The scribe can vary the forms which his pen produces, and the colours which he gives them, with a freedom that the set form and the method of using the binder's tools do not allow. But the skilled penman will find that his pen (or, at any rate, his _penmanship_) largely determines the forms of his freest flourishes and strokes, and that the semi-formal nature of such ornament demands a certain simplicity and repetition of form and colour, which do not unduly tax his skill as a craftsman.
Suppose, for example, that the scribe wishes to illuminate the border of a page of writing. He may choose a limited number of simple, pen-made forms for the elements of his design; say, a circle, a "leaf," and a "tendril," and a few curved flourishes and strokes (fig. 121), and with these cover the allotted space evenly and agreeably. [p199]
The ornament being treated as though it were a sort of floral growth, requires a starting point or "root." The initial letter is the natural origin of the border ornament, the stalk of which generally springs from the side or from one of the extremities of the letter. The main stem and branches are first made with a very free pen, forming a _skeleton pattern_ (fig. 122).
NOTE.--The numbers in the diagram indicate the order in which the strokes were made. The _main stem_ (111) sweeps over and occupies most of the ground; the _secondary_ stem (222) occupies the remainder; the main _branches_ (333, &c.) make the occupation secure. [p200]
Next the minor branches are added to cover the space evenly, and then the _flowers_, _fruit_, and _buds_--made up of combinations of the "leaves," circles, &c.--are more or less evenly disposed in the spaces formed by the large, round curves at the ends of the branches (fig. 123). [p201]
The "leaves" are placed all over, wherever there is convenient room for them (just as the leaves of a real plant are). Then the stalks of the leaves are added, and, lastly, the interspaces are filled with "tendrils," which greatly contribute to the pleasant intricacy of the design (fig. 124). [p202]
_Colour Schemes._--The safest treatment of such a "design" is in black and gold (see p. 187). The leaves, which are kept rather flat, may be outlined _after_ gilding. The flowers, &c., may be made up in red and blue (tempered with white: see p. 182). This is the colour treatment of the example, Plate XVII.