Reddit mentions: The best art history books

Hey! I graduated from IB in 2007 and did standard and higher level art, got a 6 out of 7 (I slacked a bit towards the end, senioritis). I then went on to do a 4 year Illustration program and graduated with a BFA. I hope you go down a similar path, art is very fulfilling and you seem to have some passion. Don't feel discouraged if your work doesn't yet match your ideas, you need to crank out tons of studies and eventually you'll feel yourself improving in leaps and bounds.

What IB really wants to see from you is a consistent theme. You've got a lot of experimentation in different media which is great, but I recommend you get some inspiration from art history. Just straight up copy old masters, if you see an old painting that you enjoy try to duplicate it and you'll understand it in a way you could never imagine. Try you hand at things like chalk pastels (Nu Pastel is a good brand), charcoal, watercolor, maybe even some oil paint. Avoid using small scratchy lines all the time, try flipping charcoal on its side and making broad strokes or get some powdered graphite and apply with a brush. A quote I try to live by: "Big artists use big brushes."

Find one or two types of media that really appeal to you and run with it, struggle with it, learn from it, study it, become bored with it, master it. I did digital painting for the most part which was sort of cutting-edge at the time and scored me some originality points and still to this day I work in that style.

Contemplate what you think is an interesting theme to make a series of artworks about, go to a local art gallery or museum and see how other artists approach themes. Get inspiration everywhere and write it down, lyrics in songs, things on the news, ideas in the shower. I did 'Creation / Destruction' as my theme and focused on the duality of the two through mythical stories of gods, warfare, self esteem and perception, yatta yatta. You're in high school, remember that this is a good time to just noodle around, try crazy shit, don't worry about being judged for failing, failure makes you better because you learn what not to do. And originality isn't the most important thing, imitate the art you love and once you feel you understand it you can tweak it.

Here's the biggest secrets I never knew in high school. Artworks are broken down into a few essential components, if you keep these concepts in mind you'll do much better.

1. Color is composed of a few parts - value (lightness and darkness), hue (red, green, blue, etc.), temperature (cool or warm), and saturation (how gray the color is). You can have a dark, cool, desaturated red or you could have a dark, warm, saturated red. When you're trying to paint skintones or landscapes, ask yourself - how dark is this color? What hue is this color? Is it cool or warm? Is it gray or saturated?
   
   
2. Take your artwork into photoshop or any editing program and turn it to grayscale or desaturate it. If your art works in black and white, you can apply any color on top of it and it will still work. This is why the art of people like Andy Warhol works, even though the hue is crazy out of control nonsense, the value (lightness and darkness) matches so your eye can read it properly.
   
   
3. When you are drawing from observation, squint to see value and open your eyes to see color. Squinting helps so much, it fuzzes out your vision and will remove a lot of unnecessary detail. When you squint you will only see the most important forms, the lightest and darkest areas.
   
   
4. Reflected light is important for creating realism. When light hits a surface, it bounces off and casts light on the sides of other objects. A sphere, for example, will have a bit of light in the shadow area because it bounces off the table and hits the bottom part. Keep an eye out for this, do studies of things on your desk and learn how light works in reality.
   
   
5. Never center anything. View objects on the page inside of 'envelopes' that encompass their widest points and move these around abstractly. Don't line up the tops or bottoms, keep them uneven, keep the shapes significantly different. I was taught that people usually cannot perceive a change in size unless it's at least twice as big or small. Try to have one center of interest and a couple areas of lesser interest. View your composition as a dart target where the bullseye is the most interesting part and the outer radiating circles are increasingly less important. You should view your center of interest like a shiny jewel. If you surround it in other shinier stuff it won't be as impressive because it won't pop out. But if you put it in a nice velvet box with a subdued but gorgeous color suddenly that gem seems very beautiful.
   
   
6. Few things are ever fully black or fully white. When you are observing a black object, ask yourself if you can imagine a black that's darker than what you're looking at. If 0 is black and 10 is white, a 1 is a very natural darkness. A 9 would work in the brightest highlight on the object. Most objects are a middle tone between 3-7 including skin. Black and white are also boring, instead of black try a super dark color. Instead of white try a really bright hue. Think mostly about temperature, do I want a warm feeling or a cool feeling?
   
   
7. Most objects have a warm-cool relationship when hit by light. Go outside and look at a rock. If it's cool, overcast day, you might notice the light is cool and the shadow is warmer. Not way warmer, but maybe it's a more reddish purple instead of blue. Or go outside when the sun is low and check out how warm the light is. Orangey red tones on everything, but look at the shadows and you'll see beautiful cool blues and purples.
   
   The books I'd recommend are:
   
   The Story of Painting
   
   Imaginative Realism
   
   Everything by Andrew Loomis (Free!)
   
   Classical Painting Atelier
   
   View these websites:
   
   http://www.linesandcolors.com/
   
   http://www.googleartproject.com/
   
   http://gregnewbold.blogspot.com/
   
   http://beardedroman.com/
   
   http://www.artrenewal.org/
   
   Good luck! My website is www.caycegoldberg.com so feel free to contact me if you want critiques or advice or whatever. And don't let the stress of IB take you down, stick through it. It's a tremendous struggle but it gives you a huge leg up on life, you'll appreciate it forever.

Telecosm: How Infinite Bandwidth Will Revolutionize Our World
by George Gilder

The computer age is over.
After a cataclysmic global run of thirty years, it has given birth to the age of the telecosm -- the world enabled and defined by new communications technology. Chips and software will continue to make great contributions to our lives, but the action is elsewhere. To seek the key to great wealth and to understand the bewildering ways that high tech is restructuring our lives, look not to chip speed but to communication power, or bandwidth. Bandwidth is exploding, and its abundance is the most important social and economic fact of our time.

George Gilder is one of the great technological visionaries, and "the man who put the 's' in 'telecosm'" (Telephony magazine). He is equally famous for understanding and predicting the nuts and bolts of complex technologies, and for putting it all together in a soaring view of why things change, and what it means for our daily lives. His track record of futurist predictions is one of the best, often proving to be right even when initially opposed by mighty corporations and governments. He foresaw the power of fiber and wireless optics, the decline of the telephone regime, and the explosion of handheld computers, among many trends. His list of favored companies outpaced even the soaring Nasdaq in 1999 by more than double.

His long-awaited Telecosm is a bible of the new age of communications. Equal parts science story, business history, social analysis, and prediction, it is the one book you need to make sense of the titanic changes underway in our lives. Whether you surf the net constantly or not at all, whether you live on your cell phone or hate it for its invasion of private life, you need this book. It has been less than two decades since the introduction of the IBM personal computer, and yet the enormous changes wrought in our lives by the computer will pale beside the changes of the telecosm. Gilder explains why computers will "empty out," with their components migrating to the net; why hundreds of low-flying satellites will enable hand-held computers and communicators to become ubiquitous; why television will die; why newspapers and magazines will revive; why advertising will become less obnoxious; and why companies will never be able to waste your time again.

Along the way you will meet the movers and shakers who have made the telecosm possible. From Charles Townes and Gordon Gould, who invented the laser, to the story of JDS Uniphase, "the Intel of the Telecosm," to the birthing of fiberless optics pioneer TeraBeam, here are the inventors and entrepreneurs who will be hailed as the next Edison or Gates. From hardware to software to chips to storage, here are the technologies that will soon be as basic as the air we breathe.

https://www.amazon.com/Telecosm-Infinite-Bandwidth-Revolutionize-World-ebook/dp/B000FC0V9I

Migration on Wings
Aerodynamics and Energetics
Authors: Kantha, Lakshmi

This book is an effort to explore the technical aspects associated with bird flight and migration on wings. After a short introduction on the birds migration, the book reviews the aerodynamics and Energetics of Flight and presents the calculation of the Migration Range. In addition, the authors explains aerodynamics of the formation flight and finally introduces great flight diagrams.

https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783642279249

Sophie Calle: Rachel Monique
by Sophie Calle

The haunting story of Sophie Calle’s mother, told through diary excerpts and family photographs
“She was called successively Rachel, Monique, Szyndler, Calle, Pagliero, Gonthier, Sindler,” reads the first lines of Sophie Calle: Rachel Monique, embroidered on the cover. “My mother liked people to talk about her. Her life did not appear in my work, and that annoyed her. When I set up my camera at the bottom of the bed in which she lay dying―fearing that she would pass away in my absence, whereas I wanted to be present and hear her last words―she exclaimed, ‘Finally.’”
Sophie Calle: Rachel Monique tells the story of Monique Szyndler, Sophie Calle’s mother who died in 2007, through diary excerpts and photographs selected by the artist from family albums. Described as “haunting” and “a mystery novel that tirelessly searches for a missing person,” the Rachel Monique project honors a daughter’s complicated relationship with her mother and the artist’s deeply felt grief.
This volume, presenting Calle’s installation of Rachel Monique at the Palais de Tokyo, was designed in close collaboration with the artist. The cover text is embroidered to create a precious object, and all of the texts relating to the installation are beautifully embossed. Sophie Calle: Rachel Monique is a highly personal and moving book, intimate and universal in its expressions of mourning and memory.

https://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Calle-Rachel-Monique/dp/2365111173




Titles of unidentified books: "How to Love.." "Birds..."

Book about "Beatrix Potter" (haven't identified the particular publication)

Though Potter was typical of women of her generation in having limited opportunities for higher education, her study and watercolours of fungi led to her being widely respected in the field of mycology. In her thirties, Potter self-published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Following this, Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full-time.

Potter was also a prize-winning breeder of Herdwick sheep and a prosperous farmer keenly interested in land preservation. Beatrix and her brother were allowed great freedom in the country and both children became adept students of natural history. he Journal, decoded and transcribed by Leslie Linder in 1958, does not provide an intimate record of her personal life, but it is an invaluable source for understanding a vibrant part of British society in the late 19th century. It describes Potter's maturing artistic and intellectual interests, her often amusing insights on the places she visited, and her unusual ability to observe nature and to describe it. Started in 1881, her journal ends in 1897 when her artistic and intellectual energies were absorbed in scientific study and in efforts to publish her drawings.


Beatrix Potter was interested in every branch of natural science save astronomy. By the 1890s her scientific interests centered on mycology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter



Walk Through Walls: A Memoir
by Marina Abramovic


“I had experienced absolute freedom—I had felt that my body was without boundaries, limitless; that pain didn’t matter, that nothing mattered at all—and it intoxicated me.”

In 2010, more than 750,000 people stood in line at Marina Abramović’s MoMA retrospective for the chance to sit across from her and communicate with her nonverbally in an unprecedented durational performance that lasted more than 700 hours. This celebration of nearly fifty years of groundbreaking performance art demonstrated once again that Marina Abramović is truly a force of nature.

The child of Communist war-hero parents under Tito’s regime in postwar Yugoslavia, she was raised with a relentless work ethic. Even as she was beginning to build an international artistic career, Marina lived at home under her mother’s abusive control, strictly obeying a 10 p.m. curfew. But nothing could quell her insatiable curiosity, her desire to connect with people, or her distinctly Balkan sense of humor—all of which informs her art and her life. The beating heart of Walk Through Walls is an operatic love story—a twelve-year collaboration with fellow performance artist Ulay, much of which was spent penniless in a van traveling across Europe—a relationship that began to unravel and came to a dramatic end atop the Great Wall of China.

Marina’s story, by turns moving, epic, and dryly funny, informs an incomparable artistic career that involves pushing her body past the limits of fear, pain, exhaustion, and danger in an uncompromising quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. A remarkable work of performance in its own right, Walk Through Walls is a vivid and powerful rendering of the unparalleled life of an extraordinary artist.

https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Through-Walls-Marina-Abramovic/dp/1101905042

Here you go, ladies.

Pegging. Thoughts?

• No thank you. Even if he asked for it, I’d be worried about doing him an injury by mistake. Not a sexy feeling.
  
  
  How old were you when you lost your virginity?
  
  
• 15.
  
  
  If you could change it, would you make it earlier or later?
  
  
• The date is less relevant than the individual I chose. I’d change the person.
  
  
  Do you like using toys in the bedroom?
  
  
• On my own, yes. Though much less often, now that I have the miracle of sexy audios. I prefer my hand.
  
  What is your go to song for when you are
  
  
• a) sad - Uno, Ludovico Einaudi
  
  
• b) contemplative - Gong Meditation
  
  
• c) happy - Get Lucky, Pharrell Williams. I associate it with walking into the Louvre in Paris.
  
  
• d) head over heels smitten - To each man his own song, but in the past I've swooned to Simply Beautiful (Al Green) and Keep Them Kisses Comin' (Craig Campbell)
  
  
  When was the last time you laughed a lovely laugh full of mirth?
  
  
  
• Last week. Something a friend said in response to another friend, that cracked me up. Extremely not-PC remarks about Easter between a Catholic and a Jew. The kind of thing only two very good friends could get away with riffing on.
  
  
  What is your favourite colour and what does it signify?
  
  
• All the colors. What I wear entirely depends on my mood and my whim. I'll admit my closet and drawers are color coded. For your reading pleasure, this is an excellent book about the origins of pigments; [Color: A Natural History of the Palette](https://www.amazon.com/Color-Natural-History-Victoria-Finlay/dp/0812971426/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0812971426&pd_rd_r=WPK9M49AJFY6BVCG98HN&pd_rd_w=cAyMT&pd_rd_wg=sySho&psc=1&refRID=WPK9M49AJFY6BVCG98HN
  ), by Victoria Finlay. It is well worth your time.
  
  
  And the SUNDAY SPECIAL for this week:
  Your favourite on screen villains/ vamps of all time...
  
  
• Total fail here, ladies. I got as far as whoever shot Bambi’s mother, the eponymous star of Alien, and was wondering if Hitler counts (because he is in so many movies) when I stalled out. Was pondering horrible characters, when I realized that if they are good at being villains I don’t like them, so the concept of having favorites doesn’t really work for me.
  
  
  
  

> The problem is I don't know where to start, every video/guide talks about picking the favorite character and read about it, but that's not what I want to hear

Why didn't you like the "pick your favorite character and read about it" advice? That's, imo, the best way to get into superhero comics.

> I concluded that there is different origin story for each character in each one of the events

What do you mean by "in each one of the events"? Every character's origin has been re-told MANY times. People will recommend a "best" origin, but it's not definitive, actually, it's very subjective. TBH, origin stories are kind of a new reader trap. They adhere to the beginning, middle, and end storytelling structure of "complete" self-contained stories people have come to expect from other entertainment mediums. Comics are decades-long ongoing stories. It's like a TV show with 100 seasons and every 40 seasons it get's "rebooted"—the characters are the same, but they have to find creative ways (e.g. time travel, multiverses) to change the actors/directors/writers out because they got too old/ran out of story ideas. How many times do you want to hear about Batman's parents dying before it gets EXTREMELY tiresome/boring?

Anyway, here's my copy/pasta for new readers (let me know if you have questions):

DC Starter Guide
--

---

How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems

Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? What time/resources are available i.e. how many comics (per character) could/should be read before burning out?

Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Aquaman until Geoff Johns’ run).

Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.

Where to buy (US):

• Digital: Marvel Unlimited, Comixology, e-library (e.g. Hoopla - free), webcomics (free)
  
• Print (collected editions): instocktrades, ISBNS, library (free)
  
• Print (singles): midtowncomics, mycomicshop, DCBS
  
  Modern DC characters/teams:
  
  
• Animal Man | Grant Morrison
  
• Animal Man | Jeff Lemire
  
• Aquaman | Johns & Parker
  
• Batman: Year One | Frank Miller
  
• Batman: The Long Halloween | Jeph Loeb
  
• Batman: Hush | Jeph Loeb
  
• Batman | Scott Snyder
  
• Batwoman: Elegy | Greg Rucka
  
• Birds of Prey | Gail Simone
  
• DC: The New Frontier | Darwyn Cooke
  
• Flash | Mark Waid
  
• Flash | Geoff Johns
  
• Gotham Central | Brubaker & Rucka
  
• Green Arrow: Year One | Andy Diggle
  
• Green Arrow | Kevin Smith
  
• Green Arrow | Jeff Lemire
  
• Green Lantern | Geoff Johns
  
• JLA (Justice League) | Morrison & Waid
  
• Justice League | Geoff Johns
  
• Kingdom Come | Mark Waid
  
• Omega Men | Tom King
  
• Suicide Squad | John Ostrander
  
• Secret Six (Suicide Squad) | Gail Simone
  
• Superman: Birthright | Mark Waid
  
• Superman: All-Star Superman | Grant Morrison
  
• Superman: American Alien | Max Landis
  
• Swamp Thing | Snyder & Soule
  
• New Teen Titans | Marv Wolfman
  
• Watchmen | Alan Moore
  
• Wonder Woman | Greg Rucka
  
• Wonder Woman | Brian Azzarello
  
  Alternatively, you can skip to the recent Rebirth re-launch by reading the DC Universe: Rebirth event and then any Rebirth series #1. /r/DCcomics sidebar for more info.
  
  Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers already well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
  
  Modern DC events/crossovers:
  
  
• Crisis on Infinite Earths | Marv Wolfman
  
• Identity Crisis | Brad Meltzer
  
• Infinite Crisis | Geoff Johns
  
• 52 | Geoff Johns, et al.
  
• Final Crisis | Grant Morrison
  
• Blackest Night | Geoff Johns
  
• Flashpoint | Geoff Johns
  
• Forever Evil | Geoff Johns
  
• The Multiversity | Grant Morrison
  
• Darkseid War | Geoff Johns
  
• DC Universe: Rebirth | Geoff Johns
  
  DC also publishes varied-genre, creator-owned comics for “mature readers” under separate imprints (e.g. Vertigo):
  
  
• Daytripper | Fabio Moon
  
• Hellblazer (Constantine) | Delano, Ennis, et al.
  
• Planetary | Warren Ellis
  
• Saga of the Swamp Thing | Alan Moore
  
• Sandman | Neil Gaiman
  
• Scalped | Jason Aaron
  
• Sleeper | Ed Brubaker
  
• Transmetropolitan | Warren Ellis
  
• Preacher | Garth Ennis
  
• Y: The Last Man | Brian K Vaughan
  
  Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Literary/natural narratives? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Social/political commentary? Family-friendly/explicit content? Optimism/pessimism? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
  
  Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.
  
  EDIT: Added Jeff Parker run to Aquaman recommendation
  
  
  

It's a good thing you're not cutting anymore...

​

Hey, I didn't even go to prom junior year and didn't have a date senior year. To be trite, it gets better. I'm guessing you're not even 18 yet, but people do get less shallow/more mature over time. A lot of the shorter dudes I know (myself included, at 5'5" - and my dad is 5' flat) ended up doing just fine. Here are some things you can do:

​

1. Bulk up. It's an easy way to compensate for a lack of verticality. Plus, it'll give you a hobby and something to talk about, even if mostly with gym bros and fit chicks. You should also make sure to dress well. You don't have to "peacock" or any of that nonsense, just make sure your clothes fit and don't clash. You can compensate with shortness a little with a hairstyle like a faux-hawk or something, too.
   
2. Get charismatic and confident! There are tons of resources out there on how to develop good social skills, make good conversation, and come across as super interesting. Of course, you can only come across as super interesting by:
   
3. Becoming an interesting person. Find a cool hobby (or job) and get good at it, develop a good sense of humor, get well-informed and worldly. Maybe pick up a martial art or something similarly badass (I'm biased, as I'm a black belt and instructor).
   
   ​
   
   It's absolutely unfair and absolutely sucks. Unlike weight, you have essentially zero control over it. You *will* have to work harder than someone taller. To the extent that it forces you to work on yourself, though, it's also a good thing.
   
   ​
   
   Peter Dinklage is 4'4" and married to a total babe. It's not by any means hopeless.
   
   ​
   
   For reference:
   
   https://www.youtube.com/user/charismaoncommand
   
   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe0TLA0EsQbE-MjuHXevj2A
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Art-Shen-Ku-Intergalactic-Universe/dp/0399527257

Nah, I honestly can't stand superhero comics unless there's something really special about them. That said, sry, but one of my first recommendations is a marvel comic called [Runaways] (https://www.comixology.com/Runaways-Vol-1/comics-series/1029)
'Six couples meet up every year for a party and each year each couple brings their child. This year, the children decide to find out what is so special about this annual party, only to find the parents committing murder!'
Maybe it's just because I grew up with the series, but the characters and their development just feels really sincere and organic.
Now, onto stuff you might like a little better:

• [SAGA] (http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Vol-Brian-K-Vaughan/dp/1607066017/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405020051&sr=8-1&keywords=saga) is an ongoing space-operay type romance/adventure books that's pretty hard to describe. It's crazy imaginative, but again has great writing and sincere characters. Plus the art is gorgeous.
  
  
• [Punk Rock Jesus] (http://www.amazon.com/Punk-Rock-Jesus-Sean-Murphy/dp/1401237681) is a graphic novel that sounds like it might be fitting to your interests. It's about a future where they are able to extract enough dna material from the shroud of turin to produce a clone of the biblical Jesus Christ, there by manually bringing about the second coming of Christ and being able to televise it all. From his birth, to him growing up as a baby. Uhg, sorry but I just think that plot is so cool.
  
  
• [Daytripper] (http://www.amazon.com/Daytripper-Gabriel-Ba/dp/1401229697/ref=pd_sim_b_63?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GD0G6GZC9VN6R8S50V6) is also worth checking out.
  'DAYTRIPPER follows the life of one man, Bras de Olivias Dominguez. Every chapter features an important period in Bras’ life in exotic Brazil, and each story ends the same way: with his death. And then, the following story starts up at a different point in his life, oblivious to his death in the previous issue – and then also ends with him dying again. In every chapter, Bras dies at different moments in his life, as the story follows him through his entire existence – one filled with possibilities of happiness and sorrow, good and bad, love and loneliness.' It's down to earth and realistic, while still having enough room for imagination and beauty to keep it interesting.
  
  Hopefully that's a wide enough spread to where something might look interesting. Most libraries carry at least one of these books.

Well there we go again. This is classic presentism. What's hard for people today to understand is that the concept of "science" was not a thing until very recently. Some would say as late as the 1700's but certainly not before the 1500's (and that's stretching it).

Like I said in another post, science and technology were two completely separated things. Science was something done by an intellectual elite and was more dealing with philosophical concepts and mind games and wild theoreticals than actual applied sciences or doing anything that could manifest in reality. Applied technology was something made by the middle and lower classes to apply to their work. That's just how it was for all of Western history, even back to the oh so highly praised Greeks and Romans. So trying to say "What scientific advancements were made in the Ancient/Medieval World" is an anachronism -- it doesn't fit with the period and it's bad historiography to think about it in that fashion.

With that said, that doesn't mean there was a void of natural philosophers (what we'd call "scientists" today) in the Medieval Era. A basic list of the big ones would be Albertus Magnus, Robert Grosseteste, Roger Bacon, John Peckham, Duns Scotus, Thomas Bradwardine, Walter Burley, William Heytesbury, Richard Swineshead, John Dumbleton, Richard of Wallingford, Nicholas Oresme, Jean Buridan and Nicholas of Cusa – all of which happily pursued and invested time into science unmolested by any crown or church authority might I add.

Here is a really good post that goes into more detail about this and is worth your time if you want to know more.

We tend to think about technological and scientific progress as a linear thing. As a "forward" and "back" or "lesser" to "better" type of gradient. That's nothing more than a cultural product of the past 200-300 years but it is not indicative of the majority of human history. Technology is not a linear process, it's an adaptive one. It morphs with the needs and demands of the people. People make what they need based on their social, political, economic, and environmental positions. Real life doesn't have a tech tree.

The Romans had hegemony over most of the Mediterranean, were massively agricultural, and had an enormous slave population. So a lot of potential output, little need for input, and a lot of land to cover. Thus, they invented things like the aqueduct to transport lots of water across large parts of the Empire and refined ideas like roads to assist travel across their holdings.

The needs of the people in the Medieval Era were different. They by and large did not have huge empires. They also did not have huge slave populations and without a large empire holding formerly inarable lands together with imported foodstuffs, the now artificially large populations began to suffer without sufficient agricultural production. So things like the heavy plough were invented, so that the rough lands of the North could be worked. But horses choke themselves to death with the plough, and their hooves are not good for working the rocky lands. Thus the horse collar and the horseshoe were created. This allowed a boom in birth rates that would not be matched for hundreds of years and generally raised the standards of living with more available foodstuffs.

With lower populations contributing, things like the mill (which did formerly exist, but in rudimentary fashions) were refined to automatically hammer metal, churn butter, and grind grain and save labor. If you want a really good book that you can pick up for $1.50, On Divers Arts is a translated almanac of sorts from the 12th century on painting, metallurgy, and glasswork. It will show you just how clever and intelligent these people really were.

Even in terms of "cultural output" the Medieval Era was by no means hung out to dry. The sagas. The entire Arthurian corpus. The Book of Kells and all those other illuminated masterpieces. The Carolingian Manuscript which brought some of the first standardized writing and spelling to life ever. The Cathedrals which were marvels of architectural engineering that dwarfed anything the Romans or Greeks ever dreamed of building and, at least in my opinion, contained far more beauty in their original painted states. Chaucer and Dante again, along with Boccaccio, the Gawain-poet, Christine de Pizan, Snorri Sturluson, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Chrétien de Troyes and a few hundred others? The Medieval Era was not short of beauty, art, intellectuals, and technology.

I'm late to the party, but I made a cheat sheet for my boss niece last week: here's all the ressources I can think of to kick butts at matte painting.

The sites where we pay per month

Gnomon Online School
Super school of vfx in California. They have on their site a lot of tutorials from 8 to 20 hours to learn to make your own camera projections. You can either pay (expensive but worth it) for a private class with a teacher via Skype. Or you pay (cheaper) for a bank of tutorials.

private lessons
https://www.gnomon.edu/courses/online


the bank of tutorials
https://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials?tags[]=matte-painting


I recommend: All the tutorials of Dylan Cole (vol 1, 2,3), Camera Projection Techniques in Maya, Matte Painting Production techniques, etc.




Plural Sight (formerly Digital Tutors)


a site that has courses on a little everything. This site is very good when you want to learn new programs. Excellent serie on the 3D which becomes more and more present in the matte painting, and some tutorials


https://app.pluralsight.com/library/


related to 3D

Quick start to modeling in Maya (volume 1,2,3)
Professional Tips for Modeling Complex Shapes


related to matte painting

Photo manipulation and Clean Plating Fundamentals
Matte Painting Basic and the Static Camera Shot


Sites where we pay per tutorial (Gumroad, etc.)



The tutorials of Anthony Eftekhari

Good DMP tutorials that show you the latest techniques and how to do it step by step.


https://gumroad.com/anthonye

The tutorials of Eytan Zana

More concept art, but the main lines apply just as well to the DMP.

https://gumroad.com/eytanzana


Free sites and tutorials


Garrett Fry's blog

He also has a Facebook group that helps each other in DMP, it is THE technical reference for matte painting. His blog is full of technical stuff for camera projections (aka moving your matte painting). A treasure of information.
https://www.gfryart.com/blog



Other


TEXTURES! (Or can we find good textures to make DMP)


CGtexture

http://www.textures.com

Flickr (Matte Painting References)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjframe/sets/72157605581901392/

Flickr (Matte Painting Resources)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dman3d2000/sets/72157629164518650/

Photobash.org (paying a card)

https://www.photobash.org/

Pictures of Jacek Pilarski

https://gumroad.com/jacekpilarski

Books (yes yes, it's a thing)

Digital Matte Painter Handbook

it's old, the drawings are ugly, the photoshop stuff in it is pure candy though. Full of stuff in DMP that I have never seen elsewhere but that is the basis of the trade. Still actual today. The matte painting of the castle in is also an excellent starting point if you start from scratch.

https://www.amazon.ca/Digital-Matte-Painting-Handbook/dp/0470922427/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523975893&sr=1-1&keywords=Digital+Matte+Painting+Handbook

How to draw and How to Render

Scott Robertson, a big shot of concept art, shows the basics of traditional drawings, perspective, etc. An essential.

https://www.amazon.ca/How-Draw-sketching-environments-imagination/dp/1933492732/ref=pd_sim_14_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GWB27RDDYF5E0JG7TTY0

https://www.amazon.ca/How-Render-fundamentals-shadow-reflectivity/dp/1933492961/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K9W1RK5K9KVWMPY14EAE

Imaginative Realism and Color and Light

James Gurney is an illustrator who specializes in realistic fantasy artwork with traditional mediums, excellent cues on light and color

https://www.amazon.ca/Imaginative-Realism-Paint-Doesnt-Exist/dp/0740785508?th=1&psc=1&source=googleshopping&locale=en-CA&tag=googcana-20&ref=pd_sl_2y2j9az9y9_e

https://www.amazon.ca/Color-Light-Guide-Realist-Painter/dp/0740797719/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YCNYYJCTNJ4405KD1S6B

Nuke 101

We can make the projection of matte painting in Nuke or Maya. An excellent book for Nuke.

https://www.amazon.ca/Nuke-101-Professional-Compositing-Effects/dp/0321984129/ref=pd_sim_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FNST5YS1F7464SZY3QZV

Random selection of some of my favorites to help you expand your horizons:

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan is a great introduction to scientific skepticism.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris is a succinct refutation of Christianity as it's generally practiced in the US employing crystal-clear logic.

Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor by Anthony Everitt is the best biography of one of the most interesting men in history, in my personal opinion.

Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski is a jaw-dropping book on history, journalism, travel, contemporary events, philosophy.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is a great tome about... everything. Physics, history, biology, art... Plus he's funny as hell. (Check out his In a Sunburned Country for a side-splitting account of his trip to Australia).

The Annotated Mona Lisa by Carol Strickland is a thorough primer on art history. Get it before going to any major museum (Met, Louvre, Tate Modern, Prado, etc).

Not the Impossible Faith by Richard Carrier is a detailed refutation of the whole 'Christianity could not have survived the early years if it weren't for god's providence' argument.

Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman are six of the easier chapters from his '63 Lectures on Physics delivered at CalTech. If you like it and really want to be mind-fucked with science, his QED is a great book on quantum electrodynamics direct from the master.

Lucy's Legacy by Donald Johanson will give you a really great understanding of our family history (homo, australopithecus, ardipithecus, etc). Equally good are Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors by Nicholas Wade and Mapping Human History by Steve Olson, though I personally enjoyed Before the Dawn slightly more.

Memory and the Mediterranean by Fernand Braudel gives you context for all the Bible stories by detailing contemporaneous events from the Levant, Italy, Greece, Egypt, etc.

After the Prophet by Lesley Hazleton is an awesome read if you don't know much about Islam and its early history.

Happy reading!

edit: Also, check out the Reasonable Doubts podcast.

I suggest hopping right onto two illustrated books!

"Philosophy for beginners" (By Richard Osborne)
https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Beginners-Richard-Osborne/dp/1934389021/ref=sr_1_2/138-6850700-4480729

&

"Introduction to postmodernism" (By Appignanesi & Garrat)
https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Postmodernism-Graphic-Richard-Appignanesi/dp/1840468491

I recommend these books to anyone that can read.

These are more like comic books as the books basically rely on illustrations and puzzling/overly clever/humourous commentary, with not so much text in the traditional sense (there aren't, iirc, whole pages of text), and great fun to read through. The book about postmodernism is a real head scratcher, a decent challenge to anyone enjoying Twin Peaks I think. :)

If I could add something to this, then I would also suggest getting a dictionary and an etymological dictionary (or use the free website Merriam Webster Dictionary on the web, to look up English words whenever you need to, or feel like refreshing your knowledge about words, or just for spell checking). The 'etymology' of a word hints at a deeper meaning with words. The antithesis to proper use of words, are imo 'synonyms'. Also, maybe don't use words like "absolutely" if you don't what you mean by it, as you may be thought as being disingenuous and dishonest (as if relying on ironic distance to try add positive spin with a statement that is basically meaningless), as if you were allowed to make two points with a particular statement at the same time, essentially making a point about making a point about something. Red card! As if saying "I absolutely love your idea", when you maybe mean something like "I love your idea because it is a good idea for me to sound like I love your idea."

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disingenuous
Oddly enough, this one particular entry in the dictionary, does not seem to have a section for 'etymology'. :D

Basically, don't forget that understanding the language one speak is important for understanding meaning in general as a cultural thing (the world you actually live in). So one is challenged to relate to problems like "meaning" and "knowledge". In our post modern world, it is sort of shown that one can always doubt true knowledge, because knowledge isn't what you could otherwise be tempted to want to think of as being 'apriori' knowledge.

And then, I guess you could also watch the movie "Hero" (2002).

Daytripper by Gabriel Bà & Fàbio Moon

Thanks for this thread, it will be a cool occasion to advertise this beautiful book that I just finished (In French, because it's my mothertongue. The authors are Brazilian.)

The concept is very simple, but wonderfully efficient: What will be your obituary if you die today?

We follow the main character, Bràs, who shares with Kenny McCormick the fact that he dies at the end of each chapter. But, on the contrary to Kenny, he dies at a different ages in each chapter.

This allows the authors to highlight what is important at each step of the life of their character. Love, in all its forms, filial, friendship or romance, is present in each page of this book. A bit of fantasy adds to the atmosphere a little bit of tenderness and something that is from the domain of dreams...

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I left it with a renewed love for life.

We have a running experiment in the world today on the subject of Bible vs. no Bible.

Some parts of the world operate without it, other parts with it.

I'm not a historian, and am curious as to what one would say on the subject.

Going on what little I know of history, here's what it looks like to me:

Europe and the Middle East have had the "benefit" of the Bible for at least 2,000 years. These areas have had varying degrees of civilization in that time. As I understand it, officially sanctioned slavery existed in Europe until the conspicuous slave-taking and trafficking that the Vikings practiced made it a crime, in the case of Christian slaves. It is still practiced in parts of the Islamic world. Serfdom continued until the Middle Ages, and marriage-slavery of women continued until a century ago in Europe and is still practiced in parts of the Islamic world. Genocide or attempted genocide happened whenever it was religiously or politically called for, such as wiping out various kinds of heretics in the first millennium, and entire swathes of red-headed women (interestingly, red hair is apparently a marker for Neanderthal blood) around the Middle Ages, and much of the population of the so-called New World in the more recent past. Abortion was universally practiced whenever people had access to the technology, for obvious reasons, until the most recent American religious revival came along. As for the Sermon on the Mount, a collection of moral precepts basically calling for love and humility, it has occasionally inspired people (Dietrich Bonnhoefer for example) and groups of people (the Hutterites for example) to be more loving, at least to each other, and to be more humble, at least as regards some areas of personality. I think it is these teachings that Christians must mean when they say that things are better because of the Bible?

The rest of the world had not heard of the Bible until about 1500, I'm pretty sure. These areas also have had varying levels of civilization. Slavery seems to have been pretty common, but it has had more benign forms than found in Christendom/the Islamic world as well as more miserable forms. Buddhism is explicitly anti-slavery, and "the Chinese Emperor Wang Mang, a Buddhist, may have been history’s first powerful abolitionist—he outlawed the slave trade in 9 A.D." (https://www.freetheslaves.net/take-action/faith-in-action-ending-slavery/) I think you have to look at each area and tribe to find out about slavery, it's not a monolithic thing. In the same way, women had varying levels of freedom, from near-equality to levels approaching the (Bible-based) Saudi-Arabian level of oppression. Abortions were universally practiced whenever people had access to the technology, for obvious reasons. Values such as loving everyone also seem to be pretty variable, though I think calling it a primary virtue may actually be limited to Christianity until recently (is this true?). Humility, of course, is a value that any hierarchical culture demands of non-aristocrats.

What seems pretty clear to me is that until the Renaissance and Enlightenment, the lot of most Christians was dreadful, especially of women but also of men. It took humanism to make things tolerable for the majority of people. See https://www.amazon.com/Swerve-How-World-Became-Modern/dp/0393343405/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PVWLX0X7TJ2C&keywords=the+swerve+how+the+world+became+modern&qid=1566105291&s=gateway&sprefix=the+swerve+how+the+w%2Caps%2C231&sr=8-1

Today we outlaw slavery (though it is still present everywhere, especially enslavement of women, see https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/2018/data/maps/#prevalence for example), we mandate certain but not all rights for women, and most of us agree at least in principle that compassion is a good idea but humility should be contingent. Wherever birth control is available, the abortion rate is relatively low. These are Enlightenment values, not Biblical ones.

I'd be interested to hear from somebody who actually knows the subject.

I think it's a bit difficult and unfair for me to comment based on one painting alone. Do you have any sketches (line drawing, preferably) of this painting, or anything that showcase what you can do so far? Almost everyone will suggest we start designing anything in line sketches, especially if learning, so I'm interested to see what you got :D

Edit: Since you're looking for advice on how to start, I'll just say a few things that might be able to help you start.

(1) Drawing, imo, is the very foundation of all art. I think before you start painting, you should start drawing first! Here are a few links that may help you start with drawing:

• Art Fundamentals (Free, and pretty good)
  
• Foundation Group (Paid, but pretty good)
  
• Ctrl+Paint (Free and Paid. Both are pretty good)
  
  (2) I suggest you follow an art school's course outline so you can progress pretty well. Feng Zhu Design School has an outline that they use for their students to learn how to do concept art in 1 year (16 hours per day). You can also download a detailed version of what they offer in their course, then you can have an idea on what each component means.
  
  
• FZD Course Outline
  
  (3) There are also a few books that would be really useful to you when learning how to draw and render. These are supposedly the best on the internet (I only have two, the first two books in the list) Here they are:
  
  
• How to Draw
  
• How to Render
  
• Figure Drawing
  
• Color and Light
  
• Imaginative Realism
  
  I think those are all I have for you now. I'm not in any way a professional artist (I'm currently studying Industrial Design), but I think the above things I've mentioned should prove useful to you. If you have any questions, you can send me a PM :D Work hard and practise every day!

They aren't Orthodox theologians, but:

• Christianity: The First 3000 Years - can't beat this for an academic, accessible, comprehensive, and fair point of view of every corner of the Christian world in history. Literally every corner. You can skip chapters/parts that don't apply to Orthodoxy if you wish.
  
  
• A Short History of Byzantium -
  focuses more on the Byzantine Empire and so leaves out a lot of stuff, but it does cover the Ecumenical Councils and a lot of Orthodox history. There is also a harder-to-find 3 part trilogy of this abridged book.
  
  Orthodox Writings:
  
  
• Bishop Ware's The Orthodox Church has an overview, but it's pretty light.
  
  
• Orthodox Alaska provides a historical look at the history of Orthodoxy in Alaska, which is pretty great (and super interesting).
  
  There are probably not many good histories of the Church by Orthodox theologians, to be honest.
  
  

Ok, in addition to the paper/booklet posted earlier from acedemia.edu about the lorica segmentata here are some other resources discussing armor and some on metal work techniques. Much of what is available is medieval period but many of the skills and techniques are similar.
On Divers Arts by Theophilus is a treatise on painting, glass making, and metalwork from roughly 1122ad. ISBN:978-0486237848

De Re Metalica by Georgius Agricola is a scientific book on mining and metallurgy from around 1556ad. ISBN: 978-0486600062

The Pirotechnia of Vannoccio Biringuccio is a treatise on metallurgy and alchemy/chemistry from 1540ad. ISBN:978-0486261348

Techniques of Medieval Armor Reproduction: The Fourteenth Century is an awesome book covering various metalwork techniques as applied to making 14th century armor. ISBN: 978-1581605365 He talks about tools you will need and some modifications to make to them for ease of use. He even gives you some ideas on finding good sources for drawing inspiration from for your armor patterns. If you are starting with making armor and don't have anyone nearby to help you learn this is a good guide to buy.

Best of the Hammer is a black and white series of booklets that have great info on medieval metalwork from chainmail to bladesmithing. ISBN:978-0943228044

Roman Body Armor, by Hilary & John Travis is a good re-examining of the data on Roman armor up until this point. ISBN: 978-1445608037

\>>> When they go in the back of the bookstore, we can see an easter-egg from Brit: on the table is a message that reads: "How art can make you happy". If you see the interview that Brit gave for the "offCamera with Sam Jones", you'll understand. :D

The books on that table (they all are linked with the interview):



Making Things Right: The Simple Philosophy of a Working Life

by Ole Thorstensen

A celebration of craftsmanship, teamwork, and the relationship between contractor and client.

Making Things Right is the simple yet captivating story of a loft renovation, from the moment master carpenter and contractor Ole Thorstensen submits an estimate for the job to when the space is ready for occupation. As the project unfolds, we see the construction through Ole's eyes: the meticulous detail, the pesky splinters, the problem solving, patience, and teamwork required for its completion. Yet Ole's narrative encompasses more than just the fine mechanics of his craft. His labor and passion drive him toward deeper reflections on the nature of work, the academy versus the trades, identity, and life itself.


The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now

by Thich Nhat Hanh

In troubled times, there is an urgency to understand ourselves and our world. We have so many questions, and they tug at us night and day, consciously and unconsciously. In this important volume Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh--one of the most revered spiritual leaders in the world today--reveals an art of living in mindfulness that helps us answer life’s deepest questions and experience the happiness and freedom we desire.

Thich Nhat Hanh presents, for the first time, seven transformative meditations that open up new perspectives on our lives, our relationships and our interconnectedness with the world around us. Based on the last full talks before his sudden hospitalization, and drawing on intimate examples from his own life, Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how these seven meditations can free us to live a happy, peaceful and active life, and face ageing and dying with curiosity and joy and without fear.



Your Art Will Save Your Life - also a direct hint which is linked with the interview

by Beth Pickens

Writing in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, Beth Pickens reminds burgeoning artists that their work is more important now than ever, and advises on fostering creativity, sustaining an innovative practice, and navigating institutional funding as an individual. Partially a self-help book, partially a political manifesto, Pickens combines practical advice for those seeking out a creative career while contextualising it for the current time.



\>>> We can also see a book by (or about) Marina Abramović, perhaps is this one:


Walk Through Walls: A Memoir

by Marina Abramović

“I had experienced absolute freedom—I had felt that my body was without boundaries, limitless; that pain didn’t matter, that nothing mattered at all—and it intoxicated me.” Marina’s story, by turns moving, epic, and dryly funny, informs an incomparable artistic career that involves pushing her body past the limits of fear, pain, exhaustion, and danger in an uncompromising quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. A remarkable work of performance in its own right, Walk Through Walls is a vivid and powerful rendering of the unparalleled life of an extraordinary artist.



\>>> And way in back - on the wall - I spotted this book:


The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

"One of the most delightful and enduring classics of children's literature, The Secret Garden by Victorian author Frances Hodgson Burnett has remained a firm favorite with children the world over ever since it made its first appearance. Initially published as a serial story in 1910 in The American Magazine, it was brought out in novel form in 1911".

The plot centers round Mary Lennox, a young English girl who returns to England from India, having suffered the immense trauma by losing both her parents in a cholera epidemic. However, her memories of her parents are not pleasant, as they were a selfish, neglectful and pleasure-seeking couple. Mary is given to the care of her uncle Archibald Craven, whom she has never met. She travels to his home, Misselthwaite Manor located in the gloomy Yorkshire, a vast change from the sunny and warm climate she was used to. When she arrives, she is a rude, stubborn and given to stormy temper tantrums. However, her nature undergoes a gradual transformation when she learns of the tragedies that have befallen her strict and disciplinarian uncle whom she earlier feared and despised. Once when he's away from home, Mary discovers a charming walled garden which is always kept locked. The mystery deepens when she hears sounds of sobbing from somewhere within her uncle's vast mansion. The kindly servants ignore her queries or pretend they haven't heard, spiking Mary's curiosity.


PS: There is one book which I can't find at all (Best Forever by Tim Wiles).

Are you just learning to art or do you have goals?

Dynamic Figure Drawing The early bits of learning to draw focus on correct proportions, but just knowing the facts doesn't mean you understand what you're looking at. Learning about weight and line of action can make figure drawings a lot more interesting.

If you're interested in comics Understanding Comics helps you understand how they work, but not how to draw them.

Do you have access to art classes? Have you done any art history? Art history is pretty great for knowing about the masters and the people that paved the way for today's artists. The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern This book tries to give a short and succinct summary of most of the art movements, but it's worthwhile to get deeper into parts that interest you. The Ninja Turtles (Michaelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael) are icons of the Renaissance, and I imagine the 11 pages for that time period fail to cover quite a lot of the Renaissance. Art is more than the paintings, it's the culture that is responsible for patronizing their work, it's the lessons they learned in pursuit of grander and grander works (The Monalisa represents a lighting choice - twilight hours with indirect lighting; On either side of her is two-point perspective and atmospheric perspective), the men and women that created these works, how these ideas traveled through the regions, and what their work meant to the artists in the time period they lived in.

It also depends on what's important to you. I like heavy charaterization, surprises in plot, great art and not knowing if the end will be happy or not. Life isn't all roses, so I don't want everything I read to be all happy happy joy joy.

series:
Locke and Key - my current fav - some horror
Stangers in Paradise - fun and serious drama
Irredeemable - disturbing

One book: Daytripper thoughtful
The Pro - funny
Two-Step - funny
No Hero - a bit disturbing

The standard textbook history right now appears to be The Romans: From Village to Empire.

Klaus Bringmann's A History of the Roman Republic also still seems to be the standard introduction to that period (i.e. the time period of Imperator).

If you want to read about the end of the Roman Republic and Caesar/Augustus, it's hard to turn down Caesar: Life of a Colossus which is great for the general reader, alongside his Augustus: First Emperor of Rome.

He also writes pretty solid books on other major Roman figures, such as In the Name of Rome: The Men who won the Roman Empire.

If you want to get a pretty good introduction to Roman History, but more of what life was like for the average citizen, SPQR by Mary Beard is actually a good choice.

Older, but still solid, is Peter Garnsey's The Roman Empire: Economy, Society, and Culture which covers a lot of things Beard doesn't.

For the Roman army, Adrian Goldsworthy's The Complete Roman Army is a solid introduction.

However you'll want to break that down into several books if you want to go deeper:

Roman Military Equipment by MC Bishop and JCN Coulston

The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries AD by Graham Webster

A Companion to the Roman Army by Paul Erdkamp

For the collapse of the Western Roman Empire I'd recommend both Peter Heather's The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians combined with the more scholarly Guy Halsall's Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West.

For the forgotten half of Roman History, often mistakenly called the "Byzantine Empire," it's hard to cover with just one book, but Warren Treadgold's A History of the Byzantine State and Society has become the standard reading. John Haldon's The Empire that would not Die covers the critical transition during the Islamic conquests thoroughly.

Of course I have to include books on the two IMO most overrated battles in Roman history on this list since that's what people love:

The Battle of the Teutoberg Wald: Rome's Greatest Defeat by Adrian Murdoch

The Battle of Cannae: Cannae: Hannibal's Greatest Victory is sort of the single book to read if you can only pick one. However, The Ghosts of Cannae is also good. But if you actually want to go really in depth, you need Gregory Daly's dry-as-the-Atacama book Cannae: The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War. When I say dry as the Atacama, I mean it, but it's also extraordinarily detailed.

I'd complement this with Goldsworthy's The Punic Wars.

For other interesting topics:

The Emergence of the Bubonic Plague: Justinian's Flea and Plague and the End of Antiquity.

Hadrian's Wall: Hadrian's Wall by Adrian Goldsworthy

Roman Architecture: Roman Architecture by Frank Sear (definitely a bit more scholarly but you can probably handle it)

I may post more in addendum to this list with further comments but I think I'm reaching the character count.

OK, I get asked this type of question a lot so I have some pre-fab answers for you:

>Someone asked me about teaching yourself art (which is the way I learned) I thought I would share my replay in case It might be helpful to some of you.

>Fundamentals (walk before you run):

>How to draw http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933492732/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 $30
Figure drawing for all its worth http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-All-Its-Worth/dp/0857680986/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401411454&sr=1-1&keywords=figure+drawing+for+all+it%27s+worth $25
Color and Light (this book blew my mind) http://www.amazon.com/Color-Light-Guide-Realist-Painter/dp/0740797719/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401411299&sr=1-1&keywords=color+and+light $15
Imaginative Realism http://www.amazon.com/Imaginative-Realism-Paint-Doesnt-Exist/dp/0740785508/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y $15

>Digital Painting:

>Digital Painting Techniques 1 – 6 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=digital+painting+techniques+&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Adigital+painting+techniques+ About $35 each = $210 total

>Also pick up some art books for games like Halo or Assassin’s Creed. There’s lots of great concept work in there to give you an idea of what to pros do.

>Visual design:

>Picture This (a very simple explanation on how all the components of a scene can tell a story) http://www.amazon.com/Picture-This-How-Pictures-Work/dp/1587170302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401412344&sr=1-1&keywords=picture+this $15
Essentials of Visual Communication (A detailed breakdown on how the human brain consumes an image and how you can use this knowledge to best communicate your ideas) http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Visual-Communication-Bo-Bergström/dp/1856695778/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401412394&sr=1-1&keywords=Essentials+of+Visual+Communication $30

>Structured Education:

>Digital Tutors (Perfect for learning a program) http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/index.php $50 a month or $515 a year
Ctrl+Paint http://www.ctrlpaint.com/ Free
CGMaster Academy https://www.youtube.com/user/CGMWORKSHOPS/videos?view=0&flow=grid

>Also I wrote on my blog “Become a better Artist Overnight” http://garretaj.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-become-better-artist-overnight.html where I take you through tried and true techniques on how to do focused learning revolving your sleep pattern. This is the way I did it (and still do it)

>Communities a must for getting feedback and ideas:

>http://conceptartworld.com/
>http://www.artstation.com/

>https://www.facebook.com/groups/400586640025350/
>https://www.facebook.com/groups/221278101324638/
>https://www.facebook.com/groups/awesomehorse/

>The final thing is you. You have to really want this, it’s not easy. Don’t buy this stuff or go to an expensive art school because you think it’s some kind of shortcut. The focus here is not becoming a good artist, but becoming a good student. Learn how to learn effectively, learn how to love learning, bust your ass, and always work on improving yourself.

>Do that and nothing can stop you. Or don’t.

Hope this helps

this is completely out of the rules so I guess I'm not really entering because it's twice the price you're looking for but I want you/people to see this haha tetris light it is so cool, you can move the pieces around...adfjaidhfadhd

something in the price range: Daytripper one of my favorite graphic novels ever, it is gorgeous and beautiful and intelligent and I wish I had a copy of my own. :) Also: the wifred costume in your wishlist...holy hell, I wish I was rich so I could buy that for you and I could be ryan (the girl version) and you could follow me around and destroy my life.

Buying a book is not about obtaining a possession, but securing a portal.

Maus is one I've been looking for around my town. I'm super interested in the Holocaust and the fact they made a graphic novel using mice is super cool!!

Oh, I wanna try too:
>Are there different "branches" of Buddhism, sort of like in Christianity?

• The Schools of Buddhism
  
• Differences between the schools
  
  >Who was The Buddha?
  
  
• PBS documentary on The Buddha
  
• BBC documentary on The Buddha
  
• Buddha Nature
  
  > why is there prayer in Buddhism? How is Buddhist prayer different than, say, Christian and Islamic prayer?
  
  
• IIRC only a few sects actually 'pray' in the classical sense, otherwise it's simply paying homage; showing respect, saying thanks.
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puja_(Buddhism)
  
• Paying Homage
  
  >Do Buddhists go to temples on a certain day of the week like Christians? Is there a ritualistic process on what is done each day?
  
  
• This depends on the hours your local temple/center holds. However there are 'typical hours', once in the 'morning', once in the 'afternoon', and once in the 'evening'.
  
• Ritualistic processes will depend upon the culture of the school of Buddhism you subscribe to.
  
  > If I call my local Buddhist temple or meditation center, would someone there be willing to talk to me over the phone and introduce me in real life to what Buddhism is?
  
  
• They may be busy, and ask you to come back later.
  
• Some zen schools will turn you away outright to test your resolve. (This is wrong, see /u/Gundi9's comment bellow.)
  
  > Basically, I would really appreciate it if you could explain to me what Buddhism means to you, what your daily Buddhist lifestyle is, and how it affects you.
  
  
• I meditate, keep the 4 noble truths at the forefront of my attention and make a concerted effort to stay on the 8 fold path.
  
  Also, here are some books:
  
  
• The Dhammapada
  
• The Dhammapada is so ubiquitous i'm certain you can find versions of it online for free.
  
• The 8 Fold Path
  
• Also, see our sidebar, it says things I didn't, and probably says the things I did say so much more gooderbetter.
  
  TADA!
  
  

This is looking really good! Keep it up!

I highly recommend you check out these books... they are something I wish I had read (or been available) when I was your age.

1)Color and Light: A guide for the realist painter

2)Imaginative Realism

These two books do a really good job of explaining some practical 'rules' for painting. You do not always have to follow them, but you should for sure know them and learn them.

3)Dynamic Light and Shade
This is just a book that is full of really great black and white drawings that that show how much can be expressed without any color. It is a great book to study from and to try copying images from.

I would buy land and books.

With the land, I would set up ecovillages, and I would (also) set aside vast areas where the plants and animals would be able to rejuvenate uninhibited.

I would find like-minded people, and I would ultimately try to integrate them into the enviornment with the wolves and the buffalo and the other animals. Humans can, and have been, ecologically sustainable organisms in natural environments. Not all agriculture is bad. Many Native American groups practiced agriculture in harmony with the rest of the environment.

I am also not against technology. A bow and arrow is technology, any tool that people use is technology. I am, however, against plastics and other harmful chemicals.

I would also build an army with the people who come to live on my land. There is no shortage of people - homeless people, high-school and college dropouts, homeless children, the unemployed, environmentalists, and lots of people I talk to IRL would be down for this idea.

I would learn assorted martial arts, I would teach them to others, and I would have the others teach them to more people, and we would spend a lot of time on it. This would be both for the health benefits and the self-defense benefits. It would be an army of ninjas, who also grow their own food and are self-sustaining. This will be great in case of societal failure or economic collapse. I would also teach/learn as many natural survival skills as I can. The goal of the army would be to establish peace and not wars, and to help people achieve independence (from money, oil, and industry) while also keeping a healthy relationship with the environment and the other animals.

We would also care for our children. We would raise them to be physically healthy and open-minded. We would not overshelter them, or put taboos on their sexuality, and we would make it the job of the entire community (especially the elders) to educate and take care of them. We will not over-shelter them or raise them to be weak. We will teach them how to socialize with each other in healthy ways, in an open, nurturing, loving environment. We'll also make it official policy that everything we do is done with the well-being of the next seven generations in mind.

There are also some books that I would want to buy and distribute. They include Circle of Life Traditional Teachings of Native American Elders, by James David Audlin, The Other Side of Eden, by Hugh Brody, The Conversations with God trilogy, by Neale Donald Walsch, The Art of Shen Ku, by Zeek, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, by Thom Hartmann, A Practical Guide to Setting Up Ecovillages and Intentional Communities, by Diana Leafe Christian, and I'm sure there's lots of other good ones. You should really conduct your own search, but I feel all the ones I've listed have valuable information and the power to change the ideas of large groups of people. Anything on Native American culture, history, and philosophy, or on organic gardening, or self-sustainability in general. I might even set up my own bookstore or library, now that I think about it, and make more money. I'm definitley not against making money, because everyone in our world believes in money and money is power in our society.

Not sure you're going to find anything better than Watchmen. However here are a few thoughts...

• [Miracleman] (http://www.amazon.com/Miracleman-1/dp/B002D9MQS0/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342221492&sr=1-7&keywords=miracleman). This is also by Alan Moore. One of the greatest superhero stories ever told. Alan Moore started it and Neil Gaiman came close to finishing it, but never did due to copy-write issues.
  
• [Ronin] (http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Millers-Ronin-Miller/dp/0930289218). By Frank Miller. Combines Sci-Fi and Samurai comics. I don't really understand the ending, but the journey is great.
  
• [Lone Wolf & Cub] (http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Wolf-Cub-Assassins-Horse/dp/1569715025). Without a doubt the most epic comic book ever written. Probably the most influential manga that most people have never heard of. A true work of art. This is Frank Miller's favorite manga. Also, an influence on Quentin Tarantino! The authors are Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. Spans 26 volumes. By the end you will feel that you have graduated with a degree in ancient Japan (well almost!). Poetic, violent and a little spiritual (at least if you like Zen Buddhism).
  
• [Maus I and II] (http://www.amazon.com/Maus-Survivors-Father-Bleeds-History/dp/0394747232). This is Art Spiegleman's conversation with his father about the Holocaust. It is part survivor's tale and part story of a son trying to understand his father's history and also his own.
  
  I heard today that all good stories should ask the question "who am I"? All 4 stories I have recommended do that.
  

Only 5~ months ago did I decide to get serious about improving my art in my free time. For most of my life I only doodled occasionally. So I thought I would describe my plan of action with books and resources that I will likely be using. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My process will be basics of construction-> perspective -> figure drawing -> digital art and rendering. Approximately 45% will be improving, 45% will be doing what I want for fun and 10% will be a daily sketch(this subreddit) that takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to complete. for fun I will be doing anything from digital to water color.

Construction and perspective: First I am starting my art journey by completing draw a box . Next I will go through Marshall Vandruff's Linear Perspective Videos and Perspective Made Easy simultaneously while referencing with how to draw by Scott Robertson. Briefly I will gloss at Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain or keys to drawing pulling ideas of where I might find weakness.

Figure drawing: Once those are finished, I will begin my figure drawing phase. I will move onto free proko subsided with loomis books such as this, other photo references sites like http://reference.sketchdaily.net/en and Figure Drawing: Design and Invention. I will also reference Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist and maybe more depending on my budget.

digital art and rendering: For the final stage of my journey, I will venture into ctrlpaint. Simultaneously I will be reading How to Render, Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist and Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter

After that.... I don't know. We will see were I am in a year.

I hope you get some interesting replies to this. You probably need to clarify your meaning though; "castles from kingdoms".

For most of human history, Castles were more like a fortified house at the center of village, often where the villagers could take shelter if there was an attack. The vast majority of castles have very little living space square footage compared to what we see in movies. The walls surround a large interior space that is busy during peace times and haphazardly crammed with villagers during a siege.

There would have been a considerable amount of smaller, wooden structures that sprawled out and around the castle to provide support. Having cooking fires, and slaughter houses, and rodent attracting grain stores, and access to fresh water, and stables for animals, and facilities for disposing of animal waster, and space for hundreds of employees to sleep and live, all would happen outside the castle walls. Think of a castle instead as a center point of a large village and it's more likely to be an effective way of thinking about it.

That said, buy this book, https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Biestys-Cross-sections-Castle-Biesty/dp/1465408800/

Despite it seeming being "for kids" it will probably have more info than any committed amateur might need to suss out what's going on in a castle.

Others that also look interesting.

https://www.amazon.com/Castle-Eyewitness-Books-Christopher-Gravett/dp/0756637694/

https://www.amazon.com/Year-Castle-Time-Goes/dp/1580137962/

I think "The Swerve" by Greenblatt is one of the most popular books on Epicureanism, though there are plenty:

https://www.amazon.com/Swerve-How-World-Became-Modern/dp/0393343405

I'd also recommend reading some Epicurus if you are interested. Not many texts out of his large collection have survived, but there are a few, and they are very illuminating, especially on the ethical side of his philosophy, which Lucretius does not tend to discuss at great length:

http://www.epicurus.net/

I'd especially recommend the Letter to Menoeceus.

If you've got the time and resources to spare, try making maquettes. You can get modeling clay fairly cheap, and it can be incredibly helpful to throw together a quick maquette, chuck it under a lamp, and see what happens with the light.

If you want a great pair of books on light and form by a master painter, check out James Gurney's Color and Light and Imaginative Realism. His blog is worth a read as well, it's always informative and interesting.

If you want a more technical approach to lighting, How to Render is a fantastic technical examination of how light behaves on various surfaces. The associated How to Draw is an excellent technical book on perspective. Both are a bit dry and clinical, but quite excellent.

Anything by Andrew Loomis is also well worth picking up.

I don't read a lot of action-y graphic novels, so I can't really help you with finding more stuff like Watchmen, Wanted, etc. (However, you have to promise me you'll read Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.)

But I can recommend more laid-back graphic novels if you're ever in the mood for something different! Give American Born Chinese, Anya's Ghost, or Daytripper a shot sometime.

Persepolis and Maus are also graphic novel must reads, no matter what genre you usually favor. And Scott Pilgrim was super popular recently, with great cause.

And, if you're willing to settle down for a long haul and read your comics backwards, I really can't recommend Fullmetal Alchemist enough. 27 volumes, but it's the best action series I've ever read and one of my all-time favorites of any sort of media. Check out a stack of it from the library and you'll fly right through it. That's what I did one afternoon, and my time has never been better spent.

Edit: More suggestions, typos.

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-The-Tattoo-R-Klanten/dp/3899554426/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398737634&sr=8-1&keywords=tattoo+gestalten

http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Criminal-Tattoo-Encyclopaedia-Volume/dp/0955862078/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1V5WZKHAXJRCDY01GV56

Milton Zeis, tattooing as you like it (Yellow Beak Press) is great but hard to find. Yellow Beak has a couple other cool books but I think mostly out of print.

In my experience the best books are small-run publications put out by individual artists. For example, State of Grace shop puts out a lot of cool books that you wont find on amazon or in stores : https://www.stateofgracetattoo.com/product/

This is amazing. I would love to try to convince him he must be color blind or something, while insisting that black people are literally black, and white people are literally white, and he must be seeing something different. A spin-off of the classic mildly-stoned-deep-thought, “how do we know that what I call ‘red’ and what you call ‘red’ actually look the same? We only know what ‘red’ is because we’re taught certain things are ‘red’, like fire trucks and apples. Maybe color is a social construct!”

Which reminds me of a Radiolab podcast about color I heard a few months back, and the mystery of Homer’s “wine-dark sea”- supposedly there’s no mention of color blue in neither the Iliad or the Odyssey . Plus, is the sky really blue?

Now seems like a good time for me to finally read a book about the history of color that’s been on my Kindle for months. That Top Mind who just has apparently just discovered color has inspired me!

get this book it's similar to a "mutus liber" (mute book) in that it tells the history of western esotericism in pictures but there is on average 1/4 page small print commentary on most pictures.

Art history gets close to the history of civilization from the weird perspective but if your not careful about your texts, the occult will be studiously left out. The renaissance was a blaze of occult Anamnesis that was quickly squelched via Protestant appropriation (Rosicrucians) and swept back under the magic rug of materialist history.

Also a fun exercise is learning to write/draw with your "wrong hand". Force yourself to write a few sentences everyday with the hand you do not write with. Eventually the script will get smaller and smaller until you have total control. May take a few weeks but it's quicker than you think. Need to do it everyday though.

What happens (IMO) is that you start rewiring your brain a bit.

Once your good at writing with your wrong hand, practice sketching with it as well.

I did a sketch of an eagle once with both hands at the same time and I did the right side with my right hand and the left with my left. It looked pretty good and you couldn't tell which was which. Sadly I let this practice go (I'm not an artist) but I can still write with my wrong hand.

Thanks for posting that! I recognize a lot of those illustrations from this book called "Alchemy & Mysticism" by Alexander Roob. Have you ever seen that one? It's a really amazing collection of artworks. I wish it were a little larger, but it's a great resources nonetheless, and it was really affordable. The hardcover sells on amazon for less than $20. Well worth a purchase if you into such things!

*edit - here is the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Mysticism-Alexander-Roob/dp/3836549360/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526840172&sr=1-1&keywords=alchemy+and+mysticism+alexander+roob&dpID=5168YyiXUkL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

Drawing on the right side of the brain is a good start, there's a reason people keep on recommending it for you!



Andrew Loomis's books is also good (all free there in digital form)

Constructive Anatomy by George Bridgeman

Imaginative realism by James Gurney more about painting and finishing, better for more advanced stuff.


Other than that, just draw things! Just anything and everything, it will help!

The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern is by far my favorite art history book. After reading it, I am now able to offer interesting insights to friends and relatives whenever I am at an art museum.

Also, art museums are pretty good at publishing materials about their works. If you have a particular art museum that you like start there. A visit to the museum is so much more enjoyable when you have an understanding of what you are looking at.

Hey, this is by Stephen Biesty!
He is a really cool british illustrator and became famous for his cross sections, like this or that, which are seriously awesome!


This is from a book called
"Into the Unknown, How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea and Air" and features apart from this the journeys of Maggellan, Leif Eriksson, Zheng He, the Piccard Brothers and some other cool adventurers.

Credit where credit's due

I put this a little lower, but I'm not opposed to dropping it up here too...

• Daytripper by Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon. This book is amazing, and well worth a read.
  
  
• Drinking at The Movies by Julia Wertz. A great little series of quick stories about moving to New York City from San Francisco. So good it should be criminal.
  
  
• The Killer by Matz and Luc Jacamon. A surprisingly gripping little story about a contract killer. The art reminds you of some of the classic Tintin stories. As James Franco might say between bong hits, it's soooooooo gooooood.
  
  
• Incognegro by Mat Johnson. The story of a light-skinned black reporter from the North that travels to the South to expose the stories of lynchings in the South. It's amazing. Actually anything by Mat Johnson is equally wonderful.
  
  
  I also forgot to mention that Alex Robinson's work (Box Office Poison, Too Cool 2 B Forgotten, Tricked) is so good that I wish I could get it pregnant.

Related:

> Justinian’s favorite hobby, in fact, was arguing the most obscure points of Christian doctrine (you can easily see where we get the dictionary definition of “Byzantine”). This was brought home to me by way of one really illuminating scene that I included in the book; an incident that took place at the Hippodrome, Constantinople’s great arena for chariot racing. Justinian was seated in the imperial box, surrounded by 50,000 racing fans, when one of them (no doubt equipped with a megaphone) engaged him directly in a debate about the nature of the incorruptibility of Christ’s body. The emperor and the fan went toe-to-toe on the issue in stanza after stanza of extemporaneous verse on the murkiest kind of Christian dogma, with occasional cheers from the crowd when one debater got in a good one. It was as if New York’s Mayor Bloomberg spent halftime at a Knicks game debating the finer points of string theory with a physicist seated twenty rows away, and not only did no one think anything extraordinary about it, but the drunks in the cheap seats applauded.

— William Rosen, discussing his fascinating book Justinian's Flea.

I just pre-ordered a new book;

http://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Book-Dead-Integrated-Full-Color/dp/1452144389/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421361562&sr=1-2&keywords=book+of+going+forth+by+day

It is a new version of the same book, which you could likely get at less cost. Has the whole papyrus published above the English. Pretty good. Fun to read, and fun to use if you are also learning M. E. grammar.

Edit: Searching for information on the "Book of Going/Coming Forth by Day" will get you better results.

I think you should lean on the fundamentals of Buddhist practice:

• work on understanding the Four Noble Truths
  
• re-read about the Noble Eightfold Path (also available in print)
  
• and work on maintaining a daily meditation habit.
  
  It sounds like you are setting up a sin/sinner system around masturbation and pornography and are looking to be saved. You are not bad or a sinner. Drop this mode of thinking. Plenty of people don't masturbate or consume porn and are not enlightened in the classical Buddhist sense. It's not the point of the path. (Perhaps a byproduct but there are many of those.)
  
  It's most helpful when looking thoughts and behaviors to consider what is skillful and what is unskillful. Skillful behaviors promote wholesome mind states. Unskillful behaviors spring from greed/hatred/delusion and generally lead to unwholesome mind states. So you need to work on cultivating the good and avoiding the unwholesome.
  
  Something I've found helpful when about to do something unskillful is to reflect:
  
  >This leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of others or to the affliction of both.
  >
  >It obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding.
  
  https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.019.than.html

You've probably heard of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, known to the Egyptians as the Book of Going Forth by Day, said to have been written by Thoth, God of Wisdom, "from his own fingers". This is the most important surviving text on Egyptian Magic, a complete grimoire of spells, prayers, hymns and incantations used by the ancient priesthood to connect with the Divine and prepare the soul to travel the Neterworld.

The text itself has enormous historic and spiritual value, but it doesn't exactly explain how a modern magician is supposed to use it. To provide context: try the works of Normandi Ellis, who provides an initiated translation of the text in Awakening Osiris, an explanation of the mythical and magical context of the Egyptian gods (Neteru) in Imagining the World into Existence, and the magical initiatory system of the ancients in The Union of Isis and Thoth.

Thelemic Magick has a connection to Egyptian Magic via the transmission of the Book of the Law. This is the basis for much of the the magical system developed by Aleister Crowley in the A∴A∴ and OTO. Again, this holy book of Thelema is complex and does not provide a useful guide to the beginner on the practice of Thelemic Magick. A book like Maat Magick offers a nice practical system for working with the Egyptian Neteru in the spirit of Thelema.

Last time I tried to give advice on drawings the person got upset and quit reddit, soooo, please don't do that. My suggestion if you're absolutely serious about drawing is to absolutely learn the fundamentals.

Fun With A Pencil: How Everybody Can Easily Learn to Draw https://www.amazon.com/dp/0857687603/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ijZZDbCWDFEAQ

Drawing the Head and Hands https://www.amazon.com/dp/0857680978/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AjZZDb0B3RBPF

Figure Drawing for All It's Worth https://www.amazon.com/dp/0857680986/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OjZZDbW37G79H

Successful Drawing https://www.amazon.com/dp/0857687611/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4jZZDb95Z0W96

Creative Illustration https://www.amazon.com/dp/1845769287/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ikZZDbFRJYAJD

And after the basics


Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist (Volume 1) (James Gurney Art) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0740785508/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_alZZDbZW0Y1P4


Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter (Volume 2) (James Gurney Art) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0740797719/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DlZZDb676AWT6



It doesn't matter what medium you use, learning how to draw and understanding what you're doing will help out the most.

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay is a worldwide travelogue of pigments and dyes. Fascinating and fun, definitely my favorite painter book so far.

All credit to Robin Pierson at the History of Byzantium podcast. Truly fantastic work, careful though it's easy to get sucked in.

Justin takes power-
http://thehistoryofbyzantium.com/2012/11/

The best book might be Justinian's Flea by William Rosen though it concentrates mainly on Justinian obviously.
http://www.amazon.com/Justinians-Flea-First-Plague-Empire/dp/014311381X

The book is The Swerve: How the World Became Modern. The writer kind of exaggerates the significance of both Poggio and Lucretius but it is really engaging and gives you a good idea of the precariously fine line many humanists walked in adhering to the Church and pursuing intellectual advancement.

Check out the "Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia" series. These are fascinating tattoos that tell the stories of the people covered in them, so it's a look at some really nice tattoo work and a view into a rarely seen world. It's a well bound, well art directed book that looks nice on a shelf or a coffee table. There are also other volumes in the series so your friend can add to their collection if they want, or just enjoy the first one.

Here's an Amazon link so you can see cost and cover art:

http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Criminal-Tattoo-Encyclopaedia-I/dp/0955862078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411775129&sr=8-1&keywords=russian+tattoos

On my summer reading list, I have:

• Player Piano
  
  
• Lolita (re-reading. Nabokov's use of language is sublime)
  
  
• The Swerve: How The World Became Modern
  
  
• The Conquest of the Incas
  
  
• Let The Great World Spin
  
  
• Theodore Rex
  
  
  I'm currently half way through The Conquest of the Incas. If anyone has interest in the Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica, I highly recommend it. It's a very vivid account of the political games Pizarro and his generals played to take over the Inca empire and solidify their grip in the New World.

Was search for the Yanis capitalism/democracy post & returned here instead. Reading the article, i couldn't get past this near the opening:

>Karl Marx, a 29-year-old philosopher with a taste for epicurean hedonism and Hegelian rationality

Which led down a few rabbit holes... His dissertation was on Epicureanism, which isn't mere foodie-ism, and there were some interesting bits on hedonism in the mix. Quite a clever quip from Yanis...

edit to add a few leads:
http://epicurus.today/epicureanism-after-epicurus-the-influence-of-epicurus-on-western-thought/
(notes "Marx wrote his doctoral thesis on Epicurus. Marx saw Epicurus as a kindred rebel spirit. Thus Epicurus sought to overthrow the philosophy of Aristotle, just as the post-Hegelians — including the young Marx–rose up against Hegel." -- so maybe Yanis wasn't quite on point about Marx being rationally Hegelian? hm.)

This book looks super interesting: https://www.amazon.com/Swerve-How-World-Became-Modern/dp/0393343405

Also, this argues against the hedonism label:

https://np.reddit.com/r/DebateCommunism/comments/1uvl9n/does_marxist_thought_promote_hedonism_does_it/cem7w8w/?context=3

That's awesome... I had few interesting books assigned in HS. I think Beowulf and Slaughterhouse Five were the two that I really enjoyed. I had a 20th Century Lit class in college that assigned the first volume of Art Spiegelman's Maus. That's a great choice for a literary graphic novel, too, if you ever seek to mix it up.

"What Makes You Not a Buddhist" by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse is a great intro to Buddhist ideas. It can be read for free on scribd without logging in. If you like it, consider buying it to support the author.

Another common suggestion is Way to the End of Suffering by Bikkhu Bodhi.

Nice job! And thanks for sharing.

Is this the book you're reading? Is it good for a modern audience? https://www.amazon.com/Noble-Eightfold-Path-Way-Suffering/dp/192870607X/

You've made a beginner's mistake in assuming that dark = black. It is the other way around. Black is a dark color but it is only one of many. Many beginners use black to induce shadow (and produce light), but in earnest black and white are less useful for the final color composition. For some classical reference: On Divers Arts (amazon link), provides a very interesting set of instructions on the painting of flesh tones from 1122. Still, you likely won't get the best instructions from a 900 year old manual. Color (amazon link) is a great (really great) introduction to color theory.

As for composition, it mostly works in my opinion though I might suggest that the leaf under the eye on the right distracts from the eye itself. Furthermore, the clarity of the leaves and eyes causes the abstract shapes cutting through the painting to be called into question by their unspecific nature. Thereby, there are elements within the painting that are extremely specific and others that do not have purpose past compositional fixes. These 'edges' appear as though chrome and serve to transition and conjoin the disjointed elements within your piece and I might add have a flair for the surreal. I can only suggest that this comes off more as an ends to a means rather than as careful and pointed. Take the 'transition' away and your problem still remains, see what I mean?

Regards,
D

Great Fantastic, thanks for pointing that out!

But what i'm thinking of is a publishable pdf with pictures, one that you could put on a torrent and spread all over the internet. A book similar to what I have in mind is "The Art of Shen Ku - By Zeek"

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Shen-Ku-Intergalactic-Universe/dp/0399527257

Ah, De Rerum Natura! I have fond memories of reading that book back in college. One of our classics professors did a translation of the work.

There's actually a book by Stephen Greenblatt written about "On the Nature of the Universe" and its rediscovery during the Renaissance.

Edit: Found it! And it actually won a Pulitzer Prize! http://www.amazon.com/The-Swerve-World-Became-Modern/dp/0393343405

James Gurney's books are great. There's a couple ugly links for you.
http://www.amazon.com/Color-Light-Guide-Realist-Painter/dp/0740797719

http://www.amazon.com/Imaginative-Realism-Paint-Doesnt-Exist/dp/0740785508/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=010WGMHA6E5MNR6W03RW

Following artists on facebook has helped me more than anything. Well not more than putting in the time and effort to improve of course. Anyway, professionals are always posting advice and links to valuable resources. Its worth looking for artists that you like and seeing what their process is and how they solve artistic problems.

There are two collections, both, as far as I know, currently out of print, of Tolkien's general artwork, and one specifically of the artwork from The Hobbit. They are, in order of publication:

Pictures by J.R.R Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien; there are two slightly different editions. Both sell for pretty premium prices.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator, edited by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull; available in both hardcover and paperback. I don't remember offhand if the two editions differ at all. The paperback is available pretty cheaply, and the hardcover can be got much cheaper than the above book; this also covers more of Tolkien's art than the first book did.

The Art of The Hobbit, edited by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull; currently in print.

In addition, there have been a number of catalogs of exhibits of Tolkien's paintings that have contained a number of his works, and some of the calendars contain his paintings and drawings as well.

Source: I'm staring at all of these while I type. :-)

JJN also has a single-volume history of Byzantium, A Short History of Byzantium, which is easier to find. Being a layman, I can't vouch for its historical accuracy, but it's an easy and enjoyable read.

For some reason the cover reminded me of those old castle cross-section books from years past. Like this one on amazon, but I'm pretty sure there was a series and not just one of them. They went over how castles functioned too, so a good resource for fleshing out functioning castles.

https://www.amazon.com/Army-Dawn-1942-1943-Liberation-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B000ZMRSGM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484576145&sr=1-1&keywords=an+army+at+dawn

Rick Atkinson has three excellent WW2 books each one focused on a single US Army campaign

and if you like the Near East this is a must read

https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Byzantium-Julius-Norwich/dp/0679772693/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484576209&sr=1-1&keywords=a+short+history+of+byzantium+by+john+julius+norwich

To everyone interested in this thread:

A few years back for a reddit gift exchange, my giftee got me the first book in THIS series - RUSSIAN CRIMINAL TATTOO.

It is really cool and very unique and DEFINITELY worthwhile for anyone who looked through the imgur link and wanted more.

Here's a few off the top of my head!

• Stitches
  
  
• Blankets
  
• Maus
  
• Locke and Key
  
• Saga
  
• Y: The Last Man
  
  Sooo many others, but this is good starter list. Fair warning: I have not read these with an eye as to what would be appropriate in a Christian environment. I am fairly certain that Stitches, Maus, and Locke and Key are all "safe."
  
  Edit: Eff it here are some more.
  
  
• Transmetropolitan
  
  
• DMZ
  
  
• Ex Machina
  
  
• The Walking Dead
  
  You have already mentioned all of my other would be suggestions. :)

Just a taste of this pyscho woman.

LADY GAGA THINKS MARIA ABRAMOVIĆ IS "INCREDIBLE"

JAY-Z "PICASSO BABY" INSPIRED MY ABRAMOVIĆ

Amazon's Best Book of November 2016

[ADIDAS COMMERCIAL] (https://youtu.be/chUtk5IKAPU)

I started this one as a gag on facebook when I was running a kickstarter for a painting. https://seanstastny.com/ i did a bunch of little ads and jokes and designed a few stickers and things like that. enough people liked so I added it as a stretch goal and got a few made.

The company I ordered my patches from is https://www.thestudio.com/. I just sent them my designs and a month later patches, stickers and postcards show up on my doorstep. There are a quite a few PoD places that can do patches so get quotes if you are going to get them made to sell.

Design wise the patch is a riff on the NASA EVA mission patch. It is on all the space walk suits so I knew I wanted something that was similar. I had done the original drawing and shown it to a few people and some wondered what his legs looked like. So I decided to riff on the original patches influences and make my own Vitruvian Cthulu thing.

I think the thing to pay attention to most for a patch is the size and line weight of your drawing. Thread has a thickness that you have to pay attention to. so your design cant be crowded or over complicated. Some times its an advantage to have things jumbled together and sometimes it looks terrible. For example the NASA part of the suit is mostly unreadable at that size, but i wanted a splash of red in the center to tie the red bounding box into the drawing.

I dont know any books on patch design but for any image making that tells a story I highly recommend James Gurneys Imaginative Realism and Color and Light.

Yeah definitely. Here's the book on Amazon , you can check out the other ones they have (which are a lot). The Existentialism one was great too.

I'm currently reading Junkyard Planet which is pretty interesting to me, since I have worked in steelyards and scrapyards on a couple different occasions in my life.

I just finished up Magicians of the Gods which I found very interesting since I am a Physical Geography major, and took a few geoarchaeology courses in my undergrad degree.

lol, comics are just pictures and words. there are plenty of non-fiction comics in the world

by discounting the medium you are making yourself sound ignorant. you should probably buy what i linked you to, it could save your intellect.

also, you didn't address my comment about pitting two (real or perceived) groups against one another.

Not really a non-fiction book, more of a biographical/memoir/graphic novel, but still interesting and worthwhile: Maus I and Maus II.

(Author interviews his jewish father about his experiences before, during and after WWII and re-tells the story using animals symbolically. For example: Jews are depicted as mice, Nazis are depicted as cats.)

Honestly, one of the best places to start is:
https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Mysticism-Alexander-Roob/dp/3836549360/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1537747469&sr=8-8&keywords=alchemy

He references most everyone you need to know, and you can follow up. Plus he's really focusing on an important part of the Alchemical tradition and it's transmission: the visuals. Where the guys creating these visuals alchemists? Maybe not in all cases, though it would be hard to do any of them with no understanding, but in many cases- definitely.
This is one of the main sources of Alchemical tradition, and you'll see very little that indicates that you are trying to turn lead into gold, but a lot conveying that you are taking metaphorical lead and turning it into gold. Spiritual lead into gold. Human lead into gold.

These scrolls are a really big deal. IIRC, only the outer layer was carbonized, which meant that some of the writing is preserved in the interior layers. Some fragments from finds like this were what brought the ancient work "De Rerum Natura" (On the Nature of Things) to the attention of early scholars.

According to Greenblatt in The Swerve, the rediscovery of this work is what kicked off much of the secular/scientific turn in European history.

I read the Swerve a while back and I'm currently reading a translation of De Rerum Natura when I'm on the shitter, and it's utterly fascinating. It's an epic poem that basically lays out the vision of a secular/scientific view of the universe. It's one of those works (like the dome of the Pantheon, etc.) which makes clear how much was lost in the fall of the Roman Empire.

I first read A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich. It is an adaptation of a larger set by the same author, but I felt it was pretty engaging for a primer.

I don't! I remember the Gnome book...this looks equally awesome :)

Hey there!

Well, I own a copy of the earlier edition of this book. You're in luck, this new edition is very recent. It's paperback, however, and I'm not entirely sure if there's a hardcover version. It's the Faulkner translation. I'm sure there are more recent translations, but Faulkner's, as you probably know since you named him in your title, is very respected. The plates are stunning, and for that alone it's worth it. Some pages are even fold-in in order to not compromise the scenes. The book is rather tall, so you can see detail, and the translations are under the pertinent plates.

I did set the bar quite high when looking for a Book of Coming Forth by Day and this version is one I quite like. I'm yet to hear negative feedback about it, although I'd appreciate it. The only downside for me so far is that it's paperback.

This is a one hour lecture by an award winning, Harvard professor on an Epicurean, Lucretius: Stephen Greenblatt on Lucretius and his intolerable ideas. I've watched it twice and will read his book, The Swerve.

Ishmael (and the rest of the series) by Daniel Quinn opened my eyes in my senior year of high school.

It's about a Gorilla, who has lived beside man for a number of decades and teaches a pupil through stories and analogies about how we are already at the cusp of civilization collapse. It's about a lot more than just that, namely the relationship of humans, animals, the planet, and how humans have a unique, egotistical view of themselves where we deemed ourselves rulers of the planet.

Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins is an eye opener as well.

Other great reads:

Magicians of the Gods by Graham Hancock.

Necronomicon

UFO's by Leslie Keen

Siddhartha - Herman Hesse

I also really enjoyed the Myst series by Rand & Robin Miller (the books the game is based on). It's about worlds within worlds and an ancient race of authors creating worlds through magical ink and books (sci-fi/fantasy).

Amazon is a good start. This book is Mircea Eliade could be a title and if you like visuals, buy Alchemy & Mysticism, 576 pages with color images and some explanation. From there on, try to see what it is that interests you.

Oh, no way! Well, the version I bought earlier today does not have it, but that's ok I guess. Psyched to have two more books to get into. They were my favorite back as a kid, that and the book Gnomes

I got Alchemy & Mysticism by Alexander Roob! Have yet to read it, but beautiful pictures!

I used to think just like you, until i read this novel.

It's one of the things that make me proud to be brazilian, just read it 'till the end and you'll get what i'm saying.

Well you have a few options, if you are starting out fairly new to the bigger world of Tolkien then go for the wonderful books 'The Art of the Hobbit' and 'The Art of the Lord of the Rings' both edited and introduced by Wayne Hammond & Christina Scull. If you are not aware of them they are a very dedicate pair who have worked wonders to expand the world of Middle-earth. Followed by 'Artist and Illustrator' again from Hammond & Scull. You should find those immensely informative and maybe quite a revelation that Tolkien was a superb illustrator.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Lord-Rings-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0544636341

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0547928254/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TCC0X4650YGR6KYX2CX4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0618083618/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498172899&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=artist+and+illustrator

The links are all to Amazon US but you will if you shop around on marketplace or eBay find them cheaper.

The Hobbit and Rings books are both slipcased and are superbly put together.

Also, Maus, not as old as American Splendor, but a terrific read

The art of shen-ku, by Zeek. Maybe not exactly what you are looking for, but a great survival resource.http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Shen-Ku-Intergalactic/dp/0399527257

Yuuuup. Color and Light should be taught in every art class, it's foundational and I'd recommend it to anybody with an interest in looking at art and understanding it, let alone actually making art.

Imaginative Realism is just as good, but it's a little more focused on the craft of illustration.

https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Criminal-Tattoo-Encyclopaedia-I/dp/0955862078/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=russian+prison+tattoos&qid=1565314534&s=gateway&sr=8-1

I have all three and they are great to read/flip through. A small part of history I never really gave much thought towards but am glad I found out about. They might be at a library check them out.

I enjoyed John Norwich's three volume series: Byzantium: The Early Centuries, The Apogee, and Decline and Fall. If that is a bit too verbose for your liking, he has also published a Short History of Byzantium which summarises his trilogy.

The most recent translations aren't going to be free and available online. I'd suggest going to your library or ordering a copy via Amazon. This is an excellent version, but there are less expensive, earlier editions available as well.

Do you have a picture book about gnomes???! I found one in a thrift store about 8 years ago and have loved it!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0810909650/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

not to pile on... but...

in painting classes you're wrestling with things like the "four step method" that the classical painters used where you're creating washes and layers that influence how the light travels through the layers of paint... (that layer of dark black you laid down weeks ago becomes that dark corner in the room, while you're painting a completely different black to work out these shadows and details in the foreground... the light literally travels through the washes and bounces off of different paint layers...)

or attempting cubist techniques where with a limited palate you're mixing paints into low viscosity solutions that lend to slapping the canvas on the ground so they don't run. Or "attempting" "en plein air" impressionism, out-in-the-fields getting sunstroke, just trying to render shapes in the bold, slap-on-a-slab-of-paint with a brush or palate knife... You gain a new respect for those people you see actually out there with an easel and a canvas, out on the shore painting this weird, little thing that doesn't look quite right.

Impressionism was something I thought was a joke until I tried it in a field with actual paint. Same with Rembrandt's four step method or even some of, maybe especially some of the modern abstract stuff. You could spend months just learning about mixing paints.

With photography, I had taken thousands of digital photos but doing real, actual darkroom photography--seeing how the slightest error in timing and exposure completely changes the nature of the piece... One can be half decent at digital photography and absolutely hopeless with film photography. Digital cameras are small computers with apertures. Film cameras are tiny darkrooms where for a fraction of a second you expose light to a piece of plastic coasted with a particular chemical composition. And just to get that picture exposed it's an hour of dark room where you might just blow that whole roll with a simple noob error in the processing. A hair or spec of dust on the negative can get blown into the size of a thumb. Scratch one $5 piece of photo paper time time to spend ten minutes with a little air hose trying to remove the piece of hair.

anyhow...

It's sort of Dunning Kruger thinking that mastering photoshop = mastering photography and / or shop.

Dunno. I love our digital tools. (I don't exactly miss getting gassed by terpenoid fumes and how much time lost cleaning up or just taking care of brushes. )

Or being afraid of paint. Literally afraid of the lead in flake white or the metals in cadmium red being absorbed through the skin...

But on the flipside there's also something beautiful just in the lore of the colors alone. Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan. Red from those little red bugs. Red ochre. Real deep red ochre is a color once squeezed onto a palate, one can fall in love with. The old, original cave paint.

Sidenote, great book: https://www.amazon.com/Color-Natural-History-Victoria-Finlay/dp/0812971426

I think this is maybe an argument over words and effort just as much as it's an old vs. new argument.

tl;dr. old, analogue art is hard / messy / expensive / complicated.

Is it Maus?
Great graphic novel i read when i was younger

Not to be mean, but that's the Nickleback of esotericism. I think you'd find most of the illustrations in the $16 book Alchemy and Mysticism to have much deeper, and more multi-layered, meanings. Thumb through, find a few that resonate with you now, find larger versions on the internet, print and frame them.

This system also has the advantage that as you improve in your esoteric knowledge, you can keep upgrading.

THIS BOOK, and THIS BOOK, are damn near the gold standard for getting started and professionals alike.

u/KnivesMillions is dead on with the point on fundamentals. Start with a good foundation of drawing and color theory. Drawing and painting from life and observation are also an excellent way to get better quickly.

A fantastic convention/gallery show to attend would be Illuxcon (if you can make it to Pennsylvania), where you can meet top-tier working artists in the industry (Danato Gincola, Scott Fisher, Iris Compt, both of the Gerards, etc.), see their work in the flesh, and ask them questions (they are usually quite receptive to questions if you are professional and polite).

Also, there are no set in stone rules for what constitutes "amazing fantasy art" aside from craft. All is chaos, embrace it.

It doesn't seem like many people are paying attention to 1337_n00b's clarification comment, so I guess I'll write about it a bit.

For a while I'd buy little self-published books, particularly after visiting some shops in Montreal and enjoying their local work. I would try to hit a couple good comic stores every time I visit a new city, which lead to some good stuff and a lot of bad stuff.

What killed it for me was having a friend bring me some local comics back from Dublin. They were just terrible, worse than most webcomics you decide not to read after being interested in their banner ads. They left such a bad taste in my mouth that I was discouraged from exploring local stuff anymore.

The last closest book I picked up to an indie was Justin Madson's Breathers. I don't know if it counts though, since it was a webcomic first, and it got a pile of publicity for years before the trade was released. At least it's self-published? It was pretty good, but I can think of five more popular books that cost less and are better off the top of my head.

Ok so I might be really off, but I read a book about gnomes and I think it had something about confusing cats in it. It’s called “gnomes” by Wil Huygen and it more of a book about gnomes in general. It’s a Really large book with great detail. gnomes by Wil Huygen

Let me know if this helps!

A photo study helps you fine tune your technical and perception skills. Almost every professional illustrators/artists today have tried using photo ref for either just practicing and for an actual project.

Even the old masters from the renaissance era have studied and reproduce other old masters. Drawing from imagination and drawing from observation are two different things. One way to improve your imaginative skills, believe or not, is to fine tune your observational one. Gurney's book covers a lot of these idea.

Pretty sure you are looking for Gnomes. I have a copy from at least 25 years ago. The copy I have is in English, but I'm sure it was translated to many languages. It's not really a children's book, at least not for American standards, as it has some adult subject matter.

I bought this book for my painting teacher and he enjoyed it. All about the history of different pigments. Color: A Natural History of the Palette

The book is called Daytripper and it’s fucking amazing. Really, really sad. Amazing art.

https://www.amazon.com/Daytripper-Gabriel-Ba/dp/1401229697

Something like The Art of the Lord of the Rings and/or The Art of The Hobbit might be good. Those are fairly large (though thin).

They also make a faux leather "Pocket" The Hobbit and LotR set.

Gardner's Art Through the Ages. It's a staple for art history majors. It's giant though (and pricey) so if you want something lighter, The Annotated Mona Lisa is great.


Gardner's: http://www.amazon.com/Gardners-Art-through-Ages-ArtStudy/dp/0495093076/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321898662&sr=1-1


Annotated Mona Lisa: http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Mona-Lisa-Prehistoric-Post-Modern/dp/0740768727

[This encyclopedia on Russian Prison tattoos.] (Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume I by Damon Murray et al. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0955862078/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_glfmtb0CY1XDF) I am a little obsessed win Russia and I love tattoos. It's a very niche item.

I've never gotten an opportunity to play a good April fools prank. If I could, I'd probably do something silly, but I don't know what. (I'm not very clever...) probably something like wrap their stuff in goofy wrapping paper or cover their car in plastic wrap. I don't know...

Story or fact about me? Ummmm...I used to hide food in my cheeks when I was little like a chipmunk.

These are really great books! Heres a link to one on post modernism http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Postmodernism-Graphic-Richard-Appignanesi/dp/1840468491

Try Bhikkhu Bodhi's The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering, for a focused and in-depth look at the 8 fold path, 'the 4th thing' the Tathagata taught after awakening.

I bought my copies on Amazon (link to the first volume), but I've also seen copies rarely at indie book stores and comic book shops. Hope this helps!

I have Color: A Natural History of the Palette which I find really interesting, it discusses color theory and the history behind it.

This is what you want. A little over $15, but I promise, it's worth it.

http://www.amazon.com/Daytripper-Gabriel-Ba/dp/1401229697

Here's a list of my personal favorites:

• Daytripper
  
• Maus
  
• Persepolis
  
• Blacksad
  
• Spaceman
  
• The Conract With God Trilogy

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
  This will let you know when you act.
  
  
  
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alchemist_(novel)
  This will help you know you're on the right path, and
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Shen-Ku-Intergalactic/dp/0399527257
  
  This is to help you along the way.
  
  
  

How about some books? Depending on what she already has you could get her a nice edition of The Lord of the Rings or a companion books like The Atlas of Middle-earth or The Art of The Hobbit.

[Daytripper] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1401229697/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451851191&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=daytripper&dpPl=1&dpID=51feW5rJfwL&ref=plSrch)... Best thing I have ever read by far.

Greek.

Epicureanism is the first modern way of thinking about the world. It's worth a lot of further study. He had an enormous influence on the development of the modern world.

If you want to read more, The Swerve by Greenblatt is a good if somewhat hyperbolic introduction.

Great Ancient archeology books


[Fingerprints of the Gods](
https://www.amazon.com/Fingerprints-Gods-Graham-Hancock/dp/0517887290)

Magicians of the Gods


Both by Graham Hancock

James Gurney made a book about how he created the Dinotopia art. He's also a really nice guy in person, and if you get him to sign your book he'll doodle a dinosaur in it.

Reminded me of this book. It's probably from it. I loved this book as a kid.

"Daytripper" is a beautiful and deep read.
"Black Hole" is trippy and existential and has a lot of meat to it.

I don't have a "go read this book/article and learn everything you need to know" answer ready to go. But, I would bet that this book is an incredible resource on the topic. Bhikkhu Bodhi is known as not only a deeply practiced monk in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism but also an exceptionally well educated scholar of Buddhism.

Unfortunately the Trump parade is now going after artist Marina Abramovic directly on Amazon and putting satanic reviews of her books, really? If anyone could please report these I would appreciate it.

https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Through-Walls-Marina-Abramovic/product-reviews/1101905042/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=recent

I agree with what /u/abhayakara said on this. I think you've misunderstood the nature of the 8FP as moralistic. It's actually incredibly practical and commonsense-based (and completely secular, if you so choose). Also, I want to reiterate the point that Buddha did not teach literal rebirth. I highly recommend Bikkhu Bodhi's pithy book (which you could read in a day) ... https://www.amazon.com/Noble-Eightfold-Path-Way-Suffering/dp/192870607X

If you are interested in more info on the Russian criminal tattoos, there is an awesome set of books with lots of details and examples

If this interests you there is a surprising amount of scientific information outlined in this book that may indicate some truth the legends.

https://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Gods-International-Bestseller-Fingerprints/dp/1250045924

Maus is the best Holocaust "book" I've ever read. It's actually a graphic novel, but it's a lot more insightful than most traditional books I've read on the subject.

Prison tattoos in Russia have a huge meaning. If you like art then you should get these three books. They're amazing and will tell you about each symbol and what they mean.

I know a guy that got a Russian Prison tattoo as a joke. He won't go near Brighton Beach ever.

> to somewhat understand postmodernism

This is a very good starter guide.

My fav on occult art though the ages:
https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Mysticism-Alexander-Roob/dp/3836549360

>Consider this: For all of the 4000 or so years of recorded history, humans were living in tiny little collectives. There were (for the most part) no roads, no grand cities, no light bulbs, no water systems, very little in the way of governments or hierarchies, etc.

Might want to check out Gobekli Tepi ;) It dates back at least 10,000 years. Our history is probably a lot more interesting than we give credit.

Check out this book, it's a page turner!

http://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Gods-Forgotten-Wisdom-Civilization/dp/1250045924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450451934&sr=8-1&keywords=magicians+of+the+gods

Not a traditional book, but the graphic novel Daytripper by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon might be exactly what you're looking for.

Those Comic book writers/artists voiced themselves!

EDIT: Might as well.
http://smile.amazon.com/Maus-Survivors-Father-Bleeds-History/dp/0394747232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409368330&sr=8-1&keywords=maus

http://smile.amazon.com/Watchmen-ALAN-MOORE-ebook/dp/B005CRQ2IU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409368297&sr=8-1&keywords=watchmen+graphic+novel

http://smile.amazon.com/Ghost-World-Daniel-Clowes/dp/1560974273/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409368319&sr=8-1&keywords=ghost+world

Persepolis and Maus seem to be safe choices, even for people who don't normally read or those who usually skip graphic novels.

You would definitely dig these. They might seem basic, but you'll remember it all, see how it all moves through history, and know what you want to dig into further:

Postmodernism

Critical Theory

Marxism

Philosophy in General

boop

here is a warning and heed it well: russians take their tattoos seriously. you will not be taken to task by a sailor for having a nautical star. someone may have an opinion of you if you get something like this, you need to make sure you can handle that opinion.

How about a graphic novel? Try Daytripper.

All those things?

That would be a the sizeable part of the entire late antiquity and middle ages.

If there's public library in your neighborhood, I would suggest browsing through their offerings on these periods. There's probably no one book that covers all subjects, especially not one that is accessible enough to non-historians, and doesn't cost a fortune.

On the Eastern Roman Empire, these could be a good introduction:

• A Short History of Byzantium, John Julius Norwich, 1998
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Byzantium-Julius-Norwich/dp/0679772693
  
  
• Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization, Lars Brownworth
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Lost-West-Forgotten-Byzantine-Civilization/dp/0307407969/ref=pd_sim_b_3
  
  Some of the topics mentioned, e.g. the expansion of Islam, are covered on this site, and its numerous links:
  
  http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium/index.html
  
  
  

Thought I'd provide some Amazon links to these fine suggestions, along with a few of my own.

J.R.R. Tolkien Companion & Guide US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0008214549/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Jc.DCb1A3J8V6

​

Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/000755690X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Qe.DCbHG7HWXM

​

Art of the Lord of the Rings US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544636341/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_3f.DCbB8Y2ZNZ

​

Art of the Hobbit US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0547928254/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ng.DCbCX2CT65

​

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1851244859/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Vg.DCbSEH99RE

​

Rateliff's History of the Hobbit US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CF6AZWK/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Dj.DCbGWY7970

​

Fonstad's Atlas of Middle-Earth US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618126996/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Kk.DCbC2XF6NT

​

Letters of JRR Tolkien US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618056998/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ml.DCbREBRZH4

​

Carpenter's Tolkien: A Biography US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618057021/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_xm.DCbY976PAE

Color: A Natural History of the Palette
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812971426/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_luiBDbGVMT8JQ

And if you like this, then definitely read Graham Hancock's new book, Magicians of the Gods. Mind = Blown

http://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Gods-Forgotten-Wisdom-Civilization/dp/1250045924

I recommend reading this. Actually, the series is more or less the book-form of this sub-reddit

The most recent was Daytripper. It's a great little graphic novel that explores life and death. Really blew me away.

Ever read Maus? Utterly gripping drama in the form of comic where all the characters are innocent-looking cartoon animals. I haven't read anything by this guy, but I did read a comic about a Palestinian being interrogated in Israel that was really good.

Yep. 1986, in fact.

Though, it actually started out in a serialized format 16 years prior, too.