DESIGN BOOKS New Releases

I'm on an Amazon "alert list" that tells me when new design books have just been published. I usually have to sort through 100 books to find a few I like, or one that I think would be applicable to gift and card design. Here are seven I found recently that looked interesting:




5,000 Years of Textiles
Far East, Americas, Africa,
Scandinavia, and Egyptian.
Possibly good for studying fabric design.







Abstract Design and How to Create It
Over 380 illustrations, diagrams,
designs, border patterns and textile patterns.





Water Paper Paint:
Field book of inspiration,
creative ideas, how to's, and projects.
I liked the description of this book because
I've always found water color a difficult media and this book seemed to have a new playful approach.




Creative Illustration Workshop
Exercises for integrating illustration
with other mixed-media techniques,
and scan and layer your illustrations
using a computer. I liked that this combined
traditional media with digital processes.


Print Workshop
Hand-Printing Techniques for low budgets
and printing images onto things. This had a list
of interesting ways to put imagery on products.
Perhaps a good technique for putting our designs
on model items to show what they would look like on real products.


Digital Alchemy
Printmaking techniques for fine art
and how to transfer images to a variety of surfaces.
Again, this book looked interesting because it
included decals and skins.


Critical Mass: Printmaking Beyond the Edge
Cutting-edge developments in international printmaking.
Since printmaking is fundamental in most
surface design concepts, this book looked interesting
because it seems like a modern take on a traditional art.