From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V2 #1729 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Sunday, July 23 2000 Volume 02 : Number 1729 In this issue: Re: [scribes]: Lettering - is inking ok? Re: [scribes]: Lettering - is inking ok? [scribes]: Re:Lettering - is inking ok? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 12:13:40 +0200 From: Anna Troy Subject: Re: [scribes]: Lettering - is inking ok? Well if you feel like you can't do the calligraphy youself maybe there is someone in your Shire that you know who could do it for you. :-) Anna de Byxe >> Hello all, >> I am new to the SCA, and am trying my hand at calligraphy and >illumination. >> I hope it is ok to post questions here? My concern is that I am not >really >> cut out for calligraphy, though I am pleased with my attempts at >> illumination. For my first practice project, I am wishing to illuminate >one >> of my Shire member's poems. Is it ok to ink in the letters? (Trace them >> from a book, then ink them in) Or, is using a calligraphy pen or quill >the >> only way to go? The lettering I am looking at is from George Bain's >"Celtic >> Art, the methods of construction" p.93, alphabet in straight line letters. >> >> Thank you for your help~ >> Denise >> >> Residing in: >> Principality of the Mists, Kingdom of the West >> >> >> > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Librarians are Academia Nuts" "Anna's Crafts Links Page" http://hem.fyristorg.com/owly/crafts "The Shire of Aros" http://hem.passagen.se/owly/index2.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 18:37:50 -0800 From: Mike Adams Subject: Re: [scribes]: Lettering - is inking ok? Well, it is good if you find someone in the local group who can complement you, and never know with practice you may get into calligraphy, much of drawing and calligraphy are the same movement, just one normally is a point, and the other is wider.. But, yes there is many examples of works where the letters were drawn and filled in and not straight calligraphy, many capitals (such the the big one that some love to use for the first part of a page) are done that way. An older script for the capitals, with a "newer" script for the letters. Mike/Morgoth indigokat wrote: > > Hello all, > I am new to the SCA, and am trying my hand at calligraphy and illumination. > I hope it is ok to post questions here? My concern is that I am not really > cut out for calligraphy, though I am pleased with my attempts at > illumination. For my first practice project, I am wishing to illuminate one > of my Shire member's poems. Is it ok to ink in the letters? (Trace them > from a book, then ink them in) Or, is using a calligraphy pen or quill the > only way to go? The lettering I am looking at is from George Bain's "Celtic > Art, the methods of construction" p.93, alphabet in straight line letters. > > Thank you for your help~ > Denise > > Residing in: > Principality of the Mists, Kingdom of the West __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 09:59:49 EDT From: RenScribe@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: Re:Lettering - is inking ok? In a message dated 7/22/00 5:08:57 PM, indigokat@home.com writes: > My concern is that I am not really cut out for calligraphy, Been there - done that - proved even myself wrong :-) My first experience with SCA calligraphy involved assurances that anyone can learn how to do calligraphy. The night began with being screeched at for filling my dip pen incorrectly ... then ended with the comment that I would have to learn illumination because I would never be able to do calligraphy. Not exactly encouraging, but ever optimistic me :-) took that as a gauntlet to become an all around scribe. In the beginning I only took illumination assignments. Although I practiced my calligraphy often, I always worked in tandem with a calligrapher when doing scrolls. I saw how easy it was for him to calligraph and how mistakes are no big deal. This gave me the confidence I needed to tackle full assignments on my own. Thanks Aengus :-) I could do legible, calligraphy after a couple of months. It took me about 4 years to become good enough at gothic hands to want to try it on a scroll. In between, I learned why my calligraphy looked crappy and how to fix it. Some of the things that work for me are: Most calligraphers use sets of horizontal lines to base their letters on ... I have to draw graph paper with both horizontal and vertical lines to keep my letters straight and even. I have to use an easel and turn my paper sideways to write. (OK, I hear lots of you going, "Eeek!!!!" about now :-) I hold my pen with an Oriental grip. It works better for me. I get tendonitis in my elbow if I try to do calligraphy with the paper straight. I had trouble keeping my pen from turning in my hand and changing the angle of the nib. I bought a 3 sided grip for my nib holder and used it until I found a nib holder that has a flat side. Now the pen can't turn in my hand. I learned that holding something in my left hand while I do calligraphy with my right hand keeps me from putting a death grip on my pen and getting cramps in my hand. Most of all I learned to be patient with myself. To *strive* for perfection and be happy with accomplishment ... not *demand* perfection and consider myself a failure when I come up short. THLady Eibhlin ni Chaoimh AEthelmearc Some day maybe I'll tell everyone how a blind person with no art background can learn to be an illuminator :-) ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V2 #1729 ******************************