Illuminations on Narrations

As the watercolorist said to the writer...

.

Sui: Sometimes I look at a painting I’ve done and feel I want to change it. But that’s difficult with watercolor.

.

Scrivener: If it’s oil, you can just add more paint.

.

Sui: With water color you can correct to some extent, not impossible, but better before it’s dry.

.

Scrivener: What happens if you try to change an already finished watercolor?

.

Sui: Oh, you can lose transparency, upset the color balance, even tear the paper surface.

.

Scrivener: With writing, you can always edit. Unless you were a scribe in the middle ages using a quill on parchment. Back then, writing was akin to painting.

.

Sui: Mmm, art and writing have deviated a lot since then.

.

Scrivener: But we can admire an artist who can talk and a writer who can draw.

____________

Voice-over

Pre-Gutenberg, writing was closer to painting. Think scriptoriums of monks laboriously scribing. Occasionally embellishing an initial letter, or illuminating a manuscript through devout illustrations.

...