From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V7 #38 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Thursday, November 15 2001 Volume 07 : Number 038 ======================================================================== 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]: calligraphy tips [was]Re:Newbie Scribe... Re: [scribes]: Newbie Scribe... [scribes]: What to wear? Re: [scribes]: What to wear? [scribes]: ISO a scribe who did Atlantian scroll... [scribes]: ISO a scribe who did Atlantian scroll... [scribes]: Have you seen this website? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 10:42:54 EST From: RenScribe@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: calligraphy tips [was]Re:Newbie Scribe... I remember my own first tentative attempts at doing calligraphy with a dip pen. I was terrible. Thank goodness all of the practice I did paid off. :-) I am fanatical about keeping my nibs clean. I used to clean them with an old toothbrush. Now I use the tiny little brushes for cleaning out cake decorating tips. I still use the nibs I started out with 7 years ago. The $6 bottle of cleaning solution is way overpriced. Just use ammonia or window cleaner and rinse the nibs with water and dry them before putting them away If you have a heavy hand, practice on construction paper or newsprint. If you push too hard the nib will pick up paper fibers and clog. After a while you will develop a lighter touch. An added benefit of working on fuzzy paper is when you work on better paper you will see an immediate improvement :-) If you start out with a large size nib you will be able to see the thicks and thins... as well as all of your mistakes ... a lot better. You can teach yourself how to use the pen properly, then move down to smaller nibs. Work in good light!!! Use a lettering guide to make lines, both horizontal and vertical (or slanted if that is what you need to use for a particular hand) Try to always work with your paper at the same angle. Some scribes can do calligraphy on a flat surface with the paper set straight up and down. I like mine at a very steep angle on an easel and even when I do strong vertical hands like blackletter I turn my paper sideways. You will probably want to play around and find what works best for you. Try different brands of nibs and holders when you have the opportunity. They all have different properties. I started out with a Speedball holder and nib, but soon found out that they contributed to my wobbly calligraphy. The nibs were too soft and mushy and every jitter in my hand showed up as a wiggle in my calligraphy. As my hand relaxed the pen would roll in my hand and change the angle of the nib several times throughout a piece. After experimenting for a while I switched to Brause nibs which are a little more stiff and a Brause double end wooden holder, which is flat on one side. It's impossible for the nib to change angle unless it is taken it out of the holder and moved to another position. My calligraphy improved immediately when I made this switch. I guess the most important rule is to relax and have fun. When you really have to work at this and stress yourself out, the calligraphy will reflect it.... and you end up with a headache to boot. Best of luck, :-) 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: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 19:16:14 EST From: BRNDALSTON@aol.com Subject: Re: [scribes]: Newbie Scribe... - --part1_106.8914b8d.292311ce_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/12/2001 6:47:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, destiny@lis.net.au writes: > I'm an aspiring scribe from Lochac (Australia) and have just gotten my first > dip pen. As the pen was sold in bits and pieces, I don't have any > instructions or hints for the care and feeding of a dip pen. What tips would > y'all suggest? > Welcome to the list! I trust you will find it a font of information, just I have. As to the pen, I highly suggest getting a jar of the Higgins Pen Cleaner. I actually have two, a small one and a large one. I put just a bit of cleaner in the small one and take it to events with me where I am working on scrolls or filling in prommissories. I can then just drop the nib in the jar to clean until I get it home. This keeps the ink from drying on it. You can leave the nib in the cleaning solution for quite awhile before rust becomes a problem. (Not more than a week, though) Try to get it out and clean it with soap and water as soon as you can. Normally, if there is water and soap at an event, I will give it a quick wash, and then drop it in the cleaner and leave it until I get home and clean it again with my old toothbrush. Just try not to let the ink dry in the nib, and keep the nib dry between uses. You can "sharpen" a nib with a nail file or jeweler's file if the writing surface becomes rough. Hope this helps, Brandy - --part1_106.8914b8d.292311ce_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/12/2001 6:47:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, destiny@lis.net.au writes:


I'm an aspiring scribe from Lochac (Australia) and have just gotten my first
dip pen. As the pen was sold in bits and pieces, I don't have any
instructions or hints for the care and feeding of a dip pen. What tips would
y'all suggest?

Welcome to the list! I trust you will find it a font of information, just I have.

As to the pen, I highly suggest getting a jar of the Higgins Pen Cleaner. I actually have two, a small one and a large one. I put just a bit of cleaner in the small one and take it to events with me where I am working on scrolls or filling in prommissories. I can then just drop the nib in the jar to clean until I get it home. This keeps the ink from drying on it. You can leave the nib in the cleaning solution for quite awhile before rust becomes a problem. (Not more than a week, though) Try to get it out and clean it with soap and water as soon as you can. Normally, if there is water and soap at an event, I will give it a quick wash, and then drop it in the cleaner and leave it until I get home and clean it again with my old toothbrush. Just try not to let the ink dry in the nib, and keep the nib dry between uses.

You can "sharpen" a nib with a nail file or jeweler's file if the writing surface becomes rough.

Hope this helps,
Brandy
- --part1_106.8914b8d.292311ce_boundary-- =================================================================== 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, 14 Nov 2001 08:37:01 -0600 From: "Vicki Crouse" Subject: [scribes]: What to wear? This is a MIME message. If you are reading this text, you may want to consider changing to a mail reader or gateway that understands how to properly handle MIME multipart messages. - --=_95CF51B5.395826DA Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The Scribes Symposium - Will we need to be in garb or will it be like last = time? - --=_95CF51B5.395826DA Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML The = Scribes=20 Symposium - Will we need to be in garb or will it be like last=20 time? - --=_95CF51B5.395826DA-- =================================================================== 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, 14 Nov 2001 10:48:57 EST From: KMcWhyte@aol.com Subject: Re: [scribes]: What to wear? In a message dated Wed, 14 Nov 2001 9:53:09 AM Eastern Standard Time, "Vicki Crouse" writes: > > > > > The Scribes > Symposium - Will we need to be in garb or will it be like last > time? Um, which one? East? There's one in East in January, and another one out in East again sometime in the spring. =================================================================== 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, 14 Nov 2001 16:56:34 EST From: BRNDALSTON@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: ISO a scribe who did Atlantian scroll... - --part1_f6.124775d1.29244292_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings Everyone, I am trying to find out who did my husband's scroll for his Non-Pariel award. That would be for Michael Batcok who got the award from Havordh and Mary Grace during their Last Court (Atlantia). The scroll is really beautiful and I would love to thank the person who made it. Plus we need to record the scroll as being done in the Kingdom Backlog database. So, if anyone knows who did this scroll, please contact me, or pass along my email address to this person so they can contact me. Thanks so much, Brandy (Lady Brandwyn Alston of the Rift - Deputy Clerk Signet, Atlantia) - --part1_f6.124775d1.29244292_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings Everyone,
I am trying to find out who did my husband's scroll for his Non-Pariel award. That would be for Michael Batcok who got the award from Havordh and Mary Grace during their Last Court (Atlantia).

The scroll is really beautiful and I would love to thank the person who made it. Plus we need to record the scroll as being done in the Kingdom Backlog database.

So, if anyone knows who did this scroll, please contact me, or pass along my email address to this person so they can contact me.

Thanks so much,
Brandy
(Lady Brandwyn Alston of the Rift - Deputy Clerk Signet, Atlantia) - --part1_f6.124775d1.29244292_boundary-- =================================================================== 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, 14 Nov 2001 18:23:20 EST From: BRNDALSTON@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: ISO a scribe who did Atlantian scroll... - --part1_3c.146fb668.292456e8_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> can you describe it or better yet, post a picture of it? >>> It is too big to fit in my scanner, so I cannot post a picture. Plus I don't want to do that without permission from the artist. But, here is a description of it: It is on 11 by 14 bristol board. The left half has a big illuminated B done in shell gold (or gold paint) and reds and blues with a lot of diapering and whitework on the diapering. The text is on the right side done in a stylized gothic hand and there are three men on it it in three of the four corners. One of the men has goat legs and is holding a trumpet and the other one is wearing a green tunic, with crossed gold trumpets on it and holding a black trident. I doubt this was a generic scroll, it looks as if whoever did it knew it was for Michael because it seems to be planned out that way and the calligraphy appears to have been done all at once, not as a name filled in later. >> original post: Greetings Everyone, > I am trying to find out who did my husband's scroll for his Non-Pariel > award. That would be for Michael Batcok who got the award from Havordh and > Mary Grace during their Last Court (Atlantia). > > The scroll is really beautiful and I would love to thank the person who > made it. Plus we need to record the scroll as being done in the Kingdom > Backlog database. > > So, if anyone knows who did this scroll, please contact me, or pass along > my email address to this person so they can contact me. > > Thanks so much, > Brandy > (Lady Brandwyn Alston of the Rift - Deputy Clerk Signet, Atlantia) - --part1_3c.146fb668.292456e8_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>
can you describe it or better yet, post a picture of it?  
>>>

It is too big to fit in my scanner, so I cannot post a picture. Plus I don't want to do that without permission from the artist.

But, here is a description of it:

It is on 11 by 14 bristol board. The left half has a big illuminated B done in shell gold (or gold paint) and reds and blues with a lot of diapering and whitework on the diapering. The text is on the right side done in a stylized gothic hand and there are three men on it it in three of the four corners. One of the men has goat legs and is holding a trumpet and the other one is wearing a green tunic, with crossed gold trumpets on it and holding a black trident.

I doubt this was a generic scroll, it looks as if whoever did it knew it was for Michael because it seems to be planned out that way and the calligraphy appears to have been done all at once, not as a name filled in later.
>>
original post:
Greetings Everyone,
> I am trying to find out who did my husband's scroll for his Non-Pariel
> award. That would be for Michael Batcok who got the award from Havordh and
> Mary Grace during their Last Court (Atlantia).
>
> The scroll is really beautiful and I would love to thank the person who
> made it. Plus we need to record the scroll as being done in the Kingdom
> Backlog database.
>
> So, if anyone knows who did this scroll, please contact me, or pass along
> my email address to this person so they can contact me.
>
> Thanks so much,
> Brandy
> (Lady Brandwyn Alston of the Rift - Deputy Clerk Signet, Atlantia)
- --part1_3c.146fb668.292456e8_boundary-- =================================================================== 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: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:01:44 -0600 From: Gwendoline Rosamond Subject: [scribes]: Have you seen this website? Greetings, I just discovered this website from another list I'm on and thought I would share it since I don't remember ever seeing it before... http://libwww.syr.edu/digital/collections/m/MedievalManuscripts/mainpage/ Cheers, Gwendoline =================================================================== 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 V7 #38 ****************************