Learn how to illuminate your writing like the scribes of the past, bringing letters to life with plant and animal motifs, swirling vines and leaves, graceful arabesques and flourishes, fantastical imagery, and more. Draw creatures cavorting across the page as Gothic illuminators did, or create the knotwork seen in famous Celtic manuscripts. Step-by-step tutorials, tips for creating striking effects, and blank letterforms you can illuminate yourself make this the perfect modern-day guide to the medieval art of beautiful writing. 160 pages. 6-1/4" wide x 8-1/4" high (15.9 cm wide x 21 cm high). Rights: World (English)

Rare letters and borders that once enhanced medieval bibles and other rare manuscripts are ornamented with exquisite florals, curvilinear motifs interwoven with religious figures, and other exquisite embellishments. More than 350 designs, including 256 letters.

The twenty-eight essays in this collection showcase cutting-edge research in manuscript studies, encompassing material from late antiquity to the Renaissance. The volume celebrates the exceptional contribution of John Lowden to the study of medieval books. The authors explore some of the themes and questions raised in John’s work, tackling issues of meaning, making, patronage, the book as an object, relationships between text and image, and the transmission of ideas. They combine John’s commitment to the close scrutiny of manuscripts with an interrogation of what the books meant in their own time and what they mean to us now.

An inspirational introduction to creating decorative calligraphy.

The Bodleian Library is home to some of the finest examples of illuminated letters. Now, with An Illuminated Alphabet, readers young and old can enjoy a wide selection of these extraordinary letters in twenty-six pull-out postcards--one for each letter of the alphabet. Each postcard features one illuminated letter from a book or manuscript in the Bodleian Library's collection. From large gold-leaf initials in medieval and Renaissance manuscripts to hand-painted examples from early printed books, An Illuminated Alphabet offers an intriguing new way to enjoy the many treasures in the collection of the Bodleian Library. Whether you're an art lover, bibliophile, or one of the Library's more than one million visitors each year, this most beautiful of alphabet books is sure to become a favorite.

Spirited history and comprehensive instruction manual covers 13 styles (ca. 4th–15th centuries). Excellent photographs; directions for duplicating medieval techniques with modern tools. "Vastly rewarding and illuminating." — American Artist.

50 great initials of the Middle Ages, all with remarkable, ready-to-color illuminations built into them: Biblical scenes, knights, martyrdoms, grotesque animals, geometrical ornament, scenes of war and play, musicians and much else from the treasury of medieval manuscript.

A comprehensive design source book of all types of Celtic illuminated letters by leading exponent of Celtic art, Courtney Davis. The 101 illuminated letters reflect the history of Celtic design from the earliest examples to Courtney Davis's own celebrated modern interpretations. Many of the illuminated letters are from, or inspired by, the famous Celtic manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells. The 101 designs are all hand painted by Courtney Davis and printed in full colour. Each is accompanied by a black and white version of the same image on the adjacent page - perfect for scanning or photocopying for use on readers' personal art, design or craft project. The book contains two complete alphabets and the remaining letters are structured so that those most commonly used at the beginning of words are represented with many more examples than the least common letters. The introduction gives a brief history of the Celts and an explanation of the birth and development of their artistic style with particular relation to illuminated letter designs.