Painting with historical pigments

Cinnabar, azurite, malachite, brazilwood, lapis lazuli, vine black, etc.

Painting with historical pigments and dyes used in medieval manuscripts is a real journey of discovery, especially if you make the pigments yourself. First, you have to track down the raw materials and recipes, and then you have to actually paint with the paint you’ve made yourself. And as it turns out, historical paint is very different in character from modern paint and requires a specific painting technique. In short, there’s a whole lot to tackle and learn. I’ve started this process step by step myself and would like to share my experiences.

An important recommendation is to work carefully and learn about the materials you are using. Ask yourself not only where they come from and how they are made, but also whether they are toxic or not. Some traditional pigments are quite toxic and require careful handling. Arsenic, lead and mercury demand thorough preparation and precision for your own safety, that of your household members and the environment.

Through this project report, I would like to share my knowledge step by step. I have chosen to create a replica of a design for which I have designed the border decoration myself.

The image:

This comes from the Roman de Girart de Roussillon. The work is held at the National Library in Vienna, Cod. 2549. The original miniature was created by the illuminator known as the Master of Girart de Roussillon. The image is a truly evocative depiction. A number of nobles are leaving the city, perhaps to go hunting? Around the illustration, I have created a narrow border decoration with acanthus motifs, differing from the original. I really wanted to turn it into a ‘didactic illustration’

The border is decorated with gold leaf, azurite, cinnabar and a pink pigment made from brazilwood.

The working method

We apply the drawing to the parchment after first preparing it. We create the drawing on parchment that has been treated with pumice mixed with lime. It is lightly sanded, with the pumice roughening the surface of the parchment slightly and the lime removing any residual grease. Anyone unfamiliar with this process can follow my explanation on YouTube. We create the drawing using a pencil or a graphite pencil. https://www.youtube.com/@jaapboerman/videos?app=desktop

Before we start drawing on the parchment, we first treat it with pumice and lime. For this piece, I have used a small piece of calfskin parchment stretched over a board.

Next, the pencil lines are inked, and you can use hatching to create various shades, thereby creating a preliminary sketch. This applies to both the drawing and the border decoration. When you’re finished, use a soft eraser to remove any remaining graphite from the pencil.
Now we will first prepare the areas where we want to apply gold. In my demonstration, we do this in two ways: on a flat surface and on a raised surface. The flat areas of gold can be applied to a layer of gum arabic or gum ammonia, whilst the raised layer of gold is applied to a base of gesso.

Gold can be applied to a flat surface or to a raised layer of gesso. For this, we can use loose gold or gold on blotting paper.

After applying all the gold, I began with the border decoration, specifically the acanthus leaves in blue, pink and gold. For this, I used the colours listed below.

The blue acanthus leaves with azurite: first, a single layer of azurite bound with a medieval binder (1). A second layer on the shaded side. A dark border of azurite with vine black as a contour on the shaded side. A raised area with white on the light side. Finally, the dots as a grain pattern across the leaf. For the white, I used titanium white because lead white tends to turn black in an aqueous solution.

The red acanthus leaves with cinnabar: applied in a single layer using a binder. Apply a second layer to the shaded side. Outline the dark side with burnt sienna. Add a raised layer of white to the light side and dot the leaf to suggest the grain.

Acanthus leaves in cinnabar and burnt sienna.

Pink leaves of brazilwood: here I painted using a pigment made from a solution of brazilwood flakes and cochineal precipitated onto ground marble. First one layer, then a second on the shaded side. I outlined the dark side with burnt sienna and highlighted with white, dotting across the grain with white.

Pink leaves with pigment made from brazilwood and cochineal.

Pigments used for the border decoration.

Painting the sky

First, apply a dark band at the top and wash it out with plenty of water. Then, using horizontal strokes from top to bottom, create an ‘optical’ bridge between the dark and light areas. I then went straight on to painting the clothing using lapis lazuli. This produces a beautiful velvety blue which, unfortunately, doesn’t show up well in a photograph.

Painting with real lapis lazuli produces a velvety blue. First apply a base coat, then a second coat in the folds, and build up the colour with blue and white and pure white.

I next started working on the background, incorporating various architectural elements. Other colours used include indigo, vine black and lamp black. Here and there, I opted for a modern shade, particularly for the green. A plant-based green is very delicate, whereas a mixture containing auripigment is highly toxic (arsenic).