which is convenient since the book is out of print.

Super Mario Bros 3 - A Japanese children's book on how video games are made, with a focus on this 1988 Famicom/NES classic and including many pictures of old development hardware and Nintendo employees (includes original Japanese scans and English translations).

Street Fighter 2 - Polygon article giving an oral history from some of the original Capcom developers.

Crash Bandicoot - Making of article written by Andy Gavin, founder and former lead programmer of Naughty Dog.

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans - Stories about the development of the first Warcraft RTS game by Patrick Wyatt, former lead programmer at Blizzard.

StarCraft - Various making of articles by Patrick Wyatt.

GoldenEye 007 - Four members of the development team recount the making of.

BioShock Infinite - Wired magazine article published in 2012 about Irrational Games' ambition, a description of their offices and Ken Levine's demanding nature as the director of the project.

BioShock Infinite - Polygon article on the final years of Irrational Games, according to those who were there.

Defense Grid 2 - Polygon multiple-part article series on developer Hidden Path's journey to making the game and insight into the business deals that happen during a game's development.

Gamasutra Dirty Coding Tips article about nine real-world examples of dirty programming hacks and shortcuts to fix baffling bugs.

Gamasutra Dirty Coding Tips article #2 with nine more real-world examples of dirty programming hacks and shortcuts to fix baffling bugs.

The Art of Atari: From Pixels to Paintbrush - This book hasn't been released yet, but I'm keeping an eye on it. It's about the evocative box covers of Atari games.

38 Studios - Article and ex-employee post on the demise of this Rhode Island-based studio started by former baseball player Curt Schilling and that was developing an MMO codenamed Project Copernicus inspired by Curt's love of EverQuest.



Atari [NSFW] - Playboy article titled "Sex, Drugs, & Video Games: The Rise and Fall of Atari" profiling Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and written by author David Kushner, who wrote Masters of Doom.

A couple behind the scenes ebooks by Geoff Keighley (HL2 and MGS2 are free, the rest cost a few dollars):

u/tigerhawkvok · 6 pointsr/askscience

A great book that actually illustrates (hah!) this point is All Yesterdays. It shows how much of our prehistoric artwork is speculative, and how we have a tendency to "shrink wrap" animals. The end of it shows some amazing work on how we'd reconstruct live animals from fossils today to underscore the point.

u/GaryTheJerk · 5 pointsr/hiphopheads

> Marvel is for the culture

Marvel is for the money. This was a good idea that they immediately ran into the ground as soon as a new audience started buying comics.

I don't know if any of the writers or artists involved even know anything about any of the albums on which the new covers are based, it seems like someone's just picking them at random, slapping a new cover on the front and then overcharging for what is otherwise recycled content.

By the way, my "local" comic shop is a half hour away and they immediately mark each book up to more than two times the cover price for every single issue. Check prices if you want one of these, they might be cheaper online (shipping included.)

I stopped buying these after buying 20-30 or so. I'll wait for the hardcover collections from now on, they're cheaper and the comics are all reprints anyway.

u/the_wakkz · 5 pointsr/magicTCG

Magic art books looks nice, im temped to buy this one.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Magic-Gathering-Innistrad/dp/1421587807

u/keptin_james · 5 pointsr/magicTCG

3 Main Sources.

  1. There's a weekly column called "Magic Story" (Formerly known as Uncharted Realms). It comes out on Wednesdays.

  2. The cards themselves often tell the story. There are cards known as Pivotal Events which represent particularly important story moments.

  3. Since Battle for Zendikar, each new block has had an Art/Worldbuilding Book come out that summarizes the storyline in the last section.

    Also, just to clarify, Chandra did not kill Emrakul. She did use Zendikar's life force to kill Ulamog and Kozilek. Emrakul was trapped in Innistrad's silver moon by Nissa and Tamiyo. Nahiri was in the Helvault in the past, but she was released by Liliana when Liliana destroyed the Helvault as part of her plans to kill Griselbrand in Avacyn Restored. After being released, Nahiri worked to lure Emrakul to Innistrad to take revenge on Sorin.
u/alandaband · 5 pointsr/magicTCG

It's not coming out until January, but check out the Kaladesh artbook: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Magic-Gathering-Kaladesh/dp/1421590506.

You can also find information on the plane here.

u/Gotee12 · 5 pointsr/NintendoSwitch

Keep in mind that the regular hardcover is currently $25 on Amazon US.

The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506703356/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fpuIyb7S947NK

u/RazorLeafAttack · 5 pointsr/truezelda

To anyone who can't justify the price, there's the regular edition for Pre-Order too. (link for Amazon US)

u/PineappleSlices · 5 pointsr/Dinosaurs

All Yesterdays is pretty darn cool.

u/codyh1ll · 4 pointsr/hiphopheads

If you still wanna support your shop you can pick up a copy of this when it drops. That's what I'm gonna do.

u/kingofblades42 · 4 pointsr/magicTCG

There is a lot of lore and worldbuilding in The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Zendikar. There is also a corresponding book coming out for kaladesh soon, as shown by this thread. If you are looking for something Pre-Eldrazi, there is also A Planeswalker's Guide to Zendikar.

I hope this helps and good luck!

u/legoninjakai · 4 pointsr/magicTCG

If you're into the art of magic, another thing you might want to get is the art books, such as this one. These feature full page spreads of art art as well as great descriptions of the lore of the world.

u/Chroven · 4 pointsr/magicTCG

if youre doing a setting you might also enjoy the innistrad art book. i picked one up a few years ago and its great
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Magic-Gathering-Innistrad/dp/1421587807

u/BardicLasher · 4 pointsr/magicTCG

Ravnica has a number of novels, starting with "Ravnica: City of Guilds," then Guildpact, then Dissension, and then "The Secretist" ebook.

Innistrad has an art book that's full of lore.

u/RollingStart22 · 4 pointsr/magicTCG

How about some cool dice? Do a search for 'custom dice' on ebay or etsy and pick something with his favorite colours or theme.

Something more expensive but very cool is the "Art of Innistrad" artbook https://www.amazon.com/Art-Magic-Gathering-Innistrad/dp/1421587807

u/field_retro · 4 pointsr/nintendo

The second book has been released and is called The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts.

u/henryuuk · 4 pointsr/truezelda
u/EcLiPzZz · 4 pointsr/pathofexile
u/GetsEclectic · 4 pointsr/Art

conceptart.org has some good stuff, they make DVDs too. You could probably pirate them, were you a person of low moral fiber.

There are some good books out there too, which you can probably get from the local library. You might need to use interlibrary loan though, my local libraries have a poor selection of art books, but there isn't anything they haven't been able to find at another library.

Color in Contemporary Painting

The Art of Color

Mastering Composition

Abstraction in Art and Nature

The Art Spirit

Some people don't care about theory, but personally I find it inspiring. Art in Theory 1900-1990 is a good collection of writings by artists, critics, and the like. If you're weak on art history you might want to study some of that first, History of Modern Art is pretty good.

u/happypolychaetes · 3 pointsr/WoT

https://www.amazon.com/World-Robert-Jordans-Wheel-Time/dp/0312869363

Dubbed the "Big White Book of Bad Art" because, well, it's a big white book with a lot of bad art in it.

u/moridin44 · 3 pointsr/WoT

Obviously, reading the entire series several times isn't a practical idea. And, there's far too much breadth and depth to the world to give you a useful crash course in a reddit comment or two. So, here are a few suggestions:

  • Ask your friend about the characters they want to play, when relative to the main story, and what part(s) of the world they're most interested in exploring. This will give you some areas to focus on in more detail.
  • Consider reading a couple of the books if you can make the time. The natural place to start would be The Eye of the World which is full of detail and world-building. However, the plot is very tightly focused and you might not get enough of the big picture to construct a good campaign experience.
    • Another option would be to jump ahead to books 3, 4, and 5 (The Dragon Reborn, Shadow Rising, and The Fires of Heaven). The scope is substantially wider and you'll see a lot more of the world, cultures, and different regions. Crucially, you'll get some time in the White Tower, which is the single most important political institution. These earlier books are more accessible, Jordan does more recapping in the narration, and there are fewer minor POV characters than later in the series. Plus, reading some of these will give you a much more nuanced feel for the world than reading synopses and Wiki entries.
    • I would also consider reading the New Spring novella. It's considerably shorter than any of the other works and gives you a unique view on the world outside of the context of the main story line. If any of the players is playing an Aes Sedai or a character connected to the White Tower (a warder, expelled novice, etc.) this book is a must read for you.
  • The audiobooks are truly EXCELLENT. Getting all 15 (induing New Spring) could be somewhat costly, but if you can find some at local libraries and pick up others on audible, it would be a good way to immerse yourself in the world. If I were in your shoes, I would listen to them frequently as you run the campaign, dipping in and out of different books after you finish the series on the first go.

    Some other resources for you to consider:

  • The Wiki is OK. It's somewhat mixed in its detail and seems to be more detailed on the individual characters, which is likely less useful for your needs.
  • Leigh Butler's ReRead of the series on Tor.com is good. She does a brief chapter-by-chapter synopsis of each book, so you'll get all the main plot and character points, although you'll of course miss out on the details of the world building and texture. Plus, it's written for someone who's read the series. Nonetheless, it might be worth checking out for you.
  • The two published reference books might also be worth getting your hands on.
    • I highly recommend reading The World of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time (aka the White Book or the big book of bad art). It's organized thematically and will cover a lot of background detail of the world: Nations, history, some politics, etc. Unfortunately, it's not comprehensive as it was written part way through the series.
    • The Wheel of Time Companion was published after the series was finished. It's organized alphabetically and draws from Jordan's notes as well as the published works. You might well find it a good reference for different places, ideas, and items, but for learning about the world overall, I think you'll be better served by starting with the white book.

      Hope this helps!
u/Smitikus · 3 pointsr/DnD

Miniatures, PHB (Playershandbook), DMG (Dungeon Masters Guide), MM (Monster Manual), and VGM (Volo's Guide to Monsters). SCA if you want Forgotten Realms setting things.

You want to print out character sheets and there should be 'cheat sheets' in the subreddit here for character information meanings so the new players aren't left behind.

As far as mats/grids go (you may want this to help the new players picture combat and to explain how areas/sets interact) there are tile sets like this in Wilderness, City, and Dungeon settings.

u/MartianForce · 3 pointsr/DMAcademy

INVESTIGATING...

  1. With newbies, I make it ultra obvious until they get used to looking around. First I make sure to be clear in my descriptions. I also really push passive perception. I will share that they notice things around them. Whatever makes sense in context that might give an indication they should look around more closely. If that doesn't get them biting them I simply ask "Do you want to look around more carefully?" Then if they say yes I ask them to roll an investigation check. Newbies frequently need to be given more obvious prompts until they get used to operating more independently.
  2. If they are veteran players I usually don't have to do the above. I let them make their choices but I make sure I am really clearly describing the area.

    MAPS...

  3. I do not rely heavily on actual maps unless there is a tactical reason they need one. I use Theater of the Mind. As long as I am describing things well, it can actually enhance play since everyone has a clear picture in their head of a 3 dimensional space instead of a flat map.
  4. I rarely ever draw a map while in game. It takes too much time. When I do need a map, if the space is complicated enough that I actually feel the players need a map, then I need time to draw it accurately anyway. If the space is something like a 20x20 room with nothing in it but the PCs and the bad guys then I don't usually need a map.
  5. I also hate spending hours and hours on maps when my players may never even go to the whatever I am mapping. Therefore I use a hybrid of things to provide a map when it is necessary, but almost always prepped ahead of time.I don't always draw the map, though. I sometimes rely on other resources. Examples below:

u/alcaizin · 3 pointsr/magicTCG

I don't think that exact product exists, but there are some Magic art books available, as well as this book by Rob Alexander (who painted some of the most iconic land cards in the game) that features a bunch of art from Magic lands among other pieces.

u/mastery365 · 3 pointsr/getdisciplined

[x] 5:00 a.m. Wake up, dress, stretch, crunches, drink 32 oz water

-- Wednesday, so do Squats and Pushups

[x] 5:30 a.m. Go for a short walk

[x] 6:00 a.m. 12oz coffee with cinnamon, daily reading pomodoro

[x] 7:00 a.m. Morning meds and breakfast (boiled egg, apple, cashews), shower & hygiene

[x] 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 4 productive pomodoros

[x] 10:00 a.m. Coffee shop (16 oz black coffee)

-- Journaling

-- Color Quest color-by-numbers pomodoro

[x] 11:00 a.m. Lunch (soup with crackers, banana, 16 oz water)

[x] 11:30 a.m. Meditation, Affirmation, Visualization

[x] 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm Nap

[ ] 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 4 productive pomodoros

[x] 2:00 p.m. Afternoon meds

[x] 3:00 p.m. Library, miscellaneous time

[x] 4:00 p.m Second walk, drink 32 oz water

[x] 5:00 p.m. Dinner with wife (pizza and salad, 16 oz water)

[x] 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 4 productive pomodoros (or third walk / swimming)

[x] 8:00 p.m. 12 oz Echinacea tea with cinnamon and honey

[x] 9:00 p.m. Nighttime meds, disconnect from Internet & screens, prep for tomorrow

[x] 10:00 p.m. Bed

Update: The day went pretty well. I didn't get quite as much done as I hoped for, and I broke my food routine a bit by picking up some tater tots from Sonic on impulse. 7000+ steps for the day, though.

u/RobMcDesign · 3 pointsr/Lettering

I like Lettering & Type: Creating Letters and Designing Typefaces and In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector. But really the biggest help for me was just daily practice, with someone who can give you quality feedback on your work

u/zeta_orionis · 3 pointsr/pathofexile
u/TheGreatWalther · 3 pointsr/darksouls
u/Trooprm32 · 3 pointsr/darksouls

Seems to be available on Amazon.ca and Canadian distributors.

u/[deleted] · 3 pointsr/darksouls

Here's the link. I don't know how much of the original is going to make it into the English version. Hopefully it includes translated interviews.

u/rynosaur94 · 3 pointsr/mechanical_gifs

The first two are from an AWESOME book called "All Yesterdays" that deserves more press.

u/PrequelSequel · 3 pointsr/Dinosaurs

No problem! Here are a couple of books that might help you along, if you haven't already gotten a hold of them! :)

All Yesterdays, a wonderfully provocative book that challenges common paleoart tropes.

The Paleoart of Julius Csontonyi is awesome. Most of his artwork can be found online, but it's nice to have it there in your hands. I won't go so far as to say Csotonyi is the modern day Charles R. Knight, but he's rapidly gaining that reputation.

Predatory Dinosaurs of the World by Gregory S. Paul. Modern paleoart owes a lot to Paul's work, even if his attention to anatomical detail resulted in dinosaurs that are just a bit too lithe.

Finally, we have William Stout's The New Dinosaurs. Yes, at times Stout makes his dinos look downright emaciated, but his comic-book-y style and portrayal of dinosaur behavior is a bit prescient of "All Yesterdays," and I can't help but associate his work with those wonderfully cheesy 1980s dino documentaries with Gary Owens, and that catchy theme music.

And once again, good luck!

u/Agerock · 2 pointsr/WoT

I missed the whole two souls thing on my first read through as well. Slayer was a very confusing character.

As for a “history” there is the Wheel of Time Companion book which has a loooot of really cool info. It’s basically an encyclopedia but it has stuff like all the old tongue words translated and it mentions the power levels of every Aes Sedai.

There’s also the World of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time which might be closer to what you’re looking for. It doesn’t include as much info, and it came out before the series was finished I think. But it gives a really good overview of Randland and the past. It breaks down the different nations, factions, age of legends, etc. i highly recommend both if you love WoT (though the artwork in the latter book is... questionable. I do like some of it, but some is horrendous imo).

Edit: I have both btw so feel free to ask any questions or if you want a little sneak peak I can pm you some pics of them.

u/PaladinYellow · 2 pointsr/WoT

To be fair, Twixt is correct on Hawkwing. The information about Hawkwing's history, the Consolidation (capital C because it is an event in WoT history), his treatment of commoners, and his interaction with Aes Sedai exists in The Big White Book.

In this case, the speculation is fueled by facts and it is not that difficult to extrapolate what Hawkwing might have said to Tuon. The Seanchan have run the empire near the direct opposite direction a younger Hawkwing and also the bound Hero did/would. Some if not all of the harshness with which the older Hawkwing ran the empire and thus the empire that would have sent the colonizers who would become Seanchan, like the hatred of Aes Sedai, is attributed too Ishamael/Ba'alzamon's manipulation posing as Jalwin Moerad. An action Ishamael takes credit for the first time Rand is summoned to Tel'aran'rhiod.

u/nermid · 2 pointsr/WoT

> The continent we refer to as Randland is called "Westland" by RJ

"The Westlands," actually. It says so explicitly in the encyclopedia.

u/MatCauthonsHat · 2 pointsr/WoT

> The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

Sorry, should have linked it for you. The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time . Published in 1997, has a lot of nice background material on the age of legends, Seanchan, etc. Also known as The Big White Book of Bad Art.

u/cicicatastrophe · 2 pointsr/DnD

It really depends. Here is a ten minute map. Charcoal and conte crayon on graph paper. Thrown together last minute because due to absences, we couldn't play the current campaign.

I don't have a picture of it, but one of my other last minute maps was just a trail with some squares to symbolize buildings, forests, landmarks, on a piece of notebook paper. For actual gameplay, I set up game tiles.

For Ravenloft, I spent weeks working on maps that had a decent amount of detail. Admittedly, the color pencil work was not what took so long, it was figuring out the floor plan based on the 3/4 view of the castle that came with the PDF.

I find that the players really spaz out (in a good way) when I make really nice maps. Also, it leads to less questions about their environment, because they can see it on the paper.

Think out the essentials. If a town only has a population of 45, it's probably not on the map, but might have a sign walking into town. A large populous is definitely going to be on the map, especially if it's old. Mountain ranges, forests, bodies of water all need to go on your map. They can be really simple or very elaborate. It's all up to you.

As for gameplay maps, same thing: think of essentials. If there is rough terrain, make sure you put those objects or terrain on the ground! Doors should be clearly marked. Secret doors and traps should be on your reference map, not the players map.

Right now I'm working on a really detailed map of our world, but that's because I like drawing and I'll probably hang it up in my art room when we're done.

u/AriochQ · 2 pointsr/DMAcademy

I like my Chessex wet erase, but I am old school that way.

This set provides a nice set of printed maps you can use in a variety of situations https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Tactical-Reincarnated-Accessory/dp/0786966793/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K4MRCP2E6OJX&keywords=tactical+maps+reincarnated&qid=1562638140&s=gateway&sprefix=tactical+maps+re%2Cprime-instant-video%2C149&sr=8-1

For cheap mini's, there are several companies making flat printable mini's you can stick in bases. The other option would be to head to a LFGS that sells pre-painted singles or buy them online. The more common ones can be pretty cheap. Just be sure that you get some with large (2') bases. Many of the baddies are large sized.

u/auronvi · 2 pointsr/DnD

Great work. It's a really wonderful, beautiful map.

Can I use this to vent for a moment and maybe I am looking in the wrong spots and maybe a fine person in this subreddit can help but the biggest trouble I find is finding generic ass battle maps for use in roll20. I google for maps and, just google battlemaps yourself and they are all pretty bad. But then I find one I like... and it costs like $5. I can't shell out $5 every time I need a map for roll20. That's going to add up. I've used tools to build my own maps but it can take upwards of 2-3 hours for me to build out a pretty shitty looking map. I mean, you know how long it takes I am sure since you built this quality map that I will never use.

These maps are great for people who have the time to build an encounter around the map but I do the opposite since I run modules. I can find nice digital versions of the maps used in the modules but they never provide, for example, "A forest map." for combat in a forest. Or "Bridge Map." Or "mountain pass map." I am basically looking for the digital equivalent to something like these.

Spending a little money on a nice collection of digital maps is perfectly reasonable to me but all the maps I see on this subreddit or online are way, way, way to specific and I just want a nice collection of nice looking generic battle mats.

u/orgnzekrnge · 2 pointsr/hiphopvinyl

Dope post! This made me interested in picking up the Marvel Hip Hop Covers, Vol. 1 book, too.

Here's the Amazon link for it.

u/thumper5 · 2 pointsr/AskWomen

Art books! My parents got me Masters of Deception as a stocking stuffer one year for Christmas and I've been waiting to have my own coffee table to put it on.

I also just bought Sorted Books a couple weekends ago (and got it signed by the artist), which I think would make an awesome one.

One year for Christmas I bought my best friend all the PostSecret books that had been made up until then and she still keeps them on her coffee table. We still like thumbing through them every now and then.

u/MagnumMia · 2 pointsr/pics

The book is called Masters of Deception and I adore it. If you want to see another amazing artist from that book look up John Pugh the muralist.

u/ladykristianna · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Sister Wendy's Story of Painting by Wendy Beckett is a nice one. I've had it for years and enjoy looking through it every once in a while.

A nice quote for no reason at all: "The story of painting is one that is immensely rich in meaning, yet its value is all too often hidden from us by the complexities of historians. We must forget the densities of 'history' and simply surrender to the wonder of the story." -Sister Wendy Beckett

The Illustrated History of Art by David Piper is another that was gifted to me that I enjoy immensely.

Here are a few more that I've picked up at yard sales and thrift shops: A Treasury of Art Masterpieces: From the Renaissance to Present Day by Thomas Craven and Art of Ancient Greece by Claude Laisne.

And more for fun than for art history, though it does qualify, I suppose, is Masters of Deception: Escher, Dali, and the Artists of Optical Illusion by Al Seckel. It's a lot of fun to look through and a great conversation starter with its full page artworks.

u/sponger60 · 2 pointsr/ArtPorn

Here are a couple of my favorites, I found them in the book, Masters of Deception.

u/aibzw · 2 pointsr/Art

Masters of Deception, my bro bought it for me on a trip to New York, lot of badass artists in it.

u/slashoom · 2 pointsr/dndnext

Awesome! Zendikar is an amazing campaign setting if you ask me. My personal notes are kind of a big mess, mainly because this is my first homebrew. But I can definitely give you some good places to start and I would be more than happy to share with you what I've done and learned in my campaign so far. We are currently 12 sessions in and having a great time. (PM for a discord link if you would like to chat)

  • For starters, I would absolutely get the Zendikar art book from MTG. This really functions as a like a campaign setting book and will give you tons of ideas about how the world of Zendikar works.

  • Wizards made a Planeshift for Zendikar. This is great for PC race options and some other tid bits (monster reskin ideas).

  • Maps. Oh boy. Zendikar is a bit of a mess when it comes to maps. The reason? Roil likes to change the landscape constantly and there are only vague locations of things, so there are no proper maps. You can do as you like with this. I probably fret way more than I should about the actual location of each continent relative to the others. After a ton of research, I liked this map the best.

  • If you want to go down the rabbit hole of Zendikar lore, read the archive trap.

    That should give you a good starting point. Again, I am happy to chat on Disc if you have questions or would like suggestions.
u/Lord_Of_The_Ramp · 2 pointsr/magicTCG

They stopped doing the novels awhile ago I believe. Now they post a story of the newest set every week which can be found on the official website (and will be posted here and on the frontpage generally). Though there's still the booklet in the fatpacks and they've brought out and starting with something new, a sort of Art-book/Lore-book for the new sets :

u/food_phil · 2 pointsr/DnD

If you are looking for D&D books, I think that "Volo's Guide to Monsters" is your next best bet. It has alot of additional creatures not in the MM, and more indepth art on specific races. But it's not as thick as the MM though.

If however, you are purely just looking for artwork, I would probably suggest you check out the "Art of Magic the Gathering". Unlike the D&D books, this seems to be specifically for art. And while it isn't D&D, Magic is of similar fantasy-vein, and it is done by the same company (WotC), and I have heard that they "share" artists (most artists are freelancers, and some have been known to work on both properties iirc).

u/perfectbebop · 2 pointsr/dndnext

so...start with this to build the lore and the feel

and combine with this to sell the visual

Wizards came out with several of these for the different worlds. nothing super crazy but a hell of a starting point for you

u/AnguisetteAntha · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Guys, I super recommend this product on Amazon I recently discovered (sorry for the link). I've spent hours on it! The book is huge and it's a really cool experience to slowly discover the picture!
They have a lot of great things that are similar too!

u/Lazy_Lola · 2 pointsr/littlespace

It's this book, but Daad bought it for me from a local store

u/call_me_cthulhu_ · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I love my inner child


this

u/whimsea · 2 pointsr/graphic_design

If you're interested in lettering or logo design, Louise Fili's Elegantissima and Jessica Hische's In Progress.

u/danielbearh · 2 pointsr/Lettering

If you're into hand lettering, look up the queen, Jessica Hische. Watch all of the YouTube videos where she does interviews, and read her book "In Progress" cover to cover.

https://www.amazon.com/Progress-Lettering-Artists-Sketchbook-Process/dp/145213622X

u/Geeketaso · 2 pointsr/graphic_design

If you don't mind the recommendation https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/145213622X/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Also, try Will Paterson on YouTube; he does tutorials of graphic design, typography and logo design as well as how to handle the business aspect of things. From there, you should be able to see the other related videos on the right hand navigation bar.

u/ninjastormshadow · 2 pointsr/NintendoSwitch

Nice! I went with this book to get into Zelda prior to playing the new game...

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Art-Artifacts/dp/1506703356

u/Airikay · 2 pointsr/zelda

Yea they're on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Art-Artifacts/dp/1506703356/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485030292&sr=8-1&keywords=arts+and+artifacts

That's the Art Book which is the first. The second book will be an encyclopedia of sorts and isn't up for preorder yet. And we don't know what the third book will be, but should be out this year.

u/LuTen16 · 2 pointsr/TheDragonPrince

Something like this that they did for LoZ BotW would be sweet to have along the way, more like you were saying with concert art, interviews with the creators, storyboards, side stories, behind the scenes, world building, lore, history, mythology, and the like. Then after the show is done, a thick compilation of those books together would be amazing! Kinda like the Goddess Collection for LoZ, lore and history and plot and making of, art and artifacts, everything else you could’ve ever dreamed of

u/onomeister · 2 pointsr/NintendoSwitch

Does he enjoy Zelda? Then I highly recommend these two books (unless he already bought them):

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Art-Artifacts/dp/1506703356/

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Hyrule-Historia/dp/1616550414/

Both hardcovers, one gives a detailed history/timeline of most of the Zelda games. The other covers rare artwork of the Zelda series. Any Nintendo or Zelda fan would love these!! The ultimate gift!

u/XGamerdude1X · 2 pointsr/zelda

It’s part of the series with hyrule hystoria and arts and artifacts, by dark horse, and it’s releasing next month, also has a special edition themed around the Zelda 1 NES cartridge. [Normal] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Zelda-Encyclopedia-Nintendo/dp/150670638X) | [Limited] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Zelda-Encyclopedia-Limited-Nintendo/dp/1506707408)

u/TrickOrTreater · 2 pointsr/Cthulhu

Sadly from what I'm personally aware of, there's a very limited amount of pure, coffee table-like art books out there.

There's this one, that's been around since 2006

https://www.amazon.com/Art-H-P-Lovecrafts-Cthulhu-Mythos/dp/1589943074/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494041674&sr=1-1&keywords=lovecraft+art

I haven't gotten it yet but I hear it's pretty good.

And there's this one that...isn't really purely an art book, but does feature fantastic pieces of art for each Lovecraftian creature(as well as some info about them)

https://www.amazon.com/Petersens-Field-Guide-Lovecraftian-Horrors/dp/1568820836/ref=pd_sim_14_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1568820836&pd_rd_r=D7TH7P13RG5ZKPJ8KY7G&pd_rd_w=1hb6t&pd_rd_wg=YY4p0&psc=1&refRID=D7TH7P13RG5ZKPJ8KY7G

There's also a handful of very well designed adult coloring books out there, if you're so inclined. The newest one from Chaosium looks pretty great.

u/ducedo · 2 pointsr/photography

Don't limit yourself to photography, there are many amazing painters. Thinking about it, maybe you should x-post to /r/art and similar subreddits.

In terms of books I've done a lot of research but found very little. A common recommendation for photographers is The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman which goes through all kind of lines, contrast, balance, etc. Other books I'm eyeing are Mastering Composition by Ian Roberts and Framed Ink by Marcos Mateu-Mestre. Unfortunately I haven't read any of them yet so I can't comment on the quality.

If you are really serious about it, consider getting a list of most recommended art / photography universities. Then use their websites to find courses and contact teachers personally, asking for (book) recommendations. Begin with one person at each university if they happen to forward your message since you don't want to come across as spam. Some universities even publish course literature on their website. I'd love to hear the responses if you go through with it.

u/cleansoap · 2 pointsr/photography

http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Center-Composition-Visual/dp/0520261267

and http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Composition-Techniques-Principles-Dramatically/dp/1581809247

While the latter is explicitly a painting instructional book IME that actually improves photography students' ability to see the forest and not just the trees.

u/LittleHelperRobot · 2 pointsr/graphic_design

Non-mobile:

u/SpecialProduce · 2 pointsr/askscience

I think it’s All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. Looked really interesting to me but I was never able to find a paper copy.

amazon link

u/spencerdupre · 2 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

Those are from the book All Yesterdays

u/kluzuh · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

I heard about this one in a podcast and want it!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A2VS55O?ref=aw_sitb_digital-text

u/myscreamname · 2 pointsr/WoT

From what I remember, the World of WoT was not spoiler-full. It's the book that was everything pre-WH or something and contains what you're looking for, imo.

This one

u/signal9 · 2 pointsr/WoT

[The World of Wheel of Time] (https://www.amazon.com/World-Robert-Jordans-Wheel-Time-ebook/dp/B06Y5LK6B7). It's like the companion but written by someone in that world, so it's not always accurate.

EDIT
No wait, there it is. It's in a differen't form than mine. :)

u/iprobably8it · 1 pointr/movies

You don't always get more fun out of illustrations. Sometimes you wish the illustrations never existed at all.

u/jrdhytr · 1 pointr/DMAcademy

The Wilderness Dungeon Tile Set is a great product to use for improvising a battle location. You can pretty much throw the tiles down at random and it will make a good enough wilderness scene for a combat encounter. https://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Tiles-Master-Set-Wilderness/dp/0786956127

u/Maladroit01 · 1 pointr/DnD

Though their selection of characters is pretty limited, I'm a big fan of World Works' stuff: http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php?view=catalog&cat_id=2

Their terrain is just fantastic though.

In addition, Wizards has a pretty nice selection of tiles and tokens that tend to be cheaper and more reusable than maps and miniatures. Here's a few of my favorite sets:

-Dungeon tiles

-Forest tiles

-Massive set of monster and character tokens

-The Red Box contains a decent mix of everything for a pretty affordable price

Hope this helps.

u/Foctjoo · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

http://www.amazon.com/COLOR-MY-BOOBS-Titillating-Coloring/dp/0937609609

I dont understand how the kindle version is going to work...

u/ttubravesrock · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

It's all about the karma

nsfw

u/cephalopodcat · 1 pointr/Marvel

I... Amazon says 20 bucks.
https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Hip-Hop-Covers-Vol-1/dp/1302902334

I should have checked, had it at my store a while but keep forgetting to check the price. Anyway, it's really neat if you're into the covers!

u/ergonomicsalamander · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I used to spend hours looking at Masters of Deception - it's a collection of optical-illusion art/artists, and a great coffee table book.

u/mrpoopiepants · 1 pointr/pics

...then may I suggest a wonderful book called Masters of Deception?

u/reverend_green1 · 1 pointr/pics

I remember getting a book several years ago that was full of optical illusions and had several of these paintings in them. Good stuff!

Edit: This was the book!

u/skepticallygullible · 1 pointr/woahdude

If you like this, I highly recommend this book.

u/LurkerMcLurkerton · 1 pointr/pics

This coffee table book is awesome. Tons of great artists, different mediums. One of my favorites.

u/queentenobia · 1 pointr/Fantasy

OH! I absolutely adore art books ( specially fantasy/concept art ). That does seem like the perfect place to start!
Link for the curious - http://www.amazon.com/Art-Magic-Gathering-Zendikar/dp/142158249X

u/Natedogg2 · 1 pointr/magicTCG
u/HolyCrap_WOTF · 1 pointr/magicduels

Look at this one. Has some customer images in the comments as a first impression.

Huge MtG art fan and thought about getting my fingers on one of these as well. :)

u/corveroth · 1 pointr/magicTCG

Hmm. It was never in a Magic Story chapter, and we've got nothing on the MTG Wiki. Unless there's a mention in the Innistrad art book, I doubt there's anything at all.

https://mtg.gamepedia.com/The_Art_of_Magic:_The_Gathering_-_Innistrad

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Magic-Gathering-Innistrad/dp/1421587807

u/MettaWorldWarTwo · 1 pointr/magicTCG

The Magic Art books seem to have lore interspersed but I think my wife would hit me if I brought them home. If only they were available via PDF.

u/GMcrates · 1 pointr/rpg

You could purchase the art book they produced for some inspiration as well. Amazon Link

u/greatgatsbys · 1 pointr/coloringtherapy

Hello! I have Colour Quest and it's freaking awesome. It takes a long time to do each page but the pay-off at the end is great as you discover what you're colouring as you go along.

https://www.amazon.com/Color-Quest-Coloring-Challenges-Complete/dp/1438008562?tag=duckduckgo-iphone-20

u/jrmn9 · 1 pointr/MakeupAddiction

If you get interested at some point, this is the book I got! Works great with a basic watercolor palette and an audiobook in the background :)

u/murphy38 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I think you should get The Art of Nature Coloring Book because it looks like it would have some really interesting illustrations, that even if you didn't want to colour, would be good to browse and could serve as inspiration since you seem to be interested in drawing.

u/vogueadishu · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

You really need to buy this for yourself because it's a Dr. Who journal, which is awesome in and of itself, and also because you need something to write things down in (memories). Mom brain sucks big time, and sometimes you need to look back on things and remember what you've forgotten. Plus this because it's such a great stress relief, and who doesn't love to color?!

u/Imorine · 1 pointr/gaming

You are missing This and This

u/kylowynn · 1 pointr/zelda

I completely agree.

Also, the BOTW concept art from the upcoming Art & Artifacts book looks like it was based on WW. With those eyes, Link almost looks almost like a grown up WW Link…

u/Ryvaeus · 1 pointr/PHGamers

Amazon. It's where I got my hat, among other LoZ items.

I guess you can say I'm a bit of a fan. If I had more money, I would buy from Gametee as well.

u/haRacz · 1 pointr/pathofexile
u/Patoshlenain · 1 pointr/rpg

There is one coming out of corners, travelling through dimensions called Hounds of Tindalos, maybe that's the one.

That said, i recently bought a book of lovecraftian creatures on amazon made for the 7th edition of call of chtulu (kind of ?). It was printed for that but there is no stat sheet whatsoever. What it has though is some really neat art, size comparison, trivia on the monster, description, life habits and even some things you don't usually see like a symbol people could draw in lore books or legends. It is one of the greatest thing i bought recently for around 30$ so for a monster of the week thing, you reaaaaaaaaally have a lot to work with, I highly recommend it

https://www.amazon.ca/Petersens-Field-Guide-Lovecraftian-Horrors/dp/1568820836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504493699&sr=8-1&keywords=lovecraftian+horrors

look for pictures of the book, and see for yourself ;)

u/deleted_acc0unt · 1 pointr/painting

Books or video on composition? I can recommend two books:

I got this from the library and so far I’m enjoying it

Mastering Composition: Techniques and Principles to Dramatically Improve Your Painting (Mastering (North Light Books)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1581809247/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_39W8Ab8K4X8ZF

This was my textbook for my color and composition class

The Elements of Color: A Treatise on the Color System of Johannes Itten Based on His Book the Art of Color https://www.amazon.com/dp/0442240384/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_teX8AbVYTBXVT

u/Jack_of_Art_Trades · 1 pointr/graphic_design
  • Mastering Composition
  • Composition
  • Picture This

    I didn't see any sites that particularly stood out to me, but a lot had good info. Some are simple and some have complex geometric breakdowns. Find what you like and works for you. I personally don't like the complex geometry approach, I have a short attention span and I would never spend the time planning a piece to that point, especially when I can get the same look with a simpler approach. Rule of thirds is the rule I fall back on the most, it never steers me wrong. Based on the two images you posted you have good instincts, don't get overwhelmed by all the rules and theories about composition. In the end, do what you think looks best. The more pieces you create the more you will develop your eye. Also, it is great that you are open to constructive criticism, some artists get so butt hurt that they cannot learn anything.
u/Zi1djian · 1 pointr/darksouls

I think they're publishing the book here in the US starting sometime this year. I'll see if I can dig up the amazon link.


Fake edit: Yerp: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Souls-Design-Works-Software/dp/1926778898/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371445625&sr=1-1&keywords=dark+souls

u/JTazmania · 1 pointr/darksouls

If you have a lot a lot of money, figure out a way to import the trilogy edition of the Dark Souls remaster from Japan. I think it may only be for PS4 but it comes with all the games and a lot of great goodies. Otherwise if money is tighter there are some amazing Art Books (design works) you can buy online. Dark Souls 1 to 3 (3 comes out in August) with some absolutely stunning artwork from the game.

u/Gaarawoods18 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

well what i really want would be these joycons for my nintendo switch since my other ones broke and i have had to keep the poor thing in docked mode permanently :(

xD those are expensive though so i will be more realistic, i would really like this design works book for my favourite video game dark souls, i love game design and interviews and have always wanted to own this

u/fishblargs · 1 pointr/gamecollecting

nice collection! I've been hunting the demon's souls and dark souls collector editions for a bit now without much luck. Anyway demon's souls and dark souls are my favorite also. Have you pre-ordered the limited edition dark souls art book yet? http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Souls-Design-Works-Software/dp/1926778898/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375359522&sr=1-1&keywords=dark+souls+art+book

u/Jumblybones · 1 pointr/funny

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NAxmmgG5S94/UMtKcA4OYNI/AAAAAAAACEM/9twpzSOuJp0/s1600/kosemen%2Bstego.jpg

That's from a really cool book about the limitations of paleo-reconstructive art called All Yesterdays.

u/DJ1066 · 1 pointr/Showerthoughts

OP: Have a read of the book "All Yesterdays". A fascinating read on this topic IMO.

u/kylekgrimm · 1 pointr/findareddit

Not a subreddit, but this 'speculative paleoart' is pretty much defined by All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals (which your article actually references at the bottom).

There's also an awesome 99% Invisible podcast about All Yesterdays that you should definitely check out!

u/chodechugging · 1 pointr/pics

The image is from a book called All Yesterdays. Some of the authors' associates have posted it on their blog, so hopefully it's ok for me to post it here. The artist himself is C.M. Kosemen, more of his work can be seen here and here. The other 2 authors are Darren Naish, author of the fabulous Tetrapod Zoology blog and John Conway, his paleoart is pretty good.

u/LocalAmazonBot · 0 pointsr/booksuggestions

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Masters of Deception


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

u/remembertosmilebot · 0 pointsr/dndnext

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

Zendikar art book from MTG.

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot