Carved Geometry: Persian Door

Online Practical Drawing Workshop
7&8 March 2026
3:00–5:00 pm (UK time)

10% fees for online classes go to unicef’s children-in-gaza-crisis-appeal

Come and draw this exceptional wooden artefact, and leave with a richly developed, fully rendered study that captures its geometry, carved detail, and three-dimensional depth.

In this two-day workshop, we will study and draw the deeply carved wooden door panels of a remarkable 12th-century Persian door, exploring how geometry, structure, and foliate ornament are woven into architectural woodwork.

Working from historic reference, we’ll analyse the panel system — where hexagonal compartments form the geometric framework, each filled with richly carved half-palmette arabesques, scrolling tendrils, and layered vegetal forms. These compartments function like miniature ornamental worlds, contained within a larger architectural grid.

Stylistically, this work sits within the lineage of the Abbasid Samarra vegetal tradition, first seen in 9th-century stucco carving in Iraq, where abstracted vine scrolls and beveled leaf forms created flowing ornamental surfaces. By the 12th century in Iran, under Seljuk patronage, this language evolved — becoming more architectonic, with vegetal carving contained inside geometric compartment systems such as the hexagonal fields seen here.

Material & Carving

Unlike the earlier Samarra stuccoes, these doors were carved in hardwood — often walnut or teak — allowing for deep relief carving, undercut shadow, and sculptural surface modelling. The ornament is chiselled in layers, with bevelled leaves, drilled details, and flowing scrolls designed to catch light across the surface.

What We’ll Explore

Day One — Geometric Framework & Panel Construction
We begin by mapping the underlying structure of the door: its vertical divisions, framing bands, and the hexagonal compartment system that organises the ornament. You’ll construct the full panel layout, learning how proportion, symmetry, and repetition create architectural balance.

Day Two — Foliate Ornament & Carved Depth
Building into the compartments, we’ll draw the flowing half-palmette arabesques, scrollwork, and vegetal infill that animate the geometry. We’ll explore lineweight, relief carving logic, and shading techniques to evoke the depth of chiselled wood.

You Will Learn To

• Construct hexagonal panel frameworks within architectural fields

• Draw half-palmette arabesques and scrolling vegetal ornament

• Understand the Samarra-derived roots of Persian arabesque

• Integrate foliate motifs within geometric compartments

• Apply shading to suggest deep carved wooden relief

Who This Is For

All levels are welcome — from beginners to experienced artists, designers, and craftspeople. The class is taught step by step, guiding you through structure, ornament, and refinement.

What You’ll Leave With

Across the two sessions, you will complete at least two finished panel drawings — one from each day — alongside a deeper understanding of how geometry, carving, and vegetal abstraction combine within Persian architectural design.

A full recording of both sessions will be provided, giving you lifetime access to revisit and develop the work further.

Reference Artwork
Wooden door, the panels deeply carved with hexagonal compartments filled with foliate half-palmette arabesques, their surfaces further detailed with scrolls and geometric patterns.
Iran, AH 6th century / 12th century CE
The al-Sabah Collection, inv. no. LNS 3 W a–c