I have very limited make-up room lately so I generally have been
making small projects: keepsake boxes, tea safes, jewelry boxes and
the like. I've settled on a fine dice tower for my oldest daughter's
Christmas present.
The Q: How much attention to proportion do you guys/gals pay when
making small projects? What determines your L:W:H ratios? The golden
ratio? The double cube? Root-of-2 box? 3:2:1 box? Available stock?
Dead reckoning?
Curious minds need to know.
-Sometimes I wonder. Othertimes I'm sure
-Zz
"Zz Yzx" rhymes with "physics"; or " Isaacs" if you prefer.
http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/zzyzx_road.htm
On 17 Jan 2012 04:09:10 GMT, Mac Cool <[email protected]> wrote:
>Lobby Dosser:
>
>> "Mac Cool" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> Zz Yzx:
>>>
>>>> Dead reckoning?
>>>
>>> I found the books by Franklin H. Gottshall helpful for this.
>>
>>
>> Which books? Amazon lists 86.
I have http://goo.gl/TrdPI and it was pretty good. I think I might buy
Graves' book http://goo.gl/4HAXs today, instead.
One of the key ideas is the Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio
--
I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
--Duke Ellington
On Jan 17, 4:41=A0pm, Teamcasa <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Nov 20 2011, 5:51=A0pm, Zz Yzx <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >.. I generally have been making small projects: keepsake boxes, tea safe=
s, jewelry boxes and
> > the like. =A0I've settled on a fine dice tower for my oldest daughter's
> > Christmas present.
>
> > The Q: How much attention to proportion do you guys/gals pay when
> > making small projects?
>
> Proportion is everything visually but function and available materials
> trump.
> I design first for function, add proportion for looks and then buy
> what I need.
>
> Dave
I tend to adhere to the Form-Follows-Function school's way of
thinking. When a piece of wood-grain forces you to follow 'its'
function instead, art is born. When proportions are right, to you, you
know it.
What mathematician is going to tell me what looks good to my eye?
What 'rules' did the Stickley's follow? Ellis used 'rules'?
The great designers made what THEY thought was nice to look at. We, as
observers have the right not to like it, but can it ever be called
'wrong' because we don't like something?
On 2011-11-20 20:51:40 -0500, Zz Yzx <[email protected]> said:
> The Q: How much attention to proportion do you guys/gals pay when
> making small projects? What determines your L:W:H ratios? The golden
> ratio? The double cube? Root-of-2 box? 3:2:1 box? Available stock?
> Dead reckoning?
Generally, I go with whatever feels right, particularly if it's a small
item using materials at hand.
Larger projects start with some commonly accepted dimension -- seat
height, table height (coffee, work, dining...), or similar, and go from
there.
Doesn't mean that all my decisions are equally visually pleasing. But
every piece -- even the egregious mistake -- is an equal learning
opportunity.
Zz Yzx <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> I have very limited make-up room lately so I generally have been
> making small projects: keepsake boxes, tea safes, jewelry boxes and
> the like. I've settled on a fine dice tower for my oldest daughter's
> Christmas present.
>
> The Q: How much attention to proportion do you guys/gals pay when
> making small projects? What determines your L:W:H ratios? The golden
> ratio? The double cube? Root-of-2 box? 3:2:1 box? Available stock?
> Dead reckoning?
>
> Curious minds need to know.
>
> -Sometimes I wonder. Othertimes I'm sure
> -Zz
> "Zz Yzx" rhymes with "physics"; or " Isaacs" if you prefer.
> http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/zzyzx_road.htm
I build things to perform a task. The proportions are a secondary or
even tertiary consideration. Physical constraints play the majority of
the role in determing a project's size. Once the constraints are known,
the project can be designed.
The eye is the final judge of proportion and size. While many common
proportions are a good starting point, one may find doing something
unusual gives the best results. Draw it before you build and let your
eye be the judge. After all, it already is.
Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.
Lobby Dosser:
> "Mac Cool" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Zz Yzx:
>>
>>> Dead reckoning?
>>
>> I found the books by Franklin H. Gottshall helpful for this.
>
>
> Which books? Amazon lists 86.
>
>
I think it was How to Design and Construct Period Furniture
There is quite a bit of discussion on proportions, layout, balance, etc.
On Nov 20 2011, 5:51=A0pm, Zz Yzx <[email protected]> wrote:
>.. I generally have been making small projects: keepsake boxes, tea safes,=
jewelry boxes and
> the like. =A0I've settled on a fine dice tower for my oldest daughter's
> Christmas present.
>
> The Q: How much attention to proportion do you guys/gals pay when
> making small projects?
Proportion is everything visually but function and available materials
trump.
I design first for function, add proportion for looks and then buy
what I need.
Dave
"Mac Cool" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Zz Yzx:
>
>> Dead reckoning?
>
> I found the books by Franklin H. Gottshall helpful for this.
Which books? Amazon lists 86.
On 1/17/2012 3:41 PM, Teamcasa wrote:
> On Nov 20 2011, 5:51 pm, Zz Yzx<[email protected]> wrote:
>> .. I generally have been making small projects: keepsake boxes, tea safes, jewelry boxes and
>> the like. I've settled on a fine dice tower for my oldest daughter's
>> Christmas present.
>>
>> The Q: How much attention to proportion do you guys/gals pay when
>> making small projects?
>
> Proportion is everything visually but function and available materials
> trump.
> I design first for function, add proportion for looks and then buy
> what I need.
>
> Dave
>
The old Sears catalog was really good about giving you the dimensions of
almost anything from a king size bed to a tiny jewelry box. It sure
gave you a normal, common, usual, time-tested point of beginning.
--
___________________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . .
Dan G
remove the seven
On 22 Jan 2012 07:12:11 GMT, Mac Cool <[email protected]> wrote:
>Larry Jaques:
>
>> One of the key ideas is the Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci series.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio
>
>With furniture I would say the rule of thirds is more important.
I've always used that in photographic composition but hadn't
considered it for furniture design. Food for thought.
>Interesting looking books, I might pick them up sometime.
So many books, so little time...but without TV, lots more time.
--
I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune during
my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are empty.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Count Diodati, 1807