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From An Apprentice
Illuminators Workboke
By Ashala Telerion
These initials can be a major project (the scroll)! They are such a significant piece of illumination that they can overwhelm a piece easily!
To use them with success, plan carefully. First, they work best with Gothic and later hands (the blackletter, batarde and chancery hands). Allow sufficient room for the initial: You want to be able to view it without losing sight of the text or the overall composition of your scroll. You may wish to use a historiated initial in combination with a border, but do so with caution! A busy border and a populated initial will overwhelm your text and anything happening in it! A shield and achievement will have a hard time competing with them, too!
Your initial will, almost as a given, be the first initial of the first piece of text, located thereby in the upper left hand corner of the scroll. If your calligraphy is approximately 1/4" in height, your initial can be 1-1/2" square to 3" square and stay roughly in scale. Smaller lettering or a larger initial and your text will completely "disappear". Period models tend to the more modest ratio.
Leave yourself some "breathing" space all around the initial, at least 1/2" from any border, and at least 1/8" from the lettering of the text. Pencil in the square and do your text.
When your calligraphy is completely dry, carefully mask it from your work area by gently taping (use drafting, not masking tape) a clean piece of paper over your calligraphy to protect it.
Sketch or draw your initial into the box. Completely pencil all elements: The figures within the initial, any foliage you wish to use to balance the initial inside the box, any diapering, etc. Go back and ink (sepia) an outline, then erase all pencil thoroughly.
Carefully, using small brushes (0, 00 and 000s), paint from the inside out, from the middle and radiating to the edges. It will be slow work, but it will be worth the effort so be patient and give yourself time and encouragement! When all the basic colors are down, let the piece (and you!) rest while it dries. When it's well dry, go back and do any outlining, (on top), unless you used one as part of your diapering. Again and yout again, paint carefully! A microscopic glitch will leap out at you when you're done. Do your best; Give yourself time and patience to produce this "centerpiece" of illumination!