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
[114] Mr. Edwin Jewitt's little "Manual of Illuminated and Missal
Painting," Mr. Randle Harrison's, Mr. Albert Warren's, and Mr. Henry
M. Lucien's, published by Messrs. Barnard, of Oxford-street; Mr. J.
W. Bradley's, and Mr. T. G. Goodwin's, published by Messrs. Winsor &
Newton, of Rathbone Place; and Mr. Noel Humphrey's hand-book on the
same subject, have no doubt proved useful to many, and helped to
produce the quantity of good illumination now executed.
[115] For illumination in water-colour on paper, cardboard, or vellum,
Messrs. Winsor & Newton, Rowney, Barnard, Newman, and others, fit up
boxes with special selections of all requisite materials; including
all that can be wanted for the application and burnishing of gold and
other metals. Messrs. Miller's "Glass Mediums, Nos. 1 and 2," and
Newman's "Preparation for sizing albumenized papers," are exceedingly
useful for mixing with illuminating colours; giving great hardness
and body to them, and preventing them from "washing up," in working
over with glazing and other tints. I have found Mr. Barbe's powder
body-colours give remarkably solid tints, with great freedom in
working.
[116] This had better be bought ready prepared, since some experience is
requisite in so applying the red chalk as to prevent its depositing
under the weight of the hand, and yet coming off sufficiently in the
line traced by the point.
[117] The experienced illuminator will generally do his writing before he
gets in the outline of his ornament, and he will frequently dispense
with the transferring process altogether; but it would be by no means
safe for a beginner to do so.
[118] Both the cushion and tip will be described in detail under the head
of Oil-gilding.
[119] The amateur may of course prepare mordants of different degrees of
tenacity and body for his own use, by the employment, and various
combinations, of leather and parchment size, isinglass, red lead, gum
arabic, sugar, honey, glycerine, borax, plaster of Paris, bol
ammoniac, glaire, and similar substances; but his time will be more
profitably spent in improving himself in design than it could be
(nowadays) in experimenting on the "materia technica" of art.
[120] This information is principally derived from Nathaniel Whittock's
"Decorative Painter's and Glazier's Guide." It gives the usual
practice of "Writers to the trade," but must, of course, be modified
according to the specialities of any of the historical styles
adopted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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