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Artful Names

Artful Names

What are illuminated manuscripts? Learn about fancy fonts and create your own design.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    The word "illuminated" is from the Italian word "illuminare" which means "lighted up." It was common to illuminate Medieval manuscripts - a process that involved decorating letters and pages with gold leaf. This style was both decorative and informative. Because many people were illiterate, the illustrations conveyed a story without words. Have students research this practice - who created the ornate designs and why, when did the process slow down and why, etc.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to choose a font style they like and then outline the first letter of their name in that style. Then have them make that letter the main part of a picture that illustrates something important about themselves and gives the viewer a glimpse into who they are. Remember to use metallic and shiny colors so that their drawings light up.

Standards

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Read, reconstruct, and interpret the past. Imagine the future. Place one's self in various times and spaces and reflect on change.

Adaptations

Students can learn about the use of gold leaf in art, which dates back 5,000 years to Ancient Egypt. Have them look at images that use this technique, such as "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer" and other works by Gustav Klimt and in some some architectural structures in Japan and elsewhere.

"Gilding" is the process of applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces. In the USA, the late 19th century was known as the Gilded Age. Why was this? Students can this period of time and compare it to modern times.

Students can apply what they learned about Medieval times by pretending to be living in that time period and writing a letter to a friend or loved one describing their life. They can illuminate the first letter of each paragraph.