Pattern design

Author: Wu Hongfang, Zhao Hongbin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Chinese modern craftsmanship originated from pattern studies and pattern design. "Pattern" holds aesthetic and decorative significance, serving as the primary method for surface decoration of products or commercial art. This understanding and societal demand led to the widespread development of modern pattern studies and pattern design in the 1920s and 1930s. Many art schools at the time established departments or courses in pattern studies. Chen Zhifuo wrote China's first modern pattern textbook—Pattern Lectures and established the Shangmei Pattern Museum in Shanghai, providing design solutions for manufacturers. Later, he also compiled and published specialized works such as Pattern ABC, Symbolic Patterns, and Pattern Construction Methods. Other prominent craftsmen and educators like Li Youxing, Zhang Guangyu, Cheng Shangren, Chai Fei, Xiao Jianqing, and Wu Renjing actively advocated or engaged in pattern studies and creative design. The development of pattern studies contributed to the flourishing of fundamental patterns and various craft pattern designs (such as clothing, ceramics, dyeing and weaving, advertising, and lacquerware).
Entering the 1950s, pattern studies surpassed past levels in both depth and breadth. People not only researched and summarized traditional Chinese patterns but also extensively studied and introduced ancient and modern patterns from abroad. The broadened perspective and stimulation from production practices gave pattern art a fresh face. In the 1980s, industrial production rapidly developed, continuously inspiring people to break free from narrow decorative pattern concepts and adapt to the comprehensive demands of industrial design. This new trend also drove reforms in pattern education, as well as the broader fields of art and design education. This book was compiled under this reform trend, based on years of teaching practice and research, drawing on and absorbing new design ideas from both domestic and international sources. It systematically categorizes and explains the concept and essence of patterns, their evolution, the characteristics formed by the application of different crafts and materials, and more. It provides detailed introductions to the principles of pattern design, life-drawing methods, (formal rules), and the different expressive techniques of black and white and color, supplemented by numerous illustrations. This book is suitable for different disciplines in design at higher art academies. Its publication aims to promote the development of pattern education, inspire students' enthusiasm for learning patterns, and thereby advance the growth of design art education.