THE ILLUMINATED ADDRESS
The illuminated address is the form which most modern illumination
takes. The greater number of these cannot, even by the widest stretch
of imagination, be called works of art. Not only are they generally
executed with vivid and crude colour schemes, but also the style of
decoration is usually extremely bad. Some of the letters are painfully
contorted. Others are represented as if they were solid blocks throwing
shadows, and are drawn in false perspective. Meaningless flourishes
abound. Occasionally a little bit of decoration, that has been copied
from some mediæval work, is introduced. This, however, is mixed up with
a lot of straggling ornament which it is impossible to conceive as
having been produced by any artist of the Middle Ages.
One can quite understand how this is so when one considers how so
much of the work is done. Illuminated addresses are often executed by
people who have had practically no training at all. One can scarcely
complain if they are in bad taste when such is the case. If one has had
a good grounding by studying the work of the ancient illuminators it is
practically impossible to produce this type of work. Therefore, before
attempting to work in a modern style, the student should make a careful
study of the work of the mediæval period.
When one receives an enquiry regarding an illuminated address, a
definite understanding is necessary as to the form which the address
is to take. Those generally employed are the Framed Address, the Book
form, and the Vellum Scroll. (See Fig. 34, _a_, _b_, _c_.)
[Illustration: FIG. 34.]
One should be able and willing to give advice and help in the matter
of wording. It is advisable to guard against the usual foolish and
somewhat bombastic manner of wording testimonials. The first or third
person is generally employed, but it would be much better if it took
the form of an ordinary letter expressing appreciation and good wishes.
Whichever form is employed, care should be taken that these are not
confused in any way.
It is a good plan to make, first of all, a careful copy of the wording,
and get it checked with the original before commencing to work. This
will prevent mistakes being made. Then the artist should find out
if any coats of arms, etc., are needed to be introduced into the
decoration. The approximate size is then decided, and the whole is
roughed out in pencil on detail paper to find the exact spacing of the
lettering and decoration.
The form that the address should take depends on the matter to be
introduced. If, for example, 500 names are required to be appended, a
framed testimonial is clearly out of the question. For the same reason
one in the form of a scroll is useless. The only practical method is to
do it in book form.
When executing an address in this manner, the best way is to write it
in sections composed of two folded sheets. After the work is completed,
the whole is carefully bound by an experienced binder. Another method
is to write it in a blank album, but, if this is done, care should be
taken that the paper is of good quality and suitable for writing and
illuminating. The paper of which these albums are generally made is
unfortunately rather poor in quality.
If the scroll form is employed, it is best that large masses of raised
gold should not be used in the decoration, owing to the likelihood of
this cracking when the vellum is rolled. When completed, the scroll is
generally enclosed in a cylindrical case or a metal casket. Of course,
the latter, if made by a good craftsman, is much to be preferred.
For a framed testimonial the best kind of frame is undoubtedly a black
one, as this serves well to show up the brilliance of the gold and
colours. It is also a good plan to frame it with a cut mount, so that
the vellum does not touch the glass.
A word of warning is possibly needed here. When having illuminated work
on vellum framed, it is most important that the frame-maker should not
be allowed to mount it. If he does this he is almost certain to spoil
the work, as, when the back of the vellum is damped, the moisture soaks
through and softens the raising preparation, thus spoiling the raised
gold work; also the chances are that the vellum will be spoiled at the
same time. It is very annoying, after spending a considerable time on
the work, to find it completely ruined by an unsuccessful attempt to
mount it.
If a list of names is wanted at the end of an address it should be
ascertained if signatures are needed or a carefully-written list of
names. If signatures are required, it is best to get these before
completing the decoration. Lines should be ruled faintly with a
sharply-pointed H.B. pencil to act as a guide for the various writers.
The signatures should all be written under the artist’s personal
supervision. It is a great mistake to allow the work to leave one’s
hands before it is properly finished. If it is carried here and there
by various people it is very liable to become soiled, to say nothing of
mistakes made and signatures written in ink of various shades. A good
fluid Indian ink, the same as that which the lettering is written with,
should be provided. A number of pens of different styles should be to
hand, with paper for the subscribers to try the pens on before signing
the actual address.
Signatures certainly have a more sentimental value than a mere list of
names. A neatly-written list of names, however, looks much better and
is more in keeping with the decoration. It is best to place the names
in alphabetical order.
If the names are to be put in by the artist, he should first of all, as
mentioned before in the case of the wording, make a copy of these and
get it carefully checked before writing them in.
It is very usual to include coats-of-arms in the decoration. When this
is done, great care should be taken that these are blazoned in the
correct colours, and also that they are properly drawn. A good handbook
on Heraldry should be consulted. The illuminator should have, at any
rate, an elementary knowledge of this subject, as he is so often called
upon to make use of it.
After he has carefully ascertained by means of the rough drawing the
measurements and spacing, he should start work straight away on the
vellum. It is not necessary to go into details as to how to set about
this. Explanations have already been given, in a previous chapter,
concerning how to set out an illuminated page.
In the case of a beginner who has not sufficient confidence in himself
to work direct on the vellum, the first drawing may be made on a sheet
of tracing paper. If this is pinned over a piece of white paper it is
quite easy to work upon. When the drawing is completed, the tracing
paper should be reversed, and the whole of the decoration should be
traced on the back of it with a finely-pointed H.B. pencil. This is
referring to the decoration only. The lettering should in any case be
written straightway on to the vellum, after the necessary measurements
and calculations have been made.
After the whole of the decoration has been traced through the tracing
paper should be carefully placed in position on the vellum. It should
be fastened with drawing-pins down one side. The traced decoration can
then be easily transferred to the vellum by rubbing the back of the
tracing paper with a burnisher or paper-knife. Care should be taken
that the paper does not shift about during this process. It should be
held firmly, lifting it up occasionally to see if a clear impression is
being made.
It is just possible that the illuminator may be asked to submit a rough
sketch. He should bear in mind that the object of this is to give some
idea of the finished work. This should be executed in a bold fashion
on cartridge paper with a soft pencil. A few words may be written in
the script that he intends to use, and it is as well to finish a small
portion of the decoration in colours. This should enable his client to
understand something of what the finished work will be.
A simple but very effective form of address is that having a
coat-of-arms at the top, with the matter in plain lettering with a fine
initial, as indicated in (_d_). A still simpler form might consist of a
nice piece of lettering with a plain initial either in raised gold or
vermilion, omitting the coat-of-arms at the top.