top of page
Recorded Courses

“Islamic‐Iranian illumination” course is designed to immerse participants in magical patterns and colours of old illustrated manuscripts. Inherited by various visual cultures in the Islamic realm, the tradition of Islamic Illumination has over centuries yielded diverse styles each of which fed by a different aesthetic taste. Iranian style of Islamic illumination is an eye‐catching case in point.

     Among diverse types of illumination, this practice‐based course focuses on one of the most significant and common forms of Islamic Illumination, Khataei (flowers and leaves) and aims to familiarise pupils with various steps of making an illumination work; from making the materials towards a finished work. In addition to a brief historical‐theoretical introduction of the Iranian tradition of Islamic illumination, the course comprises a number of lessons that students may engage in at the same time:

​

1. Drawing individual motifs 

2. Preparing the paper; dying, sizing and burnishing procedures

3. Creating a composition

4. Tracing the patterns on the prepared papers

5. Applying the colours and Gilding

6. Delicate outlining and Shading

This practice-based course focuses on a beautiful Shamsah (Sunburst), a folio taken from a 16th-century manuscript of Nizami’s Khamsah. The course aims to instruct how to simply analyse, draw and paint this shamsah in the Safavid style. The participants will practice various steps of making an illumination work; from drawing the design and preparing the paper to a finished work. The course aims to develop several skills at the same time, i.e., 

​

  1. How to construct a Shamsah in general

  2. Drawing individual motifs in this page including:

           Khataei motifs (flowers and leaves)

           Islimi motifs

3. Where to add your creative touch?

4.  Preparing the paper; staining, sizing and burnishing procedures

5. how to make the shell gold

6. Tracing the pattern on our prepared papers

7. Gilding, mixing colours and applying them

8. Delicate outlining and shading the Khataei motifs

9. How to draw the braided narrow band

9. How to draw and paint the needle-like patterns and finish the work

Among various compositions of Islamic illumination, this practice- based course focuses on one of the most significant masterpieces of the Safavid style (a 16th-century illuminated Quran) as a basis to teach Islamic Illumination techniques and skills. The course aims to

instruct how simply to analyse, draw and paint this beautiful border from the Ruzbihan Quran. Participants will practice various steps of making an illumination work; from preparing the paper towards a completed work.

 

Students will learn lessons such as:

  1. Drawing individual motifs in the given border including:

             Khataei motifs (Flowers and leaves)
             Islimi motifs (the motifs located in the internal lobed frames)

  1. Preparing the paper; dying, sizing and burnishing procedures

  2. How to calculate and construct the border structure

  3. Tracing the patterns on our prepared papers

  4. Gilding, mixing and applying colours

  5. How to draw and add the needle-like motifs

  6. Delicate outlining and shading the motifs

  7. How to elaborate the narrow decorative borders (including the weaving

pattern) and complete the work

Among diverse types of illumination, this practice-based course focuses on one of the most significant and common forms of Islamic Illumination, Islimi and aims to familiarise participants with the various steps of making an illumination work. In addition to a brief historical-theoretical introduction of the Iranian tradition of Islamic illumination, the course comprises a number of lessons that students may engage in at the same time. 

​

You will learn: 

  • Preparing the paper; staining, sizing and burnishing procedures

  • Drawing various individual Islimi motifs

  • Practicing various compositions; Border, medallion, Heading and

    Shamsah

  • Creating a composition for final painting

  • Tracing the patterns on the stained papers

  • Applying colours

  • Practicing the outlining

  • Learning how to construct a Shamsah 

As the final project, we will work on a construction and design of a 15th Timurid Shamsah. You can see the outcome here.

bottom of page