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

For this reason gold will “help out” and make
agreeable a black and colour effect which, by itself,
would have been a failure (see p. i oo).

BURNISHED GOLD FORMS & OUTLINES

Plain gold letters, symbols, and other detached forms,
not having backgrounds, are usually not outlined. An
outline cheapens their effect, making them darker
and heavier, and, if the line be at all thick, conceal¬
ing the true form of the letter, and giving it a clumsy
appearance.

It is an instructive experiment to make a gold (or
plain white) letter with a thick outline (a, fig. 114),
and then paint a background round it. The effect
is quite altered, and greatly improved (b, fig. 114)

R

a. b.

Fig. 114.

The outline no longer tells as the outer line of the
form, but partakes more of the nature of the back¬
ground, in which it cuts out, as one might say, a
little niche for the letter to rest in.

Gold-leaf forms on coloured backgrounds are out-
152

lined—generally in black—in order that letter and
background may together form a flat design, stable
and at rest in the page. .

The distinction between the use of gold Patnt
and the treatment of a leaf gold form should be
carefully observed: the matt gold powder lies upon
colour, and may appear to blend with it (p. 149) !
the bright gold-leaf constitutes a distinct form, which
either lies upon the surface of a page, or is, as it were,

set in a background.

Gold (leaf) Floral Ornament, &c.—If the stalk
and leaves are both gold: they are commonly not
outlined, unless on a background.

If there be a thin stalk in black or colour with
gold leaves: the leaves are outlined with the stalk-
colour (they were commonly furred: c, fig. 115)-
If there be a thick coloured stalk with gold leaves:
both stalk and leaves commonly have a black outline,
the “ leaves” often being treated as spots of gold

(below). • ,

Gold Spots or Dots are usually outlined and furred

with black (fig. 115)-
effect produced is of a bright
gold form on a grey back¬
ground.

A simple “ leaf ” or de¬
tached spot of gold has a
formless look, much as a
small blot of colour or ink
would have. The black out¬
line and the grey background-
effect seem in this case to give
form and interest to the spot;
at least they give it a place to rest in—a nest to hold
the small golden egg.

15З

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