Henning Nelms Bücher

Like theatrical presentations, conjuring is an art of illusion. A magician skilled in the craft is able to convince an audience that he or she can read minds, communicate with the spirit world, make objects appear or disappear, and perform other acts of seemingly genuine magic. Without having mastered the art of presentation or “showmanship,” however, even the most competent sleight-of-hand artist can fall short in performance. With this in mind, noted authority Henning Nelms goes beyond the basics to show how techniques developed for the stage by playwrights, directors, and actors can heighten the dramatic effect of a magician’s performance.In this instructive book, Helms analyzes every phase of conjuring — from sleights, devices, and illusions to misdirection, controlling the audience’s attention, incorporating “patter,” and the effective use of assistants. Of particular interest is a chapter on body language, posture, positioning and movement. Also included are some 60 original routines — from simple card tricks to such major illusions as having the performer suddenly appear at stage center.Indispensable as an instruction manual for novices, this how-to guide — enhanced with nearly 200 of the author’s illustrations — will also serve as a lasting source of advice and inspiration for veteran conjurers.

Anyone working on scene design for the first time will find this book indispensable — amateur and semi-professional groups, high school students and their teachers, even puppeteers who will find the advice on model building invaluable for their own sets. Whatever play you are putting on, designing the set will be no problem when you have this book to guide you.It contains an excellent discussion of scenery, sets, models, the principles of design, painting scenery, and arena design. Throughout this discussion, the author gives many tips that will save you much wasted materials and hours of work; working out sightlines before you design the set, choosing among different kinds of sets, constructing flats, making a truly realistic model, constructing a convertible set, working with a color chart and tone solid, spatter painting, adding touches, and much more. When technical terms are used, all are defined with extreme clarity: raked set, cyclorama, set axes, flats, flippers, masking pieces, etc. The author's 110 drawings and diagrams are especially helpful floor plans of sets, audience views, reverse views, different scene designs on the same basic set, and similar material. There is also a complete index.

"If you have enough skill with a pencil to write your own name, you can make a drawing." Finally back in print for the first time in 30 years, Henning Nelms' Thinking with a Pencil is truly a classic in its field. First published in 1957, Nelms anticipated with precision and ingenuity many features of thought and the creative process that we are just now coming to accept as true. Nelms' great breakthrough lies in his arsenal of inventive techniques for using drawing as a thinking aide and tool for the organization and presentation of ideas. With Thinking with a Pencil on your bookshelf, you'll be able to quickly master the practical applications of drawing and illustration. At once an instructional book and an investigation of the conceptual barrier between word and thought, Thinking with a Pencil teaches drawing as a tool for communication and explains how our minds interact with illustrations, diagrams, figures, etc. Professionals in design, engineering, sales, and businesses of all kinds will find it invaluable. There are over 650 illustrations and examples packed into this portable book, making it the ultimate resource for those who want to supercharge their cognitive process with the addition of visual elements.