Ok, so truth be told, I’m placing these here for myself as much as anyone looking for my documentation sources. I think if I start to archive my resources here, at least I’ll remember where I put them! Enjoy!
Period Resources
- The secrets of the reverend Maister Alexis of Piemont by Girolamo Ruscelli. OL25228326M
Translated from French into English by William Ward
Available for online reading, this was published in 1595. It’s a compendium of remedies, distillations, perfumes, dyes and much more. To read online through the Open Library, click here.
- The Plictho of Gioanventura Rosetti by Sidney M. Edelstein; Hector C. Borghetty. ASIN: B001B3KDKM
This seems to be the manual that fiber enthusiasts refer back to the most frequently.
- Pliny’s Natural History in Thirty-Seven Books Translated by Dr Philemon Holland
A rather thorough cmopendium from Rome, this particular translation is noted as being translated in 1601. It includes a vast amount of information on animals, plants and other scientific information of the time. There is a viewable pdf on Open Library
- Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting by Mary Merrifield.
Contains several references to pigments from the 15th century manuscripts of Jehan le Beague. To read online in Google Books, click here.
Books on Leather Work
- Leather Craftsmanship by John William Waterer. ISBN 0713510315
Wonderful resource with facts and pictures showing the evolution of leather products, technique and skill.
- Leather and Craftsmanship by John W. Waterer. ASIN B000UTEQS8
Another wonderful resource on evolution of leather working.
- Leatherworking Handbook: A Practical Illustrated Sourcebook of Techniques and Projects by Valerie Michael. ISBN 1844034747
A good how-to guide on leather working basics. Most of the patterns and projects are post period, but the techniques involved are transcendant.
Books on Scotish History
- The World of the Galloglass: Kings, Warlords and Warriors in Ireland and Scotland, 1200-1600 by Sean Duffy. ISBN 1851829466
Informative book on the world of the Galloglass, the mercenaries that were located through Scotland and Ireland through the Middle Ages. Wonderful distinctions are made within about life before the kilt.
- Celtic Warriors: 400BC-160AD by Tim Newark. ISBN 0713720433
Excellent (and simple to read) summary on early period Celts.
Books on Costuming
- The Book of Costume by Millia Davenport. ISBN 0517037165
By far the most plates in one resource I have ever witnessed. Chronological and regional information is included. Absolutely invaluable!
- Elizabethan Costuming (For The Years 1550 – 1580) by Janet Winter. ISBN 0963022008
Fantastic how-to guide on constructing garb worn within the different class structures in England during the Elizabethan era.
- What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society by Melissa Leventon. ISBN 0312383215
Lovely summary with lots of images included. I really liked that the way items are broken down, they include use of accessories.
- What People Wore: 1,800 Illustrations from Ancient Times to the Early Twentieth Century by Douglas Gorsline. ISBN 0486281620
Though a lot of the information in this book carried post-period, I found that the sketches were quite helpful in getting basic information together.
- Pictorial Encyclopedia of Historic Costume by Karl Rohrbach. ISBN 0486461424
Extremely broad ranged group of garb through the ages. This would serve more as an overview, but there are some good ideas to get started in researching clothing.
Books on Design Patterns
- The Book of Kells: Selected Plates in Full Color by Blanche Cirker, Blumette Cirker. ISBN 0486243451
Basis for my study of knotwork and its significance in period art.
- Islamic Designs for Artists and Craftspeople by Eva Wilson. ISBN 0-486-25819-X
This is the book that I patterned my design on the Islamic six board box from.
- Medieval Designs by Gregory Mirow. ISBN 0486297918
This had a lot of nice patterns and designs that had plenty of room for artistic interpretation.
Books on Drawing
- Drawing The Head & Figure by Jack Hamm. ISBN 0-399-50791-4
I used this source for proportioning my doll’s limbs correctly. It has great information on drawing and sketching the human form, and is a great resource for anyone that has questions about drawing people in general.
- Drawing Comics The Marvel Way by Stan Lee and John Buscema. ISBN 0-671-22548-0
I have used this book in the past to sketch out some of my favorite comic characters. In this instance, I used it to make sure that my doll was not proportioned to characters such as “The Thing”, and remained more to the form of a real person. It also has some great notes on drawing forms, but is not as realistic as Hamm’s book.
Books on Dolls
- Dolls and Doll Making by Benbow, Dunlop, and Luckin. Library of Congress Card # 68-20354
This book is mainly about making filled dolls of cloth, paper mache, and other modern materials. It did prove to be a good reference point for sculpting the form, and I made the face of my doll similar to the look of one of theirs.
- Dolls and Puppets by Max von Boehn. Library of Congress Card # 65-25496
This is my primary source of historical reference for the doll I made. It contains invaluable materials for doll and puppet history and construction. I highly recommend further reading from this if you have an interest in dolls and doll making!
Books on Pirates
- Life Among The Pirates by Stuart A. Kallen. ISBN 1-56006-393-9
Discusses facts and myths about pirates who sailed and plundered on the seas from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.