From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V4 #11 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Monday, October 16 2000 Volume 04 : Number 011 ======================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with unsubscribe scribes-digets in the body of the message. Leave the subject line blank. Do not include any additional text. [scribes]: Re:Changing styles [scribes]: Re: Portraiture [scribes]: Synonyms [scribes]: Grisaille Example Online ...was Grisaille + Question ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 11:55:30 EDT From: RenScribe@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: Re:Changing styles In a message dated 10/15/00 11:32:24 PM, sburnell@raex.com writes: >I feel a real >need to stretch myself as a scribe because it's too easy to grow complacent >with a style you are completely comfortable with. I think it's time for me >to really challenge myself stylistically. And admittedly, whenever I do >this, my first attempts at a new style are, well, awkward at first, because >I am "feeling out" the style. It's hard because when you are good at one >style and everybody recognises your work because of it, then you change >styles and you aren't so good for a while until you "grow into" the new >style, well, people wonder why all of a sudden your work isn't as good as it >once was. But it's time for me to make a few leaps and stop being nervous >about doing stuff like this. I love doing the acanthus and jewel covered Italian Ren pieces, but at a certain point I needed a break from doing the same thing over and over - to avoid burn out. I've tried several different styles in the past year. They are all fun and I'm having a great time learning new things, but they just don't look as inspired as the Italian pieces. I'm always afraid that someone will be disappointed because it's not what I am known for or what I do best. See, it's not just the novice scribes that go through jitters. :-) Has anyone ever sat down and written handouts on what makes or breaks a particular style? If you have an article like this available I would be interested in getting copies or making a page of links to online resources. Eibhlin ni Chaoimh AEthelmearc =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 11:23:46 EDT From: RenScribe@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: Re: Portraiture In a message dated 10/16/00 6:44:54 AM, mark-c@acay.com.au writes: >I'm not an expert, if anyone has any further or clearer >information please share it! > >Giles >Ubergeek Your answer fits well with the research I have been doing. Realism had a lot to do with why full portraits became more popular than illuminated book portraits late in period. I attended a lecture by Roger Wieck several years ago which set me on a quest. The lecture was on portraiture in books of hours. I spent a year or so further researching this topic which I found so interesting. I began to write something for my kingdom A&S issue and was convinced by others that maybe TI would be better suited to an article with such a narrow field of interest. I received word a month or so ago from the editor that it will be published in an upcoming issue. Basically the article is a brief overview of what a book of hours is and how portrait placement within the layout led to religious conflict. In the end patrons were more or less forced by the Church to commission painters to create more lifelike portraits for secular use rather than inclusion in religious works. I promise - the article is much more in depth than what I have just written. :-) Along with switching from portraits in books to those hung on walls comes the ability to use different painting methods. The beauty and depth of egg yolk tempera is lost in books because the friction of the pages will cause well dried paint to smudge. Also the larger size of a wall mounted portrait allows for exquisite detailing that there just isn't room for in a book miniature. If you're wondering what happened to the illuminators that did not have the skills to compete with realistic portrait painters .... just in case it comes up in a game of SCA trivial pursuit :-) Some continued on as illuminators who painted the books made on the printing press. Many of them were hired by noble patrons to paint heraldry onto wall hangings, banners, bed hangings, clothing, etc Eibhlin ni Chaoimh AEthelmearc =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 14:40:02 -0400 From: Elizabeth Blatt Subject: [scribes]: Synonyms I think about a month or so ago I mentioned in a post that it'd be handy to have a list of scribally relevant words in multiple languages, for research assistance, etc. There's something along these lines online, in German, Dutch, French, and English: http://www.rockingstone.com/duits.htm --It's an antiquarian book dictionary. Elianora Mathewes Dominion of Myrkfaelinn, AE =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 17:40:08 -0500 From: "Christine" Subject: [scribes]: Grisaille Example Online ...was Grisaille + Question I put a picture up here. http://www.geocities.com/cjfearon/index.html Eilanora Siobhan de Cassell Castel Rouge Northshield > could someone post an example of grisaille? I think I know what it is but > am not sure. > > Rivka > > =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V4 #11 ****************************