To keep the outlines of a panel in the same proportion while enlarging its area for the purpose of making a drawing for reproduction, lay out the required finished size of the panel near the upper left hand corner of the paper, and draw a diagonal line through the upper left hand and lower right hand corner of this panel, extending it beyond the panel boundaries. From any given point along this diagonal, lines drawn parallel to the side and top lines of the original panel, and extended till they intersect the extended left side line and top line of the original panel, will give an outline of the same proportions as the required panel. By taking various points on the diagonal, panels of any height or width but still of the proper proportions may be obtained (see diagram 210). Diagram 211 illustrates a variation of the previous method of enlarging the proportions of a panel, in which, by the use of two diagonals, both perpendicular and horizontal center lines are retained.
When it is necessary to lay out a border of a predetermined width within the required panel, the foregoing method can only be used to determine the outside lines of such a border, and it becomes necessary to make the drawing some numerical proportion, say, one-half as large again, or twice as large as the finished panel. The width of the border will then be of the same proportionate width.
The beginner will find it always wise to base his lettering on penciled top and bottom guide lines, and occasionally to add "waist" guide lines, as in 193. Indeed, it is rare that even accomplished letterers dispense with these simple aids. These guide lines should invariably be laid-in with the T-square and triangle. After drawing the horizontal guides, it is often advisable to run a few perpendicular lines up and down the paper, which will serve to guard against the very common likelihood of the letters acquiring a tilt. In drawing Italic, Script, and all sloping letters numerous sloping guide lines are especially necessary; see 193. Perpendicular guide lines will be found of marked assistance, also in drawing Gothic small letters, which, as they do not come against the top and bottom guide lines squarely, but at an angle, are often deceptive.
If it is desirable to make two lines of lettering of the same length, although they contain an unequal number of letters, this may be effected—provided, of course, that the number of letters does not vary too greatly—by broadening or narrowing the letters that occur in one line but not in the other, and by varying the spacings about the I's and the open letters. Note, for example, the spacing of the upper lines in the poster by Mr. Crane, 87. It is by no means essential to draw the same letter always exactly alike even in the same line; in fact, variation is generally demanded by the different surroundings and neighboring letters. So long as the general character of the letter remains unchanged in its distinctive features, such as weight, treatment of serifs, angles, height of waist and cross lines, etc., its width and outlines may be varied and arranged to help out the spacing without interfering, to any noticeable extent, with the uniform appearance of the line.
In Roman lettering emphasis may be obtained for any special word by spacing its letters farther apart. This has something of the same emphasizing effect as the use of Italic, without so greatly breaking the harmony of the line. Much of the lettering of the Italian Renaissance shows a very subtle appreciation of this use, and in some of the most beautiful inscriptions the important words are often so differentiated, while others are emphasized by slightly larger characters.
As a general rule, and within certain limits, the wider a letter the more legible it is likely to be. Blackness and boldness of stem alone will not make a letter readable. Width, boldness of hair lines and serifs, and a proper amount of surrounding white space are more essential. The Roman letter is more legible than the Blackletter mainly because it is black against a roomy white ground; while Blackletter, on the contrary, is really defined by small interrupted areas of whites upon a black ground.
A common limitation of many draughtsmen is that they become accomplished in the rendering of but one style of letter, and find themselves obliged to use it on all occasions, whether it be suited to the work in hand or not, because they can command no other. In the case of certain designers, of course, the individuality of their work is strong enough to bind both lettering and design so closely together that they can never seem at dissonance; but, speaking generally, the adherance to the use of but one type of letter can be but narrowing. The beginner is urged, therefore, to practice the use of many styles, even at the expense of gaining an immediate mastery over no one form. He will find himself amply repaid in the end by the increase in freedom and variety.
While the student should possess enough knowledge of the historic styles and examples of lettering to prevent him from using incongruous or anachronous forms in the same design, historic accuracy need not prevent him from engrafting the characteristics of dissimilar styles upon one another, provided that the results prove harmonious and appropriate.
Finally, the draughtsman's first aim should be to make his lettering readable: after this has been accomplished he should strive to give it beauty. Art in lettering is only to be attained by solving the problem of legibility in the way most pleasing to the eye. Good lettering should appeal both to the eye and to the mind. Only when it combines legibility with beauty can it be excellent.
INDEX
Abbey, Edwin A., 97, 132, 140.
Accenting, of Blackletters, 132;
of Roman Capitals, 2;
of Minuscules, 56;
of Round Gothic, 132;
of Italic and Script, 182.
American Lettering, Modern Roman, 53, 64, 75, 82, 97;
modern use of, 46.
Ascenders, height above body, 57;
in "Cheltenham Old Style" type, 71;
in Gothic, 131;
in Blackletters, 135.
Ashbee, C. R., 74.
Auriol, George, 88.
B., 6.
Badia, Florence, lettering from, 45.
Bell, Robert Anning, 96.
Blacked-in letters, 202.
Blackletters, 127, 131, 132, 140, 141, 142;
accents of, 132;
ascenders and descenders of, 135;
capitals for use with, 134, 136, 139;
a condensed form of Gothic, 128;
effect of page of, 132;
with Roman letters, 72;
even color of, 134;
flourishes, 135;
individual letter forms, 132, 136;
illegibility of, 135, 136, 206;
a part-Roman form, 84;
a narrow form, 132;
old examples of, 136;
in panel forms, 136;
variety of, 82, 132, 135, 136.
Border, to lay out a, 204.
Boston Public Library, 14.
Bragdon, Claude Fayette, 64, 111, 194.
Brasses, Blackletters from, 138, 140.
Bristol-board, 201.
Byzantine influence on Italian lettering, 45.
C., 8.
Capitals, used with Roman minuscules, 57;
with Round Gothic, 132;
(see also under Blackletter, Roman, Gothic, Italic, Modern Roman Capitals, Script, Round Gothic, Uncial).
"Caroline" Text, 52.
Caslon, William, 64;
his type, 69.
Centering lines of lettering, 202.
Charlemagne, 52.
"Cheltenham Old Style" type, 71.
Cheltenham Press, The, 71.
Chisel-cut guide lines, 3.
Classic Capitals, see Roman Capitals.
Classic forms of letters, to draw, 3, 6, 201;
composition of, 6;
Italian Renaissance, 15, 27, 30.
"Colonial" lettering, 117.
Constantine, Arch of, lettering from, 11.
Construction, of Blackletters, 132;
Crane, Walter, 47, 92, 200, 205.
Cross-bar in Roman Capitals, 6.
Cursive tendency in Script lettering, 182.
D., 8.
'Dance of Death,' Holbein's, 117.
Day, Lewis F., 93.
Descenders, (see Ascenders).
De Vinne, Theo. L., 69.
Dove's Press, The, 69.
Early Gothic, (see Round Gothic).
Edwards, Edward B., 116.
Edwards, George Wharton, 194.
Emphasis in lettering, placing of, 206
(see also Accenting).
English Brasses derived from Flanders, 141.
English lettering, modern, 75, 82, 92.
English, Letters, 47;
Script, 188,
(see also Anglo-Saxon).
Engraved Title-pages, French, 188.
f., 56.
Fell, H. Granville, 96.
Flanders, Brasses from, 141.
Flourishing, of Blackletters, 135;
Free-hand lines, 202.
French, modern lettering, 74, 82, 86;
Freedom, in lettering, 53, 74, 82, 92, 102, 118, 122, 201;
in Blackletters, 136;
in Gothic, 127;
in Italic, 198;
in kerns, serifs and swash-lines, etc., 53;
in Roman letters, 82;
in Script, 183.
G., 8.
g., 57.
Georgian English lettering, 117, 183, 194, 198.
German lettering, modern, 74, 82, 84, 92;
types, 52.
Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor, 71, 102, 136, 142.
Gothic Capitals, for use with Blackletters, 139;
pen drawn, 140;
not to be used to form words, 132.
Gothic, English, (see English Gothic).
Gothic lettering, 127, 131, 134, 205;
cut in stone, 140;
(see also Blackletters and Uncial).
Granite, letters cut in, 11, 14,
(see also Stone-cut, V-sunk and Incised).
Grasset, Eugène, 86.
Greek type, 73.
Grolier Club, 69.
H., 6.
"Half-Uncial," 52.
Harvard Architectural Building, lettering on, 14.
Historic styles of lettering, knowledge of, 207.
Holbein's 'Dance of Death' initials, 117.
Horne, Herbert P., 72.
Hrachowina, C., 188.
Hupp, Otto, 142.
space around, 205.
Illegibility of Blackletters, 135, 136.
Incised letters in stone, Gothic, 139, 140;
(see also Granite, Inlaid, Marble, Sandstone, V-sunk and Stone-cut).
Ink, 201.
Inking-in lettering, 200, 202.
Inlaid lettering, Gothic, 141.
Interlacement of Script letters, 194.
Inter-relation of letters, 6, 135, 201.
Iorio, Adrian J., 107.
Irish letters, (see Anglo-Saxon).
Italian, Blackletters, 139, 141;
modern lettering, 92;
Renaissance (see Renaissance);
Roman small letters, 64;
types, 52;
letters, drawing of, 201.
Italic, 52, 182, 188, 194, 198;
drawing of, 205;
emphasis of, 206.
L., 104.
Late Gothic, (see Blackletter).
Laying out, lettering, 200, 201, 203, 204, 205;
a border, 204.
Le Boutillier, Addison B., 110.
Legibility of lettering, 206, 207;
of Round Gothic, 132.
Letters, outlines of, 202, 206;
widths of, 206;
to lay out, 205;
execution of in various materials, 14;
(see also Brasses, Inlaid, Marble, Granite, Pen and Printed forms, Sandstone, Type).
Lines, heavy, 199;
narrow, 199;
thin, 200;
in water-color, 200;
ruled, 202.
Linking, of Blackletters, 136;
of Round Gothic, 132;
of Roman Capitals, 45;
of Script, 182.
Lowell, Orson, 117.
m., 56.
Marble, letters cut in, 17, 27,
(see also Incised, Inlaid).
Marsuppini tomb, Florence, 28.
Magonigle, H. Van Buren, 102.
McKim, Mead & White, architects, 14.
Medals, lettering on, 30.
Merrymount Press, The, 71, 72.
"Merrymount" type, 71.
Minuscule, 1;
modern Roman, 52, 53, 56, 57, 64;
monumental uses, 57;
composition of, 64;
spacing of, 57;
(see also, Roman, Gothic, Italic, Script).
Modern lettering, (see under countries, American, English, French, German, Italian).
Modern Roman Capitals, 6;
(see Chapter II).
Modern type, (see Type).
"Montaigne" type, 69.
"Mont' Allegro" type, 73.
Moore, Guernsey, 116.
Morris, William, 72;
types of, 69.
Mucha, Alphons M., 91.
P., 6.
Pantheon, Rome, Raphael's tomb, 27.
Papers, drawing, 201.
Parchment, 128.
Parsons, Alfred, 96.
crowquill, 199;
reed, 2;
ruling, 202;
stub, 200;
quill, 200.
Pen drawn forms of letters, 9, 27, 30, 31, 45, 56, 64, 74, 76, 122, 140, 182, 199, 202.
Penfield, Edward, 100, 116, 118, 198.
Petrarch, 52;
handwriting of, 182.
Pisano, Vittore, 30.
"Post Old Style" type, 116.
Presses, (see Merrymount, Vale, Riverside, Cheltenham, Dove's, and De Vinne).
Printed forms of Roman letters, 9, 30, 52, 53, 56, 64, 69, 122.
Printers, German, 52;
American, 69;
Proportions of a design, 203.
Puttner, Walter, 142.
Pyle, Howard, 117.
Railton, Herbert, 96.
Raphael's tomb, lettering from, 27.
Reduction of drawings, 203, 204.
Renaissance, letters, 15, 27, 30;
artists of the, 53;
lettering of the Italian, 206;
medals, 30;
purity of letter shapes, 69.
Renner, 69.
Renner type, 69.
Reproduction of drawings, 203.
Ricketts, Charles, 93.
Riverside Press, The, 69.
(see also Modern Roman);
thick and thin lines of, 1, 6;
model for, 3;
rules for, 2;
with Italic, 182;
combined with Script and Italic, 194;
cross bars of, 6;
definition of, 1;
legibility of, 206;
waist lines of, 6;
width proportions of, 6.
Roman minuscules, (see Minuscule).
Roman forms, Gothic Spirit in, 84;
Uncial, 128.
Romanesque influence on Italian lettering, 45.
Ross, Albert R., 3, 11, 32, 56.
Roty, O., 30.
Round Gothic, analysis of, 131;
definition of, 131;
capitals to use with, 132, 139.
Round letters, capitals, 2, 3;
Rubbings, from inscriptions, 11, 16.
Ruling pen, 202.
S., 8.
Sandstone, letters cut in, 14.
Santa Croce, Florence, lettering from, 28, 141.
Script, 182, 183, 188, 194, 198;
capitals, 188;
cursive tendency in, 182;
developed from writing hands, 182;
drawing of, 205;
French, 188;
German, 188;
on English headstones and wall tombs, 188;
Spanish, 188;
used in engravings, 188;
used with upright Roman, 182, 183.
definition of, 3;
in Minuscule letters, 53, 69, 71;
in Italic letters, 182;
treatment of, 206.
Shadows in V-sunk letters, 10, 11, 14.
Shaw, Byam, 96.
Simpson, Joseph W., 93.
Small letters, (see Minuscule, also Modern Roman, Gothic, Script and Italic).
Spacing, of Classic Roman letters, 6, 8;
of Blackletters, 128, 134, 136;
of type, 56;
of "Montaigne" type, 69;
of "Cheltenham" type, 71;
of letters and words, 201, 205;
emphasis obtained by, 206.
Spanish, Script, 188;
Roman letters, 64;
Stone-cut letters, Roman, 3, 9, 14;
(see also Incised, V-sunk, Granite, Marble, Sandstone).
Sullivan, James F., 96.
Tagliente, G. A., 31.
Thompson, Hugh, 96.
Tory, Geoffrey, 31.
Townsend, Harry Everett, 117.
Transferring of lettering, 202.
Uncial letters, 45, 76, 84, 92, 128;
Gothic, 139;
meta forms of, 140;
pen forms of, 140;
stone-cut, 140;
stone and marble, 139.
Updike, D. Berkeley, 71.
V., 9.
Vale Press, The, 93.
Van Rysselberghe, Theo., 91.
Verneuil, M. P., 86.
Vinci, Leonardo da, 31.
V-sunk Roman lettering, 9, 10, 14;
(see also Incised).
W., 9.
w., 56.
of Roman letters, 6, 204, 206.
Westminster Abbey, England, 188.
Width proportions, of Roman Capital letters, 6.
Writing hand, 188;
of Petrarch, 182;
Script developed from, 182.
X., 6.
Z., 2.