callig-suppl-msg - 10/15/99
Discussions of calligraphy supplies for beginners and the more advanced. Vender reviews.
NOTE: See also the files: calligraphy-msg, inks-msg, gold-leaf-msg, iwandpc-msg, mailng-scrols-msg, quills-msg, sealing-wax-msg, parchment-msg, pasteboard-msg.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: joshua at paul.rutgers.edu (Joshua Mittleman)
Date: 21 Nov 89 16:47:01 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Greetings unto the good folk of the Rialto.
Mistress Rayah Blackstar has compiled a list of mailorder sources for
scribes. These catalogs featurebooks, supplies, etc. I have added a
few catalogs to the list and updated George Braziller's address. When
you get the catalogs, check the prices carefully. I have seen books
go for $45 in one catalog, andthen $24 in another. Another good
source for books can be your local library's weekend book sale
(getthere early) or the end of year inventory clearance sale at the
mall B. Dalton or Waldenbooks. Often theyspecial order books for
people that don't ever pick the books up. These books get dumped
(after a while)onto the cheap table.
Center for the Calligraphic Arts
PO Box 8005
Wichita, KS 67208
Journal-bimonthly magazine. Research article on Calligraphy or
related arts in each issue.Subscriptions $15 a year US and Canada (US
currency). Back issues available.
Barnes & Noble
126 Fifth Ave
New York, NY 10011
Receive color catalogs of current books published. Just send in
name and address and request forcatalog. Will find occasional books
that you can use in it. Updates always sent.
The Scholar's Bookshelf
51 Everett Dr
Princeton Jct. NJ 08550
Oh, these catalogs are a dream find. They have the books of hours
and illumination you want. It's aheavy duty source for scribal art
books and other related arts. Sales and updates sent forever once
youorder (and you will). Prices range from $5 to $5000, we're talking
really heavy sources here. Everyone I have ever told and given a
catalog of this place to has said terrible things to me and then
gleefully thrust their latest purchase under my nose to see.
John Neal, Bookseller
1833 Spring Garden St.
Greensboro, NC 27403
Another dream staple of every scribe. Catalog is $2.50 on
newsprint and worth every penny. Books onevery scribal topic WITH
commentaries. HONEST commentaries, not just to sell you the book.
Supplies,paper. Also has a lettering arts club that sends you the
catalog and you receive reduced membership priceson certain items
($7.50 US, Canada and others $8.50 for membership. "Canadian and
English customers maysend checks in their currency--please figure
exchange at current rate.") Super on delivery on items, even send you
quick notice if out of stock.
Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller
Falls Village, CT 06031-5000
Sigh. They deliver in record time. They have a newspaper catalog
WITH THOUSANDS OF BOOKS.Want something to read for the next 8 days?
And make yourself a list that goes on and on and on to buy.Write them
and ask for a catalog. Cash or check only. Which is why the prices ARE
LOW. Not a lot ofthe illumination books of hours, but you want
research in all categories? They've got it. EXCELLENT PRICES. I keep
trying to cross off all the items on my list and they keep sending me
catalogs with new items.
Pendragon
PO Box 25036
Woodbury, MN 55125 Gold Leaf? Vellum? Quills? Penknives? Pendragon
has it all. They will also give you help if you havequestions about
what to use! Excellent and one of the only sources by mailorder that
I've uncovered forthose hard to find "period" materials. Catalog.
Again, excellent response by mail if out of stock.
New York Central Supply
62 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10003
Ask for papers, they have them. Vellum, sheepskin etc. Higher
prices than other catalogs that I've listed.
Thames and Hudson
500 Fifth Ave
New York, NY 10110
Send a name and a postcard to this address said the note on the
side of the bookcover and we willsend you news and forthcoming
publications. DO IT. Beautiful books. Three of them are the most
lovely ofsources I constantly use for illumination & calligraphy.
Hardcover. Expensive. But send for it anyway, theyare not all
expensive...just the perfect ones.
George Braziller Inc.
60 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010
This is the publisher. You can get the books from any of the
other sources that I have listed, andsometimes cheaper there, as you
pay full publisher price ordering direct. BOOKS ARE FOR THE
BUDGET MINDED SCRIBE. These have full color paperbacks at reasonable
prices-average $12 for a full paperback ofcolor photographed
manuscripts. Excellent. Get a list from them.
Strand Book Store
828 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
They bill themselves as the Largest Used Book Store in the World,
and having been there, I believeit. The catalog lists new acquisitions
and specials, but if you write and ask for something special,
they'llcheck for you. Catalog has many types of books as well as art
books, but check it out. All major creditcards.
Norman Levine's Editions
Boiceville, NY 12412
Another big used book store. They list many types of books with
brief descriptions in teeny print. 64pages of books. All are hard
cover, all are original editions or the better reprints. They also
have booksnot listed in their catalog, so if you know what you want
you might be able to write and ask for it. They won't however, reserve
a book pending receipt of your check.
Dover Publications
31 East 2nd St.
Mineola, NY 11501
They are the ones who are putting out Marc Drogin's book
_Medieval Calligraphy, its design andtechnique_ the bible of scribes
in the SCA. It is due in their bookstore at 180 Varick St, New York,
NYafter November 17, 1989, so it will probably be available by mail
now too. Ask for their catalogs ofPictorial Archive books (art which
can be reproduced freely in your local newsletters too!), Art
Instructionbooks, Art books in general, and I think they even have a
catalog of the 50 or so catalogs they put out!Cheap books, these are
usually reprints of sources that went out of print a while ago.
These sources are all mailorder. I have a hobby of finding out
mailorder catalogs in mundane life.These that I have listed for
scribes I have been using for about 5 years, and passing them onto
your pocketbook. Mine is empty, but the art flourishes. Write to them
all, and be oh so sorry... they have such lovely things you've been
looking for.
Originally compiled by
Mistress Rayah Blackstar
reprinted and added to by
Lady Fionnghuala Siobhan nic an Chlerich
From: lee at sq.sq.com (Liam R. E. Quin)
Date: 20 Nov 89 23:36:52 GMT
Organization: Unixsys (UK) Ltd
valid!limey!lynn at SUN.COM (Lynn Meyer) writes:
>David Herron <samsung!rex!ukma!david at cs.utexas.edu> (David le casse) writes:
>> could someone post a bibliography of useful and/or useless books on
>> doing calligraphy and/or illumination? (the useless books so we'll
>> know what to avoid)
Sorry if some or all of these have already been posted -- I didn't see any
earlier articles.
The best source I have found for calligraphy, illumination, wrting, lettering
and inscribing (stone-carving) was written just after the turn of the century,
and is still very much in print. It is
Edward Johnston
Writing And Illuminating And Lettering
Johnston designed the lettering that was until recently used in the London
Unbderground, but, more importantly, played a major part in the revival in
Britain of Calligraphy and Illumination as art forms.
The book contains many plates and illustrations, instructions on making quill
pens, on grinding Chinese Stick Ink (OK, I know it's not complex), on
preparing
vellum and parchment (expensive!), on gilding (illuminating with gold leaf),
and many, many other topics.
One of his pupils, Graily Hewitt (I don't think I have spelt that correctly)
also pubilshed books, which I still see from time to time.
This book is probably a `must' for people interested in mediaevel culture
and in calligraphy, as well as for those wanting to learn.
Note that his style looks a little dated now, as people would generally
use a larger x-height and simpler serifs in calligraphic writing, but
otherwise (and this is a very small point) the work still stands.
Lee
--
Liam R. Quin, Unixsys (UK) Ltd [note: not an employee of "sq" - a visitor!]
lee at sq.com (Whilst visiting Canada from England)
lee at anduk.co.uk (Upon my return to England at Christmas)
From: FRENCHBC at CTRVX1.VANDERBILT.EDU
Date: 8 Jan 90 18:30:00 GMT
Organization: Society for Creative Anachronism
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From Cait Gordon, greetings yet again . . .
Below are listed some addresses of books and materials for scribes. If you
don't already get these catalogs, get them. This list was provided for me
by Mistress Rayah Blackstar, and now I'm passing them on, with her
comments.
*************************************************************************
BOOKS
Center for the Calligraphic Arts
PO Box 8005
Wichita, KS 67208
Journal, bi-monthly magazine. Research article on calligraphy or
related arts in each issue. Subscriptions $15 a year US and Canada
(US funds). Back issues available.
Barnes & Noble
126 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
Free color book catalog. Send name and address on a postcard; will
find occasional books that you can use. Updates always sent.
The Scholar's Bookshelf
51 Everett Drive
Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
Oh, these catalogs are a dream find! They have Books of Hours and all
sorts of books of illumination that you could want. It's a heavy-duty
source for scribal art books and related arts. Sales and updates sent
forever after first order (and you will order!). Prices range from five
to five thousand dollars -- we're talking really heavy sources here.
Everyone I have ever told and given a catalog of this place has said
terrible verbal things to me and then gleefully thrust their latest purchase
under my nose for me to see.
Edward R. Hamilton, Bookseller
Falls Village, CT 06031-5000
Sigh. They deliver in record time. They have a newspaper catalog with
THOUSANDS OF BOOKS. Want somethi
ng to read for the next eight days
? Make
yourself a list that goes on and on and on to buy. Write them and ask for
a catalog. Cash or check ONLY -- which is why prices are LOW. Not a lot
of illumination books of hours, but you want research in all catagories?
They've got it. EXCELLENT PRICES. I keep trying to cross off all the items
on my list and they keep sending me catalogs with new items . . .
Thames and Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110
Send postcard for free catalog. DO IT. Beautiful books. Three of them
are the most lovely sources I constantly use for illumination and
calligraphy (Note: They have a good paperback repro of the Book of Kells
that is a must-buy for all Celtic illuminators -Cait.) Most are hardcover,
expensive. But send for it anyway. Not all are expensive . . . just the
perfect ones.
George Braziller, Inc.
One Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
This is the publisher. You can get many of their books from other
sources,
and sometimes cheaper as you pay full publisher price ordering direct. BOOKS
FOR THE BUDGET-MINDED SCRIBE. These have full color paperbacks at
reasonable prices -- average twelve dollars for a full-color paperback of
color photographed manuscripts. Excellent. Get a list from them.
SUPPLIES AND BOOKS
PENDRAGON
PO BOX 25036
WOODBURY, MN 55125
Gold leaf? Vellum? Quills? Dry pigments? Penknives? Pendragon has it
all! They will also give you help if you have questions about what to use
(phone (612) 739-9093). Excellent, and one of the only sources by mail order
I have uncovered for those hard-to-find 'period' materials. Excellent
response by mail if out of stock. (GET THIS CATALOG . . . but your budget
will not love you for it -Cait).
John Neal, Bookseller
1833 Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
Another dream staple of every scribe. Catalog is $2.50 US funds on
newsprint and worth every penny. Books on every scribal topic. Supplies,
paper. Also a lettering arts club that sends you the catalog and you
receive reduced membership-prices on certain items (membership $7.50 US,
$8.50 Canada and others, US funds). Super on delivery time and notice if
out of stock.
New York Central Supply
62 Third Street
New York, NY
Good papers. Higher prices than other catalogs listed.
*****************************************************************************
...Lady Caitrin Gordon, Barony of Glaedenfeld, Meridies
From: DICKSNR%QUCDN.BITNET at MITVMA.MIT.EDU ("Ross M. Dickson")
Date: 13 Feb 90 03:57:00 GMT
Organization: Society for Creative Anachronism
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
/* A preliminary note from Angus: Sarra couldn't decide whether to make */
/* this a personal letter to Ciaran or a general posting, and left to me */
/* as owner of the account the decision whether or not to post. I hope */
/* some of you find some of it to be of general interest. */
Unto the Rialto, does Sarra Graeham, Midrealm scribe, send greetings:
Milord Ciaran gently requests:
> Unto the subject of scribing:
> Anyone who could give me a list of books for beginning scribes would be
> greatly appreciated. A list of necessary tools would be welcome, too.
I posted a brief list of books a few months ago, as did other people, but
that is a long time in Rialto generations (can you imagine a forum with
a turnover rate that makes the SCA generation look like the lifetime of
the gods? ;-), so here's a short recap.
The *BEST* book for a beginning scribe is, "Medieval Calligraphy: Its
History and Technique," by Marc Drogin. It is available in hardcover from
Allanheld and Schram in most large libraries, and there is a recent edi-
tion in paperback from Dover Books. It has everything you need to know
about medieval calligraphy, spanning the years from about 300 - 1450 AD,
with careful instruction on how to form each of the letters, pictures of
the actual manuscripts he worked from, and an entertaining and informative
history of script. There is also an extensive bibliography.
Unfortunately, Drogin doesn't deal with illumination at all. If you are
interested in Celtic (often called "Insular") illumination, the best book
for you to get is a book by George Bain, called "Celtic Art: The Methods
of Construction," again from Dover Publications. This book is the compi-
lation of six pamplets written for British schoolchildren in the 1940(?)'s
by the artist who first unravelled just what it was the Celts were *doing*
(I've often wondered myself :-), and the level is good for a beginner.
Other than that, I suggest you look at books of actual manuscripts, to
get a feeling for what is possible. George Braziller publishes a series
of paperback colour picture books on period manuscripts covering most
periods and places of illumination. These books tend to picture only the
fanciest of manuscripts, so try not to get lost in the detail while you
are still beginning, but try to get an overview instead.
With respect to tools and materials, you will need a pen and ink. I re-
commend that you start with a dip pen. Try Speedball C-series nibs, size
3 or 4, with a purchased holder; the nibs cost less than a dollar apiece.
A fountain pen is fine, but more expensive, and most ink made for foun-
tain pens is not suitable for scrolls. For ink, I use Pelikan Fount India,
a permanent black ink that can also be used in fountain pens, but other
scribes swear by India ink, which CANNOT be used in fountain pens, and
must not be allowed to dry in a nib. Avoid the Sheaffer inks, as they
are not permanent. Plain bond paper with a liner underneath can be used
for practice, but for actual scrolls you want to look for 100% cotton rag
watercolour paper. Arches or Fabriano are two good brands, and you want
90 or 140 weight paper. Ask at your local art supply store, where the
staff should be able to help with anything I recommend. Avoid, avoid,
avoid the stuff they sell as calligraphy "parchment" paper, as it is
treated with sulfuric acid to get that mottled effect, and the acid will
rise up and eat your scroll. (I do not jest; ask some of the Carolin-
gian folk hereabouts about what is happening to their charter and some
of their valued early documents on this paper.)
For illumination, you need brushes, paint, and gold. When looking for
brushes, you want them fairly small, from size 2 or 3 for large areas
down to size 000 or smaller for detail, in what is called a "teardrop"
shape. Buy whatever you can afford (don't let the salespeople bully
you), and be prepared to experiment until you find ones you like. For
paint, try watercolour paints or gouaches in tubes. Both must be mixed
with water, but the gouache gives a more opaque and matte effect. Start
with a small tube each of Lamp Black, Chinese or Zinc White, Cadmium Red
Medium, Cadmium Yellow Light, (French) Ultramarine Blue, and Viridian for
green. You can mix or buy other colours as necessary. Gold gouache can
be bought which looks quite nice, but I think the nicest gold colour is
to be got from Windsor Newton gold ink. Both of these golds are painted
on; gold leafing is an expert technique. I should note, however, that
the Celts didn't use gold in their artwork.
Most illumination consists of filling in colour between the black lines
you've drawn, so your first efforts with illumination should be rather
like painting in a glorified colouring book, perhaps overpainting with
white lines to make designs on otherwise rather flat colour. If you need
more help with techniques than I've given here, or want to actually do
scrolls for the Middle Kingdom, you live fairly close to Master Ranthulfr,
who is the deputy Signet for Michigan. Other scribes who wish to do like-
wise should contact the person who is listed in their Kingdom newsletter
as Kingdom Clerk of the Signet, or just Signet, and they should be able
to provide support, or even direct you to someone in your area who knows
what's going on. Be patient, though; they are by definition busy people.
Hope this helps (and wasn't unutterably boring to everyone else).
Sarra Graeham, Ealdormere Signet | Heather Fraser
Canton of Greyfells, Midrealm | Kingston, Ontario, CANADA
From: amanda at mermaid.intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Date: 15 Feb 90 17:14:41 GMT
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Sterling, VA
FRENCHBC at CTRVX1.VANDERBILT.EDU writes:
> Several scribes (including myself) swear by the
> Rotring Art Pen:
This is the best fountain pen I have found. You can also get a "cartridge
converter" which you can fill with Pelikan Fount India, giving you a much
blacker stroke than you get with normal cartidge ink.
> 2. Paint
> A cheapo set like Pentel is good for practice. Not for scrolls, but for
> practice.
Once you've gotten the hang of using a brush, though, a "sampler pack" of
designer's gouache is well worth it. Cheap watercolors are simply not
designed to lay down a flat layer of color; gouache's working characteristics
are much nicer. Also, even though it's more expensive that transparent
watercolor, one tuube will last you a long time.
--
Amanda Walker
From: FRENCHBC at CTRVX1.VANDERBILT.EDU
Date: 14 Feb 90 18:18:00 GMT
A few more additions to Sarra Graeham's excellent piece for beginning scribes:
1. Calligraphy pens
For those of you (like me) who are too chicken to deal with dip pens or have
other reasons not to use them, fountain pens might be an answer. HOWEVER...
there are good pens and bad pens. Stay away from the Schaeffer and Osmiroid
models. The nib steel is too soft and will round out (thus giving you
uneven letters . . . Speedball nibs will do the same thing if you don't
replace them often). Plus, the ink is badly inferior: it's not
fade-resistent
and in the case of osmiroids, the ink will turn shiny and uneven and all-round
funny-looking with time. Several scribes (including myself) swear by the
Rotring Art Pen: the nib can be sharpened nicely, and the ink is good and
relatively fade-resistent. However, this is NOT the cheap way out. Each pen
costs about $10 - $15, and you must buy a new pen for each size and style
nib you want. (I use fountain pens because I have bad arthritis in my hands
and find that a fountain pen gets me through my work quicker, but dip pens
and a good ink like Higgins Eternal or Pelikan Fount is superior. Good nibs
are also Hiro, Brause and Rexell).
NOTE ON FOUNTAIN PENS: Don't let anyone else use your pens -- this goes for
dip pens as well. A nib becomes "accustomed" to your hand and wears the way
you write. It's like Archie Bunker's chair; if you let someone else use it,
it'll change the way it works.
2. Paint
A cheapo set like Pentel is good for practice. Not for scrolls, but for
practice.
3. Other motley junk
An art box or a tackle box is great for a portable kit. Some things I keep
in my kit: a sharp knife, a small covered cup for water, 3x5 cards (good
disposable paint palettes), a small ruler, a compass (the holes are period),
and of course lots of pencils and erasers. Don't use the little red erasers
on the ends of the pencils -- they're usually too hard and can stain the
paper. Get a kneaded eraser or the white Staedler-Mars plastic erasers, which
don't leave as many eraser droppings. And use plain ol' #2 pencils: some
softer or harder art pencils can be tough to erase. I use a good fine
mechanical pencil, myself. I hate blunt pencils. Another thing that is
indespensible is a T-square, preferably two: one for drawing, one for inking.
I like the clear plastic ones for drawing, but if I am doing inking, a cork-
backed metal T-square keeps the ink from getting on the ruler and smearing
your work.
I also heartily agree that the single best way to become acquainted with the
world of illumination is to look at illuminated manuscripts. If you have
access to a major university library, you'll probably have lots and lots
of books. Look at illumination from a variety of different times and lands
and find one that suits your style. If you like your work to be free and
unrestrained, don't pick Celtic. However, if you like drafting, Celtic
might be just the ticket (although it takes FOREVER). Some libraries might
even have real manuscripts in special collections -- a golden opportunity
that should NOT be passed up!
...Cait
Caitrin Gordon/Glaedenfeld/Meridies
From: mjc at cs.cmu.edu (Monica Cellio)
Date: 25 Mar 91 20:34:02 GMT
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
For scrolls, I work on fairly heavy weight paper from companies I've
heard of. More specifically, I have recently used Arches (140 lb),
which comes in 22 x 30 inch sheets for about $4, and a bristol board
(100 (110?) lb) by Strathmore, which comes in tablets. (A 20-sheet
tablet of 11 x 14 is about $6, so this is clearly the more economical
path for new scribes to follow.) I wouldn't recommend anything lighter
than about 90lbs; it'll be too flimsy and your paints may well make the
paper curl.
(The weight is a standard measure in the printing industry for what a
certain amount of a type of paper weighs. I don't know what that amount
is (a ream of 11x17 sheets would be about right, I think, but I don't know
if that's it). Xerox paper is 20lb.)
If this isn't enough information, or you just want a better idea of what's
out there, try to find an art store with friendly clerks and ask for help.
Don't let them give you "watercolor paper" or anything that's really a
canvas; you want paper. They probably have a wallfull of drawers of loose
sheets of paper, and you can poke through that for something you like.
Hot and cold press refer to the texture of a surface. Hot press paper is
smooth, while cold press is somewhat rough. (You can remember this by
thinking about what applying an iron to a sheet of rough paper would do to
it, other than burn it.) Which you work on is stictly a matter of personal
preference; ask a group of scribes and you'll get at least as many opinions
about which is better as you have scribes. :-) (Me? Hot press; the ink
seems to do a better job of staying where I put it rather than heading for
the nearest "gully". Also, technical pens seem to prefer smoother surfaces.)
Ellisif Flakkingskvinne
Subject: pigments_
Date: 4 Feb 92
From: cat at piggy.fgs.slb.COM ("Catherine M. Helm")
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: The Internet
An excellent source for all kinds of good stuff (raw gum arabic,
raw gum ammoniac, pigments, vellum, inks, etc) is:
Pendragon
P.O. Box 327, Afton, MN 55001
(612)-436-2046
(This poster has no affliation with the above business)
Pendragon, incidentally, is the only source I know of for gum ammoniac,
since my Bay area supplier went out of business.
Twcs
Subject: Re: pigments
Date: 5 Feb 92
From: aiden at NCoast.ORG (Steven Otlowski)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: North Coast Public Access *NIX, Cleveland, OH
This is a list of suppliers of period pigmenst - have fun.
Auldhaefen Associates - * non-profit source of pigments
741 Montana Ave. * and many other neat things
Akron OH 44314-3036
+1 216 745 9380 voice
+1 216 753 8791 bbs 10AM to 10PM
Pendragon 612/436-2046 * callig. & Illum. Supplies
PO Box 327 fax: 612/436-2048 * carries Gum Sandarac
Afton MN 55001
Master John the Artificer 412/362-0421 * period pigments
John R. Rose
250 Emerson Street
Pittsburgh PA 15206
Guild of Limners 603/654-2949 period pigments
Baroness Megan
Linda Anfuso
RD 1 Box 134-B Forest Road
Wilton NH 03086
Aiden Elfeadur -
--
Steve Otlowski
aiden at ncoast.org
From: johnston at mayo.edu (Sean L. Johnston)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: A question on scrolls
Date: 14 Jul 1993 16:01:25 GMT
Organization: Mayo Foundation
Regarding paper commonly used for scrolls, the best commercially
available is 100% rag, acid free, flat (as opposed to plate) paper (in my
experience, the plate finish does not absorb the ink as quickly, so the
strokes are not as crisp). I prefer Bristol as a company, but am currently
using Canson due to the paucity of good art supply stores in Rochester, MN.
I have experimented with many different kinds of paper available through
similar types of stores. The most important characteristic that you can
find in a paper is that it absorbs ink quickly without bleeding into
neighboring fibers. My suggestion is obtaining a small sample of the paper
you are interested in experimenting with and seeing how well it holds ink.
Acid free paper is commonly used and prescribed because the ink will
"never" fade, as opposed to acid containing paper, where the ink might
brown in fifty or so years. The paper tends also to deteriorate.
Sorry I can't comment on the actual making of the paper, for I haven't
delved into that science as of yet.
By the way, can anyone suggest a good brand of partially see-through
vellum? Most of the book calligraphy/illumination I have in my reference
books have a faint image of the text on the following page leaking through
on the photograph, and I'd like to experiment with that type of paper.
Balin of Canterbury, Western Northshield Minister of Arts,
Principality of the Northshield, Middle Kingdom
From: cav at bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Finding a supplier for ammonia gum - used in medieval ink
Date: 22 Aug 1996 17:00:17 GMT
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
The gabriel guild sells gum ammoniac, along with other supplies for
people doing period calligraphy and illumination:
The Gabriel Guild
6 North Pearl St.
Suite 404E
Port Chester, NY
10573
Pendragon's current address is:
Pendragon
P.O. Box 1995
Arlington Hts, IL
60006
1-800-775-7367
708-870-9988
Cheers, Rick/Balderik
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 22:54:10 -0400
From: Margo Lynn Hablutzel <Hablutzel at compuserve.com>
To: A&S List <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: source for pigment
This from Mistress Aidan, C&I Laurel from Calontir
now living in Al-Barran in the Outlands:
--------------- Forwarded Message ---------------
I just got a great catalog in the mail--chock full of "real" pigments,
in quantities from 100g to 1 kilo of ground pigments, at impressive
prices. It is the Sinopia Pigments and Materials catalog, Fall 97. They
also have a website (duh) at http://www.sinopia.com.
This outfit apparently specializes in sales to people who do art
restoration (!) and frescoes, thus the large quantity. They also sell
brushes and various equipment.
Just thought I'd pass this on to any interested illuminator types....
Ms. Aidan
From: "austrechild at sympatico.ca" <austrechild at sympatico.ca>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Cheap Callig Pens
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 1996 13:33:16 -0800
For thinking-about-maybe-trying-calligraphy folks, Zellers (Canada) has a
*$10 calligraphy set* of three nibs, cartridge pen and
instructional pamphlet. I can't attest to the quality of it, but for
those without an art store handy, it's certainly a cheap way to find out
how you like calligraphy. (Wal-Mart USA is supposedly running a similar
deal, but don't quote me!)
Scribamus,
Austrechild
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 11:16:51 -0600
From: Dennis and/or Dory Grace <amazing at mail.utexas.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: begining illumination
>Could someone direct me to begining supplies for illumination?
>And easier MMS to emulate.
>Philippa
Hi Philippa, Aquilanne in Ansteorra here.
If you were in Austin, TX, I could tell you which stores to go to to buy
what you need. Not knowing where you are, however, I'll just assume that
you know where your nearest art supply store or craft shop is (if not, look
in the yellow pages). If you're just getting started, all you really need
are some good gouaches, pencil, kneadable eraser, a good paper, a ruler,
ink, and ruling pen of some sort (I use either a rapidograph or a crowquill).
Windsor Newton gouache is my favorite. They have a pretty high
colorfastness overall, are consistent in quality, and are nice to work
with. Get some tubes of your basic colors and a little portable palette
with a lid to put them in.
I like using mechanical pencils as opposed to regular ones since I don't
have to sharpen them. You can get them in as fine a lead as a .3 mm.
Koh-i-Noor makes a nice one called a Rapidomatic.
Let me sing the praises of the kneadable eraser. It's the most versatile
eraser you can buy. You can pull and knead it (hence the name) to clean it
and shape it. It doesn't crumble like the vast majority of other erasers on
the market, and it's extremely kind to the surface of your paper while
still erasing very effectively. They're also good for pulling on and
pummeling when you have artist's block or your cat steps in your ink.
Good paper means some sort of nice quality, smooth, paper with a decent
archival quality. My favorite is Arches 90# HotPress Watercolor paper. It's
a soft, warm white and has a nice, smooth surface; but not so smooth that
every correction will glare out. It's also heavy enough to handle x-acto
knife corrections (that's where you gently scrape a mistake off the surface
of the paper using a very sharp blade and lots and lots of patience).
After penciling in my design, I like to ink it in and erase pencil marks. I
usually use a plain black ink (I like the way it "pops" the color) from
either a rapidograph pen or something similar, or I'll use an ink in a
crowquill (fine dip) pen or a mapping nib. A warm or light brown ink was
also used in period for outlining designs, and is very nice to use, too.
Make sure that the inks you use for outlining are *waterproof*. If they're
not, they'll bleed into your paint as you paint your designs.
As to "easy" manuscripts to copy, my suggestion is to look at as many
examples of illumination from every period, and pick what *you* personally
find the most visually appealing. Ease and simplicity are subjective.
Regardless of perceived complexity, you'll be happier working on something
you like the look of. If you find you like Dutch manuscript painting, you
don't have to recreate an entire page of it right off, you can recreate
elements until you get the hand of the forms you're dealing with. Try to
find a scribe local to you to coach you through your first attempt or two.
Let me suggest my favorite book for referring new calligraphers and
illuminators to. It's "Illumination for Calligraphers; the complete guide
for the ambitions calligrapher" by Marie Lynskey; Harper Collins Pub.; ISBN
0-7225-2105-7. This is *the* best overall book I've ever seen for
addressing both calligraphy basics (she shows 5 or 6 basic historic hands)
and illumination basics based on historical manuscript illuminations. I
still refer to it occassionally after all these years. Part of her
background says: "Marie Lynskey studied heraldry, calligraphy, and
illumination at the Reigate School of Art and Design..." so where most
books on this sort of thing are primarily contemporary design based, she's
coming from the same stylistic sources we're after. The book is also
**very** reader-freindly--lots of very useful information in a very
readable format. Enough plugging. Get the book, it's good.
Good luck with your new avocation. Illumination is wonderful fun. Also, I
got this nifty link the other day:
>http://www.erols.com/versals/
This woman makes her own paints according to medieval methods and does
illuminations. Check it out; she does some very nice work, and you can see
where some pieces she has displayed are recreations of just elements of
larger illuminations.
be well
Aquilanne
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 12:24:17 -0600
From: Jen Rosen <jrosen at zwell.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: begining illumination
At 11:16 AM 12/18/97 -0600, Dennis and/or Dory Grace wrote:
>>Could someone direct me to begining supplies for illumination?
>>And easier MMS to emulate.
>>Philippa
>Hi Philippa, Aquilanne in Ansteorra here.
Aquilanne, you offer some excellent advice.
I'll add my own 2 cents in here.
>good gouaches
>pencil
>kneadable eraser
>a good paper
>a ruler,
>ink
>and ruling pen of some sort (I use either a rapidograph or a crowquill).
I'd also add a bunch of those little plastic paint trays (6 wells per tray)
to mix colors in. Gouache can be reconstituted when it's dry, so if you
make a color you like, you can reuse it. I like these trays because
they're small, and they give me lots of room to mix.
Another valuable tool to add to the list is an eraser brush. You can find
these in the drafting section. It's a large, soft brush used to bruch the
eraser crumbs off your drawing. THis is a good habit to get into early!
Using your hand to brush crumbs away can only lead to smears and disaster,
and I have had a crisis from blowing them away (don't spit on the gouache,
Jen!)
Also, you should have an exacto knife for scraping.
The last thing I think should be added is a thin cotton glove. These are
available as photograper supplies. Cut the tips of the fingers off. I
wear this on my callig hand, and I have almost never used a blocking sheet
since. It keeps sweat and oil off of your paper, making your work easier
and keeping the calligraphy area clean. Again, this is a great habit to
get into early.
>I like using mechanical pencils as opposed to regular ones since I don't
>have to sharpen them. You can get them in as fine a lead as a .3 mm.
>Koh-i-Noor makes a nice one called a Rapidomatic.
I'd further add that you'd like to have 2 softnesses available -- one hard
(2h is nice) and one soft (b or 2b). It's good to have the variety,
especially if you're doing complicated layout.
>Good paper means some sort of nice quality, smooth, paper with a decent
>archival quality. My favorite is Arches 90# HotPress Watercolor paper. It's
>a soft, warm white and has a nice, smooth surface; but not so smooth that
>every correction will glare out. It's also heavy enough to handle x-acto
>knife corrections (that's where you gently scrape a mistake off the surface
>of the paper using a very sharp blade and lots and lots of patience).
Bristol board (smooth) is great too. What ever you do, please do not use
bumpy type watercolor paper (cold press)! This will make you the enemy of
calligraphers who work with your blanks! Many kinds of paper are okay for
illumination, but calligraphy goes best on smooth paper with a bit of
tooth, like the ones mentioned above.
>As to "easy" manuscripts to copy, my suggestion is to look at as many
>examples of illumination from every period, and pick what *you* personally
>find the most visually appealing. Ease and simplicity are subjective.
>Regardless of perceived complexity, you'll be happier working on something
>you like the look of. If you find you like Dutch manuscript painting, you
>don't have to recreate an entire page of it right off, you can recreate
>elements until you get the hand of the forms you're dealing with. Try to
>find a scribe local to you to coach you through your first attempt or two.
I'd also like to recommend _copying_. To learn the visual language of an
illumination style, copy a ms page as your design. This may not mean
tracing, but sometimes tracing elements can be helpful too, to get the full
flavor of a design. As you become more comfortable with a style, you will
be able to create your own designs in the flavor of that style.
Good luck, and have fun!
________________
Lady Gianetta Andreini da Vicenza Jen Rosen jrosen at zwell.com
Per fess gules and azure fretty, in chief in fess three popinjays Or
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 19:27:22 -0500
From: "Helen Schultz" <meistern at iquest.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: begining illumination
Greetings Philippa,
What both Aquilanne in Ansteorra and Gianetta Andreini da Vincenza in the
Middle said is true. Good advice all around. May I add a thing or two,
please.
As a Laurel in calligraphy and illumination (C&I), I have my own
preferences. Let me say right now __each person works with whatever tools
work best for them__, but sometimes they don't always know about some
others that make life a little easier for the person doing C&I (or even
just one or the other).
I find using a mechanical pencil which I can sharpen much better than the
set .03 so called mechanical pencils by Pentel...they are ALWAYS blunt, and
sometimes you want a very fine line during your drafting process. Also,
for lining, I really like to use the Linex Liner rather than the Ames Liner
(this is a wonderful little plastic lining tool with several lines of holes
set in a line and a wheel that allows you to change how far apart those
holes line up). It is rather difficult to describe here, but not difficult
to use. The Linex is nicer because it can use both inches and millimeters
(so much more diversity) and they have a longer set of holes to use --
nearly double the number on the Ames.
Colors of gouache I would recommend are: primary red, primary blue,
primary yellow, ivory black, and permanent white for mixing (these colors
will mix into almost any color of the spectrum you might desire). If you
are unsure of mixing, I recommend: spectrum red, cobalt blue pale hue,
ultramarine, mistletoe green, purple lake, cadmium red deep, cadmium green,
and whatever other colors you find interesting. Those colors are fairly
close to most of the ones used in period.
To view some manuscripts of various periods, go to this web page:
http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/subjects/mss/mss.htm
It has links to many more manuscript sites. Happy surfing and
Buchkunstmaleri (German for book art work).
Meisterin Katarina Helene von Schoenborn
Middle Kingdom
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 21:40:50 EST
From: LRSTCS <LRSTCS at aol.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Egg Tempera, etc.
Thanks folks for the info,
The gum amoniac sources and instructions were just what I needed!
Here's the mail order sources with the better prices I mentioned:
Art Supply Warehouse (ASW) 1-800-995-6778, 1-929-878-5077 web site - haven't
looked at it yet- www.aswexpress.com. They have guaches, paints and paper.
If you have a Michaels near you, you can get the papers and some brushes that
the other scribes mentioned on sale, and they usually have a 40-50% off coupon
in the Sunday paper for one item. Buy the most expensive brushes you can
afford, they work better.
To the beginner Illuminator, the mail order sources offer starter sets with
your basic colors of 8-10 tubes which is much cheaper than bying them
seperate. Found that out the hard way.
Egg Tempera in the tube:
[see the paint-msg file]
Magge
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 21:35:33 -0800
From: Brett and Karen Williams <brettwi at ix.netcom.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: begining illumination
Meisterin Katarina (Helen Schultz) writes amongst other things:
>
> Colors of gouache I would recommend are: primary red, primary blue,
> primary yellow, ivory black, and permanent white for mixing (these colors
> will mix into almost any color of the spectrum you might desire). If you
> are unsure of mixing, I recommend: spectrum red, cobalt blue pale hue,
> ultramarine, mistletoe green, purple lake, cadmium red deep, cadmium green,
> and whatever other colors you find interesting. Those colors are fairly
> close to most of the ones used in period.
As a professional artist's daughter, an artist who has made his living
by his brush and (mostly) watercolors for the last forty years, I would
like to add something to Mistress Katarina's good advice.
Windsor and Newton gouache paints are of excellent quality. However,
there is a set of physical/environmental characteristics that are
actively working against any illuminator's work. I'm offering a
suggestion on how to judge light-fast paint.
Your enemy is Light. It comes in two flavors, natural (sun) and
fluorescent.
I was in the Getty Museum-- the *new* one, on the Sunday afternoon
immediately after Thanksgiving. My five-year-old escort didn't allow me
much time to gawk at the manuscripts, however, I would like to point out
that each and every page on display was individually lit, within a dark
room. We're talking a pitch black room here.
On the back of the Windsor & Newton tube, both for gouache and
watercolor, is a letter rating. Examine those letters carefully.
Anything rated an A or better is going to be the most light-fast
pigment. There is a lovely pink rated somewhere around F or G, if memory
serves. It is extremely light fugitive.
Try to stick within the range of A, AA, AAA-- and if you can't get
around it, the B ratings. You'll find that most of the primary spectrum
is either A or B. It's the more obscure tints that have the fugitive
ratings-- again, IIRC, most yellows are in the B category.
Those fugitive colors will fade on exposure to light, noble cousins. If
you are willing to invest in quality pigments-- and especially invest
your valuable time in a work that will be hung on an individual's wall
for a long time to come, make sure it will last. I can even offer a
suggestion for an experiment: Make a card consisting of labeled blocks
of your favorite and primary colors. Cover up all but a strip of that
paint, and expose this to a window of sunlight for a month. Each
successive month, for the next six months, move the covering back until
a last strip is due to be uncovered.
The lack of color in the first set of strips will astound you. The sun
will have bleached it amazingly. And the 'higher' the letter rating on
the paint, the less likely the color will have survived its exposure.
ciorstan
(who invested heavily in a set of sable watercolor brushes and has never
regretted it for a moment)
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 16:42:35 -0500
From: "Helen Schultz" <meistern at iquest.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: beginning illumination
Sorry for the delay Bianca, but I had some ear and sinus surgery on Friday
and have just now felt like sitting down at the computer. About papers.
The two least expensive to use are Arches 90# (which usually comes in
sheets large enough to quarter or cut into 8's) and Bristol Board (which
usually comes in pads of various sizes). These two papers are usually acid
free and are heavy enough to withstand a lot of handling. You probably
want to stay away from really thin papers, and most definitely away from
the "calligraphy parchment" sold in pads near the calligraphy pens...not
the best paper -- really. I hope you will find this of service.
KHvS
<the end>