About
The book Arts and Crafts of the Islamic Lands, written by experts from the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, contains the most comprehensive instructional manual on Islamic geometric patterns in the English language. In an extended series of online courses, students will work their way through the pages of this outstanding chapter written by Paul Marchant. Each week, students will learn a variety of drawing approaches and patterns to support and supplement those presented in the text.
This course focuses on the eight-fold family. Over seven sessions, participants will engage deeply with the language of eight in geometric patterns. Visual presentations will show the patterns in architectural and craft contexts.
Key Information
Who is this workshop for?
While not suitable for complete beginners, those relatively new to geometry will build skills week by week. This course is also an excellent opportunity for experienced geometers to revisit the foundational skills of their practice.
You must be aged 18 or over to participate in our online programmes.
How many people can attend?
25 places are available.
What days/times do I attend?
Mondays, 8, 15, 22, 29 June and 6, 13, 27 July 2026 , 10:00 – 13:00
- Times are given in British Summer Time (GMT+1)
- Please note there is no class on 20 July 2026.
How do I attend the online class?
This class will take place on Zoom, an online meeting platform. A link for joining the Zoom meeting will be in your confirmation email after booking.
What materials do I need?
- Pencils, 2H and HB
- Eraser, sharpener and ruler (at least 30 cm)
- Coloured pencils and coloured fineliner markers
- A standard compass. We recommend the Mars Staedtler 551 02 Comfort Bow Compass.
- A3 paper
- A3 tracing paper
- A4 tracing paper
- Masking tape
Optional: Arts & Crafts of the Islamic Lands: Principles · Materials · Practice, Khalid Azzam, Ed.
This course will reference the book Arts & Crafts of the Islamic Lands, but you do not need to have your own copy. You may, however, find it interesting to read during or after the course.
Online Learning
What if I have questions during the workshop?
This will be a small workshop; Students will be able to ask questions via chat or unmute themselves.
Students will also have access to our online learning platform, Thinkific, where we share supplementary content.
I live in a different time zone, can I still attend?
We encourage you to attend the course in real time to really benefit from instruction; however, if you are unable to attend live due to the difference in time you can catch up via recordings on our online learning platform, Thinkific. These recordings are available for a limited time after the course.
Recordings cannot be purchased separately if the course is fully booked or if the course has already started.
Tips:
You must download the Zoom app and create a free account before the class begins, so that you can use the full range of features:
- You can create your free account here
- You can download the Zoom app onto your computer or device here
- You can create your free account here
FAQs
Do you offer concessions?
Yes, we offer concessions for Seniors/60+, full-time students and people who are unemployed/in receipt of benefits.
Concessions cannot be applied in retrospect. To receive a concession, please apply via our online form. We will then send you a discount code to use when booking your space.
What if I need to change or cancel my booking?
No refunds, unless cancelled by the School. If you cancel up to 1 week before the workshop starts, we can offer a transfer to another workshop of equivalent value, subject to availability.
Tutor Biography
Tom Bree studied Sacred Geometry under Professor Keith Critchlow on the VITA programme at The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts between 2001-03. He has taught the subject in the UK and abroad ever since. Between 2010 and 2022 Tom focused his studies upon the use of geometry, cosmology and musical ratios in Gothic cathedral design which led to the writing of his recent book The Cosmos in Stone, Squeeze Press, 2023.
