A Textbook on Ornamental Design (page 1/3)

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Front Cover

The front cover of “Ornamental Design” is not itself very ornamented. [$]

Coucy Castle, Bird’s Eye Drawing

A striking aerial view of a castle, complete with people in the courtyard and someone kneeling just outside the gate, perhaps weeding the vegetables grown there. [more...] [$]

16.—Holding a Ruling Pen

“13. Inking.—For drawing ink lines other than arcs of circles, the ruling pen (or right-line pen, as it is sometimes called) is used. Its should be held as nearly perpendicular to the board as possible, with the hand in the position shown in Figs. 15 and 16, bearing lightly against the T square or triangle, along the edge of which the line is drawn. After a little more practice, this position will become more natural, and no difficulty will be experienced.” (pp. 11 – 12) [more...] [$]

Figure 3.54.—Ionic Frieze

88. Ionic Order.—In Fig. 54 is shown a frieze from the principal Ionic temple in Athens, the Erechtheum, the style of which is typical of this class of relief ornament throughout Greek design. it is plainly a development, in relief, of the brush forms shown in Fig. 47; and the addition of scrolls at the bottom, and leaves, from which the forms appear to spring, is due to a conventionalization of the acanthus leaf, which first makes its appearance in art through its introduction into Greek architecture.

I’d take that extract with a pinch of salt: the writer has absolutely no way of knowing that there was [more...] [$]

12.—Dividers.

Dividers are like compasses but with two sharp points, and can be used for measuring distances. [$]