DIY Text Production

For my first experiment in text production, I attempted to separate an egg from its sac. Prior to print, egg yolk was added to paint as an adhesive to help it stick to pages in medieval manuscripts. This was a simple process and took a short period of time. One of the things I noticed was the delicacy needed in cracking the egg shell. Initially I used too much force and destroyed the sac. Asides from that, the rest of the process went smoothly. The egg was very sticky which convinced me it would serve as a great adhesive.

The second experiment I tried, writing in medieval script, was more difficult. The first script I attempted was Carolingian. I did not have a quill or other utensil suitable for calligraphy so I had to use a simple pen. Attempting to write this font made me realize how deficient the modern pen is as a calligraphic tool, since it is too thin and not pointed enough. 

For the rest of the scripts, Textura Quadrata and Bartarde, I wrote in thick letters to add the necessary details. These ones turned out much better and I could actually tell what fonts they were supposed to be, although they still did not match exactly. My letters were too slanted and disproportionate in size and would take hours more practice to perfect. Doing the calligraphy practice made me realize how much patience, discipline, and attention to detail it took to master medieval handwriting.