Category: Scrolls

Midwinter A&S project – post #2

Gilding, Ink, Scrolls
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New batch of ink started on Sunday based on the Palatino recipe from Scribes and Sources book. This is an oak gall ink recipe with a twist of stirring with a fig stick and adding pomegranate peel at the final stage.

Did the basic layout for all 7 plates and sketched out the illumination in pencil. Calligraphy and inking of illuminated areas on hold pending new batch of ink.

Prepped new batch of gesso based on Maitresse Yvianne de Castel d’Avignon, OL
AEthelmearc’s recipe (slaked plaster, hide glue, honey, Armenian bole, and water).

Midwinter A&S project

Scrolls
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Inspiration piece from “The Tale of the Panther of Love”. Paris, France. Early 15th century. Original is 290 x 210 mm [~11.5″ x 8.25″] (text, 195 x 130 mm, [~7.5″ x 5.125″). Published in “Western European Illuminated Manuscripts”, pg. 88-90.

Scroll will be created as 255 x 204 (10″ x 8″), (text, ) for ease of framing for the recipient.

Tools used for layout: framing matte, ruler, pencil, t-square

Calligraphy Tools/Materials: Pergamenata, Oak gall ink (mine from last year), quill, ames lettering guide. Line spacing approximately 5 mm high (setting of 9, double spaced). Text written midway between lines as in original. Lines drawn in pencil.

A Little Bit of Calligraphy

Calligraphy, Scrolls
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I did some scribing over the weekend at Kingdom A&S. I put the text in on one of Lady Isabella de Boyce’s illuminated pieces. It was a Sovereign’s Pleasure. It took about an hour to get it done. I used a quill and iron gall ink. The hand was textura quadrata. Will try to remember to post a picture if I can get a copy of it.

Holy Cow! (from back in April)

Gilding, Scrolls
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Not Holy but still Cow! Or more precisely, cow skin. Vellum or parchment depending on who you ask.

Back in April, I had done about 8 weekends in a row that I was either at an event or otherwise not at home. It was definitely time for a break. I was not going to another event until Lusty Month of May. I heard that Bryn Madoc was hosting an Iron Scribe at their Dreamstone event. It sounded so cool but I really needed a break so I was not going to go. I needed a break!

Then I heard that the prize for the Iron Scribe competition was going to be almost a full hide of vellum. A full hide of vellum!!!! I decided I could take a break the next weekend. 🙂

The rules for the contest were you had to start with a blank sheet of paper and end with an illuminated piece that was at least 5″ x 5″. The contest started at 10am and ended at 3pm.

I am a wee bit of a competitive person (wee b

eing probably a bit to the excessive side) and I really, really, really wanted the vellum. I did do a bit of pre-prep work: found a source piece, enlarged a photocopy to the proper size to get an 8″x10″ (5″x7″ illumination area) scroll, and made certain the text of a GOA would fit in the space.

The source piece is a late 14th or early 15th century French (Paris) Book of Hours. The original was 215 x 155 mm (text 110 x 72 mm) on Parchment. Page 74 of the book “Western European Illuminated Manuscripts.”

The design was traced on the paper (Pergamenata) using a light box and 01 technical pen. Calligraphy was done with .75 Brause nib using iron gall ink. Calligraphy style was textura quadrata.

I used gesso that I started re-hydrating the night before. The gesso is from the original batch I made years ago. (Ingredients: slaked plaster, hide glue, honey, Armenian bole, water) It turns out there was about twice as much gold to put on as I had originally thought when I looked at the picture. The gilding process took about an hour and a half longer than I had originally planned for.

I used gouache for the illumination. Holbein light ultramarine and alizarin crimson for the blue and red. The painting was finished at 4 hours and 57 minutes. Because of the extra time spent on the gold, I was not able to get the white work on during the contest.

This is what was done for the judging

I put the white work on during the 4th Wednesday scribal night meeting and have since turned the final product in to Their Majesties. Total time on the scroll – approximately 8 hours.

The final product

Golden Lily Scroll

Gilding, Scrolls
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Golden Lily

This was either my 6th or 8th Golden Lily scroll.  That is why is it a good idea to scan the final product and keep a journal record so you don’t forget things like that.

I usually try to match this scroll to the person’s persona but, due to multiple obligations, I did not have time to find anything from the early Scottish period.  Instead, I opted to go for something that I know I can do reasonably well without worrying too much about how it will turn out.  This was not actually based on a specific piece – just more or less a stylized combination of 2 early 14th century books of hours shown the Pierpont Morgan Library “Painted Prayers” book.  Essentially, red & blue bar with gold.

The piece was done on 8″x10″ pergamenata with the illuminated area being only 5″x7″.  [Side note – when an 8×10 matte says it frames down to a 5×7 area, it lies.  It actually frames down to 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 or so.  Just something to keep in mind for next time.]

I originally intended to do the calligraphy with a 3/4 or 1/2 mm nib but picked up a 1 mm nib and didn’t realize it until I was several lines into the scroll.  By that point, it had the look and size I wanted so I just went with it.  For the ink, I used purchased iron gall ink.  I was going to use the oak gall I made back at Christmas time but it seemed a bit too thick.  I think I ended up adding too much gum arabic.

The gilding was done as raised gilding.  See the previous post on the things learned in this session.  The gilding was done in 4 1/2 hours.  Outlining was done using 005 technical pen.

Gouache paints.

Res Equus

Scrolls
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Scan-091101-0001So, this is a bit after the fact but just to document before I totally forget everything:

The good people of the Shire of Tir Briste hosted a scriptorium at their event. To encourage the scribal arts, scroll painting counted as points to the competing Romans and Barbarians. Partially painted pre-prints were worth 1 point, completed pre-prints were worth 2, and a completed original was worth 6 (I think they just made that up for me) 🙂

Since I was sans children, I had pretty much the entire day to sit under the pavillion and work on a Grant of Arms. I went with a 15th century Flemish type border – doodles were based on a Cathrine of Cleves folio. Gothic textura text was done with a steel nib (1.5 mm because the 1 mm turned out to be way too small for the text space) and the ink from the penner (omas). Illumination and gold were all done with Winsor Newton gouache. The final size was 8″x10″ illuminated area on an 11″x14″ sheet of bristol board.

Probably one of the coolest things about it is that I got to be there when it was given out and knew who the recipient was (Guillame de Pyrenes).

Done – With Plenty of Time to Spare

Scrolls
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finalWell, maybe not plenty of time but enough. I took off a 1/2 day Wednesday and Thursday & Friday to make certain Lorenzo’s scroll was done on time. I got it done at 3:00 pm on Friday.

The gilding took a lot longer than I thought it would. It shines pretty nicely if you catch it in the light just right. The painting turned out OK. I still need to work more on shading.

I’m mostly just glad it is all over! Thanks to everyone who came out!!!!

19 Days

Scrolls
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text_and_inkuntil MGT. I think I am still on track to have Lorenzo’s scroll completed by then. I started outlining the vellum last night and finished the calligraphy and outlining today. Instead of outlining with a technical pen like I usually do, I used a steel pointed nib with iron gall ink. All of the calligraphy in the main body of text was done using quill with primary red gouache paint and iron gall ink.

I botched in the lower body of the text when the quill needed to be resharpened and I didn’t quite get it back to the right size. It was far larger than it should have been and I should have cut it back a line or so before I did. Need more practice with quills!

The final piece is still a lot more warped than I would like. I will put it back underneath some weight and wait to work on it again until Friday night or next Saturday.

One Down…

Scrolls
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greet_final…and one to go!

I’m not totally thrilled with the whitework. I think the paint needs to be a bit thinner next time and will probably try a different brush also. I’ll be a lot happier with it in a few weeks.

I’m hoping the vellum for Lorenzo’s scroll will be flat enough to work with tomorrow. Most likely I will end up having to tape it down. With only this weekend and next weekend left to work on it, I need to make good progress over the next two days.

Moving Right Along

Scrolls
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Painted

With Greet’s scroll, that is. Got the gilding done Tuesday night. Started with a plane flat size of 1/2 glair, 1/2 garlic juice. It really wasn’t sticking like I’m used to with gesso. I ended up reconstituting some gesso with the size to a thin consistency and used that instead. I think it worked pretty well.

Tonight was on to the painting. Word of caution – Lorenzo is an enabler! I was considering playing with the pigments that I got at Pennsic many, many years ago (pre-children) and he was supposed to talk me out of it. He didn’t. So I mixed up the synthetic ultramarine that was in my little box with some of the glair and started painting. It went on pretty much like the gouache I’ve been using all these years. Very cool!!

The dragon’s blood didn’t work out nearly so smoothly. After all these years, it had turned into 3 large clumps. I crushed it up with mortar & pestle but didn’t quite get it fine enough the first go around. Ended up putting the mixed up bits back in the bowl and grinding some more. Turns out that it works much better that way and got it fine enough to work with.

At this rate, I should have the painting all finished on Saturday. 🙂