RE: Tracing - was Re: heraldry rules (fwd)

[Becky McEllistrem <beckymc@MICROSOFT.com>]

Poster: Becky McEllistrem <beckymc@MICROSOFT.com>

<snip for brevity>

Oh, I know- I've just noticed a tendency in the last few years in terms
of judging in A&S and so forth to treat entries as though the scribe can
draw, and should draw better than they have.  It's one of the reasons I
don't enter competitions.  In other words, certainly in Atlantia, I've
seen folks start looking for professional artistry, and giving low
points when they felt something wasn't up to that quality.  I'm not
saying we shouldn't have high standards, but I do think that judging
that way does discourage some folks who were otherwise becoming
interested in some arts and sciences.  And interest in such things is
one of the things the SCA tries to promote, after all.  At the last A&S
Festival, someone was told they should try drawing more of their scrolls
freehand.  <GUFFAW>  If I did that, it would be terrible!  :)  I can
trace like a bandit, but even after many art classes, freehand drawing
eludes me.  Just one of those things......that's why I'm always quick to
own up to my lack of drawing ability.  I can put the elements together
and trace them but if I had to draw them I'd be stuck.  Then again, I
guess you can always be sure I'm using period elements and styles!  :)


While it's nice to be able to freehand scrolls it's certainly not a
requirement for judging.  Light tables are perfectly period tools for
the scribe.  I suppose in actuality if there were two equal scrolls 
sitting side by side and the only difference was that one was done 
with a light table and one was done freehand there are judges that 
could give lower points for the light table. I would hope that was 
merely a  comment in passing and not something that decided points.  
I do try to encourage members of the college of scribes to freehand 
whenever they can because it's nice to encourage the skill. However 
it's never been a requirement. Now nearly all my work is done freehand 
because when I first started I didn't know what a light table was.  
I also like to freehand as much as I can because sometimes I'm required 
to make up promissories on site with no light table around.



Lady Rebecca the Contrary
Clerk of Signet, Atlantia
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