Over hundreds of years, from the late 4th century to the end of the 16th century, decorated lettering underwent numerous changes; now abstract, now realistic, designs invaded the page with various degrees of flamboyance. Whether expressing divine inspiration, creating fabulous beasts or, in the case of herbals, reproducing naturalistic images of plants, the lettering and alphabets featured in this fabulous book will introduce the reader to a world of fantasy and the delight of copying - even surpassing - the originals. Ornamental Lettering describes how to copy motifs and experiment with form and colour. At the end of each chapter the themes discussed are illustrated by alphabets or specimen illuminations.