#Illuminated manuscript letters t full
#Illuminated manuscript letters t series

I’ve built upon their efforts to rescue just the illuminated letters to share with you. I’m indebted to a university library who took the time to photograph each page of this historic work and made the page images available freely online.

#Illuminated manuscript letters t full

I’m assuming that is much the case with this beautiful work full of 16th Century illuminated letters. After all, most of the books of that time were commissioned by the Catholic Church. The binding was usually a work of art in itself done in leather and metal decorations.īooks were extremely expensive and the subject matter was almost always religious. I hope that this painting will bring light to Rita’s life every day and remind her of Tim, who loved his life with her so very much.In the 16th century, when someone wanted to make a book they usually did everything by hand – from making the paper, to hand lettering and illustrating each page to binding it. I’m so thankful that my artwork can make a difference in someone’s life, that by using this creative gift that God has given me, I can create something wonderful where there once was only the spark of an idea. She looked at me and said quietly, “Leslie, that blue is the exact color of Tim’s eyes.” It still gives me chills to think about it. I told her about my deliberations over what color to paint the Celtic corners. And she couldn’t wait to share it with Rita, knowing how much it would mean to her and what a comfort it would be to her every day.Īs we talked about the painting, we marveled at how we had worked together to create this exceptional piece of art. She looked at the painting, then at me, and there were no words that could convey what her eyes told me. I sat her down, told her to take a deep breath, then revealed the illuminated manuscript in all its colorful glory. It was finally finished! I couldn’t wait to take the painting down the hill to Mary’s house and show it to her. The small illustrations were blocked in and curving vines added to fill the remaining space. I started by drawing one of the Celtic corner designs then tracing it onto the other three corners. That way I wouldn’t disturb the lettering when I modified or erased parts of the border design. I did a draft of the lettering on one sheet, then layered another over it to draw the border. The rough sketch was drawn on tracing paper with a pencil. That gave me one less thing to concern myself with on this project. Also, since I use Stillman and Birn sketchbooks with 270 gsm paper quite often, I’m familiar with how the watercolor behaves on it. It comes in 22″ x 30″ sheets, its surface is smooth enough for the lettering nib to glide across, and it doesn’t wrinkle or bend when watercolor is applied.

#Illuminated manuscript letters t series

Since I wanted the piece to have a vintage feel, I chose ivory-colored 270 gsm Stillman and Birn Delta series paper for the final artwork. I used a Speedball C-5 nib and DeAtramentis black ink I started practicing the chancery italic calligraphy style, which I hadn’t used much in recent years, and experimented with different nib sizes and inks to see which would give me the results I wanted. We discussed what some of his interests had been, and she began gathering the appropriate reference photos for me. The design process began with Mary emailing me background information about Tim. “Tribute to Tim”, 9″ x 12″, ink and watercolor on Stillman and Birn ivory Delta series 270 gsm paper I’d like to share with you how I approached this unusual commission and give you a glimpse into the life of a man who was cherished by his wife, family, and friends. (If you’re not sure what an illuminated manuscript is, you can read about them here.) Not only would it include a formal reading from his funeral, one which had great meaning to the family, but it would also capture the essence of who he was as a man. It would be a tribute in the form of a traditional illuminated manuscript, but with a modern twist. Rita’s husband, Tim, had recently passed away, and Mary, wanting to help her friend in some way, had the idea for a very special sort of memorial. They were like sisters, always there for each other. Her cousin, Rita, had been her best friend since childhood. But when my friend Mary approached me a few months ago about doing a very special piece for her, I couldn’t say no. As my calendar had filled with teaching engagements and trips to far-flung places, it became more and more difficult to find time to squeeze in the labor-intensive custom artwork. I made a decision several months ago to give up the commission side of my art business.