For more than half a century, Erwin Panofsky's Perspective as Symbolic Form has dominated studies of visual representation. Despite the hegemony of central projection, or perspective, other equally important methods of representation have much to tell us. Parallel projection can be found on classical Greek vases, in Pompeiian frescoes, in Byzantine mosaics; it returned in works of the historical avant-garde, and remains the dominant form of representation in China. In Oblique Drawing, Massimo Scolari investigates "anti-perspective" visual representation over two thousand years, finding in the course of his investigation that visual and conceptual representations are manifestations of the ideological and philosophical orientations of different cultures. Images prove to be not just a form of art but a form of thought, a projection of a way of life. Scolari's generously illustrated studies show that illusionistic perspective is not the only, or even the best, representation of objects in history; parallel projection, for example, preserves in scale the actual measurements of objects it represents, avoiding the distortions of one-point perspective. Scolari analyzes the use of nonperspectival representations in pre-Renaissance images of machines and military hardware, architectural models and drawings, and illustrations of geometrical solids. He challenges Panofsky's theory of Pompeiian perspective and explains the difficulties encountered by the Chinese when they viewed Jesuit missionaries' perspectival religious images. Scolari vividly demonstrates the diversity of representational forms devised through the centuries, and shows how each one reveals something that is lacking in the others.

Drawing Parallels expands your understanding of the workings of architects by looking at their work from an alternative perspective. The book focuses on parallel projections such as axonometric, isometric, and oblique drawings. Ray Lucas argues that by retracing the marks made by architects, we can begin to engage more directly with their practice as it is only by redrawing the work that hidden aspects are revealed. The practice of drawing offers significantly different insights, not easily accessible through discourse analysis, critical theory, or observation. Using James Stirling, JJP Oud, Peter Eisenman, John Hejduk, and Cedric Price as case studies, Lucas highlights each architect's creative practices which he anaylses with reference to Bergson's concepts of temporality and cretivity, discussing ther manner in which creative problems are explored and solved. The book also draws on a range of anthropological ideas including skilled practice and enchantment in order to explore why axonometrics are important to architecture and questions the degree to which the drawing convention influences the forms produced by architects. With 60 black-and-white images to illustrate design development, this book would be an essential read for academics and students of architecture with a particular interest in further understanding the inner workings of the architectural creative process.

This is a complete and detailed handbook on technical drawing, originally intended for students of engineering and other related subjects. This profusely illustrated guide contains information on all aspects of mechanic drafting and would make for a fantastic introduction to the subject. Contents include: "Principles of Projection", "General Discussion", "Fundamental Ideas of Projection", "Application to Drawing", "Notation", "General Principles", "Points", "Lines", "Surfaces and Solids", "Point of Sight", "Orthographic Projection", "Scenographic Projection-Perspective", "Drawing", "Conventional Lines", et cetera. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on technical drawing and drafting.

The ultimate paraline - axonometric - reference for designers, architects, and renderers, Axonometric and Oblique Drawing first defines these three-dimensional drawings whose lines remain parallel and do not converge to a vanishing point. Using examples both old and new, as well as line drawings, this indispensable guide then shows artists step by step how to construct and use all types of paralines, from transmetrics to obliques. A hands-on reference, Axonometric and Oblique Drawing shows you exactly how to apply the conventions of axonometric drawing to achieve the information-rich, spatially evocative presentations that have made them such a favorite with architects.

Design and Technology is a practical student text for CXC.