In this paper I presumed the original edition of “Tianzhu lingqian”, which is said to be the oldest illustrated oracular verses in China, and I investigated a method to reproduce the missing blocks and later blocks.

This “Tianzhu lingqian” is said to have been published in the Southern Song Dynasty (hereinafter referred to as the Southern Song edition), and it is said that some pieces have missing partial characters and figures, as well as the later blocks in the existing 86 blocks. The Southern Song edition’s verses is inherited to later generations including Ming Dynasty in China and Japan since the 17th century. In Japan, various types of “Tianzhu lingqian”, including illustrations, have been published in 100 blocks, so it is conceivable that the original edition was composed of 100 blocks with 100 illustrations. In this article, I focused on the Japanese Genroku 8th year (1695) “Kannonsenchuge” (hereinafter referred to as the Genroku edition). The purpose is to present a method for assuming and supplementing the missing page of the illustrations and later blocks, using the Genroku edition and the existing Southern Song edition. In order to complete the goal, I first examined the extent to which the Genroku edition inherited the text and the figure from the Chinese oracular verses. Besides the composition of the existing 86 illustrations of the Southern Song edition were considered from the viewpoint of “modules.” Based on the results of these verifications, I will present a method of reproduction using the existing edition of the Southern Song edition and the Genroku edition. The reproductions presented this time cannot be said to be completely consistent with the original edition, but it may show a glimpse of what was lost by this method.

Vellum is a type of parchment, which is a classical substrate that had been used before the dissemination of paper. As the use of vellum for modern botanical illustrations has increased in the Western countries, it has also been gaining attention here in Japan. However, there is minimal research focusing on its practical usage. This paper will discuss the properties of vellum in creating botanical watercolour illustrations from the standpoint of an artist, and present practical methods for using this material while considering its preservation as well as useful painting techniques.

The botanical illustrations on vellum made in early modern Europe were investigated in terms of their deterioration over time, the conservation methods, and the painting techniques employed. The usage of vellum in modern works, manufacturing method of modern parchment and its quality were also studied.

It is considered that the quality of vellum determines the degree of degradation, and curling and cockling are induced by humidity fluctuations. Artists are suggested to select calfskin vellum of uniform thickness and colour, maintain a proper storage environment, and fix vellum on a stout substrate.

Transitions through the eras had caused changes in the quality of vellum, the side selected as the painting surface, and painting techniques. The author verified the usefulness of the painting techniques found in early modern botanical illustrations.

In this paper I present research on the structure of understandings of the practitioners in a workshop of arts and crafts, in order to design a new approach to studying and research with the aim of supporting the practitioners’ development.

Interviews were conducted with four individuals taking part in a workshop for children called “The Art Expeditionary Tour”, which took place at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, in 2018. The interviewees were the main members of the workshop team, and were responsible for organizing the event from start to finish, including drawing up plans, making preparations, facilitating the participants’ activities, and post-workshop reflection.

As a result of analyzing the interviews, I identified the following key stages in the structure of understandings of the four members: (1) experiences and reflection in workshop practice; (2) situations and outcome of the workshop; and, (3) further development and improvement.

Finally, it was suggested that the practitioners are coming through the steps of ‘Concrete Experience’ and ‘Reflective Observation’, from the point of view of experiential learning. Consequently, how to complete the practitioners’ learning cycle by applying the two remaining steps, ‘Abstract Conceptualization’ and ‘Active Experimentation’, will be very important in supporting the practitioners’ development.

This paper focuses on the works of "Europe on the shore" by Toshio Yodoi (1911-2005), which were produced from 1961 to 1994. It discusses how the view developed into the subsequent works.

"Europe on the shore" are a series of works created since 1955, when Yodoi begun direct plastering. I thought that a discussion of these from of works could be elucidate how it affected Yodoi's view of form afterwards.

"Europe on the shore" created over many years, gradually adds to the composition of the height of the feet that Europe bounces up, and the width of the bull that makes him lean. The use of these vertically extending spaces and the expression of depth created by overlapping motifs have often appeared in subsequent sculpture works by Yodoi. By these things, it is clear that Yodoi deepen his sense of modeling in the composition of his work during the production of "Europe on the shore ".

Furthermore, from the consideration of the "Europe on the shore " series, it is clear that the use of the same motif is not just a rehash, but a rigorous approach to Yodoi's production. Through the repetitive act of creation, Yodoi took time to observe the motifs in his own mind, deepening the images, weaving his own emotional sympathy into them, and sublimating them into forms. I surmised that Yodoi's love of nature and the presence of deep introspection in the artist's mind led to the expression of a magnificent dynamism in his works, which he has always worked with rigorously.

There are some 2-D expressions based on the structures composited on mathematical order. This research shows how to use effectively such structure on expression and education of art and design. Especially, this paper focuses on relation between composition of 2-D structure using mathematical order and its visual effect.

There are three types of positional relations among the figures on the composition of structure.

1) figures are separated each other

2) figures are in contact with each other

3) figures are arranged to overlap each other

The target of the case studies is paintings and poster designs and the like from the 1930s to the present day.

The study shows that it is effective for expression based on the structure in which the figures are separated from each other to consider about arrangement and spacing of the figures for emphasizing the difference between each content or for creating optical illusion that occurs between distant element. Also the study shows that it is effective for expression based on the structure in which the figures are arranged in contact with each other to consider about figure's color and shape for emphasizing the fusion of the adjacent figures or the rhythm of tesselation by systematic operation. And also the study shows that it is effective for the expression based on the structure in which the figures are arranged to overlap each other to consider about how lines of structure are crossing or contacting or connecting for emphasizing the mathematical beauty of structure itself or for generating the unexpected shapes.

This paper aims to reconsider the systematic significance of the approach towards wood carvings, which received limited attention in the artistic activities of the sculptor "Shin Hongo" who created many monuments through molding. The wood carvings of Hongo were discussed with a focus placed on the representative work 《Koku》. However, in this paper, an attempt is made to uncover an aspect of Hongo's awareness of wood carvings by examining the relationship in the production process of molding works that is similar to wood carvings.

In this examination, the focus is placed on the works of the human body in supine poses and small nude female figure 《Rafu》, a wood carving work 《Fuhyo》, Hongo's typical "Mukonotami" series 《Mecongawa I》, and the subsequent 《Mecongawa II》are assessed. These artworks are categorized differently in terms of their materials such as collections of artworks.

While examining the relationship between “Hishosururafu1”, an unreleased work not included in the collection, and other works, I found that all works probably are created through “Hishosururafu1” indeed. As a result of the examination, the four similar works assessed this time are considered to share the same "expansion into the air" as sought in “Hishosururafu1”．

In a series of efforts related to "expansion into the air" of the human figure in a supine pose, a new development called drifting expression is derived from changing the modeling methods from molding to wood carving.