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
All the above instructions apply as well for working on paper or cardboard
as on vellum. The amateur who has once succeeded on vellum, is not likely
to take again to the humbler practice of working on the less noble
materials, which, however, will always be exceedingly useful for practising
and sketching upon. I have occasionally seen printed volumes gracefully
illustrated by hand with borders, and with elegant inventions, in the form
of head and tail pieces, insertions, &c., applicable to the subject of the
volume. Many of the works of old English authors are peculiarly suited for
this class of embellishment. How beautiful might not a Walton's "Angler" or
a Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" be made if appropriately enriched in this
style.
Tracing-paper, and the facilities it offers to those little gifted with
talents for drawing, I have already noticed. It remains, however, to
observe, that it possesses an additional practical convenience in being
ready for taking colour, either with oil, water, or varnish, as vehicles,
without the previous application of any special preparation. Hence it may
be fastened up when completed, either by pasting as ordinary paper, by
gluing, if for attachment to wood, or by paying over the back with boiled
oil and copal varnish, or with white lead ground in oil with some litharge,
and then pressing down until it may be made to lie perfectly flat and
adhere to any surface previously painted in oil-colour. Being very thin,
its edges will scarcely show at all, even if applied to the middle of a
flat panel; but, to make sure, it is always well to run a line with a full
brush of thick colour, either in oil or distemper, over the edge, extending
for one half of its width upon the tracing-paper, and for the other half
upon the surface to which it may have been applied.
Of the remaining materials on which illumination for the decoration, not of
books but of apartments, may be readily executed, canvas, stone, metal, and
wood, are generally wrought upon by the ordinary processes of oil-painting;
while plaster, especially in the form of ceilings, is more frequently
treated by means of distemper-painting. I propose, therefore, to give,
firstly, some general directions as to the setting out work, &c.,
applicable to both methods; secondly, a notice of the processes generally
required for oil-colour illumination; thirdly, a brief description of the
mode of working in distemper; and fourthly, to wind up with some
instructions as to the application of varnish which may be employed to
heighten and preserve illumination executed by either of the above methods.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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