Art Fundamentals with Core Concepts CD-ROM

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: I had to get this book for my Design class in college. Great book. We didn't go through the whole book, but I kept the book after the class was over because there is some practical information for the art student. There is a bunch of information that i can use to apply to my own artwork, as well as a history of some past art works used as examples. The photos are all in color and there is many of them.

This book is a great introduction, but it is a wealth of information. The reading is easy and doesn't bore me. I don't know about some people, but reading a text can be cumbersome, but not this book. I really do learn alot just from this book alone without a class.

Rating:
Summary: The CD-ROM
Review: I have not seen the book, which I gather is loaded with color reproductions of art. However, I was asked by a friend to evaluate the CD-ROM that (apparently) comes with the book. I am not entirely clear on the exact relationship of the CD or how it is supposed to complement the book, but I will confine my comments to the CD 'as if' it were a stand-alone product.

The CD is deeply flawed in two key aspects: presentation and content. First, I am a professional multimedia designer who has designed an educational CD, as well as a fine artist who has worked in several media (ceramics, photography, painting), and taught digital design at the university level.

My initial impression of the content, including the text and silly little exercises, is that this product could be aimed at elementary school level instruction, and for that matter would be an extremely poor substitute for a scribbler pad and box of crayons coupled with some common-sense discussion of various, basic design elements. However as I read through the "Self-evaluation" section I realized that at least some of the vocabulary employed is really addressed to university-level literacy. If you are going to have students engage in digital manipulations, don't waste their time with these superficially clever exercises (rotating and scaling little lozenges, and filling them with colors and patterns in a tiny window). Give them the real thing! Even a basic freeware paint program has much more to offer.

The presentation itself is cold, clinical and utterly lacking in interesting visual dimension or texture -- a catastrophic failing in a publication purporting to teach "Art Fundamentals". Gimmicky rollover effects and slide transitions recall the worst of Flash eye-candy, and corporate Power Point sales pitches.

But there's more -- the excessive text is so badly presented that it is functionally illegible, considering the quantities the poor viewer is being asked to read. Pray that it merely duplicates the copy in the hard copy book, and there it is at least conventionally legible. A section of stitlted and programmatic exercises recall those matchbook covers for correspondance art instruction. Blech.

Finally I will comment on a series of video clips that explain various fine art media and techniques. The video quality is reasonably good, however the visuals are utterly boring, and the voice-over narration an excruciating, amateur, flat, monotone. Most of the artwork selected as examples during arbitrary, 'slide show' sequences is at best mediocre. What a crime to convey boredom and indifference about visual creativity in a textbook for foundation art students!

I'm very sorry to say that I find nothing to recommend about the CD that comes with this "best seller", because that is a reflection of the very sad state of visual literacy in North America. I am not tempted in the least to look at the textbook it comes with.

Rating:
Summary: Design and History
Review: Popular with the Art Classes on college campuses nationwide, this book meets all expectations for an introductory art class. Covering Black and White design and history, the book covers styles and jargon used to describe the popular works. The Colour section does equally well, with vivid pictures of art work. Each era is discussed and the fundamentals of colour are provided. This is the book to get to get your feet wet in the world of Art.