Monthly Spotlight

May 2023:
Stephanie of Nethyrwode

What music/entertainment do I use while doing scribal?

I’m all over the place. I watch old familiar movies that I’ve watched a thousand times before (nothing new, stuff I know so well I can see the action in my mind so I’m not watching the screen except when a particularly good scene is coming up & my eyes need a break from the art). I listen to audiobooks (usually light cozy mysteries, science fiction/fantasy, very select & specific horror, the occasional romance, a wide range of nonfiction) & podcasts (a range of history, true crime, science, news/current events, and whatever else takes my fancy) … I will usually spend a good 15 minutes of my session trying to figure out what my mood for background is before I even get started. Right now my favorite podcasts include V Interesting, I Can Steal That, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Warts n All, No Such Thing As A Fish, and Old Gods of Appalachia.

#1 tip or trick to a new scribe

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Most of them can be fixed. Accept that there is no “perfect” in the world of scribal. Mistakes are a license to play, to have fun, to be creative, to think outside of the box. But it’s also okay to walk away and have a tantrum and get the frustration out of your system right after you make a mistake.

Proudest moment as a scribe.

Every time I successfully turn a mistake into something awesome. Every time a switch flips in my brain and I figure some odd little thing out and I look at what I just did and it’s INCREDIBLE, and I’m thinking “did I just do this?! Can I do this AGAIN?!” Every time I get successfully from “ugly phase” to something close to what I hoped to achieve. Every time the recipient smiles, and sees what I was trying to create for them, and it resonates for them.

Weirdest item in scribal kit.

Maybe the cuttlebone chew thingie I got at the pet stone that birds use to sharpen their beaks? I grind up pieces of it and use it as pounce on my perg & vellum to soak up oils.

Where do you tend to go to find inspiration for a piece.

My reference books are almost always my first stop. I started building a personal reference library years ago before illuminated manuscripts were available in digital collections. There was a mail order catalog called The Scholars Bookshelf, and I would save up my pennies and score great illumination reference books from that at insanely cheap prices. My first stop on the internet tends to be the British Library (because it’s bookmarked & they have a big collection), and I’ll throw search terms out on google images to see what I can find, but I’ve got a pretty good assortment of museum catalogs and books that I can usually start with for any particular type of piece I’m looking for. And if I’m stymied, I whine to various scribal friends about being stuck, and one of them will often have a brilliant idea that gives me a new direction to try.

Favorite period method or material.

I love real vellum. I’ve got some pieces in my stash of varying quality, and I play with it periodically.

What brought you to the scribal community.

I’m a self taught doodler, and have been drawing my entire life. Illumination was a natural fit, and that’s the art I gravitated towards when I started in the SCA. There weren’t a lot of scriptoria at events when I started in the SCA, and I tend to be a more solitary artist; when I’m working, I’m sucked into the art. If I’m with people, I’m TALKING, not “arting”. The scribal community grew by leaps and bounds when I was taking a break from scribal during my daughter’s early years. I’m slowly becoming more integrated into the scribal community as I become more active in the scribal arts again, as I reclaim more time to focus on the art.

Favorite & least favorite paint color.

My favorite paint color is blue, because it’s my favorite color.

I have a love/hate relationship with black. There are so many amazing things you can do with black as a final touches/highlighting/”make it pop off the page” thing. But dark figures, how to shade dark figures, and things that are supposed to be “black”, is a huge learning curve, especially because I am all self taught.

Most interesting scroll you’ve made.

The bright shiny new thing I just had an idea for. EVERY TIME.

The most challenging scroll you’ve made.

The one I’m supposed to be working on, EVERY TIME, and is either 1. Vexing me because I can’t get a handle on the design; 2. Vexing me because I can’t figure out how to get started; or 3. Vexing me because I’m in the “ugly phase” and I’m convinced I will never figure out how to get past it and into the fine tuning that will make it awesome.

March 2023:
Min Soo Yun

I am known in the society as Soo Yun and I have been active in the scribal community since October 2020. I specialize in late period Central European manuscripts but also dabble in East Asian manuscripts. My favorite styles are Trompe L’oeil and Grisaille and I enjoy researching art technology. In between scrolls and smaller projects, I am recreating the Jewel Book of Duchess Anna of Bavaria so that I continue to paint regularly even when I’m not inspired. I have a blog where I post my completed works and research at musingsofcraneandlotus.com .

What music/entertainment do you listen to while you work?

I listen to a variety of music and true crime podcasts. I also play records from my collection.

What’s the weirdest item in your scribal kit?

I collect my cat’s discarded whiskers to make brushes. I also have a canine tooth I use to burnish gold.

Favorite Period Method or Material:

I enjoy making paints with period pigments the most.

What brought you to the scribal community?

I was dabbling on and off in the scribal community but a couple years ago, I participated in scribetober and I never really stopped since.

Crane and Lotus

February 2023:

Cat Coeur Noir

What music or entertainment do you listen to while you work? That is a very wide and diverse category. It really depends on what sort of mood I’m in, but it ranges from period movies to anime series to operas depending on what I feel like. It’s mostly there for background noise. I don’t listen to music while I’m working because for some odd reason, it distracts me more than a movie does.

What tip or trick for new scribes? Don’t be afraid. Get the best paints and brushes you can afford to start, and as you grow, upgrade when you can. You will notice the difference as you work. Look at every period reference you can for the project you are working on and draw inspiration from them. There is so much to look at out there now, and it’s more easily found than when I started scribing nearly 30 years ago.

Proudest moment? That’s a tricky one, but I think it was the first Peerage scroll I was ever asked to do, and all the “secret” scrolls I’ve done since then. I love finding things that the person loves and incorporating them into the scroll.

I don’t have anything odd in my scribal kit, but I do have a bunch of drafting tools that help me do things quicker and to exact sizing. I think my favorite item is a glove that only has the last 2 fingers on it to help keep me from resting my hand directly on the paper.

Where do I find inspiration for a piece? Everywhere. I have a shelf of books that I use for great references, but there are images of extant book pages out there that are stunningly beautiful to be found on the web. I also love looking at what other scribes are doing. It’s wonderful to see the artform given it’s due and updated for our modern world.

I need to spend more time working on my scribal hands as I am getting more and more comfortable with my illuminations. I still have to remind myself not to be afraid of trying new hands or a different illumination style.

Stagnation benefits no one.

Although I have been scribing for a long time, I took quite a few years off and had to relearn a lot of my skills. The Kingdom I started in uses pre-prints, and I don’t think I really got to see a lot of fully hand done scrolls until I moved to Meridies. I am so glad I picked back up the pen and brush, it makes me very happy to create art that not only serves my Kingdom, but that others enjoy.

April 2021:

Sunneva de Cleia

1. What music/entertainment do you listen to while you work?

I love to watch television or movies while I work. Usually something I've seen a million times, like Futurama, so I don't have to look at the screen too often. Many times I will also listen to audiobooks. Nice long ones like Harry Potter or Sherlock Holmes!

2. Your number one tip or trick to a new scribe.

In the beginning, look at the source material. Don't focus on what other scribes are doing. Go to the British Library website or borrow a book about illumination. You'll learn to discern what colors, composition, texts, motifs, etc. make up historic illumination styles. Your work will be more authentic for it.

Also, use quality paints! Even for a beginner, the difference is noticeable. Inferior paints will just frustrate you, and make you think you're not a good artist. But really, it's the paint, not you! Save yourself the trouble and get good ones. Most people will even share with you to get you started!

3. Proudest moment as a scribe?

Seeing my apprentices be successful. Watching people use what I've taught them to do beautiful work. Also, receiving a personal token from someone I respect very much because she was impressed by some research I did. That was awesome.

4. What’s the weirdest item in your scribal kit? Hmm... that's a hard one! Maybe some of the things I use for flat gilding, such as a bottle of boiled stout. Or the handmade tool I made for scooping out the pith inside a feather. It's a piece of 14-gauge wire bent into a tiny hook, similar to a crochet hook. You stick it up inside the barrel of a feather and fish out the pith.

5. Where do you tend to go to find inspiration for a piece.

Most often I go to the British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts. You can find it here: http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm. If you need to find a certain image, such as a tower or a swan, you can click on "advanced search." Then search by contents or image description. When you are doing a scroll for someone, it's a great way to find an exemplar that has specific elements that the recipient will like.

6. What is one area that you would like to know more about or still have to work on?

Period pigments. It's the next step in my journey. It's amazing that scribes are doing so much with period pigments now -- when I became a laurel in 2012 not nearly as many scribes were using them.

February 2021:

Alinora Kyte

My name is Alinora Kyte and I have the distinct pleasure of being a Meridian scribe. Illumination was one of the first interests I found when I joined the SCA roughly 10 years ago. I had never considered myself a painter, but the art was just so beautiful and the idea of my creation being used to honor someone was, and still is, amazing. I have attempted to add calligraphy to my skill set but I am definitely still learning! Currently, I am fascinated with the art from the middle East and China. The colors, details, and goldwork are absolutely stunning. I use my large dining room table as my art station. It allows me to spread out so I have room for all my supplies and it gives my 2 cats (my biggest critics) space to watch without interfering. My favorite tool, though, is my Ott light. Good lighting is important to avoid eyestrain and capture all the details in both your examples and your work. Some of my other interests include studying history, making period clothing, embroidery, and novice woodworking. I have received so much advice from this series honoring the scribes in the SCA! I think the best advice I can give would be to find a style that makes you excited, then study the details on as many period pieces as you can. The content of many libraries and museums are being scanned and put online in expansive collections, making previously difficult-to-see pieces available at the click of a button. Lastly, I would tell anyone looking to be a scribe to just enjoy the process and make some art!

November 2020:

Annelise Wolf

Hello, my name is Anneliese Wolf!

I entered the scribal world much the way most do, I believe, I wanted to make beautiful things. I have an education in classical art so illumination came quite naturally to me. Calligraphy? Not so much but I'm still working on that. I like shiny fiddly details most of all and gold work is just too fun. If it requires a magnifying glass, I'm probably excited about it.

One of the hardest challenges I've had to face as a scribe was the struggle not to compare my work to others. It's often natural for us to do so but in doing this, we miss something really important: all scribal work is needed and loved by those who receive it. Once I saw that my work, even if I didn't think it was as good as others, brought such happiness to the scroll recipients, I found that I couldn't care anymore whether someone else was better at something than me. I strive to help other blossoming scribes learn this valuable lesson as well. We are all of us needed and appreciated.

If I had any advice to give a new scribe, it would be "Just compete with yourself and you'll always grow as an artist. Also, don't put your drinking water anywhere near your paint brush water. Just sayin. It's important.

October 2020:

Eleanor of Grey

Greeting to my fellow Meridies Scribes. The new ‘get to know the scribes’ pages are a wonderful way to put a face to the names we hear in court and get to see your wonderful artwork. Vivat!

I am Baroness Eleanor of Grey, (aka Lady E), formerly of Atlantia and Trimaris. My illumination scribal journey started 20ish years ago in Trimaris when the scribes would set up a scriptorium in the feast hall and grab anyone who was not otherwise occupied to paint pre-printed scrolls. Despite my protests that I had not had an art class since middle school, I found myself with paintbrush in hand at many an event, then at home. One day, a friend brought me a book on illuminated manuscripts (in french) from a trip to Paris. Recognizing elements that were on the pre-printed scrolls, I tried to duplicate the way they were painted. Then another friend challenged me to create an illuminated letter for some shire scrolls and I found, to my surprise, that I wasn’t too bad at it. After creating a design that I liked, I made a copy of the line art in case I messed up painting it.

I kept a file of the ‘line art’ over the years. A while back, an Atlantian scribe heard about the file and wanted it to share on line and on disks. My lord husband organized the line art, added painted exemplars, then the manuscripts it was based on, and the file grew to almost 200 designs and has been shared with scriptoriums in much of the Known world. I am currently collecting line art for a 3rd ‘disk’. The point of this rambling story is anyone can discover they do have talent and can make a contribution.

My scribal table is an old, heavy drafting table on a slight slant. Working on those lovely ,period upright boards never worked for my neck. I have absolutely no talent for calligraphy. I’ve tried. LOL. There are usually a few calligraphers who are willing to do that part of a scroll. I use mostly pergamenta, W&N gouche and Finetec gold paints, but love to use gold and white gold leaf. I used to use Micron pens for outlining, but have found I prefer period inks and croquill pens. I work best listening to audible (thanks Dancette!) or music that ranges from SCA (Heather Dale) to classic rock and musicals. Weird tricks that work for me - Master’s Touch rubber brushes work great to apply gesso for gilding and wash off easily. Scraps of habotai silk from banner making wrapped around a cotton ball are great for polishing gold leaf.

My scribal library is always an inspiration, but searching on line is so much easier these days when you need a specific period or time frame for a recipient. I adore !5th century Italian white-vine.

My proudest moments as a scribe are always when I get to watch the recipient’s face when they get an award then see the scroll, regardless of the level of the award, but it is best and sweetest when it is a peerage for a friend and they LOVE it.

Tips for new scribes - have fun! Figure out what works for you and build on those strengths. There is rarely only one way to do something. Tracing is period, thank heavens, because not all of are good at freehand drawing. Invest in good paints and brushes. Both will last longer and give better results. Ask for help when you are stuck.

After 20-odd years, I am still learning new techniques and styles with almost every scroll. I need to work on my people.

September 2020: Thorkatla

I want to begin by thanking the powers-that-be for selecting me for September’s scribal spotlight. I am Countess Thorkatla Herjolfsdottir, OP, OL. I am not a well-known as a scribe mainly I only work on projects that interest me or are important to people around me. Rarely am I ever found in the scriptoriums because I only work on commissioned projects but I can always be heard teaching about the importance of shading according to the period and place. Because I do not scribe at events, I have the luxury to spend time researching period manuscripts and then design the scroll for the intended recipient. While I certainly have my favorite styles, (yay 14th century! yay Bar & Ivy!) the focus of each scroll cannot be on what I want but it must be to honor the person being recognized.

Whether it is thumbing through my library, Googling “medieval roses manuscripts,” or researching an unfamiliar space and time (to me) so that I can understand the appropriate design, I love to create something unique to the assignment. After deciding what to make, I then decide what materials to use. Most frequently, I choose period pigments and ink, real metals, and parchment. I love the feel of working like our ancestors to create scroll that could easily fit into a Codex or Book of Hours. As I stand at a sloped surface (in my dining room), I protect the work from hand oils by wearing white cotton gloves. To feel the tools, the right hand thumb and index finger tips are snipped off. As I work, there is usually a documentary about art playing. By studying what artists did, my understanding of the why this element or that technique crystallizes. In my book, learning is the most important tool and one cannot have too many tools in the box to make art.

Making art is at once personal and community based. Personally, while I love that this a private art for me, I am always grateful for the larger scribal community who are willing to jump in and help, guide, and advise for a new technique. This allows me to feel connected while working on a project; it has been an important connection during the COVID-19 period.

Thank you

Countess Thorkatla (not a scribal laurel but a laurel who also scribes)