Description
This latest offering from Jim Tolpin is both beautiful and hard.
The beauty part is the ability to use geometry to go beyond rectilinear boxes and explore the creative possibilities of complex curved forms and tackling designs with compound angles.
Jim leaned into his background in boatbuilding (think complex curves) and timber framing (think hip roofs with compound angles) and distilled that knowledge for furniture makers. But he’d be the first to admit that the project went much deeper than he thought. While it looks simple at first glance, you’ll discover that it hides elegant and beautiful geometry.
Which takes us to the hard part. Many of you won’t fully grasp this by just reading through it. For most, it’s not until you tackle it with straightedge and compass that it starts to gel. That’s also when it gets beautiful. Suddenly you can see it! That idea, that abstract picture you’ve been chasing comes into focus and you can see the geometry behind those flowing curves and complex angles. That’s the power unlocked by this book: The ability to see and unpack the geometry that opens up boundless creative possibilities.
Yes, there are other ways to step out of your lane and explore complex forms, though each has its drawbacks. You can, of course, just wing it. All it takes is a lot of trial and error and a big stack of lumber to burn through. Or you could invest in some CAD technology. Which also has a steep learning curve to master the software. Unfortunately both avenues result in you never really grasping the underlying geometry. You get a result without getting the thing most valuable to your creative potential: The ability to translate the geometry behind an idea into a drawing or template that you can build from. That is what this guide’s by hand and eye approach offers you.
If you are curious to know more before jumping in, we are offering the Foreword and Introduction as a free download to give you a sense of what you can expect. We also have a series of templates you can download for free. These templates can be printed out and assembled into complex geometric forms that we explore together. It’s geometry you can hold in your hand.
This is not so much a workbook as it is a journey. With a bit of curiosity and effort you’ll go places that will extend your horizons. That’s priceless.
George Walker
2022
