The Art of the Scribe

Winner of the 2026 British Book Design and Production Awards - Scholarly, Academic and Reference Book category Pages from some of the most celebrated and exquisite medieval manuscripts in the British Library provide the inspiration for twenty-one practical art and calligraphy projects. Seven classic scripts are explored in turn by expert Patricia Lovett. She explains their characteristics, origins and development and creates exemplar diagrams to show basic letter shapes and the quill strokes required to produce them. Each chapter ends with three complementary projects based on aspects of the manuscripts’ design and layout shown in preceding pages; these range from simple to more technical. Manuscripts from the British Library, Bibliotheque Nationale de France and the Getty Museum have been selected, and projects are illustrated with step-by-step photographs and beautiful images of the finished works. A substantial Part II provides vital guidance on specialist tools and materials, as well as practical techniques, such as cutting quills, mixing inks and paints, and preparing pigments and shell gold.