Getting Started on Vellum

“What is vellum anyway?” is a question I hear frequently when showing my paintings, since most of them are on Kelmscott vellum. I thought I would briefly answer that question, and then give some basics on preparing it for painting as a way of introducing you to this material.

So what is vellum?

Vellum, also known as parchment, is made from animal skins and is processed to be smooth and thin enough to be translucent.  It was used for book pages for a much longer period than paper has been used.  It is so sturdy that many books survive from the Middle Ages and can be seen in libraries around the world, and in private collections as well.  In fact one of the oldest surviving books, written on parchment in the middle of the fourth century, can be seen in the British Library…over 1600 years old!  I’ve seen it and it definitely looks in good enough shape to read, if only I knew ancient Greek!

Some of these ancient manuscripts had painted illustrations, and the colors remain vivid to this day. It is the translucence, the vividness of color on vellum and the sturdiness that still draws botanical artists to use vellum today.

The vivid colors and exquisite detail is evident in this illuminated manuscript from the 14th century. This image is in the public domain.

Recently I was reading a description of how vellum was made in the twelfth century, and it struck me that it sounded almost exactly like the process used now. It is a very labor intensive and skilled task, so consequently, vellum is one of the most expensive supports for watercolors.  For me, its unique qualities are well worth the extra expense.

What makes Kelmscott vellum different from other types of vellum or parchment is the slurry of organic material that is spread thinly over the surface which gives it an extra creamy, smooth texture.  This surface can be gently scraped in order to makes changes or correct errors during the painting process, although this should be done only when absolutely necessary.  I can say from experience that if overdone, it can spoil the texture of the vellum.

Getting Started

A skin I ordered from Talas arrived a couple of weeks ago.  Talas is a US parchment manufacturer who also imports vellum, including the the venerable William Cowley’s Kelmscott vellum.  It arrived rolled up and was almost impossible to unroll due to its stiffness.

The vellum arrived tightly rolled and too stiff to unfurl.

A rest in a steamy room was all it needed–it is an organic material after all and benefits from a little TLC!  When the bathroom was steamy after a long hot shower, I placed the vellum on a dry towel on the counter and left it in the warm, moist room for about a half an hour with the door closed. I was careful to not allow any drops of water to fall on the vellum since they could mar the surface.  This treatment relaxed the vellum so much that I could easily unroll it.  I placed a piece of foam core with heavy books over it and left it for several days. A bigger piece of foam core is ideal but this sufficed to get it flat enough to store under a larger piece.  Maybe these botanical books will prepare it for its future in more ways than one!

After it sat in a steamy room for 30 minutes, I was able to gently unroll it and place it under weights.

After sitting under weights for a few days, the skin is relatively flat and ready to go into storage. I keep it in a large drawer in my drafting table, sandwiched between pieces of acid free foam core that are slightly larger than my piece of vellum.

After I’ve worked out my composition and the details of my drawing I am ready to cut a piece the size I plan for my finished painting. I like to use a quilting ruler because it is easier to get square corners and to keep steady. I lightly mark the size with a hard pencil, then gulp few times before cutting with sturdy scissors.

The next step is to clean my cut piece of vellum and smooth the texture a bit more. I use fine pumice powder tied into the toe of some old tights. With a gentle circular motion, I rub the pumice over the entire surface, then wipe away the dust with a clean towel. I do this outside and wear a face mask to avoid breathing the pumice powder.

Now I am ready to transfer my drawing to the vellum and begin the painting process. I’ll talk about those steps in future posts, and give you some links for further information. You may want to try vellum out before ordering a whole skin. If so, you can get small pieces to experiment on from Talas or other vellum makers.

Here is a glimpse of some paintings I’ve done on vellum:

A collage of Pacific Northwest native plants I’ve painted on Kelmscott vellum