Every now and then I pull THEORY OF MOULDINGS by C. HOWARD WALKER from the shelf to enjoy the mysteries of mouldings. Originally published in 1926 and reprinted in 2007 by W.W. Norton under ISBN: 978-0-393-73233-7, this is the book to have on your shelf and at your bench when it comes to deciphering mouldings, their effects on architectural and furniture elements, their history, their application to design and their use across varied materials.
Shadows and light are explained, most likely the most misunderstood aspect of moulding selection. We never think of what a profile will look like when shadows play across a surface. We look at the finished moulding under a bright light or in the sunlight over the workbench and think it's finished.
Read Theory Of Mouldings and you'll find it's not finished by a long shot. Selecting the various elements of a moulding is not a haphazard exercise in which planes are on your shelf, what did your customer ask for and what fits the size of the design. That egg and dart needs to handle light and shadow to live properly else it flattens or becomes angular.
You can, of course, take a look at the Google books version, authorized by Norton and buy it through one of the booksellers noted there. Or, you can check out Bookfinder.com and see who else carries the Norton version. You can even look for the 1926 edition if the mood suits you at Bookfinder.com.
