This is an essential beginner's guide to classic alphabets, with over 40 projects and 400 photographs and artworks. It helps you how to master the art of calligraphy, from simple letters in black ink to illuminated lettering in gold leaf. It features all the classic alphabets - both formal and decorative - such as Roman, Foundational, Uncial, Gothic, Italic and Versal, as well as numerals and fractions. It is a complete guide to calligraphy equipment, including pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, inks, paints, brushes, paint palettes, cutting tools, compasses and protractors. It includes 40 step-by-step projects, such as addressing envelopes, making posters, inscribing t-shirts, making gift booklets and creating perpetual calendars, as well as how to use pretty hand-made papers and metallic paints. It is fully illustrated with clear artworks of each type of lettering and numbering, as well as superb photographs of hand-painted backgrounds and finished projects. The thrill of calligraphy lies in the making of letters with your own hand - the nib moving smoothly over the surface of the paper and leaving nicely proportioned letters in its wake. This illustrated guide to the craft shows how the beginner should set about acquiring the necessary skills to become a proficient calligrapher. It includes many different alphabet styles, each illustrated with diagrams that show how the letters are constructed. There is a guide to papers, paints and inks, and step-by-step projects are included to show how to create finished examples of calligraphy. Readers will soon develop the skill to produce their own beautiful handwriting.

Written for every wood turner, this complete guide uses clear language and more than 125 detailed photos to cover every step required to turn beautiful bangles. Bangles are easy to make with common shop tools and a small lathe, if you have the right techniques. This book, starting with the basic design steps for bangles and how to build fixtures for your lathe that are designed to accurately cut segments, takes you all the way through the finishing steps. A bonus chapter describes methods for using special techniques to make your bangles unique. Because of their small size, bangles requires less additional woodworking equipment, and they lend themselves to shortcuts that are not possible with larger segmented projects. With the shortcuts detailed in this book, you can turn unique and complicated-looking bangles in a very short time.

The book represents a continuation of research begun by Cooper in Hong Kong in the early 1970s among expatriate artisan furniture makers and woodcarvers from Dongyang County, Zhejiang Province. He now sets out to investigate the fate of the same craft in the hands of the same folk under totally different socio-economic conditions in their native county in communist People's Republic of China.

An exciting new subject for woodcarvers is shared by one of its foremost artists. James Fliger introduces fish carving by presenting four projects: the rainbow trout, the bluegill sunfish, the black crappie, and channel catfish. A graphic artist by profession, Jim has created beautiful patterns and drawings to help the carver. The book is further illustrated with black-and-white photographs showing the carving techniques in the step-by-step fashion that is so helpful to wood carvers. For the all-important painting steps, color graphics are used with photographs to give the readers an accurate view. Additionally, color photographs from nature and a portfolio of size-winning fish carving is presented.

The definitive guide to stonesetting by renowned designer and teacher, Melissa Hunt. From ready-made snap settings to handmade mounts for unique pieces, Stonesetting for Jewellery Makers is an all-encompassing examination of the many and varied techniques, treatments and innovations used in jewellery design. Whether learning how to make settings from scratch or choosing and working with ready-made mountings, this book arms the reader with techniques that can be applied to a range of pieces. Throughout the book, beautifully illustrated step-by-step tutorials are accompanied by practical tips and advice, while inspirational galleries present stunning examples of the ways in which contemporary jewellers experiment with settings, materials and stones.

When is a fetish not a fetish? Find out in this celebration of the most misunderstood genre of Southwestern Indian carvings. From Beast Gods to Directional Guardian Spirits, this book explores the magic and mystery behind the charismatic, mostly stone, animal figures (or fetishes) skillfully carved by artists from Southwestern Pueblos. Enthusiasts will delight in the hundreds of full-color photographs. Pictures and text highlight the impressive variety of forms, materials, and traditional and contemporary styles available to collectors. This book discusses the symbolic meanings associated with these figures and explains how they are "borrowed" for use by members of non-Native American cultures. A newly revised price guide is included to help collectors orient themselves to current market values.

Paint the classic subjects that inspired ancient Chinese masters. This book introduces the venerable art of painting with ink on rice paper using traditional techniques developed over a thousand years ago. It is ideal for a beginner hoping to practice a large variety of techniques and subjects. With this practical guide, you will learn to paint: Towering landscapes The elegant Four Gentlemen Plants like bamboo, orchids, plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums Five animals from the Chinese Zodiac The basic strokes used in calligraphy And more! Known as a "soft martial art," brush painting is as meditative as it is artistic. As you move through the lessons and exercises, you'll gain insight into and appreciation for the symbolism, historical context, techniques, and mindfulness associated with this ancient art form.

Herman Miller, the leader in modern twentieth-century furniture manufacture, was a totally design-oriented company. Known best for Eames and Nelson furniture designs, showrooms, and interiors, they also produced outstanding graphic design. Mid-century and later advertisements, drawings, brochures, catalogs, posters, and wall panels are shown in this visually exciting new book. Photos of award-winning and other graphic designs are all from the Herman Miller Archives. This beautiful book is a must for anyone with an interest in modern furniture, graphics, or twentieth century design in general.

Admired for its beauty, grace and fluidity, copperplate calligraphy is perhaps the most popular writing style for social correspondence. This practical guide teaches students to handle the alphabet, numbers and punctuation, color and paper; how to write simple paragraphs, quotations, poems, cards, invitations and more. Numerous black-and-white illustrations. Bibliography. Index.

The book represents a continuation of research begun by Cooper in Hong Kong in the early 1970s among expatriate artisan furniture makers and woodcarvers from Dongyang County, Zhejiang Province. He now sets out to investigate the fate of the same craft in the hands of the same folk under totally different socio-economic conditions in their native county in communist People's Republic of China.

Wallpaper's spread across trades, class and gender is charted in this first full-length study of the material's use in Britain during the long eighteenth century. It examines the types of wallpaper that were designed and produced and the interior spaces it occupied, from the country house to the homes of prosperous townsfolk and gentry, showing that wallpaper was hung by Earls and merchants as well as by aristocratic women. Drawing on a wide range of little known examples of interior schemes and surviving wallpapers, together with unpublished evidence from archives including letters and bills, it charts wallpaper's evolution across the century from cheap textile imitation to innovative new decorative material. Wallpaper's growth is considered not in terms of chronology, but rather alongside the categories used by eighteenth-century tradesmen and consumers, from plains to flocks, from China papers to papier mache and from stucco papers to materials for creating print rooms. It ends by assessing the ways in which eighteenth-century wallpaper was used to create historicist interiors in the twentieth century. Including a wide range of illustrations, many in colour, the book will be of interest to historians of material culture and design, scholars of art and architectural history as well as practicing designers and those interested in the historic interior.

A complete guide for the metalwork novice, this book provides thorough and detailed overviews on a variety of blacksmithing tools, techniques, and projects. Expert instructions lead you through every stage of each project and show you how to make your own forge as well as how to build, maintain, and use a suitable fire. Including sections on safety, taking heats, finishes, cutting steel and buying a forge, this book is the ultimate resource for anyone interested in learning the fundamentals of metalwork.

Presenting a study of a group of potters living in a small community in the south of Japan, this work includes a look at the problems they face in the production, marketing and aesthetic appraisal of a kind of stoneware pottery generally referred to as "mingei", or folk art. It shows how different people in an art world bring to bear different sets of values as they negotiate the meaning of "mingei" and try to decide whether a pot is "art", or mere "craft". At the same time, "Folk Art Potters of Japan" aims to reach beyond the mere study of an isolated community to trace the origins and history of "folk art" in general. By showing how a set of aesthetic ideals originating in Britain was taken to Japan, and thence back to Europe and the United States - as a result of the activities of people like William Morris, Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji - this book not only rewrites the history of contemporary western ceramics, but engages in two important discourses in contemporary anthropology: one concerned with art and aesthetics; the other with orientalism. Illustrated, and with a description of the operation of Japan's art pottery world in the afterword, "Folk Art Potters

The accumulation of odds and ends of bar and rod is inevitable with any lathework, but rather than throw them into an ever-growing scrap-box, why not turn them into useful little tools to simplify and speed up future work?

In this book Stan Bray describes a variety of small implements, none of which demands much material or takes more than an evening to make.

You may not see an immediate need for some of them but once made it is surprising how often they will be used. There is also the satisfaction of turning what might be wasted into something useful and the knowledge that money has been saved.

Explore the many fascinating nineteenth century traditions associated with death and mourning. The widespread influence of England's Queen Victoria perpetuated displays of grieving as she, her court, and loyal subjects remained in a state of mourning for over forty years. Over 300 color photographs display jewelry, photography and painted portraits, children's, men's, and women's clothes; poems, letters of sympathy, armbands, procession badges, hair receivers, announcements, and horse-drawn vehicles that were specifically associated with death customs. Symbolism in written phrases, flowers, and objects is presented and many examples are shown. Over 70 pages of a Victorian hair jewelry catalog are included, showing hundreds of designs that could be ordered as keepsakes, often using your own hair. Today's collectors of friendship and mourning memorabilia can expect to see antique items that not only speak of comfort and solace in times of need but continue to appreciate in value.

Presenting a study of a group of potters living in a small community in the south of Japan, this work includes a look at the problems they face in the production, marketing and aesthetic appraisal of a kind of stoneware pottery generally referred to as "mingei", or folk art. It shows how different people in an art world bring to bear different sets of values as they negotiate the meaning of "mingei" and try to decide whether a pot is "art", or mere "craft". At the same time, "Folk Art Potters of Japan" aims to reach beyond the mere study of an isolated community to trace the origins and history of "folk art" in general. By showing how a set of aesthetic ideals originating in Britain was taken to Japan, and thence back to Europe and the United States - as a result of the activities of people like William Morris, Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji - this book not only rewrites the history of contemporary western ceramics, but engages in two important discourses in contemporary anthropology: one concerned with art and aesthetics; the other with orientalism. Illustrated, and with a description of the operation of Japan's art pottery world in the afterword, "Folk Art Potters

A new and refreshing look at the role decorative arts play in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Amish home is revealed in this book. An encyclopedic collection of colorful, expected, and unanticipated objects associated with Amish culture are showcased in 328 color photographs distributed throughout an insightful and informative text. Author Trish Herr explores the development and use of the arts, design and style within the Amish home. Furniture, quilts, rugs, samplers, boxes, glass, china and toys made by the Amish for themselves are featured. Dr. Donald B. Kraybill, respected author and authority on Anabaptist settlements in the United States, introduces the subject with a concise history and interpretation of the present day Lancaster County Amish culture. Patricia T. Herr is an historian of antique textiles and a veterinary doctor living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Part of the Secrets of Modern Calligraphy series, this modern calligraphy practice pad will keep you inspired and develop your love of lettering. With 3 different types of guidelines for you to fill with your own calligraphy and alphabet styles to copy, this practice pad is the perfect companion to Kirsten Burke's Secrets of Modern Calligraphy workbook. With tips, tricks and techniques from Kirsten Burke, you will have the chance to practise everything you've learnt in her book and start to create stunning projects for yourself, your family and friends.

Friendship knows no bounds, and now that the internet has connected us with a host of on-line friends, the desire for trading and sharing tokens such as friendship bracelets has become more popular than ever. Learn over two dozen braiding techniques and how to use the popular braiding wheel in this easy book.

The Berkey and Gay furniture Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, became one of the leading nineteenth century furniture manufacturers in America. Furniture in the Gothic Revival and Eastlake styles by Berkey and Gay became well known for their high quality, and two Neo Grec chamber suites by Berkey and Gay won recognition of high merit at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Over 300 photographs of Berkey and Gay furniture from company catalogs are presented with value ranges for today's market in this useful reference book for furniture historians, dealers, and collectors.

More than 350 beautiful color photographs and a descriptive text depict 18th to mid-20th century Mexican devotional art including danced masks, devils and angels, santos, milagritos, retablos, and ex-votos. These religious items were used in ceremonies both at home and church, and include wood carvings, as well as clay, stone, metal, and paper items. Seven essays include a major new work by historian and scholar Gloria Fraser Giffords, who, along with Tom Pirazzini, edited the essays. Other essays are by Philip Wrench, Roberto G. Cruz Floriano, Janet Brady Esser, Martha J. Egan, and Joanna Stuhr cover ing the history, symbolism, and uses of Mexican devotional art, as well as the methods of manufacture. For historians, folk art connoiseurs, and those who have an interest in Mexican culture, this is an essential and welcome new volume.

A must-have reference for every woodworker's library, this well-illustrated book shows how to apply a hardwood edge and inlay to any curved tabletop. Learn how to use a simple and elegant system consisting of a set of large, offset template guides that are installed on a router base. The process is explained simply using a variety of photos, line drawings, and renderings to clearly illustrate each step along the way. All sorts of variations and what-if scenarios with odd details and quirky alternatives are covered, making efficient work of what is typically a test of patience.

The arts and crafts of the second half of China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) are represented, with a brief nod to the early 20th century and the Art Deco influence in Chinese design. Included are the tools of the scholar, ancestor paintings, and other new categories, in addition to Chinese furniture, basketry, and cabinetry. Newly fashionable Chinese furnishings and accessories from the 18th and 19th centuries are presented in nearly 600 full color photographs. Each piece is clearly described and set in its historical context. \nWhile appreciating the beauty of furniture designs of the late Qing dynasty, readers will be enriched by photographs of their places in ancient settings as well as in contemporary household interiors. Designers and decorators will be surprised to see how well these antique forms blend with and enhance contemporary decor. Values are also included.