Arts & Crafts Design

This paperback, a "reprint" of "Industrial Arts Design: A Textbook of Practical Methods..." by Gibbs-Smith, omits the original title page (with the original title) and most importantly omits the three color plates which, therefore, makes the final three chapters rather worthless. The reprint publisher makes no mention of these omissions. Additionally, the reproductions of the plates which are photographs are *very* poorly done to the point that some of the text in the photos is almost illegible. The text and line drawings are clear. If you must have a printed copy of this text, this book is OK but you'll have to go to a website like "gutenberg.org" and search under the original title, i.e., "Industrial Arts Design" to locate the color plates. Plate 64 originally appeared between pages 196-197, plate 65 between pages 204-205, and plate 66 between pages 212-213 -- this will help you locate the color plates, the locations of which are not referenced in the original book. (Warning: There are a number of other web copies of the original book, but the Google copy [from the University of Wisconsin, I believe], which appears at a number of cites, lacks one of the color plates and reproduces another of the color plates only in black and white; additionally their copies of the photos are not well done.)

Varnum's volume provides instruction in formal DESIGN PRINCIPLES that one might have gotten from a trade school education. The principles are presented systematically and are provided for design in wood, clay and metal. The book is well illustrated (B&W), with drawings and photographs of Art & Crafts-era examples. Discusses design rules relating to horizontal & vertical divisions, surface contours and surface enrichment.

Varnum's book is an absolute must for the beginning designer. I recommended it in my book  Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the WorkshopKindergarten Chats And Other Writings .There are many valid methods and formulas for unlocking the secrets of design, but their practical application can often be vague. This is where Varnum succeeds in a big way - his rules are simple and easy to apply in the real world. They lay down an essential foundation for the beginning designer.As much as I like Varnum's book though, I must interject a word of warning here. The basic rules of design (such as Varnum's) cannot be ignored, but they cannot be adhered to as if set in stone either. If intuition is not allowed to play a part in the creative process, your designs will likely appear sterile and lifeless. Intuition that is not tempered with an understanding of the basic rules though will falter and fall short. The rules and intuition need one another, but in the end intuition must be allowed to rule the day.Louis Sullivan (who was called "the Master" by Frank Lloyd Wright's) said:"......formulas are dangerous things. They are apt to prove the undoing of a genuine art, however helpful they may be in the beginning to the individual. The formula of an art remains and becomes more and more rigid with time, while the spirit of that art escapes and vanishes forever. It cannot live in text-books, in formulas or in definition"Louis Sullivan (1902) from: Kindergarten Chats And Other Writings My suggestion for the beginning designer is to read and practice the rules such as Varnum's until they are fused into your very being - until your sub-consciousness "feels" the rules.Then put the book down and never open it again - let your intuition rule.

If you are restoring a Craftsman Bungalow home or furniture or are building new versions, and need DETAILS of "how they did it", then this book is a must.It is written to a hands-on audinece, for people interested in creating items with the distinctive Arts& Crafts design detail.Ceramics, jewelry, metal-smithing (copper) etc, are also covered in a very complete review of the Craftsman style esthetic. To the point of including color formulas for wood stains, ceramic glazes and building instructions for simple woodworking and metal fabrication projects.THIS IS THE REAL THING!, Not a modern review, or opinion.If you want a coffee table book with big color pictures,and not too many words, then move on to another selection.If you need a concise beginner/intermediate source for Arts & Crafts era design elements, give this one a try....Just in case you want to know a bit of why I have such a strong approval of this book, I have a background in art/architecture/design which started as I grew up in the Belmont Shores burb of Long Beach, CA...in a Craftsman Bungalow home. I have worked in the design trade for 20 years, with 2 Bungalow restoration projects currently in progress in California... it's an educated, and more importantly, an experienced opinion.If you are a student or a trades person interested in the Arts & Crafts style, you will probably keep this book in reach as sourcebook.Crafters, woodworkers, metal smith-ey, potters...will enjoy making one or two of the projects detailed in the chapters!