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| "A" by M. Slavin |
Today is January 16th.
Half of the month gone already.
January used to be the month to slow down after the holiday rush.
No more.
Take a deep breath.
Have you ever looked carefully at an illuminated manuscript from the Middle Ages? Using some of the techniques mastered by the monks from the Middle Ages might help to slow down the world around us.
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| Lindesfarne Manuscript |
The monks who created these pages were early graphic designers who filled every inch of the page. They drew intricate, fascinating designs including patterns such as Celtic Knots, natural objects such as leaves, flowers, fanciful humans and animals, and often some gilding to make some areas of the design pop out. They made woven patterns such as the Celtic Knots that seem easy to draw until you try one.
This past year in calligraphy circles, the works of these monks and more modern monks such as Father Catish are trending. People are learning alphabets from the Lindesfarne Manuscript. Others work on filling the spaces inside and around a single letter with the same kind of fantastical designs on an illuminated manuscript. The monks spent hours each day bent over their work. We could learn something from this slow process.
To start, try making Celtic Knots. The knots take some concentration to master. Supplies are easy. You will need a piece of graph paper with at least ¼ inch squares, a pencil, an eraser, and patience. I learned how to do these knots from Friends of Calligraphy members, Sara Lewis Cortes and Sara Loesch-Frank. I am still working on mastering the process.
First, you need to make a square. Place four dots on a line that is two squares from the top and two squares from the left side. Place the dots on every other vertical line. Do the same on each side and on the bottom line of the square. (1)
Then add four dots in the center of the square. (2)
Then add dots on the alternating lines within the square so that every cross section has a dot. (3)
Draw diagonal, parallel lines between the dots. (4)
Continue to draw the parallel lines so that they weave over and under each other. (5)
Round off the corners at the edges of the square. (6)
Clean the drawing up and add color. (7)
Once you've mastered the square, expand your Celtic Knots so they form a border. Watch out for the inside corners.
A friend sent me an example of another design often found in the manuscripts. The design is called a Triskele Triple Spiral and can be found in times and cultures long before the monks started working on their pages. The design, again, looks simple. The best way to learn is to watch Clarissa Grandi's YouTube demonstration of the technique. (Look for the link at the end of this post.) This is what a Triskele Triple Spiral looks like. (image is from the internet. I'm waiting for a rainy day.)
Dover Publishers produce copyright-free books of designs. One amazing book is Decorative Alphabets and Initials, which has samples of alphabets dating back as early as the 8th century. The cover is full of the complicated designs. Some of the patterns around each letter remind me of Zentangles, a form of doodling.
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| Doodles similar to Zentangle squares |
To make an alphabet or just one letter, find a capital letter on the internet, in a book, or magazine. Make a copy of the letter. Surround the letter with either a circle or square shape. Use tracing paper to create your design. Once you find one that you are happy with, you can create notecards or postcards easily to send to friends.
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A simplified letter colored with watercolor pencils
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Try one of these techniques and see if they help slow you down.
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