Re: VMs: How translucent is vellum? - Drawing circles

["DANA SCOTT" <dscott520@xxxxxxx>]

Very good. So perhaps our scribe had access to rather sophisticated 
writing/drawing tools, such as might be found in a monastery or an 
institution of higher education.

Regards,
Dana Scott


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "CDA" <cda@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <vms-list@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2003 10:32 AM
Subject: Re: VMs: How translucent is vellum? - Drawing circles


> Did you try it? Try it with a pencil. You'll see that it's virtually
> impossible to keep the same angle with the paper and, therefore, the 
> circle
> won't close exactly. To keep the same angle, you'll need two strings, each
> one fastened to different locations of the pencil or to keep the pencil
> exactly at the same angle (which means that the page has to rotate).
>
> This is not the same as doing a circle or an ellipse in a garden, where 
> the
> procedure that you indicate would work well because the angle doesn't 
> matter
> much, given that it's close to the ground. A drawing in a page is 
> different
> because small changes in the slope of the pencil (quill) will change the
> radius of the circle. If you want to do the same with a quill the string 
> has
> to be secured to the bottom of the quill, which might interfere with the
> release of the ink. Therefore, it has to be higher than that, but if you 
> put
> it higher, the amplification of the errors produced by the movements of 
> the
> hand will also be higher.
>
> Besides, how do you propose to 'hold the other end of the string tightly'?
> The rotation has to be done on a point. If you hold it with your finger 
> the
> radius will change as you move. Actually, you should let it rotate loosely
> using a tack or similar. This will solve the problem on one end (the 
> center)
> but you'll still have a changing slope on the other if you hold it with 
> your
> hand and a single string.
>
> If instead of using a pencil you now do it with an instrument that has a
> very limited amount of ink, the procedure is even more difficult,
> particularly for the outer circles, and you should see the places where 
> the
> ink becomes lighter.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Claudio
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "DANA SCOTT" <dscott520@xxxxxxx>
> To: <vms-list@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 9:27 PM
> Subject: Re: VMs: How translucent is vellum?
>
>
> > I should think that a quill tied to the end of a string would work 
> > nicely.
> > Just hold the other end of the string tightly at the center of the 
> > circle
> > and draw. The same could be done with a strip of wood I would imagine
> (poke
> > a nail through one end and attach the quill at the other end, voilà!).
> >
> > Regards,
> > Dana Scott
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "GC" <glenclaston@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <vms-list@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 3:11 PM
> > Subject: RE: VMs: How translucent is vellum?
> >
> >
> > > Ken wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > 1. I'm not versed in 15th century drafting and writing implements. I'm
> > > simply working from experience.
> > >
> > >
> > > My lay understanding of the circinus, the standard compass of this
> period,
> > > was that it was widely used as a scribe tool, and I don't know of any
> > > examples that were "inkable".  Metal nibs were not in use then, and a
> > > writing stilus could have been attached to a circinus, but it's 
> > > unlikely
> > > one
> > > was made to hold a quill.  There is some indication that lead plummet
> was
> > > used in some of these devices, but whether lead plummet or scribe, 
> > > each
> > > would require that the ink be applied by hand over the scribed circle.
> > > Depending on the steadiness of the hand, the circle would appear 
> > > traced
> > > instead of mechanically drawn.  This means that the circle was indeed
> hand
> > > traced, no matter the initial method of drawing the circle as a guide
> for
> > > the ink.
> > >
> > > FWIW
> > >
> > > GC
> > >
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