Books on Patterns in Nature and Art
Here are some patterns books that I have found inspiring in different ways. I recommend all of them.
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Search Product Cloud Natural Patterns Library Classic Nature Books
Living Jewels: The Natural Design of Beetles by Poul Beckmann
The astonishing diversity of colour, form and structure is beautifully displayed in this little book.
"What can you conclude about god from nature?", asked
a Victorian.
"An inordinate fondness for beetles", was the zoologist's reply.
The book is a bargain, too, at around £4 or its equivalent.
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Living
Jewels 2: The Magical Design of Beetles by Poul Beckman and Ruth Kaspin
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by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, 1917, reprinted 1992
The Geometry of Art and Life, Matila Costiescu Ghyka, 191 Pages, 1946, 2nd
Edition Dover 1978. The Curves of Life:
The Self-made Tapestry: Pattern formation in nature, by Philip Ball, published by Oxford University Press. 2001 ISBN: 0198502435
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The Elements of Design: Rediscovering Colours, Textures, Forms and Shapes: Loan Oei and Cecile de Kegel, Thames and Hudson, 2002
A beautiful book full of wonderful natural patterns, made by people with a love of the beauty of Nature similar to mine. The images rightly include patterns woven and crafted by humans working with Nature.
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Natural Art Forms: Karl Blossfeldt, Dover, 1998
A professional photographer's view of the chiaroscuro, harmony, pattern, and surprise in plants. Copying is permitted!
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Art Forms in Nature: Ernst Haeckel, Dover, 1974 (but still popular)
An extraordinary tour of symmetry, colour and pattern through the eyes of the famous pioneering zoologist Ernst Haeckel.
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Art Forms in Nature: Ernst Haeckel and Melanie Klier
A miniature but delightful tour in full colour through the artwork of Nature, based on the work of the famous pioneering zoologist Ernst Haeckel.
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African Designs from Traditional Sources: Geoffrey Williams
The glorious tribal patterns and paintings of Africa in this handsome Dover book.
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Visual Explanations, by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Press, 1997.
A brilliant, fascinating, beautiful tour de force through art, science, history, politics, typography, magic, animal behaviour, cartography, and more.
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Natural Surfaces, Visual Research for Artists, Architects and Designers: Judy A. Juracek, Thames and Hudson, 2002 (with CD-ROM)
A fascinating book full of textures and patterns from Nature, with the practical convenience of a CD-ROM as well.
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World Textiles, by John Gillow and Bryan Sentance, Thames & Hudson, 1999.
A visual guide to traditional techniques. This is an excellent introductory book by the world expert on textiles, John Gillow (see below for some of his wonderful books on textile designs from particular regions). However as a source of different types of woven pattern it is outstanding. Wonderful historic photos, e.g. of the last king of the Ashanti wearing a stripweave.
778 illustrations, 551 in colour.
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Embroidered Textiles, by Sheila Paine, Thames & Hudson, 1990 and 1995.
Traditional patterns from five continents with a worldwide guide to identification. Sheila Paine is a widely-travelled expert in embroidered textiles, with (perhaps) a special interest in the traditions of the tribes of central and south Asia. She is an equally accomplished writer, and the photographs are of course stunningly beautiful.
279 illustrations, 171 in colour.
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Traditional Indonesian Textiles, by John Gillow, photographs by Barry
Dawson, Thames & Hudson, 1992 and 1995.
Glorious batiks and ikats, ulos and sarongs, tapis and selimut.
237 illustrations, 188 in colour.
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Traditional Indian Textiles, by John Gillow and Nicholas Barnard, Thames &
Hudson, 1991 and 1993.
A feast of reds and yellows with patterns from ikats to tie-dye, wood-block to pen-work.
195 illustrations, 169 in colour, and 4 maps.
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Creating Textures in Watercolor, by Cathy Johnson. North Light Books, 1992.
A guide to painting 83 textures from grass to glass to tree bark to fur.
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Inversions, by Scott Kim. Byte Books, 1981, distributed by MIT Press.
Calligraphic Cartwheels. A bizarre and extraordinary beautiful tour of ingenious word-patterns.
Out of print, alas, but Amazon can often get you a second-hand copy.
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Patterns in Nature, by Peter S. Stevens. Penguin Books, 1974.
An inspiring tour de force balancing art and science.
Out of print, alas, but Amazon can often get you a second-hand copy.
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On Growth and Form
A pioneering classic by a great man. 1116 pages!
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Being an Account of Spiral Formations and Their Application to Growth in Nature, to Science, and to Art:
With Special Reference by Sir Theodore Andrea Cook, 512 pages Dover 1979.
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The Divine Proportion: A Study in Mathematical Beauty, H. E. Huntley, 186
pages, Dover 1970
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Kilim catalogue no:1, by Güran Erbek, Selçuk A.S., Turkey, 1988
A beautiful set of photos of kilim carpets with drawings of the symbols used.
Selçuk A.S.. Köroglu Caddesi 39 Gaziosmanpasa, Ankara, Turkey
Nature's Chaos, by Eliot Porter and James Gleick, Viking, 1990.
Porter's glorious color photographs combine with Gleick's knowledgeable writing.
Gleick is the science journalist who has written popular but detailed accounts
of the life-work of scientists Richard Feynman and Isaac Newton, and notably of the new science of Chaos,
which is why he was asked to write the text for this wonderful book of chaotic images.
Out of print, alas, but Amazon can often get you a second-hand copy.
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Tenun Ikat / Indonesian Ikats, by Suwati Kartiwa, Penerbit Djambatan, 3rd
Edition 1993.
Precise explanation and description of ikat cloths from all over Indonesia, with
black and white drawings and color photographs. Parallel text in English and Indonesian.
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Carpets, by Jon Thompson, Barrie & Jenkins, 1988.
From the tents, cottages, and workshops of Asia, An Introduction
Out of print, alas, but Amazon can often get you a second-hand copy.
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The Idea of Nature, by R.G.Collingwood, 1945. (Oxford Paperbacks 1965)
The classical tour of what people have meant over the ages by 'Nature'.
Long out of print but can often be found second-hand via Amazon.
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