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Thread: Reference books for Chinese environments and culture?

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    Xeon_OND's Avatar
    Xeon_OND is offline My dream is to be able to do awesome, realistic drawings of humans & their faces someday! Level 10 Gladiator: Equites
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    Thumbs up Reference books for Chinese environments and culture?

    Hi guys,

    I'm trying to do some designs / paintings that has ancient chinese temples and fortresses, castles and that kind of fantastical thing, but I can't seem to find any reference books on Amazon that touches on these subjects. Like you know, the characteristics of what an ancient chinese house looks like, or why chinese strongholds are designed the way they are etc.

    I saw some 30+ page picture books for 7-year old kids that seem to cover this topics, and wonder if I should get them.

    Amazon has all these great reference books on medieval fantasy environments and characters etc., but when it comes to eastern stuff.....well......

    Anyone has any ideas? There's a few bitsy resources on the web but they're too scattered and few and I can't get any good info out of those.

    Thanks!
    Xeon

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    Alice Herring's Avatar
    Alice Herring is offline Registered User Level 6 Gladiator: Provocator
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xeon_OND View Post
    Hi guys,

    I'm trying to do some designs / paintings that has ancient chinese temples and fortresses, castles and that kind of fantastical thing, but I can't seem to find any reference books on Amazon that touches on these subjects. Like you know, the characteristics of what an ancient chinese house looks like, or why chinese strongholds are designed the way they are etc.

    I saw some 30+ page picture books for 7-year old kids that seem to cover this topics, and wonder if I should get them.

    Amazon has all these great reference books on medieval fantasy environments and characters etc., but when it comes to eastern stuff.....well......

    Anyone has any ideas? There's a few bitsy resources on the web but they're too scattered and few and I can't get any good info out of those.

    Thanks!
    Xeon
    Have you tried looking up architecture books?

  3. #3
    OmenSpirits's Avatar
    OmenSpirits is offline Commercial-Illustrator in-training, NOT an artist. Level 13 Gladiator: Retiarius
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    You're...in China, right? Library maybe?
    "Everything must serve the idea. The means used to convey the idea should be the simplest and clear. Just what is required. No extra images. To me this is a universal principle of art. Saying as much as possible with a minimum of means."
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    dpaint's Avatar
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    Here

    China: in a Series of Views, Displaying the Scenery, Architecture, and Social Habits, of That Ancient Empire
    Four volumes
    Quick search turned this up I have not seen the books myself

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    Flashback's Avatar
    Flashback is offline Registered User Level 8 Gladiator: Thracian
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    Quote Originally Posted by OmenSpirits View Post
    You're...in China, right? Library maybe?
    Singapore is an independent nation.
    *** Sketchbook and other stuff ***

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    OmenSpirits's Avatar
    OmenSpirits is offline Commercial-Illustrator in-training, NOT an artist. Level 13 Gladiator: Retiarius
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    But, they still would have libraries, right? Their history is still connected to China in some way so said info should be more accessable, one would gather. *shrugs*
    "Everything must serve the idea. The means used to convey the idea should be the simplest and clear. Just what is required. No extra images. To me this is a universal principle of art. Saying as much as possible with a minimum of means."
    -John Huston, Director

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    AlexTLe is offline Registered User Level 1 Gladiator: Andabatae
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    Well, if your rich enough, travel there!

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