Students; designers; and craftspeople who want to create their own abstract patterns and designs will find this profusely illustrated guide one of the best books available on the subject. After an introductory chapter dealing with the geometric basis of design; the author goes on to discuss implements and their use (T-square; compass; dividers; ruling pen; etc.); borders; textile patterns; nature study; and treatment.Over 380 illustrations include many diagrams; designs for title pages; border patterns; allover patterns; textile patterns; and historical examples from an extraordinary number of cultures and periods: Assyrian stone carvings; Greek and Roman jewelry; 18th-century English silverwork; and more. Thorough and comprehensive; Abstract Design and How to Create It will be an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to learn the principles and techniques of creating nonrepresentative designs.
#2783756 in eBooks 2013-10-29 2013-10-29File Name: B00CWR4NZC
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Great book of Ancient ComedyBy THe NeuroClouds Waps Birds is a collection of 3 stories written by the Ancient Greek poet and writer; Aristophanes. Clouds is the first story; and it recounts the woes of Strepsiades; who worries about paying his debts. He hatches a plan and enroll his son Phillipides in "The thinkery" a place for people to learn to argue and debate; and he seeks to use his son to fend away his creditors in court. Phillipides refuses to enter the thinkery; and so Strepsiades enters himself. He begins to learn from Socrates. He begins to lose his morals in the pursuit of beign able to win any argument he finds himself in. Soon he does get his son to enroll in the school; and his son learns to debate too; and becomes the nerdy intellectual he was afraid of becoming in the beginning. When the first creditors come to Strepsiades house; he tactically defeats them himself; all with no morals or dignity; but all by argument. But when his own son Phillipides violently beats him; he finds he cannot out argue his son; who "proves" that it is right for a son to beat his father. He blames this on the Thinkery; and in dismay; takes his slaves and attacks the school. Wasps tells the story of two slaves awho are keeping guard over a "monster" in a house. The father of the house has a strange disease; he is addicted to law court. All medical attempts have failed; and he continues to progress in his problem. He continues to try to escape the house; even through the chimney; but fails. Then the mans friends try to free him; but at the end of the fight; he is still barely in custody. They agree to have a debate between the fater and his son; who seeks to keep him. The son is winning the debate; but the father doesnt give in; so they turn the house into a courtroom in compromise. Then the son continually fools the father into doing good; and is praised for standing up to monsters like his father Birds tells the story of two middle aged men who are looking for the "hoopoe"; a large mystical bird. When they find him; they convince the Birdland that they rule the Earth and should build a city to stand up to the Gods. The birds agree; and begin building and making laws. Once the city is finished; however; several Gods sneak into the city; and people begin to try to come there as well. Then Zeus sends a delegation to the city; and Pisthareus sends all comers packing. Finally after dismataling the delegation of Zeus; Pisthareus is hailed as a hero and is proclaimed a God and receives the scepter of Zeus. The book is about 420 pages long; and is well translated by Peter Meineck; making it easy to read and understand. It is a great read for anyone interested in old Greek comedy; and is a wonderful read for anyone.It makes great use of prose; and poetry; and rhyme; and also has good humor. This a book by an ancient classic writer; and lives up to such expectations.0 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Didnt like it so muchBy Francisca CastilloIm not into this kind of reading. Top it off lol I did read for it for a class so I didnt find it interesting. Those who like comedy from the earlier days might find this interesting?6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Three classic plays translated for performers and studentsBy J. OttBetter known for translating the great Greek tragedies; Peter Meineck has now turned his pen on the comedies; with generally positive results. Like other translations published by Hackett; this one is aimed squarely at todays college students. It has plenty of historical background for those who want it; or can be read just for the plays.Translating comedy is trickier than tragedy; because jokes are so fickle. What one society finds hilarious; another might find distasteful. Meineck does his best to render the old Greek jokes and still be funny. He doesnt always succeed. His skills at punning are not as great as Aristophanes; nor do the jokes about minor Athenian figures like Theorus and Cardopion add much to a performance text.And these are performance texts. No matter how faithful to the original; no matter how many footnotes and endnotes the translator provides; a student should still be wary of changes made for modern performance. Todays theater operates under an entirely different set of conventions.The plays themselves are three genuine classics; WASPS being less known than CLOUDS and BIRDS; but in this book; perhaps the best. Procleons obsession with jury service and the headaches it causes his son translates very well; and Meineck is surprisingly adept at rendering the political understory that subliminally critizes the Athenian leader Cleon.BIRDS is the story of two friends who come up with one of the great comic plans: a utopia named Cloudcuckooland where they; with the help of the birds; rule both the gods and men. And it works!CLOUDS is read most often because it features a comic version of Socrates and his Pondertorium. While Meineck and Introduction writer Ian C. Storey conclude the portrayal of Socrates is entirely innaccurate; it sure is funny. CLOUDS is really more of a father-son story; a father convincing his profligate son to get an education in order to argue the fathers way out of the accumulating debts. What the father doesnt bank on is his son using new-learned rhetorical skills to argue that a son has the right to beat his father.Meineck is British; so the slang in the plays is full of poofters and arses. I will say this much; only recently have translations of the Greek comic playwrights begun to reflect how genuinely bawdy they were. Some of Meinecks best footnotes let you in on the double-entendres.Its all a lot of silly mischief; and in the final reckoning Aristophanes comes through loud and clear; despite such devices as rhymed doggerel passages (no rhymes in classical Greek) and confusing name translations like Makemedo. The title of this book is ARISTOPHANES I; and let us hope that professor Meineck is at work on an ARISTOPHANES II that will include some of Aristophanes lesser-known works as well as perennial favorite LYSISTRATA.