Celtic Stencil Designs

by C.O. Spinhoven

With great skill and flair, Dutch artist Co Spinhoven has translated the stirring imagery of traditional Celtic art into a collection of 130 exciting and versatile stencil designs. With them, graphic artists and craftspeople can bring to their work the distinctive beauty and drama of a great decorative arts tradition. The designs, all copyright-free, are derived from the Book of Kells and other early medieval Celtic sources. Their themes range from...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486264270
• ISBN13: 9780486264271
• Release Date: September 1990
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.0" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Not just stencils

This book comes with a wide array of designs, in solid black, so they can be cutout and used as stencils, but they could also be traced or scanned and used in computer graphics applications, scrap books, etc. The designs range from simple knots, to intricate designs taken from illuminated manuscripts like the book of Kells, and include large images (spirals, animals, human figures), repeating borders (spirals and knotwork that would look GREAT stencilled on a frame or along the edge of a table). So far I have used the designs in this book to stencil (onto blank stamp crafting postcards) Celtic boar framed in knotwork post cards, two tattoos on my husband, a few computer graphics for my website, and I've only had it for a week!

Great designs and very entertaining!

This was my first attempt of using stensils. Apart from the great designs found in this book, I must add that it was very easy for a beginer to use this book.

Stunning collection of designs from medieval Celtic sources

This book contains a collection of 130 designs gathered from the Book of Kells and other sources. The designs are dramatic and bold. Some designs are single figures such as the Evangelists from the Book of Kells, large round or oval medallions, and animals both simple and knotted. There is a nice selection of borders which range in width from 1 to 7 inches. Several borders can be repeated indefinitely. Designs are printed on both sides of the page on standard paper. You will need to transfer the patterns to heavy paper stock, frisket, or vinyl before cutting them. However, these designs are worth the effort. I only wish that the source of each design had been given.