From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V1 #90 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Thursday, February 26 1998 Volume 01 : Number 090 In this issue: [scribes]: Re: scribes digest V1 #89 Re: [scribes]: Gesso recipes Re: [scribes]: Re: Gesso recipes ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 17:11:17 +0000 (GMT) From: Barbara Webb Subject: [scribes]: Re: scribes digest V1 #89 On Thu, 26 Feb 1998, scribes digest wrote: > In a message dated 2/25/98 1:25:12 AM, bhw@psychology.nottingham.ac.uk wrote: > > >iv) In period, quills (generally) did not have barbs. > >v) So would most people in period recognise something with barbs as > > a quill in period heraldry? > >vi) Is a quill a period charge distinct from a feather? > >vii) How was it drawn? Minor variation at the tip seems like too > > subtle a difference. [much excellent information deleted] > My conclusions from this cursory investigation: > 1- "quill", as a charge in the Middle Ages, meant a yarn bobbin > 2- "quill" also means a flight feather (i.e., with barbs). > 3 - the only feathers I could find used as heraldic charges in our period > were ostrich plumes (quite unsuitable for writing with) > 4 - "quill pen" is needed to specify the writing implement. That was drawn > in period (though I have no heraldic instances) as the barrel of a feather, > naked of barbs. > 5 - SCA College of Arms, as distinct from real-world (British -- my only > sources near to hand) Colleges, registers "quills" as flight feathers with > minor artistic details on the pointy end. [minor snip] > Does that help? :-> Yes indeed, thanks very much. I never heard of the yarn bobbin before. It was the equivalent of your point 4 (quill pens were depicted without barbs in most period art) that led me to wonder about the heraldic representation common in the SCA, because feathers-with-barbs don't look like quill-pens to people familiar with quill-pens. However I realise SCA heraldry is a slightly different story... Caitlin ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 12:28:45 -0500 From: Helen Schultz Subject: Re: [scribes]: Gesso recipes Carolyn Richardson wrote: > Does anyone out there have a good gesso recipe that doesn't involve white > lead? I'm looking to try one out so the proportions needed are a must - > I've seen several posts on various ingredients, but without the "pinch of > this" details it's difficult to figure out how much to put in of stuff. > > Tetchubah of Greenlake > Kingdom of Caid - ---- Tetchubah, I have a really nice write up from a mundane class on traditional gesso that included a suggestion on using something in place of the white lead (but I can't remember it at this time). I can send it as an attachment. I will convert it to a text document and send it to the list later this evening. It is quite interesting and acts just like the period recipe (at least according to the instructor). It is made with more modern ingredients, but only because they are easier to come by than making your own slaked plaster and such. I have used it (in the class) and found it to be really nice and smooth. No sanding needed. And -- it burnishes up brilliantly! Meisterin Katarina Helene (New account, so no sig block yet) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 17:53:10 -0500 From: Sally Burnell Subject: Re: [scribes]: Re: Gesso recipes At 09:04 AM 2/26/98 EST, you wrote: >Here is the recipe given to me by Lady Talisidhe of the Greenwood > >GESSO >1 tsp. hide glue >2 tsp. water >a touch of yellow ochre >6-12 drops of warm honey >1 TBL. slaked plaster > >She uses liquid hide glue, so if you use powdered you will have to mix some up >first then measure the necessary amount. I have had some trouble finding hide >glue at all and have tried this recipe substituting glair for it. (It's >mentioned several times in _Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting_ so >I figured I'd give it a try. :-) It needs a few more drops of honey, but >other than that seems to be as good as the original in application, adhesion >of gold and finished appearance. I guess it will take a few years to see how >it holds up over the long run. I have recently found liquid hide glue at our >nearby Michaels craft store but have also seen it available through the mail >from woodworking catalogs. > >You will probably have to play with the recipe a bit to fine tune it to your >weather conditions. I always end up adding a lot more slaked plaster and I >like to add a red color to it rather than yellow. > >Hope this helps > >Eibhlin ni Chaoimh >AEthelmearc > I have a variation on this recipe: 1 TB. Calcium carbonate a pinch of Armenian bole Mix for 45 minutes in a mortar and pestle, making sure these ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 1 tsp. hide glue a few drops of distilled water as needed. a few drops of warm honey, 2 to 3 drops if it is a summer recipe and about 7 drops if it is a winter recipe. The honey is for plasticity and the amount you add depends on the relative humidity of the air. Winter air is always drier so add more honey for a winter recipe. Mix these in with the dry ingredients for the next 15 minutes, being sure that the mixture has a certain consistency. As you mix, add the distilled water - and note here that I said DISTILLED WATER! Do NOT use tap water as it has too many chemicals in it. You will only need a few drops at a time as you stir. When you are done, use a clean spatula and scoop into a clean jar and let mature for about 2 weeks or so in a dark place. Check occasionally and use a gob of earwax on a toothpick to pop any bubbles in your gesso. Then go ahead and test it to see if it will work. Hope this helps! Lady Saradwen Ariandalen March of Gwyntarian ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V1 #90 ****************************