Books on Creating Mathematical Art

   

Origami Inspirations
$24.95
This handsome book is aimed towards those with an intermediate skill level, but the origami basics included at the start of the book make it accessible to beginners. A number of beautiful models are offered, ranging from cubes to prisms to dodecahedra. The book provides step-by-step instructions and color distribution suggestions to create the more than 30 intricate designs presented. The book also includes a chapter featuring designs by origami artists from around the world, and these projects provide a happy complement to the author’s own exciting inspirations in the rest of the book. Paperback, 10.8" x 8.4", 132 page (2010).
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Designing and Drawing Tessellations
$24.95
Tessellations in which the individual tiles are lifelike motifs are a fun and fascinating combination of art and mathematics. At first glance, the creation of these intriguing designs can appear to be a complete mystery. Once the mathematical underpinnings are understood, however, designing them is a skill anyone can master.

Designing and Drawing Tessellations show you how to make a tessellation. History and background on the topic are followed by descriptions of the required geometric concepts, focusing on transformations and symmetry. Numerous tips and techniques on the artistic aspects of creating tessellations are also presented, material not available from any other source. A step-by-step illustrated example describes in detail the process of designing and drawing a tessellation. Finally, dozens of different templates are included for creating a wide variety of different tessellations.

Designing and Drawing Tessellations is designed for use either by individuals or in a classroom. Each chapter contains activities designed for a classroom setting. Students and adults alike love tessellations - they make math fun while encouraging creativity!

Click on the following links to download sample pages from the book in pdf format:
Table of contents
Student worksheet example
Tessellation template example

By Robert Fathauer, 8-1/2" x 11", 142 pages, 2008.
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Designing and Building Tessellated Polyhedra
$29.95
Polyhedra allow geometric shapes in the plane to become solids in our three-dimensional world. Tessellations in which individual tiles are lifelike motifs are a fun combination of art and mathematics. Designing and Building Tessellated Polyhedra brings these two fascinating topics together a for hands-on learning experience rich in math content. Nets for 24 different polyhedra, including all of the Platonic and Archimedean solids, are presented both with and without tessellations applied to them. This allows polyhedra to be built with ready-made designs that can be colored if desired, or printed in beautiful color using the included CD. Another option is building undecorated polyhedra that have the names and key properties printed on them. Yet another possibility is to use templates to design new tessellations that can be applied to the polyhedra. The book also contains background on polyhedra and templates for tessellated cones, cylinders, and Mšbius strips. For classroom use, ten activities with worksheets, designed to address ten different specific Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are included as well.

Click on the following links to download sample pages from the book in pdf format:
Table of contents
Classroom activity example
Polyhedron net example

By Robert Fathauer, 8-1/2" x 11", 111 pages, with CD, 2012.
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Origami Tessellations
$24.95
Eric Gjerde demonstrates 25 of his favorite tessellations and turns them into projects for newcomers as well as experienced origamists. With step-by-step instructions, illustrated crease patterns, and how-to photos, you'll learn to create these wonderful designs yourself. The book covers the fundamentals of origami tessellations, provides history, and describes simple beginning techniques with detailed illustrations and photographs. An extensive gallery showcases tessellations folded by the world's leading origami fine artists---inspiring you to experiment, innovate, and eventually create your own unique designs. Paperback, 9.9" x 8.4", 128 pages (2008).
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Twirl kusudamas 1
$19.95
A kusudama is a decorative multipiece ball of origami flowers. This book explains how to make and join twirl modules to form a variety of flower and polyhedra models. "Twirl Kusudamas 1" describes models based on the standard SSSS twirl module, where "S" stands for "spiral". Text is in both Polish and English. By Krystyna Burczyk. Includes 8 pages of full-color figures. 8-1/4" x 11-5/8", 56 pages (2008).
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Twirl kusudamas 2
$19.95
A kusudama is a decorative multipiece ball of origami flowers. This book explains how to make and join twirl modules to form a variety of kusudamas. "Twirl Kusudamas 2" describes models based on the SLSL and SFSF modules and their modifications, where "S", "L", and "F" stand for "spiral", "line", and "fold". Text is in both Polish and English. By Krystyna and Wojciech Burczyk. Includes 12 pages of full-color figures. 8-1/4" x 11-5/8", 64 pages (2009).
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Twirl kusudamas 3
$19.95
A kusudama is a decorative multipiece ball of origami flowers. This book explains how to make and join twirl modules to form a variety of kusudamas. "Twirl Kusudamas 3" describes models based on the SSLL and SSFF modules, where "S", and "F" stand for "spiral" and "fold". Text is in both Polish and English. By Krystyna and Wojciech Burczyk. Includes 16 pages of full-color figures. 8-1/4" x 11-5/8", 64 pages (2009).
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Rangolee - A step by step learning & coloring book
$19.95
This book serves as an introduction to this ancient art. The purpose of the book is to teach unique designs from a different culture, teach about symmetry and patterns, and to identfy commonality among cultures across the world. The book describes the construction of a variety of Rangolee designs using grids of dots, as well as the meaning and cultural significance of the designs. By Madhuri Bapat. 8-1/2" x 11", 69 pages, published in 2007, revised in 2010.
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RangoLee Art, Its Origins and Development
$24.95
This book presents the Indian art of RangoLee in a variety of contexts: historical, comparative cultural, mathematical-scentific, decorative, and pedagogical. In addition to detailed description and analysis of specific designs, thought-provoking speculation provides rich possibilities for more detailed investigations into the origins and educational applications of this attractive art. The book is well illustrated with line drawings of designs and photographs of techniques using chalk, seeds, or powder. By Madhuri Bapat. 8-1/2" x 11", 88 pages, published in 2015.

   

Kolam Art
$14.95
This book teaches ten kolam patterns step by step. Kolam art is from southern India and is based on drawing geometric line patterns around grids of dots. The patterns are traditionally drawn on the ground using rice powder. Ages 8 and up. By Madhuri Bapat. 8-1/2" x 11", 55 pages, published in 2012.

   
New Perspective Systems Book
$14.95
Book by Dick Termes describing unusual perspective drawing systems, including four point, five point, and six point. 40 pages, 8.5"x11". Makes a good companion to Dick's "Drawing the Whole Picture" DVD.
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