Design and Tradition: A short account of the principles and historic development of architecture and the applied artsFenn, Amor
History
Design and Tradition: A short account of the principles and historic development of architecture and the applied arts
Fenn, Amor
Architecture; Art; Decoration and ornament; Decoration and ornament -- History
Divisional measurement is rendered unnecessary by the diagonal method of
proportion. Given a rectangular shape, which has to be reduced or
enlarged, a diagonal line should be drawn, and prolonged if the latter,
through opposite angles. A line parallel to either the vertical or
horizontal can be drawn and returned at a right angle where it
intersects the diagonal, and regardless of any dimensions, this will
ensure the exact proportion of the original rectangle.
It is obvious that such designs as the foregoing should be complete, and
both in drawing and colour a perfect anticipation of the painted result,
owing nothing of their effect to mechanical reproduction.
_Textiles_
In designs for printed and woven fabrics, though the process of
production varies, it is still necessary that the drawing be complete in
the technical indications. Otherwise the reproduced version may suffer,
or at least not fulfil the intention of the designer, and it follows
that the drawings should be concise in every detail, even to the colour
effect desired.
The drawings are usually to the full size in most printed fabrics. The
design is not reproduced by any mechanical process, the blocks or
rollers used in printing being cut by hand from a transferred tracing
made from the original. Hence the importance of exactitude in joining
and dimensions.
In some instances the whole of the pattern is cut in relief in the wood,
but in others, lines are the result of narrow strips of ribbon-like
brass embedded in the surface of the block or roller. These have their
influence on the design, as in the former method of production the lines
can vary in thickness and can be invested with greater interest than the
employment of the wire can give. The metal results in a hard line of
unvarying thinness.
Drawings for printed and woven fabrics are usually in opaque colour, and
each tint employed should display a defined edge, graduated effects
being only technically possible by means of tapering lines or stipple.
Each distinct colour or tint involves separate printing; therefore as it
is economically desirable to attain the best effect with the minimum
cost, the utmost should be made of the colours employed.
_Wallpapers_
Wallpapers as a rule are printed in opaque colour, but in textiles, when
the colour is transparent, more elaborate effects are possible by
overprinting or super-imposing one colour on another. In woven fabrics
similar effects can be obtained by judicious manipulation of the
shuttles, but in all cases it should be borne in mind that a working
drawing is necessary in which the details are clearly indicative of the
final result.
Designs that have to be realised by some form of handicraft require the
same care and concise regard to detail, though the drawings need not be
so complete as to appearance, and may be to scale or drawn full size
according to condition.
_Architectural Drawings_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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