Excellent Resource
When I learned this book I'd borrowed from the library was no longer in print, I shopped around for something like it. I didn't find anything that was nearly as thorough or detailed. Every step has specific directions and clear pictures. There are many, many photos of old manuscripts, and examples of how to use the knowledge in the book for crafts today. It seems to me to be a Bible of calligraphy and illumination. I highly recommend it, and I can't believe it's no longer in print. It's wonderful!
Great for calligraphy and gold illumination, ok on painting styles
Being a newcommer to calligraphy and illumination, I was looking for a book that covered both. Reviews I read here, and suggestions from others steered me to this book. I love the book for the amount of history it covers, the details on how to write each hand, how the hands progressed, and the wealth of information it covers on gold illumination, heraldry, even how paper is made is wonderful. If you want to make your own gesso sizing for gold illumination, it provides the recipe. It even covers how to make a little money from your calligraphic skills.
My only disappointment comes in the lack of detailed information in the various styles of illumination. It gives you a couple of projects to illuminate and paint, and it gives good information on choosing basic paint colors. It even describes egg tempera mixtures so you can mix your own paints. But it does not give you information on the various historical styles of decorative work, such as the vine/ivy style, knotwork, or other styles, or even how to apply your paints in what order. For that, you will have to look elsewhere, as I am trying to do.
A Scribe's Best Friend
This book is the #1 book in my scribal library. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to get it.
It not only talks about the technique in lettering, but it has examples of the hand from period in full color photos. It has how to make the tools, be it a quill or a reed pen, with step by step photos! It talks about which tool is used for which hand. It has step by step instructions on Illumination as well, including guilding! There is more about how the paper or parchment is made, the inks and paints.
But it's not just for the Medieval Scribe, it also has some instruction and projects for using calligraphy for making cards, bookmarks and little booklets for modern use or gifts.
This book is worth every penny for a scribe of -any- level.
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