A journal page

[caliken]

In all tne heraldic work I've done in the past, I've followed the age-old practice of outlining metallic paint (or gold leaf) with a fine black line. This "lifts" the letter from the background and has a dramatic, sharpening effect on the whole design. Sometimes, it can be difficult to produce a good, clean edge to metallic paint or gold leaf and this little technique can make all the difference. This outlining process is, of course, done last, once the work is complete and dry.

Sorry if I'm being a pest with all my little bits of information, but I just can't resist butting in! :embarrassed_smile:

 

This is a nice start, Italicist - please keep us posted.

 

Ken

[Italicist]

You're not a pest at all, Ken! Advice from masters is always welcome. Outlining the gold with black sounds like a great idea. After checking a handful of pictures of illuminated manuscripts, I see that this technique really is everywhere. Somehow I hadn't looked closely enough before. Thanks for helping me see more clearly. I have relatively little experience with gold paint, and whenever I dabble in it, I generally emerge with the desire to refrain from gaining any further experience, since gold paint seems only barely controllable. Such few clean edges as I have managed to make have largely been the results of happy accidents! Doubtless that's more a comment on my ability than the tractability of gold paint. The beauty of gold ink is difficult for the magpie in me to resist, so any idea that can improve the quality of the final work is most welcome.

 

best wishes,

Italicist

 

 

 

[Hetty]

Italicist, I think your writing is beautiful! I would be proud to own it. It is legible, attractive, and individual. What kind of pen and nib did you use to write the journal?

 

Hetty

[Italicist]

Thank you, Hetty. The pen is a Pelikan Pura whose nib, originally a medium, was reground to a cursive italic (0.8 mm width) by Letta Groskemper of Pendemonium (no affiliation apart from being a satisfied customer). Any fine-to-medium sized cursive italic nib can yield similar or better results with a bit of practice.

[ethernautrix]

Italicist, I love your pages and handwriting. I tend to fill in the page edge-to-edge, my letters usually are scrunched up like bus passengers during commute hours -- and I don't even attempt calligraphy. But your example is so appealing, I might give it a try! Truly, very appealing. Thank you for posting it!

[Italicist]

Thanks for your kind words, Ethernautrix, and happy experimenting to you!

 

Although the decorative initial isn't finished yet, here's a peek at this evening's progress:

 

 

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/S0Kfr0obSgI/AAAAAAAAAEU/sJZeXTGymfA/s800/T%20again.jpg

 

The basic colours are in place, but everything needs to be "built up" a bit further, especially the gold (through which my guidelines are still visible). For some reason my green is not behaving at all. The gold sections will eventually be outlined in black, as Caliken suggested. The diamonds in the background pattern will probably also need to be outlined, either with black lines or gold (if I can manage a clean edge). Unfortunately my hand slipped while painting the lower edge, which left an ugly gold blob; perhaps I'll be able to scrape it down slightly. My brush-handling leaves a great deal to be desired -- doubtless there are ways of making straight edges with a paintbrush, but I'm still in search of them!

 

Anyhow, it's quite a bit of fun to play with the colours this way, whatever the results.

 

all the best,

Italicist

 

P.S. The initial is 2" x 2" in size.

[edited to add postscript]

Edited January 5, 2010 by Italicist

[caliken]

Thanks for posting this update - it's interesting to see how it's progressing.

 

You mention some trouble with your green - what paint are you using? It looks a bit like acrylic.

 

I would personally line everything in black, including the squares. You'll be astonished at how everything sharpens up and stands out!

Why not make a colour copy and experiment with that, preserving your original version?

 

Caliken

Edited January 5, 2010 by caliken

[Italicist]

You're right, Caliken; it is acrylic paint. The unevenness in the green squares is subsiding after a couple of additional coats. It seems that the bottle of green that I bought is "clear green", which seems to remain slightly translucent after drying. This seems to accentuate the difference in appearance between thick and thin patches of paint, but the colour has become more uniform as the extra layers went on. Some black outlining all around is definitely in order, too. All of the edges could stand as much sharpening as I can provide, but especially the edges of the squares. As far as highlighting slight visual inconsistencies are concerned, simple geometrical diaper patterns are pretty unforgiving! Thanks for your ideas on the matter.

[Italicist]

The letter T is proceeding, and I've learned that I can't paint straight lines to save my life -- or at least not when the results are scrutinised closely under magnification! Some of my black lines are decidedly wobbly and blobby, but even so, they still have the effect of sharpening the letter and the background pattern. Thanks for the tips above, Caliken.

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/S0N1AOmfjEI/AAAAAAAAAE8/ioCGkhF7VLw/s800/T%20%233.jpg

[caliken]

Italicist,

 

I rarely use a brush for lining in black - much too difficult! I use a technical pen such as Rotring Rapidograph (refillable) or Staedler pigment liners (disposable) Both come in a range of sizes down to extremely small, and both are very reliable. Occasionally, I use a crow quill or mapping pen (dipped).

 

The reason I asked about your choice of paint was because Gouache is normally the choice for this kind of work as it dries dense, matt, even and opaque. For those not familiar with it, Gouache comes in small tubes and is diluted with a small amount of water to make it usable.

 

However, I've noticed one beneficial effect of the unevenness of Acrylic paint. Once the black lining is in place, the green squares take on the appearance of small precious stones - quite a nice effect!

 

One small piece of advice - anyone thinking of attempting illuminated caiptals for the first time, should seriously consider the investment of buying a few good, sable brushes at different sizes. I know that they are fairly expensive, but they are so much easier to use than cheap alternatives and will last for many years if they are looked after properly.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

caliken

Edited January 5, 2010 by caliken

[smk]

First off, very nice work on the journal Italicist. I'm sure it'll be even more impressive with the illuminated letters (which looks very nice btw). You have inspired me to learn the italic hand just to be able to replicate what you are doing (I practice Arabic Calligraphy) - I think it'll make a lovely gift for young 'uns (children, nephews, nieces etc.) and will help them start reading with more interest.

 

Just out of curiosity: can the illuminated letters be made and colored with ink or is using paints the correct way? I just attempted the T shown above with golden calligraphy ink from Winsor & Newton, Sheaffer Skrip Red and a mix of MB Racing Green+Waterman Green and a pigment ink marker. The results were not half bad although its not as vibrant as acrylics make the greens above. The straight lines were much easier to get right than I would imagine with paint and brushes.

Edited January 6, 2010 by smk

[Italicist]

Thanks for your thoughts and comments, Caliken and SMK.

 

Caliken: I'm delighted to hear that you'd find outlining with a brush difficult; it's really music to my ears! I had begun to despair of straight black outlining and was hunting in vain for a book on my shelves that commented on this stage of composing illuminated letters. Using one of the tools that you mentioned to lay down ink or pigment in a fine line certainly sounds like a much better idea, and I shall give it a try at the next major section heading in this work. Thanks for suggesting gouache, which is now on my list of things with which to experiment; I've never used it before, but if it is dense, opaque, and uniform on the page, then it would be better than acrylic. Interesting that you likened the outlined acrylic squares to gemstones -- the same thought occurred to me partway through the outlining, especially with the half-translucent green. Possibilities for emeralds or shiny leaves leap to mind. The bejewelled effects has been further accented by an application of gloss acrylic medium over the whole letter (done after the photos below were taken). Thanks VERY much for your keen observations and expert suggestions, all of which I greatly appreciate. I'm beginning to realize how much practice is necessary to achieve the spectacular results that you've posted from time to time.

 

SMK: Thank you for your kind remarks; I hope that you'll enjoy writing in italic. Alas, I don't have enough knowledge to be able to comment on the right ways of making illuminated capitals. The most beautiful ones that I've seen have been painted, or at least most of them, but I have also seen very pleasant ones done in ink (and made a few minor ones, too). In my very limited experience, the main drawbacks associated with inked capitals is that they'll never be as vivid and visually arresting as painted ones, and that the different inks have a way of bleeding into each other at the borders (but perhaps that's just my impatience with drying times). I suspect that the best illuminated capitals use some kind of paint (for bright, solid colour) with ink or pigment outlining (for straight lines -- heh). I really need to do some proper reading on this whole subject, and to practice making straight lines with the finest dip nib I've got.

 

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the first page of the new text, with the illuminated capital leading the way. I'm pleased with the overall effect, although I badly muffed the spacing of the text around the capital: the space below the letter is far greater than the space to the right. Somehow I blindly charged ahead and failed to think of that aspect of the layout until a couple of lines too late. Oh well; the rest of the story will provide opportunity for further practice. This text is J. R. R. Tolkien's "Leaf by Niggle" (a copy of which I bought -- no piracy or intention to sell this copy!).

 

- Italicist

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/S0QMwxBkcaI/AAAAAAAAAFg/kBXQQR5zo9I/s800/on%20desk.jpg

 

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/S0QMw-eRFuI/AAAAAAAAAFk/MfJ-XUMmQgY/s800/text.jpg

[caliken]

Here are a couple of pictures of the first page of the new text, with the illuminated capital leading the way. I'm pleased with the overall effect, although I badly muffed the spacing of the text around the capital: the space below the letter is far greater than the space to the right. Somehow I blindly charged ahead and failed to think of that aspect of the layout until a couple of lines too late. Oh well; the rest of the story will provide opportunity for further practice. This text is J. R. R. Tolkien's "Leaf by Niggle" (a copy of which I bought -- no piracy or intention to sell this copy!).

 

Nice work Italicist; you've achieved an authentic, period look which is very effective.

 

Unfortunately, there is no easy shortcut to layout of lettering around an illuminated capital. The usual method is to write out the text (roughly) and then physically cut it into sections, positioning with some kind of low-tack adhesive, and re-position until it looks right. The finished lettering can then be copied to follow this pattern.

 

There is a 'modern' alternative, which I've been using more recently.

Some years ago, I wrote out a section of a typical style of text which I use most frequently on scrolls etc. I then laboriously measured the length of a line of writing and the letter height, and then matched a computer font to it, by trial and error. Having arrived at a section of computer type which closely matched my writing in respect of the space occupied (the style is unimportant) I then structured the whole of the relevant text to fit. The result was an accurate guide to the layout and positioning of all the words, and I could then proceed with a reasonable amount of confidence that it would all fit! I did this for several styles of lettering, and filed the information for future use. Doing this, is a bit of a pain but it does save some time and only has to be done once. Having established which font goes with which style of writing, it is a simple matter of deciding on a letter height and then changing the point size to match. I then adjust the inter-line spacing on the computer, until it all fits, re-positioning as often as is necessary. I don't know if this all makes sense - it's quite complicated to explain! Perhaps this small illustration will help.

 

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/lorem3.jpg

 

In retrospect, if you're doing this only occasionally, perhaps it's better to stick with the scissors method.

 

caliken

 

BTW Gouache is wonderfully easy to use, and is quite inexpensive.

Edited January 6, 2010 by caliken

[smk]

Very nice indeed. It looks better than I had imagined.

[vlada]

First off all, may I say that your project is quite interesting. I like your handwriting, it's perfectly legible and has some nice personal look & feel to it. Also the generous (medieval) borders even more enhance the visual appeal. The illuminated T is just awesome, to me it makes all the difference. It's like handwriting comes to life (don't you just love illuminated capitals ). The green acrylic reminds me of shiny, painted glass. Btw. did you bind that book, the stiches between the signatures remind me of the coptic stitch?

[Italicist]

Thanks, Caliken. Your descriptions of the two methods make perfect sense, by the way, and the illustration makes matters crystal-clear. Both the scissors and computing methods sound serviceable, although I can see that developing the latter properly could take some time. It would definitely be worth the trouble, though, if one were doing a number of initials in short succession. And if gouache is both easy and inexpensive, then I'll definitely pick up some soon!

 

Thanks also to SMK and Vlada. Glad that you like it! Possibilities for using the green acrylic to mimic not only emeralds but also stained glass now come to mind after reading your comment. I'm afraid that I can't take credit for the journal, which is quite excellent; it is bound with a Coptic stitch by the good folk at Paperblanks (no affiliation). I do make my own journals from time to time, but I tend to case them in completely with covered spines rather than leaving them uncovered, as this one is. Although I can't deny that the book does lie beautifully and docilely flat with an uncovered uncovered, I find that its covers feel almost like afterthoughts, not wholly integrated into the fabric of the book.

 

all the best,

Italicist

Edited January 6, 2010 by Italicist

[El Mocho]

Hello Italicist!

 

I haven't checked the Penmanship forums in too long, so I just stumbled onto this. I have also laid out pages using something close to those canons of page construction, though I have not tried doing this in any handwriting but my own cursive, yet:

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/2457616751_758ed59baf_o.jpg

 

I haven't been dedicated about this layout and haven't really made a project of it. I cranked out a few ruling guides that go behind the page. Beyond that, I started using the layout for a manuscript that sort of stalled out. I think now I'll get one started up to practice a calligraphic hand.

 

Did you rule the lines yourself? I know Paperblanks uses wider ruling, but I can't tell if it's their ruling or your pencil. Thank you!

[Italicist]

Your journal looks very good to me, El Mocho; hopefully the manuscript may find itself in motion again one day!

 

A ruled guide that can slip behind the page yet whose guidelines are still visible while one is writing is a very good idea: it's much less trouble than ruling fresh sets of lines on every page, so long as one is using the roughly the same layout, page after page (as I usually am, anyhow). Although I often use such a guide-sheet when I write in an unlined journal, the lines visible in my journal above are simply the ones supplied by Paperblanks, about 5/16" or 7.9 mm apart.

 

all the best,

Italicist

[Italicist]

Today's experiments in illumination yielded disappointing but highly instructive results! I attempted to outline an illuminated N with black ink in a fine dip nib rather than using diluted gouache, as I should probably have done. As should have been obvious to me from the outset, ink intended for fountain pens will not necessarily adhere to acrylic paint. Even when the ink seems dry to the touch, as soon as a preservative varnish hits the entire letter, the varnish breathes undesirable new life into the ink and the result is a mess -- not at all what I'd intended. It looked quite good until I used the varnish, but I didn't think to take a picture at that stage. The crispness of the original black outlining is still visible in places along the outside edge, anyhow.

 

Even when these experiments go so very wrong, it's still quite enjoyable. Fortunately this was just for fun in my own journal rather than a project for someone else, since I'd now otherwise be obliged to rewrite four pages and to redo the capital. The next illuminated capital that my text calls for will also be an N; hopefully it will turn out more attractively than this one did.

 

all the best,

Italicist

 

 

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/S1J6q9HrkxI/AAAAAAAAAGU/Iq4kwE5TwiU/s800/muddled%20N.jpg

[Italicist]

I'm pleased to report that yesterday's muddling with pens and paint was more successful than the mess in the previous image. Caliken's suggestion of gouache is indeed a very good one; the colours turned out just as rich and opaque as he said. I didn't dilute the paint except for the outlining, so it went on the page quite thickly, perhaps too thickly, and brush-strokes are visible. Metallic gold acrylic paint was used for the letter itself and the border, as in the examples above.

 

I recommend trying illuminated letters, if you have any interest in them. Wielding a brush to manipulate colours can be surprisingly restful and relaxing, which surprises me; I had expected to be tense. And to be truthful, I am tense when ruling those straight lines with the gouache in a dip nib. That isn't restful at all, or at least not yet, for me!

 

all the best,

Italicist

 

 

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/S1YH5Ol2BcI/AAAAAAAAAG8/f4bQXB5OE-c/s400/pages%20w%20N.jpgTwo facing pages

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/S1YH5ADJqYI/AAAAAAAAAHA/OMvIBrQ1CZs/s400/good%20N.jpgDetail of the letter N