MANUSCRIPT DESIGN &  PARCHMENT PREPARATION

Design

• Tools of the Trade

• Blank Vellum and Template Sketch

• Sketch (close-up)

Preparing Vellum

• Guiding-lines on the Vellum

• Preparing Sketch for Transfer to Vellum

• Post-Transfer

• Full Page in Pencil

• Gall-Ink Outlining

Greek Calligraphy

• Comparing with Original Hand

• Stage #1 Complete

GILDING

Making Gum Ammoniac

• Soaking Gum Crystals

• Heating Gum Crystals

• Straining Gum

Gilding

• Gilding Materials

• Gilding Set-up

• Concentrating on the Task

• Cutting Gold Leaf

• Moistening Size with Breathing Tube

• Laying Leaf on Size

• Adhering Leaf to Size

• Burnishing through Glassine Paper

• Gold Leaf on the Vellum

• Brushing Away Excess Gold

• Transferring Gold with a Brush

• Mostly Gilded Manuscript

ILLUMINATION

Making Gum Arabic

• Gum Arabic Crystals

• Crystals Powdered

• Straining Gum

Making Paints

• Paint-making Set-up

• Surrounded by Pigments

• Making Glair

• Putting Pigment in Palette

• Adding Glair to Pigment

• Stirring Paint

• Testing Paint

Color Illumination

• Illumination Workroom

• Early Stages of Illumination

• Roof: Step #1

• Roof: Step #2

• Roof: Step #3

• Comparing with Greek Manuscript

• Detail: Inscription
• Detail: Musical Plants
• Detail: Roots

• Detailing Clothes

• Detail: Sleeping Ferret

• Completed Greek Manuscript