A Guide for Designers,
Architects and Artists
By Paul Jackson
Laurence King Publishing Ltd, April 2018
Paperback, £17.99
ISBN 978-1-78627-129-7
Star rating: *****
Brand new from papercraft guru Paul Jackson – a genius new
title about pattern design. Those who
are familiar with the wonderful paper manipulation how-to books of this author may
be surprised by the subject of this title – but the book’s existence is due to
a eureka moment when Paul Jackson intuited that his paper-folding skills were
based on an underlying understanding of how to create pattern repeats. Transferable
skills! (I am personally very big on the design theory of everything – what you
know in papercraft can be applied to, say, crochet, if you only just think
about it. Yup, everything is
mathematical.)
This highly-illustrated book is a detailed explainer of
precisely how to create pattern repeats, building upon basic principles. Each
chapter builds upon the previous one, starting with the four principles of
pattern design (symmetry operations to the initiated) – you have to learn the
lingo – rotation (think clock hands), translation (directional sliding),
reflection (mirror flip), and glide reflection (slide + flip), and culminating
in – yay! – M C Escher-style tessellations.
You do have to be committed to read this book.You must
focus and progress chapter by chapter – no fast-forwarding or dipping in –
quiet and coffee will help. Your patience will reap mega rewards – by the book’s
conclusion you will have a deeper understanding of how to generate patterns.
And you will be champing at the bits, eager to have a go at designing
astonishing tessellating patterns and exquisite all-over designs.
Although the terminology is, well, geeky, the explanations
about exactly how to go about building patterns are clear and straightforward.
The section on designing Escher-type repeats is particularly praise-worthy. The
creation of astonishing puzzle shapes is broken down into simple, do-able
operations. The sections about triangular and hexagonal tessellating tiles were
unexplored territory for me. Now what initially seemed daunting looks
achievable.
Back of book is a delightful bit entitled “Learn the
Rules...Break the Rules”, which comes with several fun suggestions of how to
mix things up for lively pattern-creation results.
Check out Paul Jackson’s other indispensable design titles, all from Laurence King:
Note: I was given a review copy of How to Make Repeat Patterns.
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