“Adaptation
of a page from the Luttrell Psalter”
Lady Nadezhda “Nadia” Mikolaevika
The Luttrell Psalter is one of the most
famous medieval manuscripts because of its rich illustrations of everyday life
in the 14th century. It was made in the diocese of Lincoln for Sir Geoffrey
Luttrell (1276 - 1345) of Irnham, probably sometime between 1325 and 1335. I
chose to base the scroll on this Psalter, as the images in the book immediately
sparked my imagination. I had looked through almost a dozen facsimiles to
determine the style I wanted to use, but none could measure of to the
fantastical creatures and bold look.
The commission was given to me in July, a
Boga Hirth for Lord Truetvin Inglefinger from the Canton of Loche Smythe. My
research on the recipient turned up very little however. I was only able to
find his group and registered device. I had hoped to make the scroll more
personalized, but had to make due with what I had. I went mostly for the
archery component, as that was the theme of the award. I did manage to
incorporate his device on the right side of the scroll, as a minor glitch I didn’t
pay attention to my color scheming very well and realized too late that both
his device and the vine sustaining it were supposed to be bright red. I had
already painted the base coats of blue and red on the rest of the scroll, so I
settled on making the shield in a darker red. I wasn’t impressed with it, but
it was the best I could do under the circumstances.
I spent nearly a week analyzing the
facsimile, looking for details in the calligraphy, grotesques, color scheme,
shading techniques, and page layout.
Once I was comfortable with how the format should look, I started
working on the Calligraphy. It took me nearly two weeks just to learn the hand;
my normal penmanship is rather spidery, as opposed to the compact repetitive
nature of the Gothic script. (Figure 1). I was adamant about using the Gothic script,
as it was one of the characteristic features of the Psalter.
Figure 1.
Above: Calligraphy from the Psalter.
Below: Sample of my first attempt at Gothic
To help learn the Gothic Script, I utilized the handout that Lady Elynor of Glastonbury gave out during class ‘Calligrpahy for Illuminators’ at Lillies to get the pen stroke directions. For the spacing, I drew red lines down the minims of a sample font form the facsimile (Figure 2).
Figure
2.
Table drawn to help learn spacing.
Once I was confident in my ability to do
the hand properly I put quill to parchment. I made sure to do the calligraphy
in one sitting so the font would look similar, it has been shown that a persons handwriting
changes from day to day, based on their mood, energy level, and environmental
factors. I used Strathmore Series 300 Vellum Bristol Board size 11”x14” as it
was handy and in my price range to work with. The facsimile itself was done on
vellum, which is not in my current skill range to work with.
After I copied the calligraphy to
the Bristol board, I realized that I was not as fond of the layout as I had
thought. My original intention was to do a portrait layout with all the text in
one column, as was done in the Psalter (Figure 3). However, after looking at it
more, the font seemed to small to be easily read, and it looked cramped. After
some quick drafting on copy paper, I decided to make the scroll landscape, I
put the main body of the text in two colums, with the introduction and the
conclusion stretching across the page (Figure 4).
I let the ink dry for several days before
beginning the illumation. Some of the ink smeared at the top before it dried
completely, initially I freaked out, I had spent so much time on this to start
over. I scraped off as much ink as I could and burnished it with a spoon. I
only had to slightly alter my initial sketch to cover the stains. I covered the
calligraphy with tracing paper to protect it from hand oils and smearing. I
spent two days painting, allowing the base coats to dry before adding the
whitework.
Figure
4
Above: Original Design
Below: Final Design
Historically, the makers of the Psalter would have used sable hair brushes, paint made from natural pigments, and vellum. I did not have access to these items at the time I made the scroll, instead I substituted natural pigments for Reeves Designer Gouache, Windsor & Newton watercolor brushes sizes 000 and 0, and Strathmore Series 300 Vellum Bristol Board size 11”x14”. To draw the design for the illumination, I used a #2 pencil and 05 black micron pen. I also used Bombay black India ink and Higgins Red ink.
In doing this scroll I learned a lot
about time management and the importance of research. Learning the script took
longer than anticipated which pushed back all of my other self-set deadlines.
The difference between painting AoA’s and original GoA’s was something I wasn’t
initially prepared for. My technique and skill level dropped significantly on
this scroll than what I had come to expect from myself on my previous AoA work.
On the next original work I do, I will be
sure to make several design sketches, rather than just making one and running
with it. I will work to do more detailed work, which first requires planning
for such opportunities. In the design I made this time, there was no place to
put fine details without it looking to busy. The process of making an original
GoA made me realize that I am not as experienced as I thought. I realize that I
have a long way to go still but I can’t wait to continue learning.
Overall, I enjoyed the process of making
and researching the scroll and found it very rewarding. I learned a lot about
myself as a scribe and as a professional. I only hope that the recipient
enjoyed my work as much as I did.
