Career
In 1888 he left Scrabster with his family - they had intended to emigrate to Canada but, during a stop in Leith, the Bains met with a cousin who persuaded them to settle in Edinburgh instead. After leaving school, Bain joined a firm of printers in Edinburgh while, between the age of 15 and 21, studying art on a part time basis, attending the School of Applied Art and the Edinburgh School of Artist His first exhibited work as a painter was in 1900 at the Royal Scottish Academy.
In 1902 he obtained a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London.
In London, he supported himself by working as a freelance newspaper artist and as a book and magazine illustrator. In 1905 he returned to Edinburgh, continuing his career as a commercial artist while studying part time at the Royal Scottish Academy Life School.
Bain was the first artist to analyse and deconstruct the designs found on Pictish sculpture and metalwork, and on illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels. His book Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction was published in 1951.
lieutenant had little impact at the time, but on its re-issue in 1971 it introduced a generation to Celtic knotwork, the Pictish stones, the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow.
As well as describing and illustrating over 200 historical examples, his book was notable for giving detailed instructions on creating similar interlace, spiral, and trumpet designs, and encouraging their use in craftwork. Bain"s monograph inspired the design for the cover of King Crimson"s Discipline album. In later releases, it was replaced by a knotwork designed by Steve Ball, which has also been used the logo of Discipline Global Mobile and Guitar Craft, a music company and a musicians" association each founded by King Crimson"s Robert Fripp.
A Bain design was used to illustrate a rug by Quayle and Tranter, a carpet manufacturer based in Kidderminster, England.
The majority of Bain"s surviving artworks are curated by the Groam House Museum in Rosemarkie, Scotland.
