This scroll was done on 5×7″ pergamenata, based on the Hasting Hours, one of my new absolute favorites. The illumination is just so delicate and varied. I pulled the border and central illustration from one page, the layout from another, and the A from another. I didn’t take a ton of in-progress pictures, so here’s what I have!
I draw the border in with a T-square and pencil, and the calligraphy guidelines with an Ames guide.
Filling in a more detailed sketch. Everything starts our as simple shapes (the flowers all start as simple ovals/circles), and then I add detail once everything is in the right place.
Calligraphy added. Filling in more details of the drawing (heraldry, leaves on the flowers).
Starting the background with a light wash of ultramarine mixed with cobalt blue.
Adding shadows, which are just the same color as the wash, but more concentrated.
Adding yellow ochre for the border and the initial washes for the flowers, plus the capital A with whitework.
Added shading in burnt umber for the flower leaves. For the central illustration, I generally try to work from back to front (so first the sky, then the walls and grass, then the tent, and so on). The painting process is very similar to watercolor. First a light wash of the lightest color, then gradually deepening to the darkest color.
And here I stopped taking pictures of my progress, because I was working to a deadline. Here’s the finished scroll. I decided to go back and add trees behind the flags. This was a super fun and challenging scroll to do! I learned a ton and look forward to doing more of this style.
Cecily of York 