how to do medieval calligraphy?

Question

so i really want to learn to do the really cool writing in the old manuscripts.....are there any sets or anything i could get? if so where?

Answer 1

Art stores carry pens with nibs and ink in different colors, and if you REALLY want to be historically accurate you can grind your own pigments (no lie!). There's people in the SCA (society for creative anachronism, like living history groups) who do this as an art form from scratch, holding their pigments in seashells and working with their own cut goose quill feathers, but you don't have to get that detailed.

Half Price Books may have some books on calligraphy in their arts section, or you can do searches online for some of the Medieval tutorials. There's also plenty of Medieval illuminated manuscripts available to see online as well, in full color, usually at university sites. You can find those via google with some simple searches.

Here's some good sites to start you off with --

Answer 2

I found my caligraphy set in an office suppy store. They sell inexpensive as well as sets that cost up to $100...the more suffisticated the more money needed...but the less expensive sets have the little booklet that teaches you the strokes also...and if that is not enough, once you buy the pens you can always go to a bookstore like borders and buy a book on caligraphy to help you along.
good luck.

Answer 3

Here is a great site that can take you from beginning to write a scroll to doing borders, illumination:

http://www.rencentral.com/GSS/index.shtml

Gutenberg School of Scribes


have fun.