The Six Orders of Art

The Six Orders of Art is intended to be a studio handbook for the beginning practicing artist. The book’s intent is to provide essential information on the history of man’s accomplishments in the various arts. It has been prepared as a guide for the amateur as well as a reference volume for more experienced artists and craftsmen. It offers an introduction to the arts through a discussion of their similarities and differences. The author then explains how the arts help man express his innermost thoughts and emotions. The next section takes the reader through the rules and laws that govern and control the artist while practicing. The text then follows a sequence of technical explanations that begins with properties and preparation, and proceeds through the principles of form, design, and all the possibilities. This book discusses drawing devices and techniques, as well as suggests an immense range of forms and functions in two-dimensional surface art, sculpture, and architecture. The goal of this book has been to help the practitioner achieve a good, basic understanding of the materials and the processes of his medium, thereby providing him with greater control of his work and a path to the artistry he seeks.