Graphic Arts

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A witty, erudite raconteur and teacher, Steel describes how successful account planners work in partnership with clients, consumer, and agency creatives. He criticizes research practices that, far from creating relationships, drive a wedge between agencies and the people they aim to persuade; he suggests new ways of approaching research to cut through the BS and get people to show their true selves; and he shows how the right research, when translated into a motivating and inspiring brief, can be the catalyst for great creative ideas. He draws upon his own experiences and those of colleagues in the United States and abroad to illustrate those points, and includes examples of some of the most successful campaigns in recent years, including Polaroid, Norwegian Cruise Line, Porsche, Isuzu, “got milk?” and others.

The message of this book is that well-thought-out account planning results in better, more effective marketing and advertising for both agencies and clients. And also makes an evening in front of the television easier to bear for the population at large.”

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“You must read this book.” —Neil Gaiman

The bestselling international classic on storytelling and visual communication.

Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is a seminal examination of comics art: its rich history, surprising technical components, and major cultural significance. Explore the secret world between the panels, through the lines, and within the hidden symbols of a powerful but misunderstood art form.

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Universal Principles of Branding presents 100 concepts, theories, and guidelines that are critical for defining, building, and delivering brands today.

Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this comprehensive reference pairs clear explanations of each principle with visual examples of it applied in practice. By considering these concepts and examples, you can learn to make more informed, and ultimately better, branding decisions.

Featured principles are as diverse as:
 

• Authenticity
• Social Responsibility
• World Building
• Gatekeepers
• Rituals and routine

Each principle is presented in a two-page format. The left-hand page contains a succinct definition, a full description of the principle, examples of its use, and guidelines for use. Sidenotes appear to the right of the text, and provide elaborations and references. The right-hand page contains visual examples and related graphics to support a deeper understanding of the principle.

The titles in the Rockport Universal series offer comprehensive and authoritative information and edifying and inspiring visual examples on multidisciplinary subjects for designers, architects, engineers, students, and anyone who is interested in expanding and enriching their design knowledge.

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For more than a century, Rolex has stood apart as the most legendary brand of watch in the world. A Rolex conveys many things: a luxury timepiece, a tool of power for movers and shakers and the symbol of passage into adulthood.

New labels pop up, styles come and go, but the brand at the top never changes. Ever the record setter―the Daytona that had belonged to Paul Newman was auctioned by Phillips in New York in October 2017 for $17.8 million― it comes as no surprise that Rolex is the most collected watch brand in the world.

The Vintage Watch Company is the only store of its kind in the world, with a devoted client base of devoted Rolex aficionados, from royalty to sporting legends to stars of the silver screen. Throughout, father and son, John and David Silver have been carefully cataloguing and amassing one of the largest pictorial records of vintage Rolex watches in the world. Published to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary in late 2020, the book contains a unique pictorial collection of vintage Rolex watches that have passed through the shop during the past 25 years.

More than 1800 watches have been photographed and are described in detail in the book. From early Rolex pocket watches to the world’s first wristwatches, elegant in their simplicity yet revolutionary in their impact, to the very first Submariners, iconic Daytonas and jewel-encrusted Crown Collections, the mesmerizing archive of vintage timepieces charts the extraordinary rise of an extraordinary brand. Choose from the First Rolex Submariner, later coined the James Bond, or the Early GMT-Master made for Pan Am transatlantic pilots. Read about the First Explorers made famous by the 1953 Everest Expedition or the later Explorer II worn by Steve McQueen. Marvel at Early Vintage collections, from the Officer’s Pocket Watch to the Ladies’ Diamond; from the Oyster and the Stella & Stone collections, to the Sport Collection.

This book is a perfect gift for all lovers of luxury retail as well as passionate collectors of Rolex watches who will want to read about the models they own.

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The essential volume on the great fashion designer, entrepreneur and Louis Vuitton artistic director, back in print

This authoritative Virgil Abloh compendium, created by the designer himself, accompanies his acclaimed landmark 2019–23 touring exhibition and offers in-depth analysis of his career and his inspirations. More than a catalog, Figures of Speech is a 500-page user’s manual to Abloh’s genre-bending work in art, fashion and design.
The first section features essays and an interview that examine Abloh’s oeuvre through the lenses of contemporary art history, architecture, streetwear, high fashion and race, to provide insight into a prolific and impactful career that cuts across mediums, connecting visual artists, musicians, graphic designers, fashion designers, major brands and architects. The book also contains a massive archive of images culled from Abloh’s personal files on major projects, revealing behind-the-scenes snapshots, prototypes, inspirations and more―accompanied by intimate commentary from the artist. Finally, a gorgeous full-color plate section offers a detailed view of Abloh’s work across disciplines.
Virgil Abloh (1980–2021) was a fashion designer and entrepreneur, and the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s men’s wear collection from 2018 to 2021. He was also CEO of the Milan-based label Off-White, a fashion house he founded in 2013. Born in Rockford, Illinois, to Ghanaian parents, he entered the world of fashion with an internship at Fendi in 2009 alongside rapper Kanye West. The two began an artistic collaboration that would launch Abloh’s career with the founding of Off-White. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.

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In 2016, sportswear manufacturer Nike and fashion designer Virgil Abloh joined forces to create a sneaker collection celebrating 10 of the Oregon-based company’s most iconic shoes. With their project The Ten―which reimagined icons like Air Jordan 1, Air Max 90, Air Force 1, and Air Presto, among others―they reinvigorated sneaker culture.

Virgil Abloh’s designs offer deep insights into engineering ingenuity and burst with cultural cachet. Drawing on the genius of the original shoe using lettering, ironic labels, collage, and sculpting techniques, Abloh played with language and sculptural elements to construct new meaning. Inspired by the wit of Dadaism, architectural theory, and avant-garde happenings, he analyzed what makes each shoe iconic and deconstructed it into an artistic assemblage, making each shoe into a piece of industrial design, a readymade sculpture, and a wearable all at once.

ICONS traces Abloh’s investigative, creative process through documentation of the prototypes, original text messages from Abloh to Nike designers, and treasures from the Nike archives. We find Swooshes sliced away from Air Jordans and reapplied with tape or thread, Abloh’s typical text fragments in quotation marks on Air Force 1, and All Stars cut into pieces. We take a look behind the scenes and witness Abloh’s DIY approach, which gave each model in the Off-WhiteTM c/o Nike collection its own unique touch. His deconstructive vocabulary is reflected in the Swiss binding, which showcases an open spine and discloses the production of the book.

The book documents Abloh’s cooperative way of working and reaffirms the power of print. For its design Nike and Abloh partnered with the acclaimed London-based design studio Zak Group. Together they conceived a two-part compendium, equal parts catalog and conceptual toolbox. The first part of the book presents a visual culture of sneakers while a lexicon in the second part defines the key people, places, objects, ideas, materials, and scenes from which the project grew. Texts by Nike’s Nicholas Schonberger, writer Troy Patterson, curator and historian Glenn Adamson, and Virgil Abloh himself frame the collaborative work within fashion and design history. A foreword by Hiroshi Fujiwara places the project within the historical continuum of Nike collaborators.

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Travel around the globe with Vogue’s most exotic fashion, travel, and lifestyle stories

Have fashion, will travel. That’s the vision behind Vogue on Location, a journey in itself through the many spectacular voyages that the magazine took over the years. Spanning a century, this remarkable book includes dispatches and travel writing by journalistic icons like Jan Morris, Truman Capote, Lee Miller, Lesley Blanch, and Frances FitzGerald, as well as stunning editorials from legendary photographers like Irving Penn, Henry Clarke, Helmut Newton, Arthur Elgort, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, and Annie Leibovitz.

With historic reportage and landmark fashion shoots in far-flung locales like India, Iran, Morocco, Bali, Vogue on Location captures important moments in both travel and fashion history. An essential addition to any Vogue lover’s shelf, Vogue on Location is sure to inspire a sense of fantasy and flight.

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An exquisite collection of nearly 400 iconic, inspirational wedding photographs of royalty, models, artists, actors, musicians and designers who have appeared in Vogue through the magazine’s 120 year history.

Showcasing the work of legendary photographers such as Cecil Beaton, Patrick Demarchelier, Jonathan Becker, Norma Jean Roy, Mario Testino, Irving Penn, Arthur Elgort, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Annie Leibovitz, Vogue Weddings will transport you to a myriad of romantic settings around the world, from storied castles, palaces, and cathedrals, to weddings by the sea or in the countryside.

Here are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in London; Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars in Italy; Kate Moss and Jamie Hince in the Cotswolds; Lauren Bush and David Lauren at the RRL Ranch in Colorado; Marina Rust and Ian Connor in Maine; Lauren Davis and Andrés Santo Domingo in Cartagena, Colombia as well as such iconic photos as Bianca and Mick Jagger in the car after their wedding in St. Tropez. A chapter on models’ weddings includes portraits of Natalia Vodianova, Coco Rocha, Maggie Rizer, Stella Tennant, Lara Stone and Cindy Crawford among others in their own wedding dress choices.

Vogue Weddings also features behind-the-scenes details from Hamish Bowles; personal wedding stories from Mario Testino, Plum Sykes, Marina Rust and Sarah Mower; and fashion portfolios created by the magazine’s editors of bridal photo shoots, many including couture.

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The only instructional book on watercolour painting you will ever need!

Whether you are just starting out with watercolour painting, or you’re looking to push the boundaries and take your skills to the next level, this book contains all the inspiration and practical know-how needed to create perfect paintings and wonderful watercolour designs.

With passion on every page, you can discover:

-A step-by-step photographic guide to over 90 techniques and top tips on watercolour paintings
-Showcase spreads include stand-out paintings to analyse how the artist achieved particular effects
-Comprehensive range of techniques suitable for both beginners and experienced painters

This awe-inspiring art book starts from the very basics, such as choosing the right brushes and practising colour mixes, and then offers a plethora of tips and tricks to creating the most wonderful watercolour designs, tackling all techniques, from composition to colour theory, graduated tones to glazed tints, monochrome and more!

Each technique and stylistic approach is demonstrated by a professional artist working on an original painting, which is photographed at different stages of development to give unique insights into the artistic process involved. Tried the techniques but don’t know what to paint? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Explore a diverse range of themes, subjects and topics. From perspectives to portraits, still life to sunsets, fur and feathers, to painting the weather – there’s something for everyone to discover and love.

Did you know that interest in watercolour has increased by 25% in the last five years? So whether you’re looking to try out a new skill this New Year or perfect your paintings even further, then this may be the book for you!

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