Pergamena is proud to present The Aubriet Kit, A special collaboration with artist Dina Brodsky.

This kit has been specifically made for students of her classes with one of her favorite types of parchment to work on, unprepared Deer.    

This kit is the perfect way for you to try different types of preparation across one animal type so you can see and feel what type of surface you prefer. There are no wrong answers, only personal preferences and project goals. This kit comes with three 5x7 Deer Parchment cut sheets, each with a different type of preparation.

The first sheet is unprepared, not abraded. This surface is what is produced after the hide is dried under tension. The non-abraded grain has been popular with bookbinders due to its strength for binding. It has been growing in popularity with painters who use watercolor and gouache since the unprepared surface isn’t as absorbent and gives you more control and the potential for layering your paint.

The second sheet is prepared in our standard way. Once the hide has finished drying, but while still under tension we abraded its surface. If we only prepare one side, we call this calligraphy preparation. If we prepare both sides, we call it manuscript preparation.

The third sheet is what some of our botanical artists have ordered for years. For that reason, we call it Botanical preparation. Starting with prepared hides, we clean the surface of dust and while still under tension, dampen it with a sponge to create a uniformly level surface. Once it is fully dry, the surface feels almost glass like, creating a very smooth glide for your brush or nib. 

This kit also includes a pack of mixed parchment and vellum scraps for you to explore further, a $25 value.