This is of course not a full class handout or anything.  Just my notes I wrote down during class, so I can remember these things! Thank you Lady Charmayne!


Paper
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- Use a standard size. Folks are going to want to put these in a frame, so make it easy on them.
8.5 x 11, 9 x 12, 11 x 17

- Hot press paper is smooth.  Good surface.
Cold press paper is bumpy.  Bad surface.

- Use acid-free. Card stock is ok to use. Parchment is the period paper, though this is a bit expensive so you can also use pergamenata which is vegetable based. Grab parchment scraps for cheap at Gulf Wars from the merchant there making and selling parchment.


Paint
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Goauche is the paint to use. It's a water-based paint. Mix it with a little water, and use.  It's non-toxic.  Though you can use watercolors (just use less water), goauche has more pigment.

You can also mix your own paints from powdered pigments, if you can find them!
*Note - Russian ones are cheap.  Avoid
Mix the pigments with gum arabic powder and water, and use.
* Nice tip, if you put these inside a little container to mix and paint from, you can just close it up when you're done and keep those nice pigments to use again later!
Griffin Dyeworks sells pigments.

Student grade paint is cheaper and more forgiving.
Michaels and Hobby Lobby craft stores sells a Reeves student grade paint.
Windsor is one professional brand. Newton has a kit online. Hoelbein is top of the line stuff.

Brushes
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Tiny! Use small brushes.  Ok, not like, microscopic, like 3 bristles, but you know.  Just really small ones.
Fake are somewhat easier, because real ones tend to shed.  Doesn't really matter though, either kind.

Stuff for a Kit
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Paint pots or palettes.  Palettes are scriptorium-friendly. Order covers for them.
*Note - never wash these!
A cup for clean water
A cup for dirty water. And make it doesn't look like a beverage glass. Somebody might accidentally drink that dirty paint water. Eww!
Paper towels
Pencils
Eraser
A thin and acid-free liner pen, if you wish to draw over your pencil drawing.
Ruler


Tips
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- Leave a 2" border around the outside. This accounts for a standard matte should the recipient frame the scroll.
- Leave room on the scroll for the calligraphy.
- Try to match the print and the art. You can put a note on the back to the calligrapher about what style to use. It helps them out a lot if you have something specific you're doing, especially.
- As for colors to use, colors that are "period" to use are black, white, blue, green, yellow, red, silver, gold.... some others, maybe? flesh? Not really orange or pink, they might be construed as a faded red. there is some controversy here, though. Surely they had to have used flesh tones since they have people on their scrolls. We do go ahead and use a flesh tone though, because we want to make the scrolls pretty. The recipient is by odds likely not to be a Laurel in the area of C&I.  They will appreciate a lovely looking scroll.  Appearances matter, so fussing over being perfectly accurate is not critical, unless perhaps you are planning on entering this scroll in an A&S competition, in which case just avoid those "other" colors!
- Leave room for words, signatures, and seals!  Don't make lines where signatures go.  But, it is ok to put a small circile where the seal will go. You can use a Dixie cup as a good guide on the size to leave available for the seal - currently in our Kingdom, it needs to be about an inch and a half or on up to 2 inches. You don't have to worry about leaving room for the Beacon Herald's seal unless it is certain scrolls.  That seal is huge!
- Scribe's signature. You should sign your work, but please don't make a blatent obvious mark on the front. A maker's mark is totally fine. But it should be subtle or small. Or, you can just write your name in pencil on the back. If you are painting someone else's art, write "painted by".
- Don't put someone's arms on the scroll unless you have been commissioned to do so.
- Know your group and your Kingdom awards.
Badges for specific awards should be on the design. The can still be given without, but please try to add these. For example, the Meridian Cross has a badge Scrolls for that award have that badge.
The badges are online right here.
*For example there are some widely unknown badges, such as the queen's award Bough
"The scroll must incorporate a cypress tree and should include a small frog in the design."
These specifics can be found in the Meridian Scribes handbook.
Pay attention to the color of the badge. Like for a Sable axe, use sable.

-Calligraphy -- don't worry about adding titles. This will be done later.  The current sovereigns may wish to use a different title than the standard Rex and Regina.


Documentation is not necessary!  But you can write down the source that inspired your desigin on the back.  "Inspired by ____"

Where to go
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Craft stores, Hobby Lobby and Michaels for paints and supplies
Parchment and pigment - you can pick them up at Gulf Wars
Join the Scribes Yahoo and Facebook groups
The Parchment Pursuivent website
Bagatelle

- Sources for art you can use to create original scrolls - original manuscripts, Dover coloring books, the Morgan library online, the Book of Kells, sacred texts, other scrolls - even other Kindgoms'. Bookstores - check the religion and history sections. Use trim to inspire borders!



Styles of Scrolls
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Early - Norse, celtic, No gold.  "Kiddie" like as far as styling.

Middle - Color book, in style.  Flowers and bars. Goldwork.  No people. Scrolly flowers and leaves. Red and blue bars mainly, and "squashed bugs"
(This means the trompe-l’oeil style that emerged during this age, which is "A style of painting that gives an illusion of photographic reality.") In other words, 3D looking art designs that no longer looked just flat.
(good source for this is: Dover book  Ready-To-Use Medieval Herb, Plant and Flower Illustrations: 294 Different Copyright-Free Designs)

And Late - "Rembrant!" Very fancy and pretty. Hours of work, lots of tiny stuff in the background (diapering). Lots of acanthus leaves used in these styles.


Wording.  Check out the typical examples here.
http://www.loggiaserena.com/Parchment/ScrollWordings/ScrollWordings.htm
But don't be afraid to suggest a new wording! Look at other examples and if you'd like to suggest a different text, just include a note on the back. Not all scrolls have to begin with the same old "Whereas."  Be creative.

See also
https://sites.google.com/site/ironmountainnewcomers/activities/scribes
https://sites.google.com/site/ironmountainnewcomers/what-is/regalia