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Getting Started

So you're interested in getting started making a scroll. Good decision! Here are a few suggested steps to consider when planning out your scrolls. First grab some supplies.

Supplies

Listed below are tools commonly used in making scrolls to consider purchasing:

  • Table slant

  • Lightbox

  • Tools for layout and design

    • Rulers

    • T square 

    • Ames Lettering Guide 

    • Templates (Circle, Square, Shield, Stars)

    • Drafting tape 

    • Pencils

    • ​Eraser

      • White polymer eraser

      • Kneaded eraser

      • Gum eraser

  • Tools for Painting

    • Palettes 

    • Paints

    • Pipettes  

    • Pigment liners/Micron

    • Clear and wash water containers

    • Brushes

    • Xacto knife

  • Tools for Calligraphy

    • Nibs

    • Nib holders

    • Ink

    • Inkwell

    • Pen knife

    • Xacto knife 

    • Burnisher

  • Tools For Gilding

    • Gesso​

    • Gold

    • Gilding Knife

    • Glassine

    • Burnisher

    • Straw

    • Gilding Brush


See "Common tools" tab for more information on what the tools are used for.

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This list looks long and daunting, doesn't it. Please notice that they are split up between the steps in making a scroll. Of you are only interested in painting then you will only need one section of tools. over time if you wish to make an entire scroll on your own you will likely build up your own supplies over time.

Also if any scribe has any financial difficulty in purchasing their supplies please reach out to the parchment, the area representative, or the scribal guild leader for assistance.

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Painting Opportunities

Largesse

A good way to dip your toes in is to make small illuminations as Thank You cards for the Crown. Typical cards are 3x5, 4x6, or 5x7. The illumination on the cards is completely up to the discretion of the artist. An attempt at period aesthetic is appreciated. as these thank you notes are an added benefit to the crown, they are not required and as such the stress or intimidation of painting these notes are minimal. New scribes and old scribes alike can makes these cards at any time. But there is often a category in the Coronation Scribal Challenge that is done at every coronation and a good opportunity to enter your art and win prizes.

Coronation Scribal Challenge

As mentioned above Coronation Scribal Challenges happen twice a year at every coronation and sponsor up to 30 categories. Each category has its own set of rules. For example "Best Bird" which is usually sponsored by the Pelicans will look at illuminations with birds on them and determine which is their favorite. They may or may not allow teams to work on the same scroll, require calligraphy to qualify, require documentation of the inspiration piece (which usually just means a photocopy of the source). Its also a good way to casually get your name out there right beside the work that you do. Also all scroll entered into this Challenge Go to the Parchment to be sorted into the kingdom cases or given to Calligraphers to finish. 

Kingdom Cases

Have no commission but you have time to work on scroll for the Kingdom Cases? This is probably the 

Commissions

So, you've gathered your tools together and have a work surface prepared, your now ready to find you inspiration piece. Inspiration pieces can be determined by many factors.

Is the piece you want to work on for a predetermined recipient, like a commission. If so, Research that individual do they have a viking persona? or a late period Italian? If you don't know the recipient personally, you can look them up on Facebook or the Meridies Order of Precedence online. Then, research period illuminations that you believe the recipient would like. There are many digitized manuscripts available online. Google image search can be a great resource if used correctly. 

Kingdom Cases

Have no commission but you have time to work on scroll for the Kingdom Cases? This is probably the 

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Steps to Making a Scroll

Currently, we do not commission every scroll given out. Parchment accepts scrolls from the general scribal community with spaces for names and dates to be filled in whenever the scroll is chosen to give out to a recipient.  The only fully commissioned scrolls are Chivalry, Masters of Defense, Laurel, Pelican, Patent of Arms, Rose, County, Duchy, Augmentation of Arms, and Chalice (although a Chalice scroll may or may not be given with the award as it is an order of humility; it is the only award that doesn't typically receive a scroll). Scribes are usually approached by the Parchment Office to commission these scrolls. If you have a special interest in doing one of these scrolls, please contact your Reps or the Principal Parchment.

  1. Accept commission/determine project

  2. Decide on the size closely based on the exemplar (see common frame sizes below)

  3. Choose period, place, and appropriate style 

  4. Plan out margins

  5. Sketch out illustrations design and under drawing

  6. Lay calligraphy guidelines with light pencil markings

  7. Write calligraphy 

  8. Rubricate (elaborate, typically red, capital letters or other decorations)

  9. Gild

  10. Paint

  11. Sign your work on back of scroll list media used (can use subtle maker's mark in the illustration as well)

  12. Store finished scroll in a flat space. Transport it using a scroll cozy (2 pieces of flat cardboard taped together and covered in fabric).

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Common Tools Used in Calligraphy and Illumination

Pencils:

You want a pencil that makes light smooth marks on the paper. Hard pencils need more pressure to leave a mark and can crease the surface whereas soft pencils can leave too dark a line that is hard to completely erase and may show up under some of your paint especially whites, red, and yellows. A 2H pencil is a good compromise. Though if you use HB pencil make sure to press lightly. 

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Mechanical pencils are great too because they don't have to be sharpened. A 0.5 lead mechanical pencil leaves a light enough mark without gouging the surface. Also something to consider but harder to find in brick and mortar stores  is a 0.3 lead pencil. The lead is so thin that it forces you to have a light hand else the lead will break. It makes very fine and light lines that you don't have to worry about the markings showing up under paint.

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*Please do not use markers, gel pens, or crayons as they in no way resemble period materials and will usually fade. Though pigment liners, like Micron, are acceptable to use in illumination please do NOT use them in calligraphy.*

Pens:

Calligraphy nibs come in many different sizes. Medieval script tends to be quite small except for in regards to choir books. ¾ mm to 1 mm works well for an 8.5 x 11 scroll. For smaller works a ½ mm nib may be needed. 

Often new nibs come with a coating on it to prevent rusting but it also can hinder ink flow. To remove this coating hold it over a lighter and then squelch it in cool water which helps keep the metal springy.

Nibs can come with reservoirs to hold more ink so the pen doesn't need to be dipped as often. There are above and below the nib reservoirs that can be removable or permanently attached. 

Clean the pen with water and dry it after every use, then store in a dry space to prevent rusting. 

Fountain pens may be used but keep in mind the type of ink used. A non-waterproof india ink resembles a period lamp black ink and is a good substitute. Acrylic ink may have a higher chance of flaking off in the cases or clogging the nib like glue. Also be aware of colorfastness of ink since colored ink has a tendency to fade over time. (See ink section below for period ink recipes)

Some fountain pens let you refill ink cartridges and some people have taken to filling them with a period ink like Oak Gall Ink.

Pigment Liners/Microns are a tool often used to outline the work with a smooth solid line.  These are acid free and archival and are not markers. 

Natural Pens are made from the hollow tube of a reed or primary feathers of geese, turkeys, swans, etc. They give extra fine detail and need the barest of pressure to write. They do take some effort to maintain and cut. (See cutting Quills section) 

Brushes:

The most important attributes to look for when choosing a brush are the tip shape, the charge or amount of paint it can hold, ability to retain shape when wet, and the ability to spring back to its original shape.

Watercolor brushes are made out of synthetic material that can be used with gouache and watercolor. The hold their shape well and have a good spring back. These brushes come in different grades: Student, Artist, and Professional. 

Sable brushes are made out of Siberian weasel hair and though they may be considered the gold standard of brushes, not all sable brushes are created equal and extensive research should be given in choosing this type of brush.  

 

Brushes have many different shaped heads. Round brushes are used most commonly but there are also angled brushes, mop, liner, knife, fan, and many others. The heads of a brush can make different shaped strokes on the paper and if used as intended can help the artist achieve a specific stroke. 

Brushes come in many different sizes. When choosing a size brush choose "the biggest brush that will work for the job." A 0000 size brush holds very little paint and would run out before making much of a line and doesn't give much bristle flexibility. A straight line would become choppy and feathery. To the contrary, using a large brush has the risk of leaving such wet paint that it may buckle the paper. Water control when painting can help prevent this from happening but often times the type of support chosen can mitigate or exacerbate this issue. Parchment and pergamenata are better with drier paint methods to prevent buckling and curling. Once buckling happens it can be sandwiched between heavy books to flatten back out or taped/stapled down prior to painting can prevent buckling. 

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Drafting Tools:

 

These are helpful when laying out guide lines, margins, calligraphy lines. A ruler, triangle, T-square, and an ames lettering guide will be helpful for drafting calligraphy lines. A protractor, and templates (circles, squares, shields) will be helpful for quick shapes that need to be consistent. Drafting tape or painter's tape can be useful to secure the support to a board to keep it from buckling or for areas that you don't want to get paint on, like margins. 

Geometry Set

Pigment Liner/Micron:

 

To outline your art, please make sure to use archival black lining markers. Micron pens are the standard, though there are others. Never use Sharpie. Also, after painting, don't be afraid to touch up the line work with your micron again. 

Text Box

The Text Box is the space on a scroll  that should encompass the scroll wording and the signatures and seals. The calligraphy hand should match the style of the design whenever possible. An early period illumination should have an early period hand that would have been used at that time, if not a hand based off of the calligraphy used in the manuscript that the illumination came from. 

If the correct hand is not in your repertoire, network with other scribes in the Kingdom and find someone who is a calligrapher that knows the appropriate hand. In period, calligraphy and illumination were frequently done by separate individuals and working with another scribe can be highly rewarding.

Be kind to the herald and include a typed or printed transcript of the wording for the Herald to read in court.

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Calligraphy Hands

  • Roman Rustic - 1st to 6th century

  • Uncial - 3rd to 6th century

  • Artificial Uncial - 6th to 10th century

  • Roman Half-uncial - 3rd to 9th century

  • Insular Majuscule - 6th to 9th century

  • Insular Minuscule - 6th century onward

  • Luxeuil Minuscule - 7th to 8th century

  • Caroingian Minuscule - 8th to mid 12th century

  • Early Gothic - 11th and 12th century

  • Gothic Textura Quadrata - 13th to 15th century

  • Gothic Textura Prescisus - 13th century onward

  • Gothic Littera Bastarda - 13th century onward

Text Layout is just as important and the layout for illumination. A well thought out layout can significantly improve the overall look of a scroll. and can enhance the medieval aesthetic. Things to consider when laying out the text space. 

  • Letter spacing

  • Height of letters

  • Width of letters

  • Line spacing

  • Paper size

  • Text block size

  • Text Box Margins

  • Double columned page

 

Suggestions: write out the text in pencil first to see if any alteration is needed in the text to fit in the space available.

Another option is to recreate the text box dimensions on a separate sheet of paper and ink out the text using the hand you intend to use in the final product.  This will give you a chance to make changes before adding to the final piece as well as practicing the hand. It is common to omit letters and words when writing the text as one begins to focus on the strokes and not the words. Practicing the text out beforehand as suggested can help mitigate that propensity. Also, if the lettering is done before the painting is started, it will not hurt as much to discard and start over in the event that a word is misspelled or left out, or the ink is accidentally smeared.

Once the calligraphy is to your satisfaction, move on to the next step.

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Scribe's Signature

Always sign your name on the back of the work in pencil or pen if behind a painted area or in the margin area, so as to not show through the paper. A small makers mark in a not-too-obvious place may also be added to the design of the scroll if the artist so chooses.


Indicate all of the participants of a scroll on the back even if there are multiple signatures. For example, a signature for the sketch artist, the liner, gilder, the calligrapher, and the painter or even multiple if there are multiple painters.  If one artist does all of these steps, write "Scroll by (name)." Recipients like to know who painted their scroll

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Signatures and Seals

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Signature spaces are always required for both Sovereign and Consort (except as noted in the Scroll Texts section). On scrolls for armigerous awards (those which carry precedence), a space is also needed for the Beacon Principal Herald, in certain awards. A block of space at least 1 1/2” high should be left at the bottom of the scroll for these signatures. Room must be left near this block for the seals: circles approximately 1 1/2”in diameter for Sovereign, Consort, and, if required, Beacon.
Pencil in lines for the Crowns signature unless the exemplar calls for inked lines. Alternatively, signature spaces may be indicated by writing Rex and Regina (Latin for King and Queen, respectively), or Sovereign and Consort, and, if required, Beacon Principal Herald (or simply, Beacon), leaving a blank space for the appropriate signature. Sovereign and Consort signatures should appear side by side, with the Beacon's signature centered below them. If necessary, the Herald's signature may appear on the stamp level, but to the right of the Royal signatures.

The Complete Anachronist #61 has some examples of period layouts for award charters, showing both vertical and horizontal configurations.

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Roman Numeral System

0 not defined  

1- I (1)

2- II (1+1)

3- III (1+1+1)

4- IV (5-1)

5- V (5)

6- VI (5+1)

7- VII (5+1+1)

8- VIII (5+1+1+1)

9- IX (10-1)

10- X (10)

11- XI (10+1)

12- XII (10+1+1)

13- XIII (10+1+1+1)

14- XIV (10-1+5)

15- XV (10+5)

16- XVI (10+5+1)

17- XVII (10+5+1+1)

18- XVIII (10+5+1+1+1)

19- XIX (10-1+10)

20- XX (10+10)

21- XXI (10+10+1)

22- XXII (10+10+1+1)

23- XXIII (10+10+1+1+1)

24- XXIV (10+10-1+5)

25- XXV (10+10+5)

26- XXVI (10+10+5+1)

27- XXVII (10+10+5+1+1)

28- XXVIII (10+10+5+1+1+1)

29- XXIX (10+10-1+10)

30- XXX (10+10+10)

31- XXXI (10+10+10+1)

32- XXXII (10+10+10+1+1)

33- XXXIII (10+10+10+1+1+1)

34- XXXIV (10+10+10-1+5)

35- XXXV (10+10+10+5)

36- XXXVI (10+10+10+5+1)

37- XXXVII (10+10+10+5+1+1)

38- XXXVIII (10+10+10+5+1+1+1)

39- XXXIX (10+10+10-1+10)

40- XL (50-10)

41- XLI (50-10+1)

42- XLII (50-10+1+1)

43- XLIII (50-10+1+1+1)

44- XLIV (50-10-1+5)

45- XLV (50-10+5)

46- XLVI (50-10+5+1)

47- XLVII (50-10+5+5+1)

48- XLVIII (50-10+5+1+1+1)

49- XLIX (50-10-1+10)

50- L (50)

51- LI (50+1)

52- LII (50+1+1)

53- LIII (50+1+1+1)

54- LIV (50-1+5)

55- LV (50+5)

56- LVI (50+5+1)

57- LVII (50+5+1+1)

58- LVIII (50+5+1+1+1)

59- LIX (50-1+10)

60- LX (50+10)

61- LXI (50+10+1)

62- LXII (50+10+1+1)

63- LXIII (50+10+1+1+1)

64- LXIV (50+10-1+5)

65- LXV (50+10+5)

66- LXVI (50+10+5+1)

67- LXVII (50+10+5+1+1)

68- LXVIII (50+10+5+1+1+1)

69- LXIX (50+10-1+10)

70- LXX (50+10+10)

71- LXXI (50+10+10+1)

72- LXXII (50+10+10+1+1)

73- LXXIII (50+10+10+1+1+1)

74- LXXIV (50+10+10-1+5)

75- LXXV (50+10+10+5)

76- LXXVI (50+10+10+5+1)

77- LXXVII (50+10+10+5+1+1)

78- LXXVIII (50+10+10+5+1+1+1)

79- LXXIX (50+10+10-1+5)

80- LXXX (50+10+10+10)

81- LXXXI (50+10+10+10+1)

82- LXXXII (50+10+10+10+1+1)

83- LXXXIII (50+10+10+10+1+1+1)

84- LXXXIV (50+10+10+10-1+5)

85- LXXXV (50+10+10+10+5)

86- LXXXVI (50+10+10+10+5+1)

87- LXXXVII (50+10+10+10+5+1+1)

88- LXXXVIII (50+10+10+10+5+1+1+1)

89- LXXXIX (50+10+10+10-1+10)

90- XC (100-10)

91- XCI (100-10+1)

92- XCII (100-10+1+1)

93- XCIII (100-10+1+1+1)

94- XCIV (100-10-1+5)

95- XCV (100-10+5)

96- XCVI (100-10+5+1)

97- XCVII (100-10+5+1+1)

98- XCVIII (100-10+5+1+1+1)

99- XCIX (100-10-1+10)

100- C (100)

Society Year Dates

May 1-April 30

2025-2026

2024-2025

2023-2024

2022-2023

2021-2022

2020-2021

2019-2020

2018-2019

2017-2018

2016 -2017

2015-2016

2014-2015

2013-2014

2012-2013

2011-2012

2010-2011

2009-2010

2008-2009

2007-2008

2006-2007

Corresponds To

LX (60)

LIX (59)

LVIII (58)

LVII (57)

LVI (56)

LV (55)

LIV (54)

LIII (53)

LII (52)

LI (51)

L (50)

XLIX (49)

XLVIII (48)

XLVII (47)

XLVI (46)

XLV (45)

XLIV (44)

XLIII (43)

XLII (42)

XLI (41)

May 1-April 30

2005-2006

2004-2005

2003-2004

2002-2003

2001-2002

2000-2001

1999-2000

1998-1999

1997-1998

1996-1997

1995-1996

1994-1995

1993-1994

1992-1993

1991-1992

1990-1991

1989-1990

1988-1989

1987-1988

1986-1987

Corresponds To

XL (40)

XXXIX (39)

XXXVIII (38)

XXXVII (37)

XXXVI (36)

XXXV (35)

XXXIV (34)

XXXIII (33)

XXXII (32)

XXXI (31)

XXX (30) 

XXIX (29)

XXVIII (28)

XXVII (27)

XXVI (26)

XXV (25)

XXIV (24)

XXIII (23)

XXII (22)

XXI (21)

May 1-April 30

1985-1986

1984-1985

1983-1984

1982-1983

1981-1982

1980-1981

1979-1980

1978-1979

1977-1978

1976-1977

1975-1976

1974-1975

1973-1974

1972-1973

1971-1972

1970-1971

1969-1970

1968-1969

1967-1968

1966-1967

Corresponds To

XX (20)

XIX (19)

XVIII (18)

XVII (17)

XVI (16)

XV (15)

XIV (14)

XIII (13)

XII (12)

XI (11)

X (10)

IX (9)

VIII (8)

VII (7)

VI (6)

V (5)

A.S. IV (4)

III (3)

II (2)

I (1)

Calligraphy Resources

Good resources for calligraphy is Mark Drogin's Medieval Calligraphy Its History and Technique, the Calligraphers Bible by David Harris, and the Art of Calligraphy by David Harris, etc.

 

A free download copy of The Art of Calligraphy by David Harris is available at Scribd at the link below. 

https://www.scribd.com/doc/307399366/the-art-of-calligraphy-by-david-harris-pdf

 

Also available for free download is David Harris' Calligraphy Bible

https://www.scribd.com/doc/244373328/Calligraphy-bible-pdf

© 2022 All art and images belong to the artists who created them. This site is not officially affiliated with the Society of Creative Anachronism.

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