by Andy Sloss (1997)
A Practical Handbook

Review created: 09/03/06
by:
amysolovay ( 241 [Feedback score is 100 to 499] ) [Top 1,000 Reviewer]
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Celtic Art For Artists, Needleworkers, Knitters etc.

I have 2 favorite books on the art of Celtic knotwork, and this is one of them. This is the best book I have ever found on the topic of how to construct Celtic knotwork to use in your own art or design work. Celtic knotwork usually looks complex, and it can be challenging to wrap your mind around how to actually create it. This book breaks the process down into simple steps that anyone can do. No artistic background is necessary. The best part is that you will not be merely copying or tracing someone else’s knotwork patterns; this book teaches you how to truly design your own, from scratch, without copying. I love this book!

I have actually used the information in this book to construct Celtic knotwork, so I can verify that the method described works. I had previously been trying to do it for a long time without success. I was so happy to find this book!

Having said that, I can tell you that you will still need to invest some time and effort into learning how to draw Celtic knots. Even with this book it is a time-consuming process and you’d have to be pretty committed to learning how to do it. Like anything worth doing, it takes a bit of effort. If you do want to put in the effort it takes to learn, I think this book is the one to buy.

The book is 191 pages and is illustrated in black and white. It has lots of different diagrams and charts that are very helpful in learning Celtic knotwork pattern design.

My other favorite book on the topic of Celtic art is “The Celtic Art Source Book” by Courtney Davis, ISBN #0-7137-2144-8 which is not a “How-To” book but is more of a source of inspiration, with lots of colorful finished Celtic Art designs that show how knotwork and various other elements can successfully be combined using the artist’s own creative insights. I recommend both books