Illumination

Gold was always regarded in historical times as precious, it doesn’t tarnish as other metals do, it was rare, expensive, and had high status. It was thus a natural material to use for Christians producing the first manuscript books to decorate the pages to the glory of God. Because it was so expensive it was also used as an indication of wealth and high status for those who commissioned books to give to churches and religious foundations, as well as for their own use.

Gold in both leaf and powder forms were used; the latter mixed with gum to create shell gold (it was sold in mussel shells – hence the name). Silver and other metals were also used, and, later mosaic gold, but none could compete with the brilliance of shine of burnished leaf gold on a raised gesso ground.

The process of illumination in manuscript production was a meticulous and highly skilled craft. It involves the decoration of handwritten texts with elaborate designs, gold or silver leaf, and miniature illustrations.

• Manuscripts were traditionally written on vellum (calfskin) or parchment (sheepskin or goatskin), although today paper is also used.
• Gesso or gum is applied where gold is to be placed.
• Thin sheets of gold leaf are carefully laid down and burnished to a shine
• Artists use mineral, plant-based, or insect-derived pigments mixed with egg tempera to paint illustrations
• Black or brown ink is used for outlines and intricate details.
• Borders and decorative initials were often filled with intricate patterns, floral motifs, or fantastical creatures.

• Market issues: Demand for traditional illumination work is low: very few commissions insist on strictly traditional methods, so often illuminated work is carried out using more modern techniques and materials.
• Skills issues: There are very few people who have the knowledge and expertise to gild in a traditional way as in mediæval manuscripts, replicating the craft processes, and the cost of doing so hinders those who may wish to learn (gold is expensive, and the tools and other materials are not cheap either), and also those who want to commission.
• Cost of materials and training: Illumination is expensive to do and so even going on a course requires a degree of financial outlay.
• Sourcing raw materials: Preparing traditional paints from scratch is time-consuming and often challenging, and demand for work created using these materials is low.
• Skills issues: As well, authentic tradition-based work requires the practitioner to have considerable understanding of the history and uses of pigments over historical time, how they work with one another, etc, which is highly specialised knowledge that takes time and study to acquire: and again in this case, demand for the use of traditional materials is low as most commissions are adequately fulfilled by using modern commercial materials.
• Training and recruitment issues: There are no full-time courses being taught; there are a few part-time courses (in the south east) and unquantifiable occasional workshops.
• Ageing practitioners: Most practitioners are in their mature years and there is no systematic approach to passing skills to young potential craftspeople

• Society of Scribes and Illuminators
• Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society
• British Library 

There are no formal training opportunities available in illumination but there are number of short courses available in calligraphy and lettering arts, some of which will include illumination. Learning how to gild with gesso is a complicated, and sometimes capricious, process, and it is usually best to take a course with an experience illuminator.

Short courses

• The Society of Scribes and Illuminators provide a list of tutors who can teach calligraphy and lettering
• The Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society provide a range of short courses and opportunities to learn calligraphy and lettering
• The King’s School for Traditional Arts (PSTA) in London offers regular short courses (usually 5 days long) in medieval illumination and gilding, taught by different tutors. The KSTA also offers regular short courses in traditional Islamic illumination taught by various tutors.
• Patricia Lovett MBE runs one-day courses at the British Library, the Parker Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of London etc, and three-day traditional manuscripts skills courses once a year in Sevenoaks.

Diplomas and Certificates

The Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society offer a self-directed National Diploma in Calligraphy and a  Specialist Skills Award that can include illumination and gilding as a specialism.

• Patricia Lovett MBE
• Andrew Stewart Jamieson
• Ben Farnell
• Neil Bromley
• Tim Noad
• Ann Hechle
• Michela Antonello
• Toni Watts
• Helen White
• Gerald Mynott
• Christabel Helena Anderson
• Jan Mehigan
• Jan Pickett
• Mary Noble
• Penny Price
• Tina Warren
• Cathy Stables

• Lovett, P, Illumination – Gold and Colour.
• Lovett, P, The British Library Guide to Calligraphy, Illumination and Heraldry.
• Lovett, P, Illumination. (DVD).
• www.patricialovett.com – contains articles about illumination in mediæval and Renaissance manuscripts and contemporary illumination including producing props for film and TV.
• Noad, T, and Seligman, P, The Illuminated Alphabet: an inspirational introduction to creating decorative calligraphy (Quarto)
• Mehigan, J, and Noble, M, The Encyclopaedia of Calligraphy & Illumination: a step-by-step directory of alphabets, illuminated letters and decorative techniques (Search Press)

Our thanks go to our 2025 reviewers:

• Society of Scribes and Illuminators
• Patricia Lovett MBE

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