[Ansteorra] need paintmaking help

[Hillary Greenslade]

>Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 22:29:10 -0500
>From: Stefan li Rous <StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>
>Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] need paintmaking help
>To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at ansteorra.org>
>
>Greetings Stephanie,
>>Are you sure that you aren't thinking of oak galls? These are balls 
>formed by the oak tree when it is bitten/invaded by certain bugs as a 
>defense. These galls are high in tannic acid. You can find out how to 
>use these to make ink in this file in the SCRIBAL ARTS section of the 
>Florilegium:

Nope, for use as a medium in painting she's thinking of 'ox gall' - essentially the bile of an ox.
 A modern source said it was taken from the gall bladder of a cow, though historically it probably
would be an oxen. If the class had been about inks, then oak gall's would have been a
consideration, as oak galls can be made into ink.  

Some general terms for items (binders, mediums, etc) used in scribal techniques: 
* Oak Gall - ink derived from the galls (growths on trees cause by insect attacks) of an oak tree.
* Ox Gall - wetting agent for paints, also used in paper marbelling to increase paint flow.
* Glair - a binder and sealant, made from residue of whipped egg whites
* Tempera - a binder, egg yolks mixed with paint
* Gum arabic - sap from an acacia tree, a binder to mix with pigments for paints.
* Gum ammoniac - a size; adhesive, used to attach gold leafing to the illumination; of the
ammoniac plant  
* gesso -  a size; slaked plaster and a binder, used for raised gilding with metal leaf. 
* pounce - A substance like chalk, ash, powdered bone, or pumice, rubbed into a writing surface 
* gum sandarac - A vegetable secretion of trees, the gum of the Tetraclinis articulata of NW
Africa. used like pounce to prime paper for a writing surface.

Hope that helps.
Cheers, Hillary