Designing for Tiles
and Pottery
[Illustration]
PRINCIPLES OF PATTERN DESIGN are important for the craftsman to be
familiar with, for the reason that it gives points with which to “check
up” drawings before they are applied, as well as to permit greater
facility in designing.
MANY DESIGN WELL without having learned the theories of design, having a
natural sense of good arrangement of details and spaces. However,
natural designers, as well as those who do not find it easy, will profit
by becoming well grounded in the design principles.
NATURAL FORMS afford excellent examples of principles, giving beauty in
line, form and color; and the more the designer refers to nature for
these ever occurring lines of grace and beauty, the greater will be his
development as a designer.
SUCH STUDY FROM NATURE should be intelligently pursued. To study nature
for design motifs does not mean that “photographic” arrangement or
life-like sprays should be applied onto surfaces. The most deplorable
forms applied to pottery or other handicrafts are those that have been
made with no thought of the surface influence upon the pattern designed.
The designer should refer to nature only as a reference from which
inspiration is received for motifs to be used. In every instance the
forms in nature should be interpreted into design and so transposed that
they beautify the surface irrespective to resemblance to the natural
source. Nature uses patterns in all her kingdoms correctly. The patterns
on petals and leaves, the pattern on bird plumage and animal skins, as
well as nature’s designs on minerals are all beautifully arranged to
conform to the contours of the surface. It would have been just as easy
for the Great Creator to produce forget-me-nots and violets in natural
splendor upon the leopard, but the ringed spots varying and converging
to the lithe, graceful lines of the surface without any appearance of
being in relief upon the skin are much more beautiful. Those who state
that “Nature cannot be improved upon” as an excuse for natural
representation in designing are overlooking nature’s real poetic
opportunities to the designer. No true artist or designer ever hopes to
actually represent nature. It is impossible. The best that can be done
is each individual artist’s interpretation of nature forms founded upon
governing principles. These principles have been tested by centuries of
scrutiny and all beautiful forms of historic ornament are governed by
principles which, as has been stated, originated in nature’s design
forms.
RADIATION, SYMMETRY, UNITY, SUBORDINATION, MEASURE, ETC., are all
principles of importance, but the three that are of great value to the
craftsman are Measure, Balance and Unity.
THESE THREE PRINCIPLES can be used to test the line, form and color of
the design before it is applied.
MEASURE is the principle that requires a consistent varying of areas,
line directions or colors. Measure creates interest. It does not mean
that large and small parts are to be designed without any further
consideration. There must be a right proportion of one to the other and
balanced as regards their location. Measure will control the contours or
forms of vases and motifs for if the widest part of the form comes above
or below center of the axis, it will be more interesting than if located
in the center. The working plate illustrates this.
BALANCE is the principle which creates harmony by contrasting measures.
If we have a heavy spot on one side of a design, the eye requires
satisfaction by seeing another spot or several parts equal in weight to
the large spot on the opposite side of the design. Balance is also
secured by locating a unit or design spot in the proper location of a
space, without necessarily having a second opposite spot. Nevertheless,
it is balance in relation to its background. Balance may be secured by
Symmetry, making parts like-sided or balance may be secured by equal
amounts of form on two sides of an axis, even though not symmetrically
placed. (See working plate.)
Balance in color requires that if a color is used in a single spot that
its location be pleasingly balanced within the space decorated. Where a
color is to be used in several places in the design, these different
spots should balance each other.
UNITY is the principle which brings harmony into design by similarity of
parts, by keeping lines of a design parallel to the space outline within
which they are designed. Again the main lines of a design if radiating
from a point or axis within or without the design space produces unity.
Unity is produced by harmonious values and by harmonious color.
A DESIGN WITHOUT UNITY may be one where the parts are too varied in
form, where they do not pertain or group with each other, but appear
“explosive.” Different finishes to the motifs in a design destroy unity.
Avoid mixing naturalistic or conventional and geometrical motifs in the
same design, and using lines or forms which are not pleasing in
direction, or harmonious with the space in which they are placed.
UNITY requires that all parts of a design be of similar expression. To
have one part of a design based upon a poppy or bird with a section
drawn naturalistic and another part conventionalized and possibly a
third section in geometric arrangement is to produce disorder or
dissimilarity, and yet such fault is apparent in a large proportion of
designs.
ALL DESIGN FORMS CAN BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR DIVISIONS and these divisions
can be defined as Naturalistic, Conventional, Geometric, and Abstract.
If any design motif for a tile or any application is started in a
Naturalistic manner, then all parts should be expressed in the same
manner.
THE NATURALISTIC DIVISION OF DESIGN is where natural forms and growth
arrangements are planned or designed within a given or arbitrary space.
The decorative arrangement comes from carefully planning the subject so
that it composes in a pleasing way within the space. The Japanese
designs are good examples of this kind of decoration. It will be found
that careful attention is given to the background spaces as well as to
the parts of the subject being drawn. Strong outlines, double outlines
and individual techniques or renderings further increase the decorative
quality of a naturalistic design.
THE CONVENTIONAL DIVISION OF DESIGN is where a typical form from a
nature growth is taken and repeated in regular repetition, or a general
shape formed from a plant form and used to interpret the subject. For
instance, a flower with several petals will have each petal different in
contour, but in conventional design, one shape is chosen and this shape
is repeated. While no two leaves are alike on the plant, one or two
conventionalized shapes are determined and these shapes are then used
throughout the design. The veins and stems of the flowers may be
elaborated or the leaves may have their centers designed or “inhabited”
so that added interest may be created in the subject.
THE GEOMETRICAL DIVISION OF DESIGN is when the subject is designed
entirely with triangular, rectangular, square, oval, elliptical, or
circular shapes, or where the outlines follow straight lines which may
go at right angles to each other or in oblique directions. Such straight
line designs are technically required for rug or textile designs and due
to the ruggedness and strength or interest achieved through a straight
line rendering are often adapted for decorating many other forms of
applied art.
THE ABSTRACT DIVISION OF DESIGN is represented by that form of design
which may have little direct representation of the natural forms, but
has been developed from it. We find that the wave border of the
Egyptians and the Greek fret are abstract designs of the water. The
Peruvian Inca, the Aztec and North American Indian used abstract designs
of the bird and other nature forms in their textiles and pottery. The
abstract design requires a careful arrangement of line and form spaces,
depending as it does on good design for interest rather than its
identity to nature forms.
LINE UNITY is that principle which appeals to the eye by the relation of
lines in the design to the space decorated. Curved lines for curved
forms and straight lines in the designs decorating straight lined forms
will do much toward making all parts consistent. A line not too curved
and with a blending of straight lines with the curved direction produces
a line of character and strength for design rendering.
A TEST OF GOOD DESIGN is to see if the main lines or “frame lines” are
pleasing in direction, decorating the space, whether any more details
are added or not. No amount of filling in and adding of motifs will
perfect an imperfect beginning.
BLOCKING IN of general forms is considered essential in freehand drawing
and it cannot be discarded in designing. First plan the main lines of
growth of the design. Then block in the masses or motifs to be used. The
details and connections as well as the technique of the design will then
be a simple matter to solve.
THE GREATEST ENJOYMENT to the craftsman in any line of endeavor lies
only through working out of Good Design.
WHEN MODELING FOR COLOR CEMENT HANDICRAFT or for any applied art it will
be found that three forms that are least modeled will be most pleasing
in the years of usage. High relief is not refined or deservable in
applied modeling. Sculptors everywhere are studying and returning to the
chaste, quiet forms of flat bas-reliefs of which we find excellent
examples among the early work of the Egyptians, Byzantines, the early
Indian and Chinese carvings, as well as the work of the Aztecs and Maya
Indians of early America. A few examples of these types are shown and
workers in color cement will find ultimately that they have chosen a
good influence if they will work their projects in color cement
handicraft in this manner.
High projecting parts and naturalistic representation of flower or
foliage masses are neither pleasing nor artistic and a visit by anyone
to the good museums will fail to find any such productions from the art
ages of the past recorded as good examples of the era.
Keep all parts applied to the curved or flat surface of the bowl, vase,
box or tile so that it appears to have been always a part of it rather
than an afterthought and detachable in relation.
[Illustration: Helpful Design Principles for Color Cement Work]
[Illustration: Outline Patterns for Color Cement Handicraft]
[Illustration: Tone Patterns for Color Cement Handicraft]
[Illustration: Egyptian, Roman and Aztec Relief Decorations]
Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:
tested with a Beaume=> tested with a Baumé {pg 175}
40 degrees Baume=> 40 degrees Baumé {pg 153}