The Illuminator's Ten Commandments

On the Making of Good Scrolls unto Thyself

I. Thou shalt not bear false witness.

Work from period sources, not Walt Disney or Warner Brothers. Use medieval artistic styles – study them to understand the idiosyncrasies of the colors, compositions, drawing techniques, etc. Your personality will still show through (it IS your art, after all!) but the goal should be a recreation of a medieval style. The hunt is half the fun, so take the time to do some research and try to achieve an authentic medieval look.

II. Thou shalt use quality materials.

Your aim should be for your work to last as long as the sources by which you’re inspired. This means using acid free paper, light fast ink, and quality paints.

III. Thou shalt honor the Crown and Coronet.

Keep in mind the purpose of the scroll: you are documenting the words of the Crown or Coronet. Be sure to leave room (and a prominent place) for what makes the work an official document: royalty signatures, royal and heraldic seals, and the official emblazon, if included in the award.

IV. Thou shalt honor thy calligrapher’s contribution.

Where possible, consult with the calligrapher to make sure their script matches with your art in culture and time period. This will also help ensure that the calligraphy matches your expectations, as well: if you need the text contained to a certain area, or spaces left for painted capitals, be explicit!

V. Thou shalt not burden thy recipient’s purse.

Work with a size and format that includes a generous matting border but still lends itself to framing “off the shelf”, unless you’ve consulted with the recipient first. The more reasonable the framing costs, the less likely your art will live forever in a cardboard sleeve instead of proudly gracing the wall of someone’s home.

VI. Thou shalt not steal the show.

The purpose of the scroll is to communicate a message about the recipient, not show off the art. Make sure the name and device are central features, not hidden away. A good rule of thumb: the painted device should be at least as wide as the Royal seal (2½ - 3 inches).

VII. Thou shalt not lick thy brush.

Neither place it in thy mouth. And make sure you have sufficient ventilation in your work area as well. Many paints contain components that are toxic when ingested or inhaled. Look for signal words on the label: Caution, Warning, Danger, and Poison. These signal words indicate the level of hazard (caution is the least hazardous compared to poison which is highly toxic). Remember to store paints out of reach of children and pets.

VIII. Thou shalt proofread thy calligrapher’s work.

Everyone makes mistakes – wouldn’t you rather find yours before someone else does? Make sure the emblazon (picture) matches the blazon (words): if necessary, consult a herald before painting – the herald will be checking your work anyway, and wouldn’t you rather know about a mistake before you’ve finished everything else?

IX. Thou shalt not make an unclean image.

Make sure to clean up your work – touch up rough edges and erase pencil marks, if they are not actually part of the medieval design. If you’re working on material that can be scraped, remove errors where possible.

X. Thou shalt honor thy commitments.

Or reworded, don’t make commitments you can’t honor. It’s ok to say “no” to too many assignments, and you’ll be happier if your workload isn’t breaking your back. Don’t be afraid to return an assignment that’s been hanging in your personal backlog for too long: there will always be another scroll to do, once you’ve finished what’s on your plate!