Drawing Celtic knots
The reason for choosing a grid on the background of this page is simple, because most Celtic knots are drawn with assistance of a grid. On this page I will share my findings about Celtic knots and how I prefer to draw them. If you would like to know more about the knots and their meaning click on 'Symbols and patterns' in the top menu. It's important to know that the method that I have used is not the only one. Therefore I have added alternative ways of drawing knotwork patterns.
To start, it is good to have a guide line, or a set of rules, to point out vital elements to make the knotwork look more Celtic. Some guide lines are explained at the hand of the picture in the right corner. See example A for interlacing, probably the most important rule. This means that every piece of cord, with the rare exception, should always go ‘over’ the following intercepting cord if it came from ‘underneath’ the previous cord. Interlacing will cause the illusion of the pattern being woven. This also means that it’s best to start at one place in the grid or the cords might not intertwine when they reach each other. Example B shows that spade shaped corners look slightly more Celtic than round corners. Lastly, make sure that the pattern repeats itself. For example, compare the edges C1 and C2 in the knot pattern and note that C2 is irregular, whereas C1 provides more stability through repetition.
My very first sketches (on the right) were draw without a grid or any help. My goal was to copy the pattern to get a better understanding of how they were made. However, my patience quickly diminished as I got confused by many lines crossing each other not ending up where they were supposed to connect. In addition, the symbols and knots were never symmetrical as I had always presumed, because they look very balanced.
After I discovered grids and dots to assist in the challenging business of drawing Celtic knots, I got a motivation boost. A major help was the first video of David Nicholls’ collection of Celtic Design videos. His method helped me to master simple knot patterns and formed the basis for most of my drawings. Watch his video below to understand the basic principles of drawing a knotwork pattern. Next to the video you will find my first drawings using a grid. They look significantly better compared to the first sketches.
Depending on preference for a particular way of drawing or taking in information, you can decide a method for creating Celtic knotwork. Reed Mihaloew explains the making of Celtic knots on different levels: basic and advanced knotwork. He does this almost the same as David Nicholls except from that his instructions are written instead of spoken. Both tutorials are excellent for beginners.
When the basic pattern is understood, it’s worthwhile to take a look at eight basic knots identified by J. Romilly Allen. The drawing on the right presents one of the basic knots and the picture to the left of it shows a variation of one of those knots. For a more elaborate overview of knots by J. Romilly Allen I would like to refer to The Treasury of Celtic Knots by Aiden Meehan. Ian Bain’s method is also explained on that website. It does not have my preference, because the interlacing is neglected at first. All the lines are drawn, which means that the faulty lines have to be erased at the end. On the other hand, Ian Bain’s method ensures the artist of straight knotwork patterns, because by drawing all the lines proportions can easily be monitored and corrected if necessary..
Andy Sloss has an entirely different way of putting his knotwork together as can be seen, once again, on the right. He works with pre-programmed tiles that can be attached to one another. It is a tiny bit inconvenient for drawing without a computer, unless you don’t connect the squares until all the tiles are in place. The latter can be seen from Katharine Scarfe Beckett’s website. Another exemplary explanation to start drawing Celtic knots.
George Bain dissects plaits from all over the world in his book Celtic Art, the Methods of Construction (1977). Abstract knotwork and plaits are not unique characteristics for Celtic or Pictish art. As a matter of fact, plaitwork has been found in most cultures around the world with an occasional exception. From many examples an stages you can learn how to draw an infinite number of plaits and knotwork.
All the drawings I made are freehand except for round borders, for which I used a pair of compasses. Other than compasses I used pencils, a fine liner and a rubber as my tools. From basic knot patterns you can go everywhere and play with shapes, corners, shading and colours.
