How to draw Celtic Knots: Part Three

This is the final part in my three part series on drawing Celtic knots. I recommend reading part one and part two first. Today I’ll show you five cool ways to decorate your knots.

Style One

The most common way I decorate my Celtic knots is with a central stripe. Start by drawing a complete Celtic knot. Divide each segment of the knot into thirds. Then colour the middle stripe. It’s simple, but very effective.

Style Two

This method also starts with a complete celtic knot. Draw a line at the end of each segment and add a border around the piece. Try to keep the lines you draw the same distance away from the knot. Now colour in the border, the ends of each segment and the holes. The final result is dramatic and striking.

Style Three

This decorative style can be combined with any of the other techniques. The only difference from a normal Celtic knot design is the shape of the original pencil line. It follows the original grid where possible, and in the corners I have used triangles instead of curves. Once you have drawn the central line, proceed as normal.

Style Four

This is the most complicated decorative style. Take your time and be careful. The neater you are, the more beautiful your final art will be. A single Celtic knot can be split into two thin inter-twinned ribbons. Start by drawing the central line the original knot in pencil.

1. Draw a small diamond at each crossing point.
2. Connect the small diamonds as shown. Draw rectangles along the lines of the Celtic knot, leaving a gap near the crossing points. These rectangles will be the gaps between the two ribbons.
3. From here you can now proceed as normal. Draw a border around the outside and a border inside each window of the original knot.
4. Finally connect the ribbon pieces, ensuring that you always go over and under.

This is a very good style to colour in. You can colour each knot in a separate colour.

Style Five

I’ve saved my favourite until last. Start by drawing a complete knot. Then draw a wavy line through the middle of each line segment. Add circles either side of the wavy line. Then colour in half of the knot as shown.

Thanks for reading.

This three part series has been a lot of fun to write. Hopefully I have inspired you to grab a pen and paper and start creating your own knotted wonders.