Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Share photos or links to your arts and crafts here. Jewelry, paintings, crafts, graphic art.
User avatar
Xiao Rong
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 3109
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:58 am
Gender: Female
Location: New England

Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Xiao Rong »

I've been trying to teach myself the art of illumination so that I can do full scrolls by myself, and not just calligraphy. I think illumination is really beautiful, but it's one of those things that photography and scanning just can't adequately capture. Nothing beats the way that it looks when you turn the page and the gold leaf catches the light -- dazzling!

Here's a practice piece that I did -- a copy of the Witches' Rune that will be going into my BOS

This is after I inked the outline, applied the gold leaf (this process takes a long time because the glue for the gold leaf takes time to dry), and did the calligraphy:

Image

.

After applying the first layer of gouache paint (ultramarine blue & spectrum red):

Image

.

The final result, after the whitework (fine lines and details in white gouache) was applied:

Image

Materials: composite gold leaf, multi-medium archival paper, gouache, Higgins Eternal ink, & Higgins Black Magic waterproof ink

There's a big splotch in the lower right corner where I accidentally brushed some of the glue, and tried to cover it up with some white gouache. Not great, but hey, for my first full scroll all by my lonesome and something that's going to live in my personal BoS, I am pretty happy with the result!
~ Xiao Rong ~ 小蓉 ~ Little Lotus ~
User avatar
ness
Posts: 240
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:41 am
Gender: Female
Location: High desert

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by ness »

So, so, so very beautiful! I love it.
Vesca
Posts: 1776
Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2013 11:24 am
Gender: Female

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Vesca »

That's really pretty! That is going to be some awesome looking BOS. :)
User avatar
Blackthorn
Posts: 203
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:58 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Canada

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Blackthorn »

Stunning! The gold leaf looks great. How do you find the Higgins ink? I got some speedball inks but I'm not sold.
User avatar
Seraphin
Posts: 1903
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:17 pm
Gender: Male
Location: EUTM's dungeon, keeping a dragon egg in a pot over a fireplace!
Contact:

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Seraphin »

Your artworks are gorgeous as always Xiao!

I'm just wondering, how did you learn calligraphy?
Seraphin

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.
User avatar
Xiao Rong
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 3109
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:58 am
Gender: Female
Location: New England

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Xiao Rong »

Thanks, everyone!

@ Blackthorn -- the Higgins line is pretty common. I picked mine up at the local art store, but I've also seen it at Michael's and other big craft stores. I haven't tried Speedball inks, but I've tried Speedball nibs and have had bad experiences with them, so I try to avoid that whole brand, haha. But Higgins is fairly common, pretty good quality, and relatively inexpensive ($2 for a 2.5 oz bottle of Higgins Eternal -- I've been doing calligraphy for a year and a half and I just finished my first bottle!) Higgins Eternal is what I use for most of my calligraphy (good opacity, light-fast, flows nicely on a dip pen, not so good for fountain pens). Higgins Black Magic is a great waterproof ink that I use for painting. I've also got a few bottles of red, blue, and green Higgins dye-based inks, which are very beautiful but I don't use too often. All in all, I'd highly recommend them.

@ Seraphin -- I've mostly been teaching myself. There are plenty of great books out there that teach calligraphy -- I recommend Art of Calligraphy and The Calligrapher's Bible: 100 Complete Alphabets, both by David Harris, because they have some great step-by-step examples. I also rely on Pinterest a lot to find inspiration, haha.
~ Xiao Rong ~ 小蓉 ~ Little Lotus ~
User avatar
BabyBear
Posts: 636
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 12:44 am
Gender: Gender Fluid
Location: Waycross, GA
Contact:

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by BabyBear »

You have out done yourself as always Xiao Love your work and glad to say I have one of your pieces :D
User avatar
Blackthorn
Posts: 203
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:58 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Canada

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Blackthorn »

Thanks, Xiao! We used speedball everything in high school so I think I was too quick to jump on what I know. But I think I will daisy down to the art store and pick up some Higgins stuff and some different nubs to experiment.
User avatar
Firebird
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 8213
Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 12:03 am
Gender: Female
Location: So. Cal.

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Firebird »

Wow Xiao! I just ran into this...absolutely beautiful work! You inspire me :fairy:
Bb, Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
User avatar
TwilightDancer
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1116
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:01 am
Gender: Female
Location: Buried in the snow, Michigan

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by TwilightDancer »

That is absolutely beautiful, Xiao!



Blessed Be :flyingwitch:
Lady stir your cauldron well, chant your words and sing your spell
Come and taste of the cauldron's brew and magic she will give to you

TwilightDancer's Book of Shadows
Red Ember
Posts: 57
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 1:36 pm
Gender: Female
Location: UK

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Red Ember »

Beautiful. It looks amazing.
If cats could talk, they wouldn't. - Nan Porter
User avatar
YanaKhan
Posts: 2155
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 1:19 am
Gender: Female
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by YanaKhan »

So beautiful! I love it, Xiao!
User avatar
Yex
Posts: 193
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2014 6:41 pm
Gender: Male
Location: The Whulge
Contact:

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Yex »

Just discovered this thread. Xiao, your work is beautiful! I love illuminated manuscripts. :)
love is the whole and more than all
User avatar
Becks
Posts: 1013
Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2015 11:50 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Vancouver Island

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Becks »

This is spellbinding! It's beautiful, ancient, and the energy comes right through the screen. Wow. It's an honour to see works of discipline and power. I don't get to see that everyday. Outstanding!
User avatar
Xiao Rong
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 3109
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:58 am
Gender: Female
Location: New England

Re: Xiao Rong's Illumination Attempts

Post by Xiao Rong »

Thanks, y'all!

I've actually worked on my illumination quite a bit so I've got some new ones to show off ... I've done a lot of scroll blanks for the SCA -- that is, illuminated initial capital letters or borders (okay, mostly just initials in my case). I can't claim original design on any of these; they are all based on images of historical manuscripts that I've found on Pinterest.

Image
Based off of a 12th century proto-gothic manuscript.

Image
What I'm going to write that starts with "Q", I'm not sure.

Image
I'm quite fond of this little guy!

Image
This is an initial done in "white vine" Italian-style illumination.
~ Xiao Rong ~ 小蓉 ~ Little Lotus ~
Post Reply

Return to “Artwork”