The Lindisfarne Gospels is an eighth-century masterpiece of Celtic illumination. After careful study, Aidan Meehan has beautifully redrawn more than fifty designs that appear on its pages. Each one has been taken from its amazingly intricate background, often extricated from other entangled ornaments, and enlarged.

The original manuscript page from which each design is derived is provided so you can refer to reproductions of the gospel book and see the decorative style and colors used by the scribes in the eighth century. Based on the four types of pattern in the Lindisfarne Gospels - knotwork, spirals, mazes, and animal patterns, with special emphasis on the jewel-like birds and dogs - the drawings range from simple to complex and will inspire you to try out your own painting techniques and color schemes.