From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V4 #42 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Thursday, November 2 2000 Volume 04 : Number 042 ======================================================================== 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]: Newbie Re: [scribes]: Libraries-who needs'em? (was: Libraries-what do you have) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2000 20:56:56 -0800 (PST) From: Portia Muir Subject: Re: [scribes]: Newbie - --- JFazio6634@aol.com wrote: > Any suggestions for the best type of art paper > to use? Are there any > requirements as far as size or color? Talk to the person who you're making this for: ie: the Kingdom Officer of the Signet if it's for your kingdom, your baron and baroness if it's for the barony, etc. WARNING: THE RESTRICTIONS MAY VARY GREATLY. A little research can save you a lot of heartache!!! If no one cares, Bristol board can be a good, cheap way to start. It's a heavy enough to look good, while being cheap enough to enjoy learning with. If you want to drop more money into this, Arches hot press is quite nice. The point is to go for as smooth a finish as possible on a heavy enough paper. The thicker the paper, the less it will curl. > Would one of the pre-packaged calligraphy sets > do to start with? I've gone through a lot of calligraphy pens over the years, from period, hand cut reeds to steel dip pens to rapidographs. I've even had the snazzy gold-plated Osmeroid set. To this day, the pen I love the best, bar none, is the plain old steel nib Schaeffer cartridge pen. It's not all that expensive, it's widely available, it rarely clogs, and it wears like iron. Dip pens are more period, but the cartridge pens are much easier to use. > I know that in the old days, > several scribes would sometimes > work on one leaf, using their best talent. Do > you still do this as far as > possibly having one person paint the > miniatures, and another do the lettering? Sure! My sisters and I do this frequently. There are three of us who work together on scrolls. In the beginning, one of us did borders, one did initials, and one did calligraphy and mineatures. Then, we began to teach each other, and now we trade off. However, for us the whole is much, much greater than the sum of its parts. > Have any of you been using pure pigments with a > binder? Yes. Neat stuff. The colors are jewel bright and rich as enamel. You'll never go back. *grin* > Can egg tempura be done on paper? Sure! That's how many of the miniature portraits of the Tudor courts were painted! However, I would advise you treat the paper with gesso sotille (or the white gsso commonly used for modern canvases), allow the gesso to dry, and sand the finish as smooth as possible. It will make the end effect much nicer. > Or do most scribes use more > modern color? Goache, acrylics, etc? Many of us do. For a long time I used simple watercolors applied in a thick coat. Then, I started using gouache. I know of people who use acrylics, and have created beautiful scrolls using them. In the end, compare the effect to the manuscripts, book illustrations and documents that were made during our period of study. Does it look similar to you? Use your judgment. > I once knew a professional calligrapher and she > used a light box. Are modern > techniques completely forbidden? As above, use your judgment. Does the end result look medieval? If so, you're on the right track. Better yet, if you find something that does work, let us know! I wish you the best of luck, Jillian. Keep us updated on your new discoveries! Sincerely, Portia Montessori (East, but soon to be in AEthelmearc!) ===== "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!? From homework help to love advice, Yahoo! Experts has your answer. http://experts.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: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 22:48:34 -0700 From: Holly Cochran Subject: Re: [scribes]: Libraries-who needs'em? (was: Libraries-what do you have) Johannes wrote: (snip) > > I have nothing against home libraries, I've got one myself, and I use it > > to refresh my memory or inspire me. But if we start thinking of these > > books as kewl stuff instead of as sources, and if we forget to remember > > its images, such that we let them do our thinking for us -- who needs > > them? How about those of us living with the results of head trauma, leading to spatial/visual memory deficits? Not to mention episodic aphasia, but that is a different story. Yep- swiss cheese head, that's me. Sometimes it's there, sometimes not. I have to have my exemplar(s) in front of me throughout doing the work, or I tend to wander off track. The good news is, I'm much better at remembering what book to look in to check my memory than I was ten years ago. Ms. Aidan Cocrinn hint: 1) wear shoes with traction when carrying the baby downstairs to check the laundry, and 2) don't let a FedEx semi rear-end you by running through a red light. =================================================================== 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 #42 ****************************