Initial Letters
Photo of the Week by hocusfocus
I crafted these Initial Letters from scratch. But they were first created by Margaret Morgan, as found in her book: "The Bible of Illuminated Letters". She in turn was inspired by ancient manuscripts.
So not originals, but nevertheless, I found this project required careful patience and considerable skill. Framed and mounted on our living room wall, they add a good shot of colour and form. Best seen large.
So not originals, but nevertheless, I found this project required careful patience and considerable skill. Framed and mounted on our living room wall, they add a good shot of colour and form. Best seen large.
Uploaded06/04/2026 - 21:20
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Posted 14/04/2026 - 20:50
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Hi Gibis: So sorry for my long-delayed response to your request for more info on my post "Initial Letters", but here goes...
I used Winsor & Newton gouache paint for all the coloured items, and for the first letter on the left ---the "B", I used a thick, high-quality gold called "Instacoll". For the next letter--the "D" of David playing his harp, (yes, it is NOT an "O", but a "D", where the blue animal stem is horizontal, not vertical, in accordance with that particular Uncial alphabet) I used Winsor and Newton gold gouache. Note that David's right arm/hand is not displayed because in the ancient original the artist neglected to show them!! The next letter, "S", is raised and burnished gold leaf, which gives the richest gold effect of all. Too bad the lighting was such when I took the photo, that the brilliance does not show, but believe me, raised gold leaf treatment is drop-dead gorgeous. The gold of last letter, also an "S" , is again Instacoll.
The "B" was the trickiest letter to do, given the many curves, and the intricate blue material, and also the necessity to keep the colours and the gold separate in the many cramped spaces.
I should also say that taking the photo of this quartet was also somewhat tricky, but that's another story...
I used Winsor & Newton gouache paint for all the coloured items, and for the first letter on the left ---the "B", I used a thick, high-quality gold called "Instacoll". For the next letter--the "D" of David playing his harp, (yes, it is NOT an "O", but a "D", where the blue animal stem is horizontal, not vertical, in accordance with that particular Uncial alphabet) I used Winsor and Newton gold gouache. Note that David's right arm/hand is not displayed because in the ancient original the artist neglected to show them!! The next letter, "S", is raised and burnished gold leaf, which gives the richest gold effect of all. Too bad the lighting was such when I took the photo, that the brilliance does not show, but believe me, raised gold leaf treatment is drop-dead gorgeous. The gold of last letter, also an "S" , is again Instacoll.
The "B" was the trickiest letter to do, given the many curves, and the intricate blue material, and also the necessity to keep the colours and the gold separate in the many cramped spaces.
I should also say that taking the photo of this quartet was also somewhat tricky, but that's another story...
Posted 14/04/2026 - 21:14
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Oh, I meant to say David's arm is not shown, but his hand is showing grasping the harp's handle.
Posted 15/04/2026 - 00:27
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Absolutely well deserved accolade both for the image and the initial creation of it/ them - so what if they are copies? You still produced them - wonderful.
Posted 15/04/2026 - 00:50
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You will, without any doubt at all, appreciate "Celtic Art: the methods of construction" by George Bain (1951). It isn't hard to find and it isn't in the least bit stuffy and covers everything such as simple interlocked linework, knots, borders and patterns, lettering, zoomorphics and lots more. Just Google it. I made great use of it many years ago when I was producing trendy (and some serious) Teeshirts and sweatshirts.
Posted 15/04/2026 - 17:29
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Thank you Gibis, Giulio and David. David: I have Bain's book, but must say I never was into Celtic knots, though many calligraphers certainly are.
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61 posts
15 years
Vellore,
India
please share more details... what material was used, etc.
details in each letter can be appreciated much more, if pics taken separately