Celtic Design and Ornament for Calligraphers

The marvels of Celtic design depend not only on understanding how to create ornament and pattern but also on how to create a composition--a dazzling design that is even more striking than its individual ornaments. In this new book, Jack Mackinder provides the key to understanding these designs. He explains how the pages of the Book of Kells, the Book of Durrow, and the other great Gospel manuscripts of the seventh to ninth centuries were set out by the ancient scribes, re-creating the precise geometric methods used, and explaining how they can be applied to contemporary work. Next, he shows how to draw step patterns, key patterns, interlace, and spirals to fit into the shapes created in the manuscripts. Step-by-step demonstrations will enable contemporary calligraphers to create their own designs. With clear diagrams, many in two colors, and a detailed explanatory text, this book will inspire craftspeople and designers everywhere.

Jack Mackinder teaches at the Auckland Institute of Technology.