How to Draw Celtic Knotwork | Basic Principles for Drawing Celt Knot Art
This web page is for anyone who wants to learn the basics for drawing Knotwork in the Celtic Style. It is designed to be as basic as possible, while still providing the groundwork which enables you to begin drawing knotwork on your own.
Drawing Knotwork in the Celtic Style
'Regular' Knotwork requires that you learn to draw three simple shapes (which when rotated, make up the fourteen basic shapes). This regular Knotwork requires that you have, or are able to make, your own grid. You may copy any of the grids at the end of this book for this purpose.
It should be noted that the variations of; Regular; knotwork range within the billions and have never been completely catolog. There are computer programs on the market that will enable the user to use a variety of the variations of regular knotwork using the keys (A-Z) of the keyboard. While this method may be useful, it does not grasp regular knotwork in its entirety, and does not even include Irregular of Freehand knotwork.
Stencils are an excellent tool for making your own knotwork. Using only about thirty stencil shapes, all regular knotwork can be done, making it possible to stencil walls, tapestries and floors, or even to engrave wood, clay, rock, and metal.
The Basic Lines
When knotwork is broken down into squares, the lines tend to leave the squares at about the corners. The following illustrates the nine basic lines you will need to learn to draw; note where they leave the squares.
Straight Lines
Diagonal Variations
Horizontal & Vertical Variations
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