pretty brilliant ( )

Simple text, bold colors, and shapes illuminate principles of graphic design, culminating in a complex design at the end of the book. ( )

The concepts featured here are important to understand when creating visual art. Gonyea successfully illustrates his ideas so that visual learners will pick up the concepts immediately. The text is very simple, with most pages only featuring one sentence, and therefore the chapters are very short. Most concepts included are easily defined however, the author describes personal space in art as something you do “right or wrong”, which many artists would find controversial. Because of the simple text and accompanying bright bold graphics this is a good book for reluctant readers interested in art. ( )

The simple text of this design book belies its big ideas. Although most pages contain only a few words or a couple of sentences, Gonyea brings across finer points on color, patterns, negative & positive space, background & foreground, and other elements of design. If you're a complete design newbie, this simple book can have a lot to teach you in a short amount of time. I think more sophisticated art connoisseurs will find something to enjoy as well. ( )