Students will have the experience of learning an ancient decorative gilding technique.Students will use principles of contrast, unity, movement and balance to provide artistic ornamentation to text.Students will describe ways in which art supports literature through decoration and illustration to provide better comprehension and added value to the written word.Students will gain an understanding of how books began to be produced and how information through the written word was passed on for centuries.Illuminated1.PNG Illuminated Text Example Materials stated will make 2-1/2' letters. With the use of easy and safe Simple Leaf, students can follow this lesson plan to create an illuminated letter with the luster of real gold, then surround it with decorative patterns and images drawn with colored pencil. In other instances, the metal is used to emphasize a letter or portion of an integral design or image. In some instances, an entire page is gilded, with text and illustrations added on top of the leaf. Thin sheets of metal called “leaf” were applied with adhesive to a specific area. Gilding with gold or silver was one of the methods used to illuminate a page. Thousands of examples have survived from Europe and the Middle East with stunning ornamental type and illustrative scenes. It was their artistic goal to provide comprehesion, beauty and honor to the pages they were writing because, in most instances, they believed they were copying the words of God. During the Middle Ages, literacy was rare, so dedicated scribes created illumination to guide the viewer through the document. Illumination is the decorating of books or manuscripts with ornate lettering, icons and designs with luminous color and precious metals. NDE Digital Learning Illuminated Text (art + history art + literature)

Illuminated text examples