Draw Your Own Celtic Designs [Paperback]

David James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2003

An indispensable, step-by-step guide to drawing a wide variety of Celtic designs - for artists and crafters working in all media. Starting with an illustrated introduction to the Celts and the development of Celtic design, the author places the book's designs into their historical context. The following chapters examine each of the main Celtic patterns in turn: knots, spirals, key patterns, animals and beasts, and Celtic lettering. Each chapter opens with a large colour illustration to inspire readers in ways of incorporating the design into their own work. This is followed by a short introduction to the range of patterns that fall into this design category, along with photos of Celtic artefacts. The rest of the chapter consists of 16 design pages, each containing a specially commissioned step-by-step artwork for readers to follow. Beautiful to look at, and exquisitely executed in themselves, each artwork has been carefully constructed so that readers can follow its build up from start to finish with no possibility of error. The chapter on Celtic lettering contains a specially commissioned double-page artwork of the Celtic alphabet for readers to copy, and is followed by instructions on how to embellish each of the letter forms in Celtic styles.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David James has been directly involved with Celtic art and design for nearly thirty years. He has been Editor of Celtic Connections magazine for the last nine years, and his numerous publications include Celtic Designs: An Art and Crafts Source Book (Cassell, 2001) and Celtic Crafts: The Living Tradition (Blandford, 1997). He lives near Weymouth in Dorset. Vitor Gonzalez is a Bachelor in History from Oviedo University, and is a practising artist of rare insight and creative ability. He lives in Asturias in Spain.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: David & Charles (September 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0715315250
• ISBN-13: 978-0715315255
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #515,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great addition to Celtic design!!, January 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Draw Your Own Celtic Designs (Paperback)

This is a handsome volume with not just exciting step by step guides to drawing Celtic designs but also some wonderful photographs of carvings, illustrated manuscripts, etc., and fascinating text by David James of the history of the Celts and their art. I've never seen a book quite like this - it really gives one an incentive to try the knots, spirals, birds and other designs. Vitor Gonzalez' art work is always magnificent.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro. to Drawing Celtic Designs, July 2, 2008

By 

Sean McCormack (Milford, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Draw Your Own Celtic Designs (Paperback)

This book provides the building blocks to eventually create your own orignal Celtic designs. Each chapter covers a different motif (knotwork, spirals, key-patterns) and includes several projects beginning with a simple one designed to teach the basics and then further projects applying those basics and increasing in difficulty. Expect to put in your fair share of elbow-grease and practice, especially in the more difficult projects, but in my own case I was able to compose a simple yet elegant design the day I received the book. Definately worth the price if you are serious about learning this form of artwork.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly good, March 19, 2011

By 

Malcolm Schosha (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Draw Your Own Celtic Designs (Paperback)

This book is attractively done and contains a number of photographs of actual Celtic work which is helpful. The book contains chapters on Knots, Spirals, Key Patterns, Animals and Beasts, and Celtic Lettering. All of these chapters are well done and would probably be helpful and interesting to even those who who have experience with the subject...with the exception of one chapter.

The chapter on knots, the chapter that many readers will be most interested in, is (in my view) not as good as the other sections of this book. David James uses a grid system which seems a little more complex than some other grid systems, and that grid system is presented with little explanation of how it works in the drawing of Celtic knots. Also the use of 'break lines' is introduced without explanation of why they are important, or how they function. Because of that, beginners may find it difficult to distinguish between the line of the knot and the break lines that control the configuration of the knot.

It really is a good book, but those who have a particular interest in the drawing of knots might need to supplement this book with another on that subject.