Post by commissarroach on Feb 13, 2013 14:07:12 GMT -5
I thought i'd make this post after larking for a while after watching DMscotty's Warded letter prop video. I've been doing this for handouts and other important letters and messages in my games for about a year now, so i thought i'd give my method.
to start you will need
1-2 tea bags
1 cup of water
a 1 oz bottle of india(or any brand really) writing ink
a ruler
a pencil
a used paint brush
a cup to mix the tea in
how ever many sheets of paper you will need(plus 2 extra for every one, i'll explain later)
and last you will need a dip pen(both this and the ink can be found at most walmart stores for under $15 total)
Now unlike Scotty I age my paper before writing the message onto it. There are many downsides to this but i find that i like the sharpness of the writing on this method more then all the headaches that is has caused so be warned. For this reason unless you are a very good writer with a pen and ink, you will need extra paper if you make a mistake(unless thats what your going for!)
Step 1.
First things first, grab your tea bags and water and make a cup of tea. It should be very dark for the effect to work.
Step 2.
Now that your cup of tea is made lets get to the actual ageing of your paper. lay your sheet(s) out and dip your brush into your tea, make it as wet are you can even putting some tea straight onto the page is fine.
Do this for both sides, don't worry about small folds showing up or even small tears. These give the page more character and make it more unique.
Step 3.
Let your pages dry for as long as it takes, putting them under a hot lamp or even placing them on a hot surface can shorten this time for people on a time limit. Just try to handle the wet paper with care so you don't rip it in any major ways(unless thats the effect your going for)
(Note!)
don't worry is your pages look a little to light when your painting the tea on, they darken as they dry, but keep in mind the color this will produce a much more "cream" color then a brown or yellow. This is why i use this method over others, parchment when it was fresh was much lighter in shade then we think, a very cream-ish color. if you are looking for a darker method DM scotty's is very good for that.(End note)
Step 4.
Now that your pages are dry, we can start preparing your paper for your message.
Use your ruler and pencil to very lightly draw lines across your page. You will use these to write with later.
Step 5.
Okay now this is the most time intensive step, this is where you will write your message. now you may be saying to your self "well i can't write stuff that looks really old", well thats where this comes in
If you fallow the pen strokes in that picture, that should be all you need to making old timey looking letters and messages.
i have much more i could go into much i feel that should be enough for now. Maybe later i could go into making wax seals, or even making medieval envelopes for your messages.
a few examples for you all.
to start you will need
1-2 tea bags
1 cup of water
a 1 oz bottle of india(or any brand really) writing ink
a ruler
a pencil
a used paint brush
a cup to mix the tea in
how ever many sheets of paper you will need(plus 2 extra for every one, i'll explain later)
and last you will need a dip pen(both this and the ink can be found at most walmart stores for under $15 total)
Now unlike Scotty I age my paper before writing the message onto it. There are many downsides to this but i find that i like the sharpness of the writing on this method more then all the headaches that is has caused so be warned. For this reason unless you are a very good writer with a pen and ink, you will need extra paper if you make a mistake(unless thats what your going for!)
Step 1.
First things first, grab your tea bags and water and make a cup of tea. It should be very dark for the effect to work.
Step 2.
Now that your cup of tea is made lets get to the actual ageing of your paper. lay your sheet(s) out and dip your brush into your tea, make it as wet are you can even putting some tea straight onto the page is fine.
Do this for both sides, don't worry about small folds showing up or even small tears. These give the page more character and make it more unique.
Step 3.
Let your pages dry for as long as it takes, putting them under a hot lamp or even placing them on a hot surface can shorten this time for people on a time limit. Just try to handle the wet paper with care so you don't rip it in any major ways(unless thats the effect your going for)
(Note!)
don't worry is your pages look a little to light when your painting the tea on, they darken as they dry, but keep in mind the color this will produce a much more "cream" color then a brown or yellow. This is why i use this method over others, parchment when it was fresh was much lighter in shade then we think, a very cream-ish color. if you are looking for a darker method DM scotty's is very good for that.(End note)
Step 4.
Now that your pages are dry, we can start preparing your paper for your message.
Use your ruler and pencil to very lightly draw lines across your page. You will use these to write with later.
Step 5.
Okay now this is the most time intensive step, this is where you will write your message. now you may be saying to your self "well i can't write stuff that looks really old", well thats where this comes in
If you fallow the pen strokes in that picture, that should be all you need to making old timey looking letters and messages.
i have much more i could go into much i feel that should be enough for now. Maybe later i could go into making wax seals, or even making medieval envelopes for your messages.
a few examples for you all.