Verdigris

Six months have past and it is now time to remove the copper tubes now coated in verdigris.  I used six months as the Liber de Coloribus and Mappae Clavicula say for a length of time.  Right now, the verdigris coated tubes are sitting on an old fan blade to dry out.  Once they have dried out, I'll scrape the verdigris off the copper and weight it on a scale to see how much verdigris was made.  Right now after winter passes, I'm planning on repeating this experiment with a few different vinegars and at least one stopping at a different time since the biggest change from 9 weeks to 6 months was the color of the vinegar in the jar.

Six months later...

The jar is finally opened.

Everything pulled out to start the drying process.

Things for Yule 2012

3 out of 4 Champion certificates for this weekend's event follows, the 4th was being finished up last night and I don't have pictures of it yet.  I designed and did the calligraphy on the certificates and fellow members of the scribal guild painted them.

The Youth certificates are again based off of Lateinischer Psalter aus England - BSB Clm 835, which can be found HERE

The adult certificates are based on the Grande Hours of Duke du Berry.

Edit: The second adult certificate.

Construction Zone

The hobby room has been packed up for over a month now waiting for the construction of cabinets, shelves, and worktables.  We did get everything for the cabinets and shelves installed the other weekend, they just need to be trimmed out and then painted.  The work tables have all their pieces cut and are ready for assembly as soon as we can put things away in the cabinets and shelves as everything is piled where the work tables will be going.  We're hoping that by the end of December, everything will be done and we'll have our hobby room back, better then ever, and our library open for use.

My Son, helping to install the cabinets.

Six in one Week

Last minute, well technically a three week deadline, champion certificates.  To accommodate painters I worked to get all six ready for painting in a weeks time.  I based all six off the same manuscript, Lateinischer Psalter aus England - BSB Clm 835, which can be found HERE and used the same general layout.  I did alternate the inside/outside boarders so it looks more like a series of pages from a book.  We also did a on-site calligraphy free text as it didn't look like any of the calligraphers would be attending the event.  So far they have seemed to be a hit with the painters and I hope to get some finished pictures of the pieces before they are handed out.

Current works finished and in progress

More events coming up means more projects to work on.

 I've just finished calligraphy on one Champion certificate with another one to do before this weekend. 

I've also finished another invitation and started work on two Champion certificates to be done in the Grande Hours of Duke de Berry style and four (2 stepping down and two stepping up) Youth Champion certificates.  I'm going to be doing the Youth certs. in the style of Lateinischer Psalter aus England - BSB Clm 835, which can be found HERE.

I've also finished a special group preprinted certificate design (to be shown later, it's a secret right now) and have the calligraphy to do on several others that were displayed last year.

Just finished Invitation:

We've also postponed the period pigment to paint and the miniature drawing classes until next year.  Everyone decided they needed more time for the upcoming events, and I needed more time to write.

13th Century Puzzle Initials

So far I've been using the British Library's digital Manuscript collection to do a bit of research into Puzzle initials.  So far, I've look at 55 images from 40 manuscripts of French or English origin, that have puzzle initials that are from the 13th Century and I've found a lot of similarities in the components used to draw the initials.  I've gotten a little class handout written up.  I hope to continue this research while branching to other centuries and also different library collections.

Research: Pen Flourishing and Puzzle Initials

I spent most of June and July looking for more information on pen flourishing and puzzle initials, but I found that there's a rather large void of information on these things even tho they turn up very often after the 12th Century.  I eventually luck across a mention of a thesis on 13th Century Pen Flourishing that lead to a book based on that thesis, but that's been it so far.

The book is The Analysis of Pen Flourishing in Thirteenth-century Manuscripts, by Sonia Scott-Fleming.

The book did help and I used Scott-Fleming's illustrations as a bases for the ones I included in the handout I created for the local Scribal guild class.  The class went well and next month's class should be on puzzle initials.  So currently I'm looking through hundreds of images of puzzle initials trying to see similarities and then grouping those.  I'm hoping that it will turn out as well as the illustrations in the Pen flourishing handout did.

Limp Binding

I tried my hand at some book binding after getting in an order of supplies.  I decided to start with limp binding before moving on to using wooden boards.  My first attempt turned out pretty well.

I used 50lb sketch book paper with the original size of 11 x 14.  I cut each sheet in half.

I gathered the sheets into stacks of six and then folded them in half.

I used a bone folder to crease the pages while holding down the sheets using a ruler.

I used a bit of scrap leather to made buttons and spine for the book.

 I placed marks on an index card to make the punching of holes quick and easy.

Each gathering was then stitched to the cover and spine.  The cover is from clothing weight leather that I had laying around.

I added ties that I made on a lucet and some extra stitches along the long stitches to help hold them in place.

Finished Mother's Day Gift 2012

Pictures of the finished piece.  I took the pictures through the glass since I didn't want to unframe it.

Used the morning sun to illuminate the piece so there wouldn't be a reflection of the flash in the glass.

Frame and all.

Close up of the picture.

Detail of the Top

Detail of the Figures

Detail of the Calligraphy

New(old) Project, Verdigris, & Garlic Juice

I started over on a quote project for a friend that I was asked to start working on last year.  I wasn't happy with how it was turning out at the time, something was off and I couldn't put my finger on it at the time.  Then came my son and he's kept me very busy, but I've gotten back to the quote project.  I was able to put my finger on the problem pretty quickly this time around, it was the proportions, they were way off.  Back to the drawing board and so far this time around it's turning out really well.

The quote  will be the one from the movie Kingdom of Heaven and it's the one about A King may move a man...  The completed size will be 16 x 20 and I'm doing a "2" page layout.  The "first" page is 6 of the 7 virtues, and the "second" page will be at least a large illuminated initial and quote.

Verdigris just past week 9.

Garlic Juice, a mordant for flat gilding.  "It's easy, just go to a health food store, and they should have it." Well after going to 5 different health food stores in the area, it looks everyone's gone to a garlic extract or a mix that's primary not garlic juice and has no stickiness to it.  So I decided to make my own.  I peeled a bulb of garlic and blended it into a paste.  I took the paste and worked it through a strainer to extract the juice.  So now, I have about 5 ml of garlic juice ready for use.

Going ons

I've been working on several different things lately.

The verdigris experiment continues and it looks like the verdigris is getting darker.  From what I can see, the copper tubes are covered in a dark blue-green color.

I finally finished the Mother's day gift, framed it, and give it to Mom before I realized I hadn't gotten a picture of it yet. I'll have to do that next time I go over there.  It turned out pretty well over all.

After having a bunch of egg whites left over from making ice cream, I decided to make glair.  I now have a bunch of glair sitting in the fridge for when it's needed.

I've also started over on drawing out a piece that a friend requested last year and said on hurry on.  The original drawing just didn't look right and after picking it back up and checking over the proportions, it was drawn to tall and skinny, so I'm redrawing it.  So far, it's turning out a lot better.

The monthly classes with the local scribal guild progresses.  I'm currently researching and writing a handout on gilding for later this month. Only a few classes/handouts to write up, Pen Work & Puzzle Initials, Mixing Pigments into paint, Painting in Layers, and Miniatures and grotesques.

My local group's webminister posted up an A&S page for individuals work to be shown off.  I spent quite a long time compiling and writing up stuff for them to post about what I've done.

I've also been going through the book Trade in artists' materials: Markets and Commerce in Europe to 1700. I've been making extensive notes from the various papers in it and taking pictures of the various charts as they contain so much information.  The information about the trade of pigments and other supplies of artists is pretty much from 15th century on, so it's later then most of the styles I work with the most, but it is a very interesting read.  I wish the book wasn't so expensive as I would love to add a copy to my book shelf.

Verdigris Week 3

Now on week three of the verdigris experiment and my pieces of copper are pretty much covered in green.  Looking at them through the glass, they appear rough and a bit crusty.

Mother's day Gift 2012

I started my Mom's gift for Mother's day a while back and have been keeping a photo record of it's progress.  Mom talked about liking a quote but not the calligraphy from an art piece in a catalog.  So I decided to try and come up with a better bit of calligraphy and some illumination to fit the quote.

 The quote is "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

After a lot of research, I ran across some white work "rain" that would fit with the style I was looking at doing the project in.

I showed my Mom the project after just starting it, so she knows about the gift and that it'll be late.

Completed Design

Lead-tin stylus on white Pergamenata

Calligraphy done, out lining using a walnut ink.

I didn't have the quote in front of me when I sat down to do the calligraphy.  I messed up the quote a little bit by replacing the word storm for word rain. 

Out lining done.

Laying down paint in layers.

Adding details by using more layers of paint.

Playing with Science!

Started a few experiments the other day. 

The first is trying to make some verdigris to eventually turn into paint. I have two copper pipe sleeves sitting on a plastic cap that has holes drilled into it to allow any fumes to flow through.  The jar is a simple glass jar picked up from the local retail store.  I decided on glass, so I can watch it and see what happens as time goes on.

After a few days.

The other is a friend and I set out to make some oak gall ink for the first time.  Over all it turned out ok, a little watery but hopefully with some time and leaving the lid off, that will be fixed. We also made Gum water to use as a binder for the ink.

Crushed Oak Galls simmering in water for almost an hour.

After hours of simmering, the iron is added.

After a simple stir all the liquid is black

Ground up some egg shell to help with the acid levels

First straining

Second straining.

Copy Master & New Toys

Finished up one of the last pieces for the weekend the other night.  It's a master for a black and white set of copies that will be given to the individual winners of the micro tourneys that will be going on.

I also received my order from http://randyasplund.com/
The tools are great.  The picture doesn't do the knife justice, it's beautiful and feels really nice in the hand.  I did try out the lead-tin stylus and it's a bit different then a pencil, a lot smoother and so little pressure is needed to get a mark.

Champions

I've been working on champion scrolls when not writing or doing research lately.

Illuminated Armenian Manuscripts were chosen to be the source of inspiration for the six regular champion scrolls needed for the next local event.  I used the illusioniary Armenian hand I created a while back for the calligraphy.  Each of the Armenian Scrolls was designed and painted by other talented members of the guild.

Maggie's Design & Painting

Cheryl's Design & Painting

I choose to use other designs for the champions scrolls I was working on since they aren't part of usual set of champions.  Two are for Youth champions and two are for champions from a series of micro tourneys. 

Youth Combat Champion

Youth Archery Champion

Micro Tourney - Most number entered

Micro Tourney - Most Wins