Foundation Degree in Calligraphy Year 2 Term 1 Week #1

Back after a very long summer break and after an outline of the year ahead it's straight back into a revision of some of the letterforms we have previously studied. This is to set us up for three assignments this term; an exercise in developing an individual script; a miniature capital letter using gilding and vellum, and a larger, more complex piece using a variety of the skills we have learned and developed during our first year.

 

During our first session we are working on assignment 2, in which we will be painting a miniature capital letter on stretched vellum, illustrating it and using gold and gesso during the process. This is a completely new experience in many ways for me. Although I have done some heraldic painting before this is not the part that troubles me, but the application of gold and gesso and working on vellum. Hey ho.... lots to learn! We make trials of various substances that can be used in gilding; gum ammoniac, miniatum and other gold sizes.

 

I'm recording the results in my notebook as we do the tests, and this research will be submitted with my course work as part of this assignment and as part of my second (and final) years work.