From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V4 #12 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Tuesday, October 17 2000 Volume 04 : Number 012 ======================================================================== 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. Re: [scribes]: Grisaille Example Online ...was Grisaille + Question Re: [scribes]: Grisaille Example Online ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 16:25:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Portia Muir Subject: Re: [scribes]: Grisaille Example Online ...was Grisaille + Question - --- Christine wrote: > I put a picture up here. > > http://www.geocities.com/cjfearon/index.html THANK YOU for posting these beautiful examples!!! I had only heard of "grisaille" as relating to 15th and 16th century oil or oil on tempera painting. I had never heard of it in relation to illumination, but could guess from context that we were talking about two VERY different things. As relating to oil painting, grisaille was an under painting: a monochromatic painting (brown, green, or gray) with all the lights and darks of the finished piece. Color was added in thin layers of glaze (ie: oil paint thinned with linseed, damar varnish, and a little cobalt dryer). There were a few advantages to this. First, creating the under painting with some of the cheaper pigments saved money. Browns, greens, and other 'earth pigments' were (and often still are) a great deal cheaper than 'jewel tones'. Second, by adding the flesh tones as glazes, this gives the faces in renaissance portraits that beautiful, "luminous" quality they're so famous for. The illuminated grisaille examples you've posted are very beautiful. I look forward to trying these techniques on my next scroll! Sincerely, Portia East ===== "Remain steadfast, and one day you will build something that endures, Something worthy of your potential." - -Epictetus (Roman Teacher and Philosopher 55-135 ad.) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ =================================================================== 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 19:11:18 -0500 From: "Christine" Subject: Re: [scribes]: Grisaille Example Online This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_00BA_01C037A4.DCFB6100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Greetings! =20 I'm glad you liked the pictures, I find them quite beautiful. I hadn't = been aware of the technique until I was asked to do a 20 yr old (!) = Award of Arms scroll for a gentle in my Barony. I didn't really know = much about the era, (14th c. France) so on a whim I ordered a book = entitled "Manuscript Painting at the Court of France - The Fourteenth = Century." The author is Francois Avril. Amazon had the softcover = version of the book for only $11 so I thought I would take a chance. = Until I saw the examples in the book I hadn't really noticed the = technique before, but I certainly intend to explore it further. =20 Warmest regards =20 Eilanora Siobhan de Cassell Castel Rouge Northshield =20 >=20 > THANK YOU for posting these beautiful examples!!! >=20 > I had only heard of "grisaille" as relating to > 15th and 16th century oil or oil on tempera > painting. I had never heard of it in relation to > illumination, but could guess from context that > we were talking about two VERY different things. >=20 > As relating to oil painting, grisaille was an > under painting: a monochromatic painting (brown, > green, or gray) with all the lights and darks of > the finished piece. Color was added in thin > layers of glaze (ie: oil paint thinned with > linseed, damar varnish, and a little cobalt > dryer). >=20 > There were a few advantages to this. First, > creating the under painting with some of the > cheaper pigments saved money. Browns, greens, and > other 'earth pigments' were (and often still are) > a great deal cheaper than 'jewel tones'. Second, > by adding the flesh tones as glazes, this gives > the faces in renaissance portraits that > beautiful, "luminous" quality they're so famous > for. >=20 > The illuminated grisaille examples you've posted > are very beautiful. I look forward to trying > these techniques on my next scroll! >=20 > Sincerely, >=20 > Portia > East >=20 >=20 > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > "Remain steadfast, and one day=20 > you will build something that endures,=20 > Something worthy of your potential." > -Epictetus=20 > (Roman Teacher and Philosopher 55-135 ad.) >=20 >=20 - ------=_NextPart_000_00BA_01C037A4.DCFB6100 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Greetings!
 
I'm glad you = liked the=20 pictures, I find them quite beautiful.  I hadn't been aware of the=20 technique until I was asked to do a 20 yr old (!) Award of Arms scroll = for a=20 gentle in my Barony.  I didn't really know much about the era, = (14th c.=20 France) so on a whim I ordered a book entitled "Manuscript Painting = at the=20 Court of France - The Fourteenth Century."  The author is = Francois=20 Avril.  Amazon had the softcover version of the book for only $11 = so I=20 thought I would take a chance.  Until I saw the examples in the = book I=20 hadn't really noticed the technique before, but I certainly intend to = explore it=20 further.
 
Warmest regards
 
Eilanora Siobhan de=20 Cassell
Castel Rouge
Northshield
 
>
> THANK = YOU for=20 posting these beautiful examples!!!
>
> I had only heard of = "grisaille" as relating to
> 15th and 16th century oil or oil on=20 tempera
> painting.  I had never heard of it in relation = to
>=20 illumination, but could guess from context that
> we were talking = about=20 two VERY different things.
>
> As relating to oil painting, = grisaille was an
> under painting: a monochromatic painting=20 (brown,
> green, or gray) with all the lights and darks of
> = the=20 finished piece. Color was added in thin
> layers of glaze (ie: oil = paint=20 thinned with
> linseed, damar varnish, and a little cobalt
> = dryer).
>
> There were a few advantages to this. =20 First,
> creating the under painting with some of the
> = cheaper=20 pigments saved money. Browns, greens, and
> other 'earth pigments' = were=20 (and often still are)
> a great deal cheaper than 'jewel tones'.=20 Second,
> by adding the flesh tones as glazes, this gives
> = the=20 faces in renaissance portraits that
> beautiful, "luminous" = quality=20 they're so famous
> for.
>
> The illuminated = grisaille=20 examples you've posted
> are very beautiful.  I look forward = to=20 trying
> these techniques on my next scroll!
>
>=20 Sincerely,
>
> Portia
> East
>
> =
>=20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> "Remain steadfast, and one day
> you will = build something=20 that endures,
> Something worthy of your potential."
> = - -Epictetus=20
> (Roman Teacher and Philosopher 55-135 ad.)
>
>=20 - ------=_NextPart_000_00BA_01C037A4.DCFB6100-- =================================================================== 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 #12 ****************************