This series of videos comes from an American graduate student who works as a calligrapher who specializes in reproductions of medieval manuscripts. The videos are a how to guide for creating your own manuscript. Click here to visit her website Bygone Arts.

See also:

Medieval and Renaissance Book Production – article by Richard W. Clement

The Making of Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts – video lecture by Sally Dormer

As the first step in making a reproduction of a page of a medieval manuscript, I create prick-marks on the margin of the parchment. These will serve as a guide when I create ruling lines later.


As the second step in making a reproduction of a page of a medieval manuscript, I create ruling lines on the parchment.

In the process of making a reproduction of a medieval manuscript, I write text on parchment using walnut ink and a Brause nib.

In the process of making a reproduction of a medieval manuscript, I write text on parchment using walnut ink and a Brause nib.


In the process of making a reproduction of a medieval manuscript, I erase a mistake by scraping the mistake off with a knife.

In the process of making a reproduction of a medieval manuscript, I polish gold leaf.

As part of the process of making a reproduction of a medieval manuscript, I paint details onto an illuminated letter T.

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