Illuminated Manuscripts

1. Illuminated Manuscripts Handwritten Embellished Texts

2. What is an illuminated manuscript anyway? An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as the initials, border, and miniature illustrations. A manuscript is any document written by hand.

3. History Earliest surviving manuscripts are from AD 400-600 Most of the surviving manuscripts are from the Middle Ages Most are religious in nature Most were written by scribes in monasteries All were written, illustrated, painted and embellished by HAND If copies were made, they were made by hand as well

4. Materials Parchment, vellum, or leather Sharpened quill feather or reed pen Paints: red, yellow, green, blue, black, & white Gold leafing or gold dust Silver leaf or silver dust Tin leaf or tin dust Lots and lots of TIME

5. Illuminated Initial Examples

9. Your Project • Instructions: • Review project guidelines to the right • Get out your sketchbook so you can do thumbnail sketches • You will do at least 2 thumbnail sketches • Close and put away your computer! • Guidelines: • Must use the first initial of your first or last name-no “random” letters • 1” CLEAN border on paper • The design must take up the majority of the space in the inside rectangle-it cannot just be floating in the middle of the page • The initial is the focus, not the designs around it • Design must be colored-little to no white space • Gold accents (with paint) added to initial • Signature on bottom • Name & period on back • Neat