From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V2 #5 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Friday, May 15 1998 Volume 02 : Number 005 In this issue: [scribes]: Calendar question [none] Re: [scribes]: Teaching Calligraphy Re: [scribes]: Calendar question FW: [scribes]: Teaching Calligraphy [scribes]: Font help Re: [scribes]: Gold thickness ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 15 May 98 03:21:36 PDT From: Dyan Boven Subject: [scribes]: Calendar question Well, I don't know if this is the right place for it, but after reading = about all those gorgeous books and checking out some of the bookstores = that were mentioned over the last few days, I have my shopping list ready= . On top of the list is the 1998 Medieval Woman Calendar that I just lov= e. It used to be my Christmas present to myself, but then from 1995 on = I haven't been able to find them. The bookstores out here claimed they = couldn't order it, and believe me, I've asked. So here's my question: Would anybody happen to know somebody who'd still= be hanging on to some old calendars ('95, '96 & '97) and who would be = willing to part with them, maybe some friends, family, acquaintances?? = I have geen idee whether it'd be possible to go through a bookstore to = get old calenders. Any information is appreciated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taos van Vlaenderen Dyan Boven Caid Yucca Valley, CA ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 May 98 03:31:53 PDT From: Dyan Boven Subject: [none] Well, after reading about all those gorgeous books and checking out some = of the bookstore sites that were mentioned over the last couple of days, = I have my shopping list ready. On top of the list is the 1998 Medieval = Woman calendar that I just love (pretty pictures). I used to buy this = calendar as my Christmas gift to myself, but 1994 was the last year I cou= ld find them. The bookstores out here claimes they couldn't order them, = and believe me, I've asked. So I'm not sure if this is the place to do this, but here's my question: = Would anybody know of somebody who still has an old copy of the calendar= s for '95, '96 & '97 and who would be willing to part with them? Maybe = some friends? Family? Acquaintances? I have geen idee whether it'd be = possible to go through a bookstore to get outdated calendars. Any inform= ation would be greatly appreciated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tais van Vlaenderen Dyan Yutz-Boven Kindom of Caid Yucca Valley, CA ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:17:08 EDT From: Luiseach Subject: Re: [scribes]: Teaching Calligraphy I started learning calligraphy in a University of California (UC Riverside) extension program. One academic quarter of just Italic to start with, mostly on lower-case letters. The main focus was on consistency and basic pen- handling. UC or similar extension programs are expensive (the one I took is now about $160 per quarter) but you can often find a less-expensive alternative through community colleges or adult education. If you have a good teacher, it's a great way to start; you learn the fundamental skills that you will need for any hand and you learn how to understand what you are seeing when you look at a new hand. Just my 2 cents. Luighseach ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 08:23:32 -0500 From: "Helen Schultz" Subject: Re: [scribes]: Calendar question Taos van Vlaenderen, Caid, asked: Would anybody happen to know somebody who'd still be hanging on to some old [Medieval Women's] calendars ('95, '96 & '97) and who would be willing to part with them, maybe some friends, family, acquaintances?? I have geen idee whether it'd be possible to go through a bookstore to get old calenders. Any information is appreciated. - ------------- Try Paper & Ink Books, seems I recall their last catalog mentioning past copies. Most of the mail order catalogs (Barnes & Noble, Paper & Ink, etc) sell these calendars. Also, Borders Books sells them. I'd bet you could even special order them for a Waldenbooks or the like. Meisterin Katarina Helene Middle Kingdom ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:29:49 -0400 From: "Gray, Lyle" Subject: FW: [scribes]: Teaching Calligraphy I hate forgetting to do a "reply all"... ;-) Lyle lyle@quodata.com Non animam contine. - -- Spam bait: postmaster@warez.eu.org, abuse@warez.phantom.com >-----Original Message----- >From: Gray, Lyle >Sent: Friday, May 15, 1998 8:56 AM >To: 'Curtis Edenfield&Mary Hysong' >Subject: RE: [scribes]: Teaching Calligraphy > >A tip for dipping quill pens: After you dip the pen directly into the ink, >hold the pen with the nib _up_ and lightly shake the ink farther into the >shaft of the quill. That will help keep the ink from blobbing with the first >stroke. > >Also, I've noticed that using an upright or angle writing surface seems to >work better when using quill pens with modern ink -- the ink will flow from >surface tension, rather than gravity, which will also help control blobbing. > >Lyle FitzWilliam >Bergental, East >lyle@quodata.com Non animam contine. >-- >Spam bait: postmaster@warez.eu.org, abuse@warez.phantom.com > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Curtis Edenfield&Mary Hysong [SMTP:ladymari@cybertrails.com] >Sent: Friday, May 15, 1998 1:03 AM >To: Randy & Melody Asplund-Faith >Cc: scribes@castle.org >Subject: Re: [scribes]: Teaching Calligraphy > > > >Randy & Melody Asplund-Faith wrote: >[big snip] > >It seems to be a >> physical thing, like getting in shape. > >Yes, when I first started and when I haven't worked for awhile my hand cramps >up >because the muscles aren't used to it. > >> Get the ink to flow really freely and just use light flowing >> strokes with speed. > >more snips > >> A feather quill pen is great because it lets you glide on the page >> with almost no pressure are all. I have difficulty getting this out of my >> metal nis and I use TAPE and BRAUSE nibs. My way around it has been to >> press the pen to get a flow going, then release pressure to glide with the >> tip until that charge ends. What are some of your techniques? > >Funny, I have the opposite problem! My quills don';t seem to hold as much >ink as >my Tape nibs [which I really like and highly recommend to people, expecially >those using Speedballs--Nibs can make A LOT of difference in how easy it is >to >master the finer points of a hand ] Since I usually do either blackletter or >insular miniscule, both with serifs on top of most letters, I dip the nib, if >it >looks a bit blobby stroke across scratch paper and write, or if it looks ok >just >go on and write, I don't *think* I press any harder on that first stroke. > >I still haven't figured out how anyone could write by loading a pen with a >brush, >too awkward and time consuming for me and I would end up with lots of >splatters. >{Besides, medieval scribes are shown holding penknives, not brushes while >writing} > >When learning a new hand I personally spend some time writing the alphabet, >to >get the hang of the shapes and strokes, then practice a scroll text, >carefully a >time or two, then writing a little faster. Doing calligraphy at an almost >everyday handwriting pace helps keep me from getting too tight a grip on the >pen >and helps my letter and word space because I can't think about it too much. >{That is left brain can't get in there trying to be an engineer and boss >right >side around; Right side just goes on about its business and left side can >only >think about whether we're writing down the right words and not what they look >like} > >Mairi, Atenveldt > > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:42:58 -0500 (CDT) From: ches Subject: [scribes]: Font help Does anyone out there have fontagrapher? if so please email me! I have a situation on my hands, no pun intended, I want to preserve the "hand" of someone who has been told she may not have too much time left to do this art. Help. Ches ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 10:48:22 EDT From: RenScribe Subject: Re: [scribes]: Gold thickness In a message dated 5/14/98 1:56:27 PM, randyaf@provide.net wrote: > Having heard of the weight of medieval gold from the Cennini >accounting, Master John the artificer was getting thick gold for a really >low price a few years back. I don't remember if he imported this from India >or just found a nearby source. I wonder if he is still getting that? I have >a package of it and it handles nicely. I swear Master John's gold has spoiled me to the point that I will not use anything else. It's still available...in fact I'm hoping to pick some up at AEthelmearc War Practice this weekend. His catalog lists Regular wt 23k at $8 and Cennini wt 23+K $12 for 108+ square inches. I have tried to show new students how *not* to handle gold leaf.....pick it up with your fingers, blow on it, drop it in a heap on a gilding cushion and hope to straighten it out, etc. This is really hard to demonstrate with the Cennini weight gold leaf because you can do all of those things. I end up saving money buying it because I don't waste as much. I still apply at least 2 layers, but with other gold I was using at least 3 and often more just to get the full coverage. Eibhlin ni Chaoimh AEthelmearc ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V2 #5 ***************************