From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V5 #20 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Saturday, February 17 2001 Volume 05 : Number 020 ======================================================================== 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]: Overwhelved [scribes]: Starting with the basics RE: [scribes]: can't wait to check it at home myself.. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 09:35:02 -0700 From: "Dave and Lani Kyea" Subject: [scribes]: Overwhelved This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_002A_01C098C4.E6FC99E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I spent yesterday drinking from the well of scribal information = available on the web (esp. the sites that were recommended by the = participants of this list.) By last night I was pretty much overwhelmed = and knew I needed more than a map----I knew I needed some one to lead me = through this maze. Is there someone out there on this list who is willing to guide me = by allowing me to be their long-distance apprentice? I would like to = work and then every month or so scan examples of my lettering practice = to my master who would critique my work and make suggestions at to where = and what to work next. I studied many years with Abe Shoseki of Osaka Japan in this manner = mailing by snail mail--I spoke not Japanese and He spoke not Eng. but = the work spoke for us. He would, with his brush strokes in red ink = correct my brush strokes and he would send me new figures and break them = down for me to practice. A thank you from me would be included in the = box with the lesson I would send back him( hand made items-Pottery, = paintings, jewelry etc. I made or acquired in trade from fellow = artists.) This sort of thing I could do this for a master scribe or I might = be able to afford to pay for the critique and lesson time if it were not = too expensive.=20 Thank you for your consideration. -------Lani Kyea =20 - ------=_NextPart_000_002A_01C098C4.E6FC99E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I spent yesterday = drinking from=20 the well of scribal information available on the web (esp. the sites = that were=20 recommended by the participants of this list.) By last night I was = pretty=20 much overwhelmed and knew I needed more than a map----I knew I needed = some one=20 to lead me through this maze.

Is there someone out = there on=20 this list who is willing to guide me by allowing me to be their=20 long-distance apprentice? I would like to work and then every = month=20 or so scan examples of my lettering practice to my master who = would=20 critique my work and make suggestions at to where and what to work=20 next.

I studied many years = with Abe=20 Shoseki of Osaka Japan in this manner mailing by snail mail--I spoke not = Japanese and He spoke not Eng. but the work spoke for us. He = would, with=20 his brush strokes in red ink correct my brush strokes and he would = send me=20 new figures and break them down for me to practice. A thank you from me would be included in the = box with=20 the lesson I would send back him( hand made items-Pottery, = paintings,=20 jewelry etc. I made or acquired in trade from fellow=20 artists.)

This sort of thing = I=20 could do this for a master scribe or I might be = able to=20 afford to pay for the critique and lesson time if it were not = too=20 expensive.

Thank you for = your=20 consideration. -------Lani=20 Kyea

- ------=_NextPart_000_002A_01C098C4.E6FC99E0-- =================================================================== 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: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 15:01:19 -0500 From: "K. Reinhart" Subject: [scribes]: Starting with the basics When I started in scribal work I tried lots of things. Here's what I use. Pens & pencils I use mechanical pencils. (I like clicky things & I'm always losing that wretched little pencil sharpener : ) I really hated the Shaffer pens because they clogged & sometimes the ink was thin & other times thick. I like Speedball nibs and haven't had problems with them. I do try to keep them clean or they will clog. I have several of the black & brown penholders so I don't have to keep moving nibs around. You can get Speedball stuff locally & that's a big plus. Eraser White Pentel Clic eraser (Told you I like clicky things) stick typing eraser ( for when I've really goofed) small knife Magic rub eraser Paper Paper must be acid free, but it must also meet kingdom requirements. Here in AEthelmearc, Arches is preferred because, unlike Strathmore Bristol, it can be scraped if something bad happens to it. Storage My scribal stuff is in a plastic tackle box. I recommend buying a box slightly larger than you think you need. This stuff accumulates. You can make it a fabric cover if you take the box to events much. I have a cardboard covered by upholstery fabric folder to take to events. (It was a gift from another scribe, who remembers that we need to cover up the mundane stuff for events, & worries about how people are going to get their scrolls home. I put it or its contents in a plastic bag in bad weather.) I have one of those black portfolio cases big enough to take the full sized sheets of Arches paper. Paints I use plastic soda bottle caps for my paints. The sea shells only come out at demos. Since I wander from style to style (Spanish, Armenian, English, etc.) at whim, I am not always using red, blue, green, yellow, etc. exclusively. My gouaches are Pebeo Brand because that was all A. C. Moore had when I started. There is no store in my area which carries Windsor & Newton gouache. Avoid acrylic gouaches unless you are prepared for the fact that they don't reconstitute. I actually like the Pebeo gouache because it reconstitutes slowly and I like to do white work with a pen with a fine map tip. (If there's a term for those small brown Speedball pens with the superfine nibs, I don't know it.) I use Higgins Sepia ink for outlining some of the Spanish scrolls. I use Speedball Super Black India Ink for most outlining. I use Windsor & Newton Gold & Silver Inks as I haven't learned to use gold leaf & I can burnish this stuff. I have sea shells for paint & water for demos. Rulers & such An Ames lettering guide, a plastic ruler, an Orbis Circle ruler, a protractor, some mini stencils (one with groups of 3 small circles, one with small squares, etc.) I cut shield shapes in various sizes for Award of Arms (AoA) scrolls. I'm into prep work. I prefer to have stuff like this ready ahead. Light I'm really picky about light. (I can see the differences in the flourescents at work & am bugged because things are a different color in one part of the Library than in another. The architect's rep says I'm not supposed to notice. Grrrrr.) Anyway I have a clamp on light with a magnifier built in. I find it invaluable when I'm trying to really look at something & when I want to do teeny whitework lines. SCA sources I recommend that you go to the sca.org site & find each kingdom's signet or scribal site. They have lots of useful stuff. Here are some possibilities. AEthelmearc http://www.angelfire.com/pa/AEscribes/policies.html East Kingdom http://pages.cthome.net/Villarquemada/tyger_clerk.html Cyber-Scriptorium http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2963/ Ansteorra http://scriptoris.ansteorra.org/ Atlantia http://scribe.atlantia.sca.org/ Scribal links http://www.ipass.net/~lindap/scribelinks.html Info for newcomers http://www.angelfire.com/mi/Aine/newbies.html Keran Roslin AEthelmearc KMcWhyte@aol.com wrote: > 'Allo. I'm just going to give a list of the supplies I currently use; mind > you, none of this is the 'period' way of doing things right now, but these > tools help me facilitate the scrolls assigned to me in a clean and timely > manner (plus with my background from an art education, these tools have been > with me for ten + years now and shouldn't be retired just yet....) > > I've used Speedball nibs, they're fine, but not quite so reliable when it > comes to maintaining a steady inkflow. In the last year, I invested in a pair > of Rotring calligraphy pens. These cost $17 each, depending on where you go, > come with a few replacement nibs, and a packet of waterproof black ink > cartridges. They're clean, produce very crisp lines, and help me put some > scrolls out in as short a time frame as 2 weeks to 4 days (!) though I prefer > 3 weeks. The pens are still only as reliable as you treat them; like any > other nib, unless kept relatively clean, the ink will clog or dry up. Each > cartridge lasts 1.5 to 2 scrolls each, depending on the amount of text I use > it for. > > Parchment: As Saradwen said, do not use calligraphy paper. Watercolor paper or > bond will work fine if you choose an acid-free stock; otherwise I would > recommend Stonehenge or Strathmore from may days in Printmaking classes > during my last years of college. Stonehenge will accept even printer's ink, > and not bleed. Cost of paper varies, but is usually somewhere in the range of > $2.50 - $3.00 for a rather large size sheet. Try to remember you want the > paper to still be there years down the road, not deteriorated and yellowed > unless that's the look you're going for. > > Brushes: 000 watercolor (synthetic or sable), will give you good lines and > details. > An Alvin ruling pen will also give you ultra-crisp straight lines if you know > how to use it. 000's are a little expensive at art supply shops. Sniff around > and you'll likely find some much cheaper than $8.00 as you would at a > commercial shop. > > Compass and ruler: Good for making those blazons for the coat of arms/AoA's. > > Bezier (sp?) Curve: This is like a French curve, only geared more towards > those of us who are too clumsy to use the actual French curve, like myself. > It looks like a blue snake, which is a long strip of metal covered in blue > rubber -- bendable to conform to the curves you want to trace/make. > > Something to keep your scrolls in: Cheap - a plastic 'Xerox' folio. They come > in pretty colors these days, too! > > Misc: > Paints -- Gouache is expensive. Watercolor can be used as a substitute if not > thinned too much. Some people use mixed media, ranging from colored pencils > to their own homemade crushed mineral egg tempera. > Eraser shield -- Dirt cheap. A shield is useful overall, to keep oily > fingerprints from smudging or picking up ink and 'reprinting' it elsewhere. > 2H pencils -- Also cheap. H denotes the hardness of the pencil; you will get > lighter lines as you increase the number on that pencil (3H, 4H, etc.) > Kneaded Gum Eraser -- Doesn't leave shavings behind. Cheap. > Paint tray/pallet -- Wheel type or metal with little indentations for paint > are good. Otherwise an ice cube tray can do the trick too. > Water jar -- Easy enough to find in the house. > A place for your supplies -- 'Art Bins', or fishing boxes. Either offers a > tray or series of compartments for all your stuff. Just try not to use a USED > fishing box... fishy-smelling supplies stink. Literally. ;) > > As I said before.... these are just some of the supplies I use. It's up to > you, really, which direction you want to go in, but most of this list will > keep you under a decent budget. Pick what tools you feel comfortable with, > and work it from there.... Nothing says you have to start with period tools, > or can't pick them up later on. > Good luck supply shopping. :) > > Kayleigh McWhyte, Mercenary Scribe (East) > E.Frank, Long Island NY > =================================================================== 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: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:16:22 -0800 From: "Jane M & Bj Tremaine" Subject: RE: [scribes]: can't wait to check it at home myself.. Every referance I have says this is a very bright paint and no gold leaf was used in the Book of Kells. Jana > I can't check any of my good sources until I get home tonight, can > anyone verify this for me? I didn't think leaf was used in that > manuscript or many of that era and place, but as Foghorn Leghorn > intones "Ah could....ah say, Ah _could_ be wrong..." :-) > > Thanks! > > Siobhan > =================================================================== > 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. > =================================================================== 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 V5 #20 ****************************