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Variations on
a Rectangle:
Thirty Years of Graphic Design from Texas Monthly to Pentagram
By DJ Stout
296 pages, hardcover, $60 Published by University of
Texas Press utpress.utexas.edu
From his thirteen years as Texas Monthly’s art director to his current tenure as partner
at Pentagram, DJ Stout has compiled the best of graphic design from publications all over Texas, including nearly 800 images. The retrospective showcases the fifth-generation Texan’s own western American style, but most of the book tips its hat to the brilliant image makers he’s proud to call family. Chapters such as “Animals,” “Education” and “Sports” share pages with Stout’s essays and the stories behind the images. It’s a must-read for anyone wild about design or Texas—or both. —Claire Sykes
Illustration
That Works:
Professional Techniques for Artistic and Commercial Success
By Greg Houston
208 pages, softcover, $30 Published by Monacelli
Studio monacellipress.com
If you’re an illustrator
looking for guidance on how to create effective visuals that speak, this is the book
you’ll want to read. Greg Houston’s lessons are delivered through short chapters with a right-to-the-point style that’s full of energy. Though at times the book takes on the tone of a well-meaning drill sergeant, it packs in a ton of practical information that ranges in style and genre, with plenty of examples and exercises for budding illustrators. Houston’s personal rules for success pop up intermittently between chapters. —A.N.
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