Golden Rectangle or Ratio explained

I knew that.

Excuse my ignorance . . . but how would one apply this to woodworking and what is it?

Thanks in advance . . . Steve

Try here, for starters:

The "golden ratio" is a useful proportion in furniture making. One often sees chests of drawers, etc., that are 1.6 time higher than they are wide or horizontally-oriented pieces that are 1.6 times wider than they are high, etc.

It is also useful for drawer siz> Excuse my ignorance . . . but how would one apply this to woodworking and > what is it?

Thanks, I have been looking for that, just had no idea what it was called or referred to . . .

The Golden ratio is pleasing to the eye. Theoretically a chest with dimensions of 1.6 :1 will be more attractive to more people than one with a ratio of 1.4 :

Design without good use of proportions is either art or junk.

Dave

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between. The one with sides in a certain ratio, called the Golden Ratio, is thought by most to be the most pleasing [aesthetic.] However, I'd hate to have EVERY rectangle in the house that shpae. Variety is the spice of life.

Google for methods of finding it, but basically it's the solution to an equation found form each of those methods:

x^2 - x - 1 = 0

You'll find out the numerical value sqrt(5)+1 : 2, or, same thing,

Phil:

I read a good book on the subject about a year or so ago:

The truth of it all is that while it is interesting that the GR does appear (sometime) in nature, it's use in art is not conclusive. The pyramids and classical Greek scupture and buildings for example, do not use the GR at all.

While it appears that we can use the GR as a general guide in designing furniture, it is not an end all. Studies, as expained in the book, indicate that people objectively don't really gravitate towards objects built using the GR as a design element when presented choices.

So my final thoughts - don't get hung up on GR.

MJ Wallace

I've been told (although I don't know for sure if this is true) that the human eye's visual range (width to height) approximates the Golden Ratio. However, this wouldn't explain why we find upright Golden Ratios to be so visually appealing.

It does, however, match pretty much to the dimensions chosen for standard TV sets (NTSC). THe same goes for landscape style painting and pictures ... the GR just looks better.

Jack

Enoch Root wrote:

dave

and NTSC isn't close to proper "colour" either.

NTSC aka Never Twice the Same Colour

Oh and that's colour spelt the proper way :-)

:) I spent my formative years in merry old England. I still catch myself spelling things the British way.

Dave

I have heard that the golden ratio applies to much more than furniture. Many say it is the key to making good turned bowls or vases as well. Brad