Illumination Masterclass

Join renowned scribe and illuminator Patricia Lovett MBE on this beginners masterclass and create your own medieval miniature on vellum.

Illuminated manuscripts are among the most dazzling and intriguing objects ever created, and our collection is one of the finest in the world.

The most luxurious manuscripts were lit up by decorations and pictures in brightly-coloured pigments and burnished gold leaf. Under Patricia’s expert guidance you’ll choose your own miniature animal from a medieval bestiary and learn the skills and techniques to bring it to life with colour and gold.

You’ll develop your design on prepared vellum (calfskin), apply gold leaf and add colour in the medieval painting style. Throughout the day you’ll learn how medieval scribes created their illuminations and go home with your own spectacular example.

Patricia Lovett MBE creates artworks on vellum, using gold, colour and quills. She has written extensively on calligraphy and illumination, including The Art and History of Calligraphy (2017, British Library Publishing) and The Art of the Scribe (2025, British Library Publishing) which are inspired by the Calligraphy and Illuminations of Medieval Manuscripts. Patricia co-curated the Calligraphy Today (2012–13) exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and teaches at a range of institutions including Harvard University and the University of London.