From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V1 #22 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Saturday, January 31 1998 Volume 01 : Number 022 In this issue: Re: [scribes]: What to do . . . Re: [scribes]: beginner questions--back to gouache again!!! re: [scribes]: Notes from Scribal Gathering... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 18:36:08 +0000 From: kimberly@mail.topher.net Subject: Re: [scribes]: What to do . . . > "Is it possible that the Kingdoms where Promisorys are given out are the > same Kingdoms where there is an extremely large population base and/or a > large number of events? > Sound reasonable? I know the west has a high concentration of populace > and an extremely large number of events (with 3 principalities of 2 reigns > per year and 3 Royal reigns per year). Artmesia, a new Kingdom, does > promisorys too though. And my Barony might outnumber that whole Kingdom... > at least thats what it seemed like back when we were a principality. (I used > to live there). What about Ansteorra or Atlantia? How about the Middle? > > Cystennin Sends. Let me introduce myself briefly - I'm Thyra of Black Oak Keep, from the shire of Black Oak Keep in Ansteorra. I've been doing calligraphy and illumination work for about four years. I hold an Iris, my kingdom's grant level award for arts and sciences, I suppose for my calligraphy and illumination work, since that's pretty much the only artsy thing I do. Mundanely, my name is Kim Koch. I'm an engineer with no formal art training or background. I'm getting *such* an education on this list. :D In response to the above question about how many scrolls are given out in Ansteorra, I can say that in my time as Sable Scroll, there were 330 scrolls given out. Sable Scroll is the person responsible for calliging names and dates onto the pre-printed charters that get given out to people with their awards; the office changes hands every reign. However, I took over the office after the last Sable Scroll moved out of kingdom, so that 330 isn't a whole reign's worth (a reign here is six months) - it's about four months. We have pre-printed charters for every non-armigerous, AoA, and grant level award in the kingdom. Peerages, duchies, and counties get original scrolls. Everyone is *entitled* to an original achievement scroll, and there's a way to request one, but I don't know how often that's actually done. I've never lived anywhere but Ansteorra, so I've grown up with this system. It completely amazes me to see how differently things work in other kingdoms, and it's just incomprehensible to me to imagine giving an original scroll with every award, although I think it would be wonderful. All my own award scrolls but two are pre-printed charters, and I think they're just lovely. I'm also incredibly proud of and grateful for my two originals. HL Thyra of Black Oak Keep Black Oak Keep, Ansteorra Kim Koch Greenville, Texas ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 02:13:01 -0500 From: randyaf@provide.net (Randy & Melody Asplund-Faith) Subject: Re: [scribes]: beginner questions--back to gouache again!!! >okay, so i followed all the traffic on gouache and got excited and went >shopping for some....all i found was winsor newton watercolors, not w/n >gouache...one of the posts seemed to indicate that gouache was watercolor >mixed with gum arabic-->i have gum arabic, do i just mix it (in what >proportions?) with the watercolor paint? or was the store i was at just >deficient (highly likely, it was Michael's craft center, not a *real* art >supply store)? Ok, first, gouache is the same as watercolor, except that it has material added to make it opaque. The binder in both is gum arabic. You can just buy a tube, sqyueeze some out, and dip a brush wet with water into it. Some people add other things for whatever reasons, but you don't have to do that until when you get enough experience to know the difference. For example, if you think you want it to flow better you can add a touch of ox gall fluid. If you want it to go into a book you should add a little more binder-the gum arabic. But for just going onto a page you can use it as is. My preference is to paint onto vellum finish acid free Bristol paper. Watercolor and gouache may be mixed together. I wouldn't bother buying white WC for illumination. Get the gouache white like Titanium white. It is very opaque for making white lines on color. Also, if your colors bleed when applied in layers, you may have too much paint on the paper, or your second layers may be wet too long (applied too wet so they pull up color from underneath) This is a mistake beginners make trying to get opaque effects from WC. It can be combated by adding gum arabic to the under layers and letting them dry all the way. Then paint less wet overlayers. This may not be a problem for you, so don't worry about adding anything to your paint until, and if, it becomes a problem. > >2nd question...what sizes/types (round, line) brushes would you consider a >starter set? i'm graduating from colored pencils and markers here, and won't >claim to have been wonderfully proficient at those!!! But i'm determined to do >a french vine border (I learned how to do one at a collegium) in paint, not >just with the technical pen! I would steer you to little brushes because I work on a more period scale. Also because I tend to paint in period techniques. That means that the lines are often small and the field colors are often laid in with regular strokes and pushed around rather than applied in big, wet masses (which makes the parchment buckle). I really like the tacklon haired brushes. This white "nylon" material holds almost the same amount of fluid as a fine red sable, has plenty of springiness (like a fine sable) andis a fraction of the price. The Windsor and Newton series 233 roundsare great because the shape is a short enough hair mass to give a nice point but still draw curves and do dots. A really nice length for a round. I use size - -0- for my wide work, sizes -00- and --000- for most regular and detailed work. Smaller than this is not needed unless you have a special task. The - -000- is quite capable of the smallest work and you could probably do a well crafted piece with only -0- and -00- brushes. In art school they told us to use the biggest brush we could get away with, but for illumination, that is misleading advice. Bigger than this starts to put down too much paint at once. Having said that, I find that most illuminators in the SCA use a couple of sizes bigger. I also notice a lot of clunky scrolls. They seem to lose the character when the brushstrokes get big. I've also seen artists go from clunky to really great finesse by just going smaller all the way around. Ranthulfr > >any help appreciated...feel free to respond privately if the group doesn't >want to rehash topics that have been covered before! > >With many thanks! >Maryz the Somewhat Scattered >"Transformation through Knowledge, Bound by Reason" Randy Asplund-Faith 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI. 48103 http://www.provide.net/~randyaf ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 23:40:14 -0800 From: Karla Sexsmith Subject: re: [scribes]: Notes from Scribal Gathering... >Is anyone planning to go out to the Scribal gathering Feb 21 in Renton, >WA? I can't go, but would LOVE either email or paper notes from the >classes, especially the one on illumination for non-artists! (that would be >ME they're talking about!!!) > >I can send SASE, stamps, copying fees, whatever, just can't make it in >person!!! Hey... now why didn't I think of this? :) Same goes for me... can't go, but would love notes 'n stuff... and can pay for copying and mailing... is anyone going and would be willing to do this? Thanks, Karla ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V1 #22 ****************************