Illuminating manuscripts

The Alchemical Manuscript workshop takes you back to the time when books were painted by hand and colours were ground from earth, plants and stones. You’ll explore the palette of medieval and Renaissance illuminators and see how natural pigments were used to bring manuscript pages to life. We start by preparing pigments and then move on to making tempera paint – a traditional medium where finely ground pigments are bound with egg and water. Step by step, you will create your own small illuminated „manuscript page” inspired by 16th‑century motifs, combining history, craft and your personal artistic touch. ✨📜 What we’ll do 🎨 Short intro to illuminated manuscripts and the historical colour palette Getting to know plant‑based and mineral pigments (origin, look, use) Preparing and processing pigments for painting Mixing tempera (pigment + binder) using traditional methods Painting your own „alchemical manuscript” – a small page inspired by 16th‑century designs