[Loch-Ruadh] Re: K. illumination (looong)

[HRAFNASDOT at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/10/2003 9:54:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, elyssiaxvx at hotmail.com writes:

>  Oh no... now you just got me confused

I'm sorry, I just realized I started speaking "scribalese", unfortunately I may have to use it to describe the stuff -
What your paper probably is: fine grade hand made or look alike paper.  This mean its not been "pressed"(hot or cold) which crushes all the fiber and mush together to form a tight surface.  Sizing is a glue or starch and coats the paper and makes it hold its form, or size.  Very little of this is usually used in the fancy rough paper page blank books.  I bet if anyone used a marker to write with you can see all the feathering on it.

Pounce is a powder which filles in the holes.  When you write over it, it grabs the ink and holds - preventing bleeding and feathering.  Its a dust that you "pounce" the paper with and then brush the excess off.  Sanding smooths your paper surface, and the resultant dust will fill in the holes and if you spray with a size will glue all together and give you a smooth surface.

Sizing can be made with watered glue,  or corn starch, or fabric starch and a few other odd things - depends on what you have/what you need/what you want.

Rough fiber paper will melt if gotten wet, sometimes even if only damp.  This means you make your paint into yogurt consistancy not buttermilk - less water less spreading, bleeding, etc.  Guache is very good for working thicker like that and is easier to work with than an acrylic.  Keeping your brush barely damp, not wet, when working will also help (don't leave it standing in a glass of water, say).

Even charters are affected by too much water and will buckle - this is because you've spread the fibers around and moved the dusty bits and removed the gluey sizing and maybe scrubbed too hard with the brush-

Now you've got the crash course on applying stuff to your paper - and your head is probably hurting.  But don't give up!  You said the smart thing by wanting to try a scrap bit of paper and work with it - and that's really the only way to learn - like cooking biscuits without a recipe, until you've done it, you just don't know how much flour or water you will need until you've mixed it up.

Don't give up!  By asking good questions and being cautious you've already started the on the right foot.  You may end up using acrylic after all, but I hardily encourage the guache - it is very similar to what was used in period - and so is the type of paper you are going to work with (except maybe the rag content was higher...) and if it worked then, it'll work now.

Feel free to e-mail me and ask all the questions you want - I'm not an expert and I may not know the answer but if I don't I can probably get it to you or send you a website that'll answer your questions - and Mistress Stella is VERY good with this stuff if you want to ask her.

And now I return you to your regular channel - sorry for the long excursion into the A&S-zone. :)

Good luck

Asa