Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #615047 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 216 pages

creativebase.com/graphicswire
"This exhaustive collection impressively surveys one of the most global languages in graphics."

Synopsis
"Pictoplasma", a collection by the eponymous Berlin-based project, presents a comprehensive overview of this truly global graphic language and illustrates the remarkable status figures (the picto element) with lively traits and faces (plasma) have achieved in our society, culminating in a visual feast. As likeable, global identifiers they act as indispensable mediators in the era of multimedia, serving purposes as diverse as branding, logo design, game design (Pokemon, SuperMario), web design, icons or mascots. Selected from more than 6000 entries "Pictoplasma" offers both independent artists and corporations an international platform. Countless styles and techniques divide the figurative images into freehand drawings, vector, pixel, encyclopaedia and 3-D styles, gaining in complexity during each respective chapter. From cartoon to collage, from graffiti to pop art - this book lends the world of characters a new face.

Customer Reviews

An amazingly inspiring source book you'll never get bored of
There aren't many 'source' books available that don't go out of date 2 months after you've bought them, but this one breaks the mould. The book looks at cartoon character design, from the extremely simple to the greatly detailed. The content is sectioned off neatly; covering freehand sketches, bipmap art, vector design and 3D work. Most of the work will be completely new to you, but there is also a wealth of familiar faces to draw you in. For example Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario and Pokemon all get a look in.

One of the best things about the book is the presentation. The design and layout is clean and crisp, letting the colour and character of the cartoons jump right out of the page. There are thousands of designs on hundreds of pages, all bound in a lovely padded cover to finish it off.

All in all one of the best books i've ever bought, and one you'll never get bored of!

Y'need inspiration? Y'got it
I've been trawling the internet for years, searching out modern and exciting character illustrations and then I came across the Pictoplasma website [that spawned the book]. It claims to be the greatest online repository of contemporary character design. And I can't argue with that, I'm on there, but the site isn't too easy to navigate and you have to wait to download stuff and here is where the book excels.

Its in your hand, there's no downloads, all the pages are numbers, its low tech, instant and gorgeous. Each character has been lovingly placed for maximum simplicity and ease of viewing. There is simple sectioning to view vector, pixel or logo chracters , and even a comparison of creations that crop up time and again. The hardback is lushly padded and its just a lovely thing to hold, and have.

If you're into cool characters then this is the definitive book, and you could always send some of your own designs to the site and maybe even appear in the next edition.

Great Inspiration!
This really is a must for anyone who is in the design field or a student of it. Its a massive showcase of every kind of design imagineable. From Graphic Design, 3D rendering through to Illustration and pixel art. The artists themselves are from all around the world and is quite an insight the world styles. Really top book and is worth the price