Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 I haven't found the manuscript yet that this weird little guy came from, but I love him!

This piece was worked in Winsor and Newton gouache.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

I decided to do this little fish because it reminded me of a Dr Zeuss fish. It's pictured next to the original piece which I haven't yet found attribution for. I'm still enjoying doing the scribal trading cards, but as always have tons of projects to work on when health allows. And mending. Ugh.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards - Froggie

I love frogs, and I found this cute little frog on Pinterest. I had to try and make a scribal trading card with froggie on it.  I'm not 100% on the attribution, but it is possibly from the Spinola Hours from around 1510-1520 in the Flemish style. My frog turned out looking cross - maybe frustrated at the lack of accurate attributions on Pinterest?!

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Tadpole Dog found in the Maastricht Hours (housed in the British Library; Stowe 17, folio 192r). This manuscript was created in Leige in around the 14th Century.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Another cute weird little guy; this time from the St Omer Manuscript held in the British Library, Add MS 36684.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 

Another weird little guy from a medieval manuscript. This one is from a manuscript held in the Morgan Library. He is from a Psalter, French (possibly St Omer,) 13th Century. MS M.79 folio 41 r.

ica.themorgan.org

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

I couldn't resist this strange little dog bird from the Bestiaire of Pierre Beauvais, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, NAF 13521. 

Lots of Scribal Work

 Scribal work and the creation of some heraldic pieces for other people has been keeping me busy lately.

Scribal Work

I've been plodding along with scribal assignments lately. I've had a bit of a rough patch where I've been making a lot of mistakes and things just haven't been working out the way they should. Sewing projects needing extra unpicking, spilt paint, dye lots that don't match, projects taking waaaay longer than they should - that sort of thing. I'm nearly at the end of my current batch of scribal assignments, and luckily I seem to be also at the end of the patch of bad crafting luck I've been having also.

 

Trading Card - Pink Luttrell Dragon

 Here is another scribal trading card I painted earlier in the year. The painting is done on a commercially produced card with Winsor and Newton gouache. 

The dragon/monster is from the Luttrell Psalter - https://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/luttrell/accessible/introduction.html

 

Trading Cards - Red Dragon with Shoes

 Most of my scribing time over the last couple of years has been taken up with paperwork and communication. I've found it hard to get back into the swing of award scrolls and have certainly noticed a drop in skills and confidence.

One way that I am trying to combat this is by working on small projects which are 'just for fun'.

Here is a trading card that I completed. The dragon's little shoes tickled my fancy!

 The card is worked in Winsor and Newton Gouache.

I've had a lot of trouble identifying which manuscript this fellow is from, so please comment below if you know! Thanks.

 

Scribal activities

My spare time this fortnight has been spent finishing off illumination on some Award of Arms scroll blanks. I have managed to finish seven, which has made me very happy. A good friend (and very talented calligrapher) does the writing and I do the painting. It works well. Unfortunately I won't be able to show any pictures until these are signed, sealed and presented to the recipients!

Scribal Work- Customisation of Scrolls

I recently customised a scroll for a friend of mine. I was quite happy with the design:

AoA Scroll Blank #1

Recently I have been working on my first scribal assignment; colouring an Award of Arms scroll blank.

The blank was designed by Master Richard de la Croix and is derived from a 1440 manuscript fragment. The blank shows a bastard Gothic hand which was very popular on the continent and in England in the fifteenth century.

I opted for classic red, blue and gold treatments. This excellent book given to me by my sister has been invaluable as a design reference, as it has many close-up pictures of extant manuscript pages in similar styles:

And here is my attempt. Unfortunately the colours really haven't shown up very well on the photos.

(Of course I can't show the name or device or it wouldn't be a surprise!)

First Attempt At Illumination

This week I finished my first try at illumination.The experience reminded me of painting on sugar plate, but the colours are much bolder.

A Dragon from a Bestiary c. 1270 (Therouanne?)
JPGM, Ms. Ludwig XV 3, folio 89
p. 90, 'Beasts' by Elizabeth Morrison, 2007, J Paul Getty Trust


I found the experience to be very enjoyable, and I learned a lot from my first attempt.
* Medieval scribes must have been very patient people with an enormous skill base, tons of patience and steady hands.
* You should not get overexcited and try to rush this type of work. (I know this from embroidery, but I'll admit that I did get overexcited and rush it!)
* Doing scribal work at the kitchen table in a busy household during the afternoon/tea time rush is not ideal.
* I need a finer paintbrush.

I used Winsor and Newton Designers Gouache as recommended by the Lochac Scribes (www.sca.org.au/scribe/   and   http://www.sca.org.au/scribe/handbook/Lochac%20College%20of%20Scribes%20Handbook%202012.pdf)

I am still enthusiastic, and plan to continue practicing in my sketchbook. I love the fact that you can get such a bold and dramatic effect relatively quickly; well, compared to embroidery, anyway. I chose this particular picture because it looks like the original artist used a paintbrush to draw the black lines, and I thought that would be very good practice for me. (Plus, I liked the dragon.) I have a lot of trouble with shaky hands, but I am reasonably happy with how the lines turned out. Learning how to load the brush with an appropriate amount of paint is another thing that I need to learn.

My introduction to the scribal arts has been the very talented Honorable Lady Katerina da Brescia of the Purple Files. You can see some of her work here:
http://katerina.purplefiles.net/art&scribes/C&I.htm

Illumination research

It was at least 100 degrees today, so no stitching for me. I have piles to do, but mundane life got in the way. I did get a chance to have a look at a couple of illumination books, but I have not yet picked something to do as a scribal exemplar.

Scribal Meeting

I have been thinking about getting involved in my local SCA scribal group for quite a long time. Recently, the meetings were moved closer to my house, and so yesterday I took the opportunity to go to my first meeting. It was very interesting and exciting. I think that calligraphy is a bit beyond my skills at this stage, but I am excited about trying the illumination. The process seems very similar to the design process for embroideries, which I really enjoy. It was a lot of fun to really look closely at the pictures of manuscripts and enjoy the imaginations of those old scribes. This one below really took my fancy:


It illustrates the old riddle about the man trying to get his turnips, his lamb and a wolf across a river in the boat without anyone getting eaten. This is from the thirteenth century- early fourteenth century Ormesby Psalter -
http://ductus.asu.edu/Files/ductus/scriptorium/plates/D-005.html