Publisher's Synopsis
Create intricate, decorated letters, and then enhance them with brilliant gliding and rich hues. You have a marvelous variety of alphabets and suggestions for embellishing them at your disposal. Celtic illumination, based on Irish script, can include a flurry of interlaced spirals, for instance, while the Gothic style often features spiraling plant tendrils. Whether you try some of the more simple or the elaborate examples, there will be enormous elegance and beauty in your illuminated lettering. Reproduce beautiful illuminated alphabets that have been admired throughout history for their graceful forms, intricate designs, and exquisite colors.
Pore through the history of illuminated letters, at the artists who created them, as well as the patrons who commissioned them. Fully Inspired, you'll want to check the materials you need, from paper and vellum to paints and gold leaf. Adapt and recreate alphabets from five different historical periods in your own illuminations, from Celtic to Gothic to Modern Revival. Each includes diagrams for upper- and Lower-case letters, ideas for borders and decorations, instructions for gliding, and a fabulous gallery of historical and modern examples. Combine the best of traditional works and new masterpieces with this indispensable guide to the art of illumination. The Illuminated Alphabet shows the budding calligraphy artist how to create beautiful medieval lettering that would make the monks jealous.
