Author Topic: Script to go with illuminated letters  (Read 987 times)

Offline Lucie Y

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Script to go with illuminated letters
« on: August 26, 2022, 06:42:01 AM »
Hello everyone,

I would love to have advice on which script would go well with my illuminated letters. I'm just a beginner, attached are pictures of my very first experiments. On top of that I bought Tri Le's manual on Lombardi letters and my gold leaf and miniatum will arrive early September.

I'm pretty sure I want to make this my thing. I do practice copperplate on the side but I am having acute slantitis and need a break from slants and pointed pens.

Right now I'd like to do simple projects, like a name with an illuminated capital, the rest of the name with a broad edge script, and some flourished borders.

In the past I have studied foundational and could go back to it. I have done a lot of Italic too and have nibs of all sorts as well as parallel pens.

What would you feel would go well with my budding illuminated capitals?

Thanks for your help!

Lucie

P. S. My phone won't post attachments so here is the link to my Instagram post of my letters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChfAU1oNGv0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Oh crêpe!

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2022, 04:05:47 PM »
These are so lovely! Both Foundational and Italic would go well with them. I prefer Italic because you can add a little bit of flourish to it, but nothing to overpower those gorgeous caps.
Can’t wait to see what you do! Thanks for sharing!
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Erica
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Offline jeanwilson

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2022, 08:49:17 AM »
I agree that foundational would look very nice.
Italics would work well - but, I'd vote for doing an upright version - no slant.
I would also choose a proportion that had a fairly light-weight nib-width - to keep it open and airy.

Another option that would be my first choice is Ronde Script.
There are several versions - just Google it.
It is upright - and has plenty of options for loops that would complement the initials.

Offline K-2

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2022, 01:29:46 PM »
What beautiful illuminated Lombardic versals, @Lucie Y - Here are a couple of design principles to consider:

I agree with @Erica McPhee and @jeanwilson that Foundational, Italic, and Ronde would go great with them, especially because the delicate pastel colors you used on those Rs fit in with a later (renaissance / early-modern) aesthetic.  Note that highly pigmented, saturated colors (especially red or blue), reproduce a more medieval aesthetic, so you might find that filling in the versals with darker colors looks better with a denser and/or earlier script.

Basically Lombardic versals originate in the Early Gothic period, and last through the advent of Humanist type, so they'll basically look good with any blackletter / broad-edge script - from texturalis to bâtarde to italic to foundational.  But you certainly do not have to be doctrinaire about matching the historical aesthetics.  You might think about harmonizing the decorative elements and the script.  Your lovely, airy vine and leaf decoration looped around the pastel versal suits a softer/more curvaceous, open script - like Ronde or Humanist.  As @jeanwilson says - match the airy look of your R's decoration with an airy script to preserve and enhance its airiness.  A versal with a more angular and dense decorative motif (like English penwork or an art deco style sunburst) and/or a more saturated color scheme would look good with a denser, more angular script - like texturalis, fraktur, or bâtarde.

But really, your work here is so pretty that you could set practically any calligraphy script or even print/type next to it.  It will improve everything it accompanies!
--yours truly, K

Offline K-2

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2022, 06:41:59 PM »
Hey, @Lucie Y - here's a little graphic I made up that shows how I go through some design options when I want to make a decorated capital for say - a celebratory card.  It illustrates some of the design principles from my last post, and shows the incredible versatility of versals!

The versal L's & their decorations are sketched with a Sakura gel pen and filled in with colored pencils.  Accompanying calligraphic scripts are done with a 2mm Sailor Compass HighAce Neo calligraphy fountain pen.

The other image is from a thank you card I recently made for a friend - I love making decorative capitals for greeting cards!  I hope you'll show us some of yours, with your beautiful Italics to go with your beautiful versals (which I saw on your Insta - I love your gorgeous Florentine-style vine & flower border work too!)

--yours truly, K

Offline Zivio

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2022, 07:37:21 PM »
What beautiful illuminated Lombardic versals, @Lucie Y ...

But really, your work here is so pretty that you could set practically any calligraphy script or even print/type next to it.  It will improve everything it accompanies!

Indeed, @Lucie Y, delightful and lovely work you've shared on your Instagram account!   
« Last Edit: August 28, 2022, 12:43:44 PM by Zivio »
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Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2022, 11:39:05 AM »
I like seeing the examples as it really helps. My favorite is the Humanist with its simplicity and uprightness. So @Lucie Y perhaps that means Foundational will look best. Hope you will try one of each and show us!  :)

@Zivio - can you post that question under a new topic so as not to take Lucie’s post off topic? I have split Jean’s question into a new topic under our Open Discussion as well. Thanks!
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline Lucie Y

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2022, 05:53:12 PM »
Hello everyone,

Once again I am amazed by the generosity on this forum. Thank you for your precious advice!

@K-2 Thank you for taking the time to make those lovely samples, this is really helping me think things through.

@Erica McPhee @jeanwilson, I think foundational is the way to go, and maybe learn Humanistic along the way at some point. I do tend to experiment this week. I am extremely encouraged by the help I have received here.

@Zivio thank you very much :)

I will be experimenting with everyone's suggestions and should be able to post my experiments in a few days.

Again, thank you very much!

Yours,

Lucie
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Offline Lucie Y

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2022, 05:53:41 AM »
First experiment! I have been resurrecting my foundational, which I only ever learned as an introduction to calligraphy and not as an end in itself.
The shading and lining are lazy and make little sense, I was only focusing on the shapes.
I'm trying to write out the names of my friends' two baby brothers (Joshua and Isaiah) and want to make it into a frame-able final piece.

I'm going to keep experimenting and hopefully start learning Ronde in the near future :)

I will add that doing this is a lovely break from the rest of calligraphy practice. I don't know how I do it but when I practice Copperplate I'm all work and no play and after several months it can become quite discouraging. So this is a breath of fresh air :)

Thank you all for your help!
Oh crêpe!

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2022, 02:19:50 PM »
This looks absolutely gorgeous! Bravo!   :D
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline TeresaS

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2022, 10:24:11 AM »
I really like that Foundational with the Illuminated letter….so clean looking.
Teresa

Offline Lucie Y

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2022, 11:31:43 AM »
Here is my first project. Still so much to learn, but I'm having a blast ^^
Can't wait to learn Ronde :)
Oh crêpe!

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2022, 11:49:04 AM »
These are absolutely gorgeous!!!!  :-*
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Erica
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Offline tiffany.c.a

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Re: Script to go with illuminated letters
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2022, 08:34:45 PM »
Wow, what lovely work!