DESIGN BIBLIOGRAPHY--for now!

DESIGN BIBLIOGRAPHY

(by no means complete!)

Barbara Becker Simon

SOME WEBSITES:

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/

An introduction to visual arts and design that stresses the components of visual thinking and visual language underlying design and the fine arts. Another class- online-type of website.

http://justcreativedesign.com/2008/06/13/how-to-design-learn-the-basics/

A blog by a designer--good, short survey of the basics

Have a go at searching the YouTube site for "Basic Design" or Basic "2D Design"  You will have to sift and winnow your way through but I think there are some gems there.  If you find one, let me know!

BOOKS:

Deeb, Margie.  The Beader’s Guide to Jewelry Design.  Lark Books, 2014

This book is not just for seed beaders.  It is a fantastic, illustrated tour of the principles and elements of design as it applies to jewelry.  A must have book.

Aimone, Steven.  Design: A lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists and Craftspeople. Lark Books

This is a great book with beautiful illustrations of the author’s ideas.

Bang, Molly.  Picture This: Perception and Composition. Bullfinch Press, Boston

(This is a playful book with a serious purpose.  Bang brilliantly illustrates how simple forms--diagonals, triangles, curves, horizontals--can be active, soothing, or downright scary.)

Barth, Lisa. Designing From The Stone, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011.

Bates, Kenneth. Basic Design: Principles and Practice. Barnes and Noble, NY:

Beitler, Ethel and Bill Lockhart. Design for You. John Wiley and Sons, NY

Bevlin, Marjorie Elliott. Design Through Discovery. Holt, Rinehart, Winston.

(An ideal choice for courses that combine the study of two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, this book presents an analysis of the elements and principles of design as they apply to various fields of human design.)

John Bowers, Introduction to 2d Design: Form and Function                    

(This is a very nice primer on those issues of two-dimensional design usually addressed in freshman foundation courses. A slim volume, amply illustrated, it succinctly explains the major aspects of form.)

Ching, Francis D.K. Architecture: Form, Space, and Order Van Nostrand Reinhold, N.Y., N.Y. Great hand rendered drawings and text explain theories of proportion: golden section, classical orders, renaissance theories, modular, ken and anthropometry

de Sausmarez, Maurice. Basic Design: The Dynamics of Visual Form. Van Nostrand Reinhold, NY

(The topics are general enough to apply to both 2-D and 3-D design; such as, primary elements, spatial forces, and visual kinetics.)

                                                                                                                   

Fenn, Amor. Abstract Design and How to Create It. Dover, NY

(Profusely illustrated guide covers geometric basis of design, implements and their use, borders, textile patterns, nature study and treatment. Clear and well written, this volume will be an invaluable resource.)

                              

*****Gatto, Joseph A.  ,Porter, Albert W.  , Selleck,Jack.   Exploring Visual Design: The Elements and Principles.  Davis.

(Discusses the elements and principles of design as reflected in various art forms and in daily life.  ONE OF THE BEST!)

Hambidge, Jay. The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry.  Dover Publications

(Hambidge writes about design principles found in nature which can be applied to the work of the artist and designer. Since the time of the ancient Egyptians, these compositional techniques have been used to give proportion, symmetry, and beauty to buildings, sculpture, paintings, etc. Because of their complexity and rigor, the principles are no longer taught widely, but they are useful for any artist or designer interested in making compositions which appeal to humans' unconscious sense of proportion. The book is old, and a little difficult to understand, but Dover has reproduced it well.)

Itten, Johannes  Design and Form: The Basic Course at the Bauhaus and Later, Revised Edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY

(Just as Itten believed that everyone was capable of being creative and thought the basic course was valuable to all levels of art students and even teachers, this book is applicable for both those who are looking for an introduction into creating, and those who consider themselves expert artists already.)

Lauer, David. Design Basics. Holt, Reinhart, Winston, NY

(This is a best-selling text for the two-dimensional design course. It presents art fundamentals concepts in full two- to four-page spreads, making the text practical and easy for students to refer to while they work.)

Martinez, Benjamin and Jacqueline Block. Perception, Design and Practice. Prentice-Hall, NJ

Ocvirk, Otto, Robert Bone, Robert Stinson, and Philip Wigg. Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice with Core Concepts CD ROM. McGraw Hill.

(The original text that set the standard for introduction to art courses across the country, Art Fundamentals has guided generations of students through the essential elements of art as well as the rich and varied history of their uses.  The tenth edition expands the wealth of related study materials available to students and faculty by offering a student CD-ROM, Core Concepts in Art, packaged free with every new copy of the text, as well as a comprehensive text-specific Online Learning Center; together these materials reinforce the principles and elements of design with practical exercises, self-guided tutorials, interactive examples, and suggested student projects.)

Oei, Loan and Cecile de Kegel. The Elements of Design: Rediscovering Colors, Textures, Forms, and Shapes. Thames and Hudson, NY

(The heart of Elements Of Design lies not in words, for it contains precious few of those, but rather in the stunning, full-color, full-page photographs that fill it cover to cover. Each photograph presents a different, majestic juxtaposition of colors, shapes, patterns, and fascinating medleys in this inspirational book created specifically to motivate artists and designers everywhere.)

Pipes, Alan. Introduction to Design 2^nd Edition. Prentice Hall

(Introduction To Design, 2/e is a comprehensive, well illustrated and easy to read introduction to the basic principles underlying all of the two-dimensional arts. Points and lines, shape, texture, depth, time and motion, value, color, design principles, proportion and scale.)

Stewart, Mary. Launching the Imagination: a Comprehensive Guide to Basic Design. McGraw Hill,\. 

(The third edition of Mary Stewart's textbook for foundations in art is an excellent guidebook and resource for teaching and learning the fundamentals of art and design.)

Wong, Wucius. Principles of Form and Design.  John Wiley and Sons.

(This book is a compilation of Wong's earlier works "Principles of Two-Dimensional Design", and "Principles of Three-Dimensional Design".  The illustrations are very different from popular design books and the content is not about mind-blowing inspiration, ongoing fashion/trend of design, or stupid sensational gimmick... it's just simple and pure - it describes principles of form.)

Zelanski, Paul and Fisher, Mary Pat.  Shaping Space: The Dynamics of Three-Dimensional Design,  Wadsworth Publishing

(This textbook is the most comprehensive, well rounded, well-balanced and clear introductory text available for teaching traditional 3-D design and introductory sculpture classes. The text is full of surprising pearls of knowledge, interesting anecdotes, and has well thought out connectivity of issues.)