Majnouna

In view of dA being scraped to feed AI engines with stolen art, for which a class-action suit has now been filed against them, I have at last done what I kept putting off, and put all my work in storage. The tutorials are still available on cedarseed.com/tutorials The recipes (more of them) are still available on cedarseed.com/category/recipes . Most of my illustrations and photos are still on cedarseed.com among other things. Malaak can still be read on malaakonline.com. My main art practice, and where my real attention is, is on majnouna.com and I have a lot happening elsewhere on the web (such as my really cool substack: majnouna.substack.com). I’m also on instagram (@joumajnouna) and majnouna@zirk.us on Mastodon. 18 years on dA is long enough, and for at least half of that I found the site uninviting and barely usable. See you under other skies.

Hello strangers, Just dropping in to announce that after many years of trying to create an online course, you can finally learn Arabic calligraphy with me on Domestika — specifically the Kufi style I specialise in. Check out the trailer for what to expect!

I hope everyone's well and keeping safe! Since January, and especially during the last 3 months of (ongoing) isolation, I have worked on this groundbreaking book: A handbook of materials and art technology used in early Islamic manuscripts, for artists and art lovers alike. This is a concise, approachable, illustrated manual examining the main materials used in manuscripts during the Abbasid period, their qualities, and when safe, how to prepare and use them. 126 pages in full colour, A5-sized and wirebound for maximum practicality, with all the necessary technical info (such as the difference between paint and ink, binders, other additives) and lots of historical recipes! It is largely based on medieval Arabic inkmaking treatises that have not been translated, let alone by someone experienced in the use of these materials, so this material is being brought to a general audience for the very first time. The book is now available from my shop, but please be patient with