thumbs up: penwork; thumbs down: Gothic calligraphy

[aryanhwy]

This was my project for Sunday:


Lindquistringes for Katherine Percival


A back-log Lindquistringes, based on British Library MS Arundel 134 f. 2, France, 2nd half of the 13th C. I'm much happier with how this penwork initial turned out (the ratio of white space to colored space in the inner bit is much closer to the original), though I still feel like I don't know how to finish off the ends -- my flourishes at the end of the vertical block aren't right.

And, man, Gothic hands are my downfall. This is a very sorry attempt. I just can't seem to keep all my angles the same and all my vertical lines straight. sigh.

Comments

[amykb.livejournal.com]

The penwork is beautiful,don't knock yourself on that--it is difficult!
If we can borrow a pen and some ink in April, let me watch your as you do gothic--I might be able to help because it might be a body thing.

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

I'll bring my pens (so that I have the nibs I've tried--nibs make a big difference!) and I'm sure that we can borrow some ink. Thanks!

[felinophile.livejournal.com]

>borrow some ink

Too easy. Please to be compiling lists of anything else we can help out with!

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

I still need to actually get in touch with the travel agent and tell her when to book my tickets, which means I haven't really thought much beyond that. However, I do know the following:

- I'll need to be met at the airport.
- I'll need all appropriate bedding and camping gear.
- A straw hat would be lovely, if it is expected to be very sunny.
- If it is at all possible for me to get some bottles of beer from the Red Oak Brewery at 201 Clarence Street in Sidney (preferably their Baltic porter, as many bottles as possible, but if not that, anything is great).
- I really need a big mug of tea in the morning to get me fit to be around people.
- Someone needs to make sure that I eat. (I'm happy to pay to join a meal plan, if you guys do that, but at camping events I shouldn't be relied upon to remember to eat on my own.)

That (well, not the beer from Red Oak) was about all I really needed for Pennsic, so I expect it will do for Rowany as well.

[felinophile.livejournal.com]

Those shouldn't be difficult.
Meal plans generally run by individual campsite, but there is also this one http://www.goldgryph.com/food_at_festival.htm
Do you have a camp group arranged? St Florians have offered to host, or there are vague musings about starting a CoA/H camp, if you (all three) don't have prior arrangements.
My email is on the Roster if you'd rather avoid clutter on LJ.

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

St. Florian has offered to host, William Castille has offered to host, I think others have as well -- this is one of the things I don't know what we've decided on yet (I think the answer is "we haven't"). Hopefully we'll do so soon!

[baronessekat.livejournal.com]

Do you have access to a lightboard for your calligraphy?

If so, one thing I learned ages ago was to put a sheet of graph paper between the lightboard and the scroll. This not only gives you horizontal guide lines but also vertical ones. Helps with the up and down.

(It's because of the up and down that I try to avoid gothic.)

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

I don't have a lightbox; when I need to trace, I usually do it either on the window (if it's a rare sunny day in Amsterdam), or I scan the picture I want to trace and trace it from my computer monitor (which makes my husband cringe in horror). I hadn't thought about vertical guidelines; maybe I'll try adding those next time.

[xrian.livejournal.com]

Lightboxes are dead easy to construct: a biggish empty cardbord box, a low-wattage lightbulb stuck into a socket-on-a-cord, and a scrap piece of clear or frosted plexiglas (or glass, but plexi is less nerve-racking). I got by with that arrangement for years before I bought a real one (which admittedly does provide more space and a more even light).

Satisfy my curiosity: what the heck is a "Lindquistringes" (besides a Drachenwald award) and how do you pronounce it?

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

It's (pseudo-?)German for "Lindquist's ring". Lindquist was the modern surname of someone who was formative in the early years of the Principality; I'm a bit embarrassed to say I'm not even sure of the SCA name of the person it's honoring. I pronounce it roughly "Lindquist's ring-es", with a hard, pronounced 'g', but I don't know if real Germans would pronounce it differently.

[(Anonymous)]

What a blaze of colour!

I'd be happy to do some textura quadrata coaching with you if you like. A lot of blackletter/minim work has a lot to do with pen and hand position and fiddly geometries of spacing. (as, I'm sure, you realise)

[nusbacher.livejournal.com]

The anonymous post was mine.

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

I'd love to get some coaching from you! Your calligraphy is so lovely.

[thebronwen.livejournal.com]

I agree with using a guide of some sort... I use a combination of vertical "templates" under the paper with a light box and also lightly sketching my letters in pencil (especially when I do Cadels.) Light boxes are not that hard to make, if you have anyone that has a basic wood shop... or they can be ordered on line as well. I love mine (my dad made it years ago.)

That being said, I think you are being too hard on yourself. Your work is lovely and everyone's hand is a bit different. Just keep practicing and you will notice an improvment over time... but I really think this is lovely.

[thebronwen.livejournal.com]

oh, and one other thing... if you can find a cheap glass top table anywhere, they make dandy makeshift light boxes. Just put a short lamp underneath and you're ready to go.