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
Seventhly:--Be decided, but temperate, in your contrasts of colour. It
would obviously exceed the limits of these notes to attempt in them to
enter upon the principles of the "harmony of colour;" they must be studied
from treatises specially devoted to the subject. Such study must, however,
be accompanied by constant experiment and practice; for it would be as
foolish to expect a man to be a good performer upon any instrument, because
he had learnt the theory of music, as it would be to suppose that he must
necessarily paint in harmonious colouring, because he studied the theory of
balance in combination. To the experienced eye and hand, functions become
intuitive, which, to the mere theorist, however profound, are toil and
weariness of spirit.
Such are a few of the rules, by attention to which the illuminators of old
achieved some of their happiest effects, and which can never be safely
disregarded by those who would emulate their efforts.
In taking up the class of substances on which illumination, as applied to
general decoration, may be best executed, we meet, firstly, with one
occupying a somewhat intermediate position,--viz., tracing-paper. I term
its position intermediate, because, it may be wrought upon in either oil or
water colour; and because, when so wrought upon, it may be either mounted
on paper or card, and so made to contribute to book or picture enrichment;
or attached to walls or other surfaces, brought forward in oil-colours, and
be so enlisted in a general system of mural illumination. How this may best
be done technically will be hereafter described; here I may notice only the
use which may be made of this convenient material, by many not sufficiently
advanced in design or drawing to be able to invent or even copy correctly
by free hand, and yet desirous of embellishing some particular surface with
decorative illumination. For instance, let it be desired to fill a
rectangular panel of any given dimension with an illuminated inscription.
Take a sheet of tracing-paper the exact size, double it up in both
directions, and the creases will give the vertical and horizontal
guidelines for keeping the writing square and even: then set out the number
of lines and spaces requisite for the inscription, fixing upon certain
initial letters or alphabets for reproduction on an enlarged scale, from
this work, or any other of a similar kind, and making the height of the
lines correspond therewith. Then lay the tracing over either the original
or the rough enlargement, and trace with pen, pencil, or brush, each letter
in succession, taking care to get each letter into its proper place, in
reference to the whole panel, to the letter last traced, and to the other
letters remaining to be traced. When this is completed, trace on whatever
ornaments may best fill up the open spaces and harmonize with the style of
lettering. When the tracing is completed, with a steady hand pick in all
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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