#3 - World War Robot Complete

After a bit of a hiatus in posts it's time to catch up. First up is Ashley Wood's World War Robot Complete. WWR is, at first glance, an art book with seemingly disconnected snippets of text strewn about in letters, communications, etc. The artwork is outstanding and truly speaks more than words could to create a rich world that draws you in as well as any novel. Mankind has split into two factions, those on Earth are fanatically religious and the atheists have jumped ship to Mars. An enterprising figure based out of the Moon creates the robots that help each side wage war against each other while he profits from it all. It's an awesome book and also the background for some of the most amazing toys ever created by Ashley's company Three A Toys.

#16 - Photoshop Creative

Photoshop Creative is actually more of a magazine, but it is priced in more of a book range and contains more information and instruction than most tomes on the subject. It is an imported magazine from the UK and does include a DVD-ROM for the computer filled with tutorial videos, samples, and stock photography. The subscription seems hefty but is actually quite a bargain compared to the $29.99 cover price in book shops. Full color and amazingly detailed, each issue walks you through all of the tips and tutorials that the pros use to accomplish amazing results. From photography work, to digital painting, to true digital artwork, and all of the tools, brushes, layer tricks, and tips to achieve these same results... It's all there, every issue! It's almost mind-boggling that there is more to cover in the next issue because each one is so exhaustive. If you do any sort of photography or graphic design and would like to take your craft to the next level, this is it. Far better than any Photoshop book I own. Highly Recommended.