Here is Hebrews 4:12 in two variations of Roman capitals. I wrote the second one in a slight slant, which to me gives the verse a bit more of an impact. When I do quick practices like this, I'm usually too lazy to use a ruler to pencil in any guide lines, hence the slight crookedness and irregularities in the sizing of letters. Which one do you like better?
Lately my career has left little room or time for calligraphy, but this Christmas I committed myself to making gifts for two dear friends. A few years ago I thought of using Bible verses in paperweights, and decided to revisit the idea this past week. The creative process starts with the verse itself. In this case I chose a verse that I knew held special meaning for the person I was intending it for. I always start the project prayerfully, asking the Lord to help me shape and envision the verse in a way that will honor Him. Then I write out the verse in plain Roman italic, without any thought or care of design. After I meditate on the verse a while and consider its meaning, I begin to plan the design. John 14:27 is one of the most comforting, reasssuring words in the Bible, so I thought of a soft, flowing look to the verse. I also happened to have an oval-shaped glass paperweight on hand, so I experimented with the arrangement and flow of the words within an oval space. I decided on this one: Let there be color! After the composition is set, I begin to play with color. I decided to try something new and used pastel as a background, with soothing blues and greens and a hint of yellow. I made sweeping, S-shaped curves with the side of the pastels to apply color that would support the wavy flow of the text: And finally . . . The finished paperweight: Grumbacher watercolors (a mix of Hooker light green, ultramarine, and light blue) and Rembrandt pastels on colored (cream) cardstock. Most of the lettering was done with a C4 Speedball nib, except for the Scripture reference. Fixative was applied last to avoid smudging the glass. |
The Scribbler's Blog features my latest projects, dabblings, and scribblings. This is where I keep track of all my creative, artistic explorations and wanderings as I meditate on God's Word. Archives
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