I was asked to participate in the Bestiary Calendar which is a fundraiser for the Kingdom.   I can't show you the work yet as it is yet to be advertised, however, I can let you peek under the slip a bit..... ;-)  Here is my work space prior to arting. 

Summer comes and there is more time to complete assignments, especially backlogs.  Eleanor Catlyng did the original scroll and did not like how it came out.  So we discussed it, and it was decided that she would do the calligraphy and I would do the illumination.   No surprises, we are a good team, especially when it comes to peerage scrolls.  I had to get the other items off my list and mid summer dove into it.  It was done before July, however, since I could not get the original to Marie, I didn't feel right about publishing it until it was in her hands.  At Uber Crafty, I was able to hand it off and thus I am able to publish it now.

As always I start with a layout.  The calligraphy is already there, setting up most of the layout, but then I draw in the elements that I wish to use.  We had very specific items that the recipient wished to have on the scroll so I tried to make sure that those were featured.

The above is a Grant of Arms to Sir Nicholas Bacon English, 1568/9. Illuminated document granting arms and signed and sealed by three of the Kings of Arms. Illumination consists primarily of heraldic shields and a portrait initial.

The one directly above is a Grant of Arms  to George Toke English, 1547. Illuminated document granting arms and signed and sealed by Gilbert Dethick, Norroy King of Arms.  


With this in mind, I was going to have an achievement of arms on the left, a person in heraldic dress wearing a tabard with the Kingdom Arms of Outlands (she has moved to the East, but was formerly of the Outlands) and the flowers and greenery across the top.

I've sketched in the Pelican, the heraldic person, the achievement, the enlarged letter E for Edward, and the leaves and flowers across the top of the border.

I mixed up some paint that I wished to use and made up some fresh mosaic gold, below.

Mosaic gold

Close up:  Inked in the details, started with mosaic gold, started the white for the Pelican, and painting in the black and green.

The entire piece.

Close up of the Pelican, after doing some shading.  The Pelican is permanent white with grey dulled with more white for the greytone shading.

Slightly blurry, but the Achievement of arms, lamp black with mosaic gold and permanent white, all Windsor Newton Gouache.

Happily zipping along with Windsor Newton ultramarine gouache for the flowers, and Holbein green for the leaves, and Holbein purple-red for the larger red flower, and Holbein yellow for the highlights and the yellow stockings.  This was taken before I began work on the shading work on the Pelican.

More details.

Close up of the detail work, and beginning the diapering behind the main figure with the Capital E. 

Diapering with details of three white dots to each blue space.

Finished product.