Author’s

Preface

MODERN
DEVELOP¬
MENT OF
WRITING

Sc

ILLUMI¬

NATING

pen-forms — such as the Uncial & Half-Uncial
(PP- 4o 36)—afford the best training and permit
the cultivation of the freedom which is essential
in writing; they prepare the way for the mastery
of the most practical characters—the ROMAN
CAPITAL, roman small-letter, & Italic—and
the ultimate development of a lively and personal
penmanship.

Developing, or rather гг-developing, an art in¬
volves the tracing in one's own experience of a process
resembling its past development. And it is by such
a course that we, who wish to revive Writing
& Illuminating, may renew them, evolving new
methods and traditions for ourselves, till at length
we attain a modern and beautiful technique. And
if we would be more than amateurs, we must
study and practise the making of beautiful THINGS
and thereby gain experience of Tools, Materials,
and Methods. For it is certain that we must teach
ourselves how to make beautiful things, and must
have some notion of the aim and bent of our work,
of what we seek and what we do.

Early illuminated MSS. and printed books with
woodcuts (or good facsimiles) may be studied with
advantage by the would-be Illuminator, and he
should if possible learn to draw from hedgerows
and from country gardens. In his practice he
should begin as a scribe making MS. books and
then decorating them with simple pen & colour
work. We may pass most naturally from writing
to the decoration of writing, by the making and
placing of initial letters. For in seeking first a fine
effectiveness we may put readableness before “looks”
and, generally, make a text to read smoothly, broken
only by its natural division into paragraphs, chapters,
xiv

and the like. But these divisions, suggesting that
a pause in reading is desirable, suggest also that
a mark is required—as in music—indicating the
“rest” : this a large capital does most effectively.

A technical division of illumination into Colour-
work, Pen-work, and Draughtsmanship is convenient
(see Chap. XI). Though these are properly com¬
bined in practice, it is suggested that, at first, it will
be helpful to think of their effects as distinct so that
we may attain quite definitely some mastery of pure,
bright colours Sc simple colour effects, of pen flour¬
ishing and ornament, and of drawing (whether plain
or coloured) that will go decoratively with writing
or printing. This distinction makes it easier to devise
definite schemes of illumination that will be within
our power to carry out at any stage of our develop¬
ment. And while the penman inevitably gains some
power of pen decoration it is well for him as an
illuminator to practise in bright colours and gold ; for
illumination may be as brilliant and splendid in its
own way as stained glass, enamels, and jewellery are
in theirs.1 At first, at any rate, hues that have the
least suspicion of being dull or weak are to be avoided
as though they were plainly “muddy” or “washed-
out.” The more definite we make our work the
more definitely will our materials instruct us; and
such service must precede mastery.

Referring again to good lettering; the second
part of this book deals with some of its Qualities,
Forms—the Roman Capitals & their important pen-
derivatives—and Uses. It is written largely from

1 See Chap. XVI, “Of Colour” in Stained. Glass Work by
C. W. Whall, in this Series, and the illuminator might profit
by the suggestion (ibid., p. 198) of playing with a home-made
kaleidoscope.

XV

Author’s

Preface

MODERN
DEVELOP¬
MENT OF
LETTERING