The History, Theory, and Practice of Illuminating: Condensed from 'The Art of Illuminating' by the same illustrator and authorWyatt, M. Digby (Matthew Digby), Sir
History
The History, Theory, and Practice of Illuminating: Condensed from 'The Art of Illuminating' by the same illustrator and author
Wyatt, M. Digby (Matthew Digby), Sir
Alphabet; Illumination of books and manuscripts; Initials
The "raising preparation" made by the same firm, is adapted for raising the
surface of the work, so as to obtain relief, and is particularly required
for imitating rich MSS. of the 14th and 15th centuries. It is used as
follows:--Place the bottle in hot water, and when its contents are
dissolved, stir it well up with a small hogs-hair brush, then fully charge
it, draw out the form intended to be raised, and deposit the "raising" on
the surface. If the height thus attained be not sufficient, wait till the
preparation is dry, and go over it again, and so on until you gain the
height you require, when it must be allowed to become quite hard; then go
over it with the water-mat gold-size, and while this is wet put on the
gold; press gently down with cotton-wool, and when dry brush off the
superfluous gold with cotton-wool; when putting on the "raising," take care
to keep the surface level, unless it may be required to be hollowed or
indented.
Mr. Barnard has also prepared a gold size and raising preparation, adapted
for laying gold on vellum or paper, which answers well both for mat and
burnish gilding. The mode of using it is as follows:--Wash a little of the
gold size off with a brush dipped in water, using it thinly for the flat
parts of your design, and in greater body for that portion of the drawing
which you wish to appear raised; after allowing it to remain for a few
minutes, till nearly dry, apply the gold, and press it down with a piece of
cotton-wool. It must now remain untouched for about an hour, when the
superfluous gold may be removed by means of the wool, and in case of
defect, the gold size and gold must be again applied. Preparations of a
somewhat similar nature are sold by Messrs. Rowney, Newman, and other
artists' colourmen.[119]
Very pretty effects may be obtained by partial burnishing of the gold in
patterns, and dotting it over with the point of the sharp burnisher in
indentations, arranged in geometrical forms. The best manuscripts of the
Edwardian period were often highly wrought after this fashion.
When finished, it is scarcely necessary to recommend that the vellum sheet
should be either put carefully away until enough of others corresponding
with it are done to make up a volume, or should be glazed so as to protect
its surface. One dirty or greasy finger laid upon it, and the effect of
much beautiful work, which may have taken weeks to elaborate, is fatally
marred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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