CHAPTER X

The Use of
Gold &
Colours in
Initial
Letters &
Simple
Illumination

THE USE OF GOLD & COLOURS IN INITIAL
LETTERS & SIMPLE ILLUMINATION

Tools & Materials for Simple Illumination—Parchment,
Vellum,” & Pounce — Colours — Simple Colour
Effects—Matt Gold—Burnished Gold—Burnished
Gold Forms, & Outlines—Background Capitals—
Applying the Background — Ornament of Back¬
grounds.

TOOLS & MATERIALS FOR SIMPLE ILLUMINATION

TOOU, &c., FOR GILDING.—See Chapter
IX (pp. III-I2).

IVORY TRACING POINT—This is useful
for various purposes, and for indenting patterns in
burnished gold (see p. 157).

BRUSHES.—Red Sables are very good. A
separate brush should be kept for each colour—or
at least one brush each for Reds, Blues, Greens,
IVhite, and gold “paint”—and it is convenient to
have a medium and a fine brush for each.

POR COLOUR.—Quill pens are used:
Turkey” or “Goose.” The latter is softer, and
is sometimes preferred for colour work. For very
fine work (real) Crow Quills may be tried. A
separate pen should be used for each colour.

COLOURED INKS.—Brown ink (tempered
with black if desired) may be used for fine outlines :
if the outlined forms are to be coloured afterwards,
it is convenient if the ink be waterproof. Coloured
13b

inks seldom have as good a colour as the best paint
colours (see Colours for Penwork, p. 142).

COLOURS.—(p. 141). MATT GOLD (see p. 149).
PAINT-BOX.—The little chests of drawers,
sold by stationers for 2s. 6d., make very convenient
“paint-boxes”: pens, &c., may be kept in one
drawer; gilding, tools, &c., in another; and colours
and brushes in another.

PAPER (see pp. 17, 64, 69.—PARCHMENT, VELLUM,
& POUNCE (see below).

PARCHMENT, “VELLUM,” & POUNCE

(See also Appendix on Gilding,p. 133 and pp. 64, 320)
The name “Vellum” (strictly applicable only to
calf-skin) is generally given to any moderately good
skin prepared for writing or printing on. All the
modern skins are apt to be too stiff and horny:
chemical action (substituted for patient handling),
followed by liberal sizing and “dressing,” is perhaps
responsible. The old skins have much more life and
character, and are commonly much softer. Their
surface is generally very smooth—not necessarily
glazed—often with a delicate velvety nap, which
forms a perfect writing surface.

Parchment (sheep - skin), as supplied by law-
stationers, though rather hard, still retains the
character of a skin, and is in every way preferable
to the Vellum1 which is specially prepared for illu¬
minators. A piece of parchment about 26 inches
by 22 inches costs about 2s. 6d. Lambskin is still
better.

“ Roman Vellum” is a fine quality of sheep or

1 The very costly, specially prepared calf-skin is too highly
“ finished,” and has much the appearance of superior cardboard.
It is stiff and shiny, and its surface is objectionable to work on.

1З9

The Use of
Gold &
Colours in
Initial
Letters &
Simple
Illumination