Illuminated Manuscript letters
When we learned about Michelangelo and Gregorian Chants, we looked at many examples of Illuminated Manuscripts. Generally, on these ancient texts, one of the letters would be carefully calligraphied and then painted with gold paint, and other vibrant colors. We took this idea and created illuminated initials in our upper classes. Students were allowed to choose the letter they wanted to embellish. They were instructed to make it look fancy with designs, vines, flowers and other details. Then they were sharpied and carefully painted. The finished letters are gorgeous.