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BUDDHIST IMAGERY
Outlines of Buddhist Gods |
This is a great little book on how to draw Buddhists Gods and Deities. This book is full of finely detailed single line outlines - perfect flash - and special attention is paid to the difficult parts, like hands and elaborately detailed accessories. All in all a great, no nonsense reference book. Text in Japanese.
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Buddhist Statue Images |
This is a great little reference book on Japanese buddhist statues. The text is in Japanese but I've included it because it includes some really great photos and a section in the back devoted to facial details: eyes, ears, lips, eyebrows, teeth. This book is full of great full color photographs and imagery. |
Buddhist Statues    Size: 8.5” x 10” - Pages: 215 - Published: 2002 - Price: $52 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great reference book on Japanese Buddhist Gods and Deity Statues. The text is in Japanese but I listed it because it includes some really great photos. The book includes brilliantly detailed full color images of statues as well as the temples in which they reside. It also include photos of the gods that guard the temple gates, which are usually left out of most collections. There is a section of detailed outline drawings of the deities as well. The book includes both full color and monochrome photos. |
Buddhist Gods in Outline    Size: 8.5” x 11.5” - Pages: 78 - Published: 2004 - Price: $68 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great instructional book on drawing Buddhist deities. Printed on heavy duty paper, this book includes 32 incredibly detailed outline drawings like the ones in the pictures. Text is in Japanese but half the book is exclusively full page imagery. Great for tattoo design and artists in need of a little help with the many small details that make good Buddhist illustrations great. |
Drawing Daruma |
This is a great reference book on Daruma. Daruma (or Dharma, Bodhidharma) is the father of Zen buddhism (chan buddhism in China). He lived sometime during the 5th or 6th century AD. Legends about him vary but most agree that he achieved Satori (enlightenment) after meditating in a cave for seven years without blinking or moving his eyes. During that time his arms and legs atrophied, shriveled up and fell off. Some say he cut off his eyelids as well - in anger at himself for dozing off, and they fell to the ground and sprouted into China's first green tea plants. You cannot visit Japan without seeing countless lucky Daruma dolls, little round red guys at all the temples and in many of the shops and homes. They are also called Okiagari Koboshi or tumbler dolls. Because of their shape, if pushed or knocked, they spring back up making they emblems for persistence, optimism and determination. Traditionally you have one Daruma doll in your home. They are eyeless when you purchase them. You make a wish and draw in one of the eyes, if the wish come true you draw in the other, if not you wait. If you want, at the end of the year, you can return to the temple and burn the doll. This purification ritual is to let the god of that temple know that you are not giving up the pursuit of your wish but are going to take another path to make it come true. Very cool. This book includes tons of sketches and sumi-e ink drawings, as well as several full color renditions. Most are portraits of Daruma or Daruma dolls. Special pages devoted to sketches of his ears, eyes, lips, beard, nose and eyebrows. Very thorough! This book is printed on thick, high quality paper. Text in Japanese, reads right to left, Japanese style. |
Buddhist Statues Survey Book    Size: 6" x 8" - Pages: 158 - Published: 2006 - Price: $35 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great book that came out fairly recently. The text is in Japanese but I listed it because it includes some really great photos of Japanese statues of gods and deities. The photos include images of the gods that are posted at the front of temples as guardians - which tend to be overlooked. The book includes full color photos of statues and will as outline drawings highlighting details like body position, hands, feet, accessories and head ornaments, different poses....all and all a pretty cool little reference book. |
Paintings of Buddhist Gods |
This is an amazing book....definitely one of the best ones out there. Much less text/instructions in this one, it is predominately brilliant paintings. Over 100 pages of full color illustrations that are nice and big. Incredible attention to detail. Amazing renditions of deities on lotus, standing alone and among the masses....all sorts of poses. There is a bit more variety of style within these images and the colors are nice and bold. Great book for artists and collectors. |
Kannon Illustrations    Size: 8.5” x 11.5” - Pages: 117 - Published: 2001 - Price: $72 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great collection of full color and outlines of buddhist goddesses. It is predominately renditions of Kannon, goddess of Mercy and compassion. This book is large in size and beautifully printed on high quality, thick paper. It includes appx. 30 pages of full page, color images of Kannon in different positions/activities. 30 full page, sepia toned outlines of her in various activities, a section with ontline drawings of all the buddhist gods and then a full color, full page section featuring different deities. All in all a great collection for both artists and collectors. All text is in Japanese so a little familiarity with the different deities is reccomended. |
Drawing Traditional Buddhist Images |
This is a new collection of Buddhists Gods and Deities artwork. This book is not very thick but is full of great full page illustrations. The book has a full page outline of each print in the latter half of the book which is perfect for flash/base lines. 16 prints and 16 outlines, a great, no nonsense reference book. Book is well bound and printed on thick, high quality paper. This one is a personal favorite! |
CG Buddhist Illustrations    Size: 8.5” x 10.5” - Pages: 40 - Published: 2006 - Price: $32 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great little book of Buddhists Gods and Deities illustrations. This book is not very thick but is full of brilliant prints. The full color prints add a modern twist to an antiquated theme with computer graphics. The latter half of the book contains full page outlines of just the deities, which are perfect for flash/base lines. 10 prints and 10 outlines, a great, no nonsense reference book. Book is well bound and printed on thick, high quality paper. |
Drawing Buddhist Images |
This is a great book for any artist drawing Buddhist gods. It includes black and white and full color images of different deities and has special pages devoted to hands, arms, feet, legs, eyes and faces and gods standing on lotus. All text in Japanese but how-to pictures are pretty self explanatory. This is one of the best reference guides I've come across. |
Painting Buddhist Gods |
This is a great reference book for artists working on Buddhist gods and deities. It is a big book and the illustrations are full page. The artist provides both the outline and the finished painting for his work to illustrate beginning and end product and there is a section in the front, with photos, detailing the process. Text is in Japanese. The images are detailed and stunning and there are 70 pages of them. Book is 130 pages in total. Really good reference book for artists and collectors both. |
Drawing Buddhist Gods & Deities Outline Book #2 |
This is an instructional book on painting Buddhists Gods and Deities. This book is not very thick but includes great full page illustrations and has a full page outline of each print in the latter half of the book which is perfect for flash/base lines. 10 prints and 10 outlines, a great, no nonsense reference book. Book is printed on thick, high quality paper. |
Buddhist Statues |
THIS IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF PHOTOS OUT ON BUDDHISTS STATUES IN JAPAN. IT BOASTS 771 PAGES OF FULL COLOR IMAGES ON ALMOST ALL PAGES AND INCLUDES THE NAMES OF EACH STATUE IN ENGLISH,(ALL REMAINING TEXT IN JAPANESE) I SCANNED A LOT OF THE GODS AND DEMONS BUT THE BOOK INCLUDES MANY IMAGES OF BUDDHA AS WELL. OFTEN EACH STATUE DEPICTED FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES OR SPECIAL ATTENTION PAID TO FACE, HANDS OR SOME DETAIL THAT STANDS OUT ON THE STATUE. THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK AND WOULD MAKE AN INFORMATIVE REFERENCE BOOK AS WELL AS BE STUNNING ON A COFFEE TABLE. |
Buddhist Gods & Deities Outline Book |
This is an instructional book on painting Buddhists Gods and Deities. This book is not very thick but includes great full page illustrations and has a full page outline of each print in the latter half of the book which is perfect for flash/base lines. 10 prints and 10 outlines, a great, no nonsense reference book. Book is printed on thick, high quality paper. |
Japanese Images of Hell   Size: 7” x 8.5” - Pages: 127 - Published: 1999 - Price: $35 - Binding: Softcover |
This little book boasts 127 pages of color and monochrome images depicting Hell and it's demons doing naughty things. It is a collection of scrolls created with the evident intention of keeping the masses on the straight and narrow! Grim Oni and demons torture and maim hapless sinners.....great demon illustrations, perfect for tattoo work. A great book for tattoo artist and collectors of traditional Japanese imagery. Text is in Japanese but the pictures speak for themselves. |
Japanese Hell Illustrations    Size: 8.5” x 11” - Pages: 126 - Published: 2001 - Price: $58 - Binding: Hardcover |
This is a book devoted to Hell and all it's demons and monsters. It includes over 60 full color pages of oni causing mayhem as well as numerous monochrome images throughout the text. Text is in Japanese. Great reference book for artists, gruesome but detailed tattoo material, great for collectors of religious or grim Japanese imagery. |
Painting Buddist Deities by Daisuke Ono   Size: 8.5” x 11.5” - Pages: 138 - Published: 1997 - Price: $60 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great reference book for artists working on Buddhist gods and deities. It is a collection by Daisuke Ono and was just reprinted, this is the third printing. It is a big book (appx. 8.5" x 11.5")with nice, thick pages and well bound. The illustrations are full page. The artist provides both the outline and the finished painting for his work to illustrate beginning and end product and there is a section in the front, with photos, detailing the process. (text is in Japanese) There are a couple of pages on hands, for reference, both holding object and empty - but posed. The images are detailed and stunning and there are 66 pages of them. Book is 138 pages in total. Really good reference book for artists and collectors both. |
Japanese Komainu (foo dogs)   Size: 6” x 8” - Pages: 128 - Published: 2006 - Price: $38 - Binding: Softcover |
This is an amazing book. I have been waiting for a book to be published devoted to FOO DOGS or KOMAINU as the statues guarding the temples are called in Japanese. Not only have they finally done it, they translated the text so it is printed in both English and Japanese. The photos in the book are of statues, not illustrations. The book focuses on foo dogs guarding different temples and their history. It outlines the history and purpose of foo dogs in Asian culture and illustrates differences between the Edo lion and the Naniwa foo dog. Photos are dated so you can see the growth and development of these statues. All in all a very cool resource. |
All images and text copyright Gomineko 2006-2007. Violators who lift any my content will be shot.