Hand Job : A Catalog of Type
In short: One of the best art/design books I own.
photo by Michael Perry
After spending years in an industry flooded with Ryan Mcginness and Takashi Murakami knock offs, I’ve been wondering what’s next. (Perhaps I shouldn’t be so harsh, but it seems like you don’t have to be able to illustrate to be an illustrator anymore.) The answer; the anti-computer, hand drawn. That’s right, what’s old is new, and it’s good great. This is a compendium of illustrators and designers kickin’ it old school. What I really enjoy about hand done design is that it feels personal;it feels unique. Most importantly, it feels fresh.
This book features 55 designers and illustrators and none of them are duds. I usually feel dissapointed by books that feature multiple artists/designers/illustrators/etc because it always seem to be the case that half the book is just filler. Hand Job, while never deviating from its core message, somehow managed to assemble a wide range of great talent. And it doesn’t hurt that the book is just plain well designed.
Overall: 5 out of 5
I am extremely pleased with my purchase. Perhaps my favorite book that I’ve bought this year. Normally going for $35, Amazon it on sale
