GIFT OF A TEXTBOOK ON SHOW-CARD WRITING INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS SCRANTON, PA. SHOW-CARD WRITING SHOW-CARD DESIGN AND ORNAMENT LETTER FORMATION 1 ir',-:: ,*' !- '' SCRANTON INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY A-3 2447 Copyright, 1503, by INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY. Entered at Stationers' Hall. London. Show-Card Writing: Copyright, 1903, by INTERNATIONAL TEXTHOOK COMPANY. Entered at Stationers' Hall, London. Show-Card Design and Ornament: Copyright, 1903, by INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY. Entered at Stationers' Hall, London. Letter Formation: Copyright, 1903, by INTERNATIONAL TEXTBOOK COMPANY. Entered at Stationers' Hall, London. All rights reserved. v/T &t PRINTKH nc Tin. I'M i u. STATKS >ii'i PREFACE The present volume will undoubtedly fill a long-felt want for a full and exhaustive treatment of the subject of Show- Card Writing. The text is clear and comprehensive and the subject is treated in such a manner that it can not only be readily understood by beginners but can also be consulted as a work of reference by experts. We are not aware of any previous attempt to prepare a work of this kind. In addition to the text matter proper, there are included in the Course fifteen Drawing Plates, each of which the student is expected to send to the Schools for corrections, suggestions, and criticisms. To avoid the use of a portfolio two sets of plates have been made one to be used for printing the plates sent to students as they progress in their studies and the other for printing the reduced copies in this volume. It will be noticed -that these plates have been inserted in their proper places on guards, thus permitting them to be opened flat without extending beyond the edges of the volume. To those who specialize in original designing, the present work will be found extremely fertile in suggestion; to all classes of card writers, it will prove valuable as a convenient work of ready reference. The index is full and simply arranged, enabling any one to find any style or form of letter with the least possible delay or difficulty. The work has been printed throughout on carefully selected, extra heavy, coated book paper; the illustrations accompanying the text are profuse, clear in detail, and have been prepared and executed at great expense; the colored plates are highly artistic and very finely finished products of the printers' skill. iii '49426 iv PREFACE The method of numbering- the pages and articles is such that each subject is complete in itself; hence, in order to make the index intelligible it was necessary to give a number to each subject or part. This number is placed at the top of each page, on the headline, opposite the page number; and to distinguish it from the page number, it is preceded by a section mark (). Consequently, a reference such as 3, page 11, will be readily found by looking along the inside edges of the headlines until 3 is found, and then through 3 until page 11 is found. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS. CONTENTS SHOW-CARD WRITING Section Page Purpose of the Course 1 1 How to Become an Expert Card Writer . 1 2 Description of the Course 1 3 Colors 1 5 Handling of Colors 1 8 Water Colors 1 12 List of Oil Colors 1 13 Brushes 1 14 Materials 1 17 Elements of Lettering 1 19 Component Parts of a Letter 1 19 Spacing of Letters 1 20 Shading 1 23 Letter-Face Lighting and Shading ... 1 26 Classification of Letters 1 29 Ornamental Letters 1 29 Grotesque Letters 1 31 Illuminated Capitals 1 32 Treatment of Letters 1 36 Brush Work 1 40 Exercise I 1 40 Exercise II 1 41 Exercise III 1 42 Exercise IV 1 43 Plate, Title: Elementary Lines .... 1 46 Plate, Title: Elementary Curves .... 1 47 Speed in Lettering 1 48 Methods and Application 1 49 Dry Colors 1 49 vi CONTENTS SHOW-CARD WRITING (Continued) Section Page Illumination of Show-Cards 1 52 Letters 1 54 Modifications of Letters 1 57 Relief Letters 1 62 Beveling 1 63 Mounting 1 65 Manifolding 1 66 Store and Window Signs 1 71 Outside Signs . . 1 73 Card Hangers 1 77 Punctuation 1 77 Rules for Punctuation 1 78 SHOW-CARD DESIGN AND ORNAMENT Elements of Design 2 2 Simple Figures 2 2 The Ellipse 2 4 The Panel 2 6 Ribbons 2 10 Practical Designing 2 12 Inscription Designing 2 12 Location of Inscription 2 16 Supplementary Alphabets 2 19 Indexes 2 23 The Eye 2 24 Applied Design 3 2 Forms Used in Card Writing 3 2 Composition of a Design 3 9 Natural Forms Used 3 9 Ornament 3 12 Various Styles and Application .... 3 12 Various Designs 3 14 Price Tickets 3 21 Inscriptions for Show-Cards 3 23 LETTER FORMATION Freehand Alphabets 4 1 Plate, Title: Brush-Stroke Letters 4 1 CONTENTS vii LETTER FORMATION (Continued) Section Page Plate, Title: Condensed Egyptian ... 4 3 Capitals 4 4 Lower Case and Numerals 4 6 Plate, Title: Heavy Egyptian 4 8 Plate, Title: Eccentric Egyptian .... 4 10 Plate, Title: French Roman 4 12 Capitals 4 12 Lower Case 4 14 Plate, Title: Roman 4 15 Capitals 4 16 Lower Case and Numerals 4 17 Plate, Title: Transparent Color Work . . 4 18 Plate, Title: Eccentric Roman 4 21 Plate, Title: Ogee-Curve Stroke .... 4 22 Capitals 4 23 Lower Case 4 24 Plate, Title: Square English 4 25 Capitals 4 25 Lower Case . 4 27 Plate, Title: Half Script 4 28 Capitals 4 29 Lower Case 4 29 Plate, Title: Script 4 31 Capitals 4 31 Lower Case 4 32 Plate, Title: Opaque Water-Color Work . 4 32 SHOW-CARD WRITING INTRODUCTION 1. Purpose of This Course. Attractive show-card writing ranks among the most important advertising methods used by the progressive and wide-awake merchant. Time was when the storekeeper was satisfied to use his store windows for the mere purpose of lighting his store. If an attempt were made to display goods, the multiplicity of window panes, the height of the window floor, together with the congested window space (having but a front exposure), offered little or no advantages in using it as a medium for attracting the attention of the passers-by. Conditions, however, have changed with the times, until the show window has become the most imposing feature of the store. Competition has brought into play every known means for attracting attention to the character of the goods to be found within. In this connection it is obvious that such signs be used as will call special attention to the quality and price of goods displayed; also, that these be prepared on inexpensive material in order that periodical announce- ments may be made to the public that will interest and secure trade. To this end, nothing is more suitable or productive of better results than advertising show-cards. These may be executed by a novice, and, in a way, serve the purpose for which they are intended. But to make the window lettering and show-card writing an artistic as well as a remu- nerative feature of the window display, is the desire of every merchant. He may secure a stock of goods of sufficient merit in quality, and offer them at prices so low as should For notice of copyright, see page immediately following the title page 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 crowd his store With. customers, and yet these may become $b.6p .worn and out of fashion were he to neglect to use the methods employed fry* his progressive competitors in calling attention to them through attractive display cards and catchy announcements. Therefore, the show-card writer is indispensable to the successful up-to-date merchant, and, as an employe, he is valued in proportion to his ability to prepare work that will arrest the eye of every passer-by. It is equally neces- sary for those engaged in this profession to be familiar with every form of letter that will most effectively serve their purpose, and to make use of every novelty in designing, arrangement, and artistic embellishment known to modern practice. It is the purpose of this Course, therefore, so to prepare those having the show window in charge, or those desiring to undertake this class of work, that they may thoroughly master every branch of the subject, by giving them a practical knowledge of show-card and inscription design- ing in every detail, and of every form of alphabet best adapted for use in show-cards, window signs, interior ban- ners, and all other work coming within the province of the card writer. HOW TO BECOME AN EXPERT CARD WRITER 2. Chief Qualifications. Success cannot be assured any student enrolling in this Course unless he possesses the qualifications necessary. We are therefore compelled to call attention to some of the natural tendencies to discourage- ment that exist, and that serve to draw a student from any worthy purpose. Much depends on the student, if he would realize the fullest benefit to be derived from his course of instruction. Too much time cannot be devoted to practice. It is only by practice that the student can hope to succeed. The process by which the hand becomes skilled in perform- ing work, and the eye trained to equalize space, measure distances, and proportion objects is necessarily slow, and to those who lack application, it is quite tedious. 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 3 3. Reward of Application. Students are of two general classes, namely: Those who desire only a super- ficial knowledge of the subject before them, and to whom any reasonable amount of study or practice is burdensome; and those who desire a complete knowledge of everything that directly or indirectly pertains to the subject, and who are willing, through practice and perseverance, to labor untir- ingly to this end. Those composing the former class are easily discouraged, their chief aim being to acquire speed in their work, not taking sufficient time to gain a perfect knowledge of every subject before them; while those in the latter class, by thoroughly mastering the work in every detail, soon acquire speed as a result of a perfect knowledge of the formation of letters, designing, method of application, etc. It is obvious, therefore, that one class should win the final reward and receive as a result the largest salaries and best positions, while the other class must be satisfied to take second or third places in their profession. THE COURSE 4. Arrangement and Classification. The Course is arranged progressively, beginning with instruction in such subjects as colors, brushes, appliances, materials, etc., a knowledge of which is necessary before beginning drawing or freehand lettering. It is important that the student should first be perfectly familiar with the foregoing, for it is with these he is to execute his work. The subject of design- ing, or the manner in which the work should be executed, is introduced at that point in the instruction when the stu- dent has progressed sufficiently to apply this knowledge to practical use. 5. Materials Necessary. We recommend that all practice work be done on Manila pattern paper, on account of its cheapness. When working in the evening, use a good, steady light; an incandescent gaslight is best. Arrange the table so that the light is thrown on the work from above and 4 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 to the left of the drawing table. A shade for the eyes should be worn to protect them from the light, and every precaution taken in caring for them when working by any kind of artificial light. A well-made, firm table should be used, and this should be slightly inclined (not to exceed 10). The ordinary table known among furniture dealers as the kitchen table, costing about $1.50, is an excellent table for a student's use. The front legs of this table may be cut off sufficiently to give the proper angle. The 24" X 30" drafting board is furnished in the special outfit, and will be found indispen- sable even though the table be used. The complete outfit consists of the following: 1 2-ounce bottle show-card writer's white. 1 2-ounce bottle show-card writer's black. 1 f -ounce bottle waterproof India ink. 1 set of lettering brushes: 5 red sable (riggers) Nos. 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11; 2 Nos. 1 and 3 (Columbia) red sables; 1 wash brush No. 3, double end, camel's hair; 3 Nos. 4, 6, and 8 square shaders, camel's hair; 3 Nos. 4, 6, and 8 letterers, camel's hair. \ dozen sheets of white drawing paper, size 15" X 20". 2 sheets of black drawing paper. 1 show-card writer's T square, 28" blade. 2 ounces of each of the following dry colors: blue, green, orange, lemon, and red. chamois skin. drafting board, 24" X 30". dozen thumbtacks. combination compass. protractor. sponge eraser. lead pencil. pencil eraser. 12 pans of water color as follows: new green, light red, burnt sienna, vermilion, crimson lake, gamboge, mauve purple, Prussian blue, sepia, yellow ocher, orange chrome yellow, charcoal gray. 3 water-color dishes: 2", 2i", and 3". 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING COLORS CLASSIFICATION AND USE 6. Classification of Colors. There are five general classes into which all colors are divided, as follows: Primary ', secondary, tertiary, semineutral, and neutral. Beginning with the primary, colors fall to a lower order, depending on how closely they are related to this chief or highest order. Com- binations of colors of this order produce what are known as secondary, and so on until two colors are equally divided in strength, when they become neutral. 7. Primary Colors. The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. By a combination of these three colors the modern color artist, such as the art printer and lithographer, can produce a piece of work in strong and distinct colors, shades, and tints that will show wonderful ingenuity. The combinations of the colors with white and black are almost unlimited in variety. By referring to the color chart, Fig. 2, we learn that to combine any two of the primary colors will give us another distinct color that belongs to a separate class, called secondary colors. 8. Secondary Colors. The three secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. Yellow and blue mixed together in proper quantities will produce green; yellow and red combined will produce orange; while red and blue will produce purple. It should not be understood that equal quantities of these colors will give the desired shade, nor that any shade of red, blue, or yellow should be classed as primary. In the ideal spectrum, Fig. 1, the colors marked 1, 3, and 5 are normal, primary colors. The strength of manufactured colors differs, some being so intense as to require but the smallest amount to counter- balance, or offset, the color used in connection with it. A few of the weak colors will serve as an example, as new blue, Naples yellow, emerald green, etc., while some of the 6 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 colors of greatest strength are Prussian blue, Indian red, orange chrome, etc. When using these latter colors the greatest care must be observed or the strong color will be found to predominate in the mixture. 9. Tertiary Colors. Combining one secondary color with another secondary will produce a tertiary color; com- bining a secondary color with a primary will also produce a tertiary. The principal tertiary colors are citrine, olive, and russet. 10. Semineutral Colors. Although inferior in point of color order to the third class, the colors that compose the semlneutral class are most important for the place they hold with respect to their practical use. Any color that is combined with black is reduced in the scale of color com- pounds to an entirely new and distinct series, and to this class belong a great number of our permanent pigments, such as raw umber, raw sienna, sepia, asphalt, etc. The semineutral colors are brow?i, maroon, and gray. 11. Neutral Colors. The term neutral as applied to colors, means that the color is evenly divided in intensity or prominence between two colors in their proper order, as shown in the ideal spectrum, Fig. 1. By referring to this it will be readily seen which colors are neutral. The colors marked R O, red orange; Y O, yellow orange; Y G, yellow green; B G, blue green; B V, blue violet; and R V, red violet, comprise the neutral colors. 12. White and Black. The trade term color is applied to every mixture that is used as paint, but technic- ally understood, white and black are not colors. White is a combination of all of the prismatic colors, while black is in reality the absence of color. Black and white, as pigments, enter into the preparation of colors and shades and form a most important ingredient. By combining white with a strong primary, secondary, or other color, it is possible to graduate these colors from their normal strength to a point where the original color has passed the limits of a shade 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 7 and become indistinct, when it is termed a tint. By the use of black in compounding colors, some may be intensi- fied, while others acquire an entirely different hue. The union of white and black produces slate color, lead color, drab, gray, etc. 13. Pigments. This term is applied to certain kinds of alluvion or other matter with which a vehicle, such as varnish, oil, or turpentine may be added to produce a paint. Mineral pigments are those found in their natural state and comprise a low grade, or the inexpensive colors. Such colors as umber, sienna, ocher, etc. belong to this class. The higher grades of mineral pigments are produced from metallic oxides and are reduced from a metallic state either by treatment with acid or by incineration. Vegetable pig- ments are limited to one or two colors, which is true also of animal pigments; bone black and cochineal are important products of the latter class. Cochineal, which is one of the most brilliant red pigments, consists of the bodies of female insects (Coccus cacti), killed and dried by heat. This insect is a small creature, a pound of cochineal containing, it is said, 70,000 dried bodies of cochineals. The insects feed on plants of the cactus family, particularly on that known in Mexico as the napal, quite nearly allied to the prickly pear. Besides furnishing us a pigment, cochineal is also used by confectioners as a color- ing matter for all candies that are required to be given a pink color or a deep transparent red. 14. Spectrum Colors. In the color chart, Fig. 1, is shown the ideal spectrum. The proportion of color is made equal for reference purposes. It contains twenty-four dis- tinct colors. Between the red and orange, orange and yellow, yellow and green, green and blue, blue and violet, there are three colors; one neutral, to which we have already referred, and one on either side of this partaking of the color adjoining it. SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 HANDLING OF COLORS 15. Harmony and Contrast. The handling of colors, in the full sense of the word, does not mean simply the knowledge of the many ways in which colors can best be applied to a surface, but involves also a knowl- edge of the nature of the colors themselves, the effect of the elements on each, and the relations they bear to one another. This relation in colors classifies them as either harmonizing or contrasting with one another. A colorist should understand the result and drying effects of placing one mixture on another, each having as a base an entirely different medium or liquid. All of these details must be considered, and many annoyances and serious complications can be avoided. 16. Warm and Cold Colors. Colors are in harmony with one another when they partake of the same general effect, such as the chrome yellow and sienna, chrome yellow and umber, or such colors or tints partaking of the red or yellow, called warm colors, or those of the oppo- site nature, which partake of gray, lead color, green, blue, etc., producing colors or tints that are called cold in their effect or tone. 17. Contrast. Colors are in contrast when warm and cold colors are used in connection with one another, although all such colors may not be so used without producing a hetero- geneous effect, as certain shades of red and green, blue and green, blue and red, etc. are most discordant to the eye when placed close together. Coloring, therefore, is a study that can be mastered only by close observation and experiment. Just as the professional musician produces some combined sounds that thrill us, so the professional colorist produces effects that are beyond the comprehension of the unskilled. More particularly is this true of the coloring displayed by the artist who imitates nature. He may, by the art of coloring, not only deceive the eye but produce combinations that will be most pleasing to it. S 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 9 18. Card -Writers' Colors. The card writer often has use for colors and mixtures that are not classified with those known as pure colors. Therefore, there are many combinations especially useful to him, the preparation of which depends on his ability to harmonize and con- trast colors. 19. Shading Colors. Water-color black and burnt sienna form a warm neutral color. Black, colored slightly with green or blue, forms a cold color that makes a pleas- ing contrast with the former. These are transparent colors, and are used mostly on white show-cards for shading, ornamentation, etc. A variety of opaque colors used for lettering on black or colored cards may be made by placing a quantity of show-card white (referred to later) into a small dish similar to a sauce dish or saucer, and by wetting up the moist water color desired with a clean brush and water, the color may be dropped into the white and then thoroughly mixed. 20. Gold Color. This may be mixed in the following manner: Add to the white, chrome yellow and orange chrome in equal quantities; a small amount of vermilion should also be added. Opaque green and blue shades may likewise be produced. For an opaque water-color vermilion, used especially on black or dark-colored cards, orange vermilion should be used. This possesses excel- lent covering qualities. 21. Flesh Color. This may be produced by combining Naples yellow, light red, and white. While these colors can be made to imitate the color of flesh in a general way, the proper shading and high lighting of flesh color is accom- plished only by the professional colorist. For producing a life-like flesh color, such colors as umber, sienna, blue, black, and green are employed. The natural appearance of the flesh is obtained by glazing with transparent colors and stippling. Umber and sienna will serve to shade the index hand or the face of a figure sufficiently good for use in show-card writing. 10 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 22. Principal Colors Necessary. White and black may be used almost exclusively in show-card writing, for all practical purposes. Many show-card writers confine their brush work to these in preference to colors, believing that simplicity is the first thing to be observed in advertising, while others seek to attract the eye by colors and every novelty that can be introduced on the show-card. Water colors take a most important place in card writing. They are used for filling in outlined letters, also for decora- ting purposes, by embellishing the border, coloring designs, striping, shading, and for ornamenting the letters. Black and white are used in such large quantities that every letterer should be able to prepare them, and not be entirely dependent on the manufactured show-card inks. He may not be able to produce the same results attained by the use of ready-prepared colors, but he will find the white, the formula for which is given in the following article, to flow well and cover the surface with one coat. While we recommend this preparation for convenience and economy, we would advise that the beginner obtain the best white in order to insure most satisfactory results. Card-writers' white, furnished by the Technical Supply Company, Scranton, Pa., is the best product on the market for this purpose, and is prepared by one of the leading ink manufacturers of our country. 23. Preparation of White. The formula for white is as follows: In a vessel capable of holding 1 pint, mix dry zinc white with water until it becomes a thick paste, in quantity not to exceed two-thirds the capacity of the vessel; cover closely and allow this to remain a day or two, then add about fluid ounce of mucilage. The effect of the mucilage is to size the white; that is, to cause it to adhere sufficiently to not rub off after it has been applied to the card surface. It also has the effect of greatly reducing the mixture to a con- sistency where it may be applied with the lettering brush. If it be found necessary to add water, great care should be exer- cised in thinning, as it is desirable that white should not only cover well with one coat, but also flow readily from the brush. 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 11 24. Preparation of Black. The color known among letterers as show-card black will be found to be one of the best black preparations for card work. This color flows freely from the brush, is an intense black, and dries with a glossy surface a few moments after the application. It may be prepared by the student as follows: Use a vessel that will hold at least i pint; in this put coach black (ground in japan), in bulk, equal to a large English walnut; add three times this quantity of best asphaltum, also about a table- spoonful of best coach japan. Stir until thoroughly mixed, and thin this with a small quantity of turpentine until it becomes equal to the consistency of cream, or so that it will flow freely from the brush. Should the black, for any reason, fail to appear a jet black, more coach black may be added, and to give the letters a gloss, or a varnished appearance, the asphaltum is used. Put this mixture in a large-neck bottle with a screw-cap or cork top. This should always be well shaken before it is used. A preparation known as letierine is also an excellent mixture. The student should never use in letterine a brush that has been used in show- card black without first cleansing it thoroughly in turpentine and afterwards with soap and water. While the card-black preparation contains no oil, it is classified as an oil color. Letterine is purely a water-color preparation. Brushes used in card black or oil color should be cleansed thoroughly in benzine and dipped in kerosene oil before they are laid away, while it is only necessary to rinse brushes in water after using them in water color. The kerosene oil should be rinsed out of the brush in benzine before it is again put in color. When water colors are to be used and flowed over the black letter or lines, India ink, or show-card black should always be used. By so doing the liability of one water color working up into another and resulting disastrously is avoided. Higgins', or the Technical Supply Co.'s, waterproof India ink is a water color that may be used, however, and serve the same purpose as card black. 12 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 WATER COLORS 25. Preparation of Water Colors. Water colors are prepared by thoroughly grinding a pigment to a powder and mixing this with strained honey to a thick putty, after which it is placed in porcelain pans and covered over with waxed paper. Honey prevents the colors from drying or hardening and renders them moist and easily acted on by water. Following is a complete list of water colors, which may also be obtained in oil, put up in collapsible tubes: Antwerp blue Bister Blue black Blue verditer Brown ocher Brown pink Burnt sienna Burnt umber Charcoal gray Chinese white Chrome light Chrome yellow Chrome deep Chrome orange Cologne earth Dragon's blood Alizarine crimson Brown madder Cerulean blue Crimson lake Indian lake Aureolin Burnt carmine Cadmium orange Cadmium yellow Cadmium pale Carmine Cobalt LIST OF WATER COLORS Emerald green Flake white Gamboge Hooker's green, No. 1 Hooker's green, No. 2 Indian red Indigo Italian pink Ivory black King's yellow Lampblack Light red Magenta Mauve Naples yellow Neutral tint Indian yellow Mars yellow Neutral orange Orange vermilion Purple lake Ex. madder carmine French ultramarine Gallstone Green oxide chromium Intense blue Lemon yellow Mars orange Olive green Payne's gray New blue Prussian green Prussian blue Raw sienna Raw umber Roman ocher Sap green Terre verte Vandyke brown Venetian red Vermilion Yellow lake Yellow ocher Scarlet lake Scarlet vermilion Sepia Roman sepia Warm sepia Pink madder Pure scarlet Purple madder Rose madder Smalt Ultramarine ash Veronese green Violet carmine SHOW-CARD WRITING 13 LIST OF OIL COLORS Prepared oil colors in tubes comprise the foregoing list of water colors with the following additions: Asphaltum black Bitumen Black lead Caledonian brown Cappah brown Cassel earth Chinese blue Chrome green, No. 1 Chrome green, No. 2 Chrome green, No. 3 Cinnaber green light Cinnaber green medium Cinnaber green deep Cork black Cremnitz white Jaune brilliant Mauve, No. 2 Megilp Burnt lake Chinese vermilion French vermilion Green lake light Green lake deep Brilliant ultramarine Carmine, No. 2 Citron yellow Cobalt green Emerald oxide of chromium Extract of vermilion French Veronese green . Indian yellow Leitch's blue Madder lake Malachite green 3 -cool 1 warm 2 warm 3 warm Monochrome tint, No. 1 cool Monochrome tint, No. 2 cool Monochrome tint, No. Monochrome tint, No. Monochrome tint, No. Monochrome tint, No. Orpiment Oxford ocher Permanent blue Permanent white (zinc) Permanent yellow Prussian brown Sky blue Sugar of lead Terra rose Transparent gold ocher Verdigris Verona brown Geranium lake Pale vermilion Rembrandt's madder Rubens' madder Sepia Mars brown Mars orange Mars red Mars violet Mineral gray Permanent mauve Permanent violet Scarlet madder Strontian yellow Viridian 26. Water Colors Necessary. Such water colors only as are included in the outfit are necessary for card writing. Should a student be unable to procure these of his local 14 SHOW-CARD WRITING dealer in artists' materials he may be supplied through the Technical Supply Company, Scranton, Pa. Many of the foregoing colors are furnished in screw-cap glass jars and are convenient as well as economical for those using water colors in large quantities. BRUSHES 27. Red Sables. The brushes used mostly in card wri- ting are the long-handled, red-sable brushes, known as riggers. These range in sizes numbered from 1 to 12 consecutively. The hair of No. 1 is 1 inch long, while that of No. 12 is about 1 inch long. As shown in Fig. 3, these brushes are well made and suitable for use in oil or water color. Artists' red-sable brushes known as AV/>//A- are a variety that give general satisfaction. Being flat or chisel-shaped, they are SHOW-CARD WRITING 15 especially useful on certain kinds of letters and also for shading. These range in size from 1 to 9, as shown in Fig. 4. The largest sizes are most serviceable. 1234 5 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 28. Camel's-IIair Brushes. Next to the red sable in importance is the ordinary camel's-hair brush. This variety, known as super extra, ranges in eight sizes numbered from 1 to 8. The hair of No. 8 is IT inches long; No. 1, \ inch 16 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 4 f> 6 FIG. G I 1 Pio. 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 17 long. These brushes are known also as goose quills, and are the least expensive brushes used by letterers. The three sizes shown in Fig. 5 are sufficient for card-writing purposes. 29. Square Shaders. Square shaders are made of selected stock and are the best variety of camel's-hair brushes made. They range in sizes from Nos. 1 to 8, shown in Fig. 6, and are also known by the name of B camel's hair. These brushes are used for lettering as well as shading. 30. Wash Brushes. The brushes generally used for flowing large quantities of water color on a cardboard are of two varieties, camel's hair and red sable. The former are flat and are made in five sizes, ranging in width from FIG. 8 I to 1 inch, shown in Fig. 7. The latter are a round, double- end pointed brush, and range in six sizes from No. 00 to 4. The red-sable wash brushes are found most convenient for filling in letters or designs when a pointed brush only can be used to advantage. These are shown in Fig. 8. MATERIALS CARDBOARD USED BY CARD WRITERS 31. Card-Writers' White Blank. -The size of white cardboard used for general sign purposes is 22 in. X 28 in. A size 28 in. X 44 in. may also be obtained in the white, but not in colors. White cards should possess a dull finish that renders them capable of readily absorbing water colors. The thickness known as 8-ply blank is commonly used, although 18 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 6-ply is of sufficient thickness to serve all requirements. They are put up in original packages of 50 cards, and may be procured at any paper warehouse. 32. Colored Cards. Colored cards are furnished in almost every color and shade, but the colors most service- able to a card writer are those on which white or black will show to the best advantage. Black, maroon, sea green, deep blue, chocolate, yellow, and red comprise the colors generally used. The size of these cards is 22 in. X 28 in., and the thickness is somewhat less than the 6-ply white card. 33. Photo-Mounting Board. Gray mounting board, size 22 in. X 28 in., all thicknesses, may be obtained, and this will be found to be an excellent board to give variety to a card-writer's display. It may be lettered in black or white. A white letter and black shade is often used. 34. Beveled Cards. Beveled-edge cards are much used by card writers, and are furnished in white and colors. The sizes of these gold- and silver-beveled cards are fixed by the requirements of the photographer. The regular sizes used in mounting photos range from 4 in. X 5 in. to 14 in. X 24 in. They may be obtained from any dealer in photo materials. 35. Manila Pattern Paper. For large announcements requiring an extra large surface, the Manila pattern paper may be used to the best advantage By pasting the edges and fastening strips together, an interior or window sign of any size may be made. Manila pattern paper comes in various widths, weight, and quality. It may be obtained in roll or flat, and purchased at any paper warehouse. 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING ELEMENTS OF LETTERING COMPONENT PARTS OF A LETTER 36. The stroke is the term applied to the width between the outlines forming the letter; when applied to letters possessing more than one width between its outlines, it always refers to the greatest width, and usually to the ver- tical portion of the letter, as distinguished from the fine line. The fiiie line is the line connecting the strokes or lines attached to them, forming a part of the letter, and is usually a horizontal line. The spur is a small projection from the extremity of a letter and exists in several varieties, according to the style of letter on which it is used. The face of a letter usually includes all the space forming a rectangle enclosing the extremities of the letter, but is often applied to the surface within the outline of the letter. The term shade is used to describe the treatment or finish of a letter. It is applied to a letter to give it the appearance of relief from the background; also, to cause one part of the stroke to appear projected or depressed from the surface. Block is similar to the shade in effect, and is used to give a letter thickness, or, as its name expresses, to give it. a solid block effect, in which case the shade also is sometimes used beyond the block in the form of a natural shadow. The outline of a letter is the line that forms the letter, leaving the body of the stroke open. The width of letters always applies to the space occupied between the vertical lines to the extreme right and left, and never refers to the height. The background is the surface on which the lettering is placed; it is also sometimes called the ground, or field. 20 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 Condensing is a term applied to the closer spacing of the letters, or to making them narrower than normal width. Elongating is the term applied when the letters are drawn out to a greater width than the normal. This term should not be confused with the appearance of a condensed letter, with reference to its height. The cynia is a character employed to equalize the spacing of irregular letters by placing it where the space is open and requires something more than the plain letter to make the word appear solid. This character derives its name from the Greek, its undulating form resembling a wave. The cyma is usually attached to the letters A, L, M, IV, etc.; it is used in but few styles of lettering, while in such styles as Old English it becomes a part of the letter itself. SPACING OF LETTERS 37. Importance of Spacing. Next in importance to the formation of letters stands the art of arranging them in words in a way calculated to make the word not only legible but symmetrical. This is called spacing. Nothing will destroy the harmony of a line of perfectly formed letters more effectively than a disregard of this art. The card writer must depend on his own good judgment, and cultivate the ability to proportion all spaces according to the combi- nations of letters. He seldom marks out the letters with accuracy, and, for this reason, must learn to approximate the space occupied by a word and to give each letter its proper relative position in the word. Irregular combinations occur in many ways, but true proportion must always reign in a word accurately spaced, so that its regularity is apparent to the eye at a glance. To accomplish this, special attention must be given to the width of the letter, the width of the stroke, and the space between letters. 38. Correct and Incorrect Spacing. Make the inter- spacings equal to one another, or as nearly so as possible. To do this may require the shortening of some extended letters, and the spreading apart of letters having vertical or 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 21 parallel lines. This is shown by Figs. 9 and 10, in which the right and the wrong spacing can be seen. The L in Fig. 9 is shortened a full stroke in width instead of one-half stroke, which is the normal width of the letter; and the space between the A and the IV is about one-half the width of the letter A at its base. At the top of the A is shown the cyma used to relieve the space that cannot be equalized. The cyma is also often used in a vertical position on the L, the point TAW LAW FIG. 9 FIG. 10 almost resting on the lower right-hand spur. Fig. 10 shows the effect of the rule followed by some letterers, who allow the same space between the extremities of all letters, and make no allowance for unequal interspaces. The parallel strokes of the A and the W are the same distance apart as the L and the A, leaving the L full width. Many such combinations occur, and unless we observe this rule we may expect no better effects than in Fig. 10. Two project- ing letters, either L's or 7~'s, often occur together, as in such words as "millinery," "butter," etc., and at the same time in ILLN UTTEI FIG. 11 FIG. 12 connection with letters that are full face or occupying full width top and bottom, as shown in Fig. 11. In such cases the L should be made the width of the stroke narrower than the full-face letters, and the spaces between the latter and the right-hand letters next to them should be one-half the width of the stroke. There should be a space of the full width of the stroke between parallel-stroke letters, as the / and the L. In Fig. 12 the T's are shortened only one-half 22 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 the width of the stroke, allowing 1 the same space between them and the letters on each side as allowed in Fig. 11 between the end of the right L and the stroke of the N. The letters, therefore, with which we shall experience the most difficulty in spacing, are the slanting-stroke letters A, K, V> IV, and Y and the projecting letters /% J, L, and T. Two round letters coming together, such as oo in condensed styles, having no spurs, may be allowed to almost touch each other without having the effect of doing so; while such letters as JE produce the effect of being closer together than they really are. 39. Care must always be exercised in selecting a style of letter to suit a space as well as a word. The placing of a word in a given space not appropriate to it will cause the letters to be either so separated by spaces or so condensed for want of space as to make them unsightly and difficult to read. Under the heading of Inscription Designing, the sub- ject of the selection of styles to meet all requirements is fully SENATE PIG. 13 treated. The appearance of the spacing of letters is similar to that of a company of soldiers. If a portion of the com- pany be separated by a space greater than the manual pre- scribes; it has the appearance of a separate detachment and 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 23 is noticeable at a glance. In the same manner, if a word is spaced properly throughout with but one exception, it has the appearance of two words. For example, take the word il senate" shown in Fig. 13, where the space between the N and the A gives it the effect of being two words. SHADING 40. Shading on the L.eft Side. Shading is used to cause the letter to appear in relief, and thereby take away the flat or plain appearance. Shading may be placed on the top, bottom, or either side of a letter, but it should at first always be placed on the bottom and left side; as, for several reasons, it is best not to try to shade a letter on the right side until the student is familiar with the left, as he will use this side (*>) FIG. 14 FIG. 15 for all practical purposes. The reasons for giving this side the preference are: (1) Regularity and symmetry of the shade occurs in more of the letters when shaded on the left side, such as the S, E, C, R, etc. Fig. 14 illustrates this advantage, and shows the single stroke on the left at (a), and the broken shade from the stroke on the right side at (). (2) By shading to the left, the letterer can accom- plish more in a given length of time, and produce a better effect in his work when finished. (3) The majority of strokes in shading to the left are drawn toward the letterer, while in shading on the right the brush is pushed to the right, which in itself is a strong argument in favor of the former. 24 SHOW-CARD WRITING 41. Shading should always be executed on the assump- tion that the light falls on the letter at an angle of 45. This principle can best be shown by reference to Fig. 15. The maximum width of the shade occurs at a, a, midway between the two lines b, b, and then diminishes to lines b, b, where it is completed. The tendency of the average letterer is to give too much thickness where shade begins or finishes. All letters must be shaded on the same angle at every point, and, after practice, this angle becomes as well established with the letterer as the horizontal or vertical lines. Every characteristic point of the letter must be shown in the FIG. 16 FIG. 17 shade, as at a, Fig. 16, and all must be of equal width in all letters except the round characters, whereon the shade reaches this width only at the maximum point of thick- ness in the letter. 42. Block Shade. There are many methods of obtain- ing beautiful effects in shading, which will be considered separately. The block shade, as its name indicates, consists of the effect of making the letter appear to have thickness. This is done by the use of two shades, the dark, or stronger one, being used underneath all horizontal strokes, and the lighter tint on the side of all vertical strokes. The block shade can also be placed on the top or right side of the letter, in which case the block, as well as the letter itself, is shaded the same as that shown in Fig. 17. Here the shade has below and to the left of the letter the appearance of a cast shadow. SHOW-CARD WRITING 25 43. Cast Shadow. The cast shadow is also used in connection with heavy-stroke letters, block shading, etc., giving the letter the appearance of standing upright, either on a level or on a slanting surface. The top of the shade is on a line about one-fifth of the height of the letter below the top. The shade is made on an angle of 30 to the left, the FIG. 18 point resting on the lower left corner of the letter, as in Fig. 18, where (a) shows the letter with a block shade and cast shadow, and (b) shows the simple outlined letter and cast shadow. The shade is sometimes used by duplicating the letter in the form of a shadow cast on the background, one- fifth of the height of the letter below the top, and on the same angle (45) as the regular shade, as shown in Fig. 19. FIG. 19 FIG. 20 44. Relief Shade. Relief shade is obtained by leaving a space between the letter and the shade on the same angle as the shade, as shown in Fig. 20, making the space and shade of uniform width. When used in connection with block shade, it is often of the nature of the natural shade, and is added to the block shading without any line or space 26 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 between. The relief shade when used as a natural shade on a white or tinted ground is made to represent the strength of the shadow cast from an object on the ground on which the letters are placed. This shade is produced with the pen by means of lines, but more effectively by the brush and trans- parent color. LETTER-FACE LIGHTING AND SHADING 45. Importance of Subject. The treatment of the face of the letter is a very important consideration. The letterer often finds himself confronted with a line of extremely plain lettering that, even after it is shaded, remains flat and unsatisfactory. This effect can sometimes be overcome by the addition of lights and shades placed directly on the letter face itself. The face of the letter may be variegated or blended from a light to a dark shade, in which case a sharp outline must surround the entire letter, as shown in Fig. 21. Lighting and shading are used with FIG. 21 FIG. 22 FIG. 23 best results on heavy-faced letters, as all treatment of the face of a letter by shading has the tendency to considerably reduce the apparent width of the stroke. 46. Effects Produced. Another effect is produced by running bars of color across the center of the letter, and diminishing these bars in width to a point midway from center to top and bottom, as in Fig. 22. Diminishing circles are also used on letters of lighter face, such as the Roman, and can be made to occupy the entire face, or, as is shown in Fig. 23, terminating at a given point, which must be regularly observed throughout the line of letters. 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 27 47. Heavy Highlight. The heavy highlight is used in the treatment of the face of the letter by making the upper half of the letter a uniform tint, either by lining, as shown in Fig. 24, or with colors. The darker shade b is placed on the lower half of the letter, allowing a highlight on this equal in strength to a, or the upper half. The high- light c on the upper half of the letter is left white. By a combination of the shades of colors many beautiful effects can be produced by this means, using blue, green, gray, or gold color, the last of which combines with sienna for the lower portion, and with cream color for the upper highlight. Blue or green when used should have tint and shade of the same color. 48. Beveled Shading. Shading on the face of a letter to represent a beveled appearance is another treatment that gives a line of lettering a finished and pleasing effect. In FIG. 24 FIG. 25 this process it is necessary only to observe the rules of light and shadow, as shown in Fig. 25, by shading the letter on the left and bottom sides from a line drawn through the center of the face of the letter. This form of shading is often used on a gold or silver letter by the use of trans- parent colors such as varnish stained with asphaltum, which is used on gold, and varnish darkened with lampblack is used on silver letters. There are many other methods of treating the face of letters by the use of ornament, whereby it loses its identity as a plain and becomes an ornamental letter. 28 SHOW-CARD WRITING THE HIGHLIGHT 49. As its name indicates, the highlight is used to illuminate or light up a letter, which it does with wonder- ful effect. The highlight is placed on the edge of the letter, opposite the shade, or on the right and top of the strokes. It is always a fine line of either gold, silver, white, or cream, according to the color of the letter on which it is to be placed. If the letter is a colored one, gold or silver can be used. If the letter is gold, nothing will serve the purpose of a highlight so well as cream or white. On silver or aluminum, white only can be used. To be most effectual this highlight must be a fine, even line. The heavy highlight is used in letter-face lighting and shading, and is explained under that head. CUTTING IN LETTERS 50. Uses of Cut-in Letters. This term is applied to that style of treatment wherein the letters are drawn in out- line, and the background is filled in around them. In inscription designing this method is resorted to frequently, BR FIG. 26 in order to break the monotony of several lines of plain lettering. The insertion of a panel or ribbon, on which the letters are cut in, provides a colored background, against which the letters are outlined, allowing the same color for the letters as the main ground of the inscription design, as shown in Fig. 26. The color of the panel and background will govern very largely the character of letter to be cut in. If the general ground is white or any light color, and the 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 29 cutting-in or outline color is very dark, a heavy-faced letter may be used without causing any appearance of clumsiness or ill proportion. A white letter on a dark-blue ground can be read at a greater distance than any other combina- tion of colors. CLASSIFICATION OF LETTERS ORNAMENTAL LETTERS 51o Scope of the Subject. all alphabets in which no line or curve enters that is not absolutely necessary to show their form or outline; a line thus added may place them among the ornamental letters. Although it will be impos- sible to go over the entire ground covered by this subject, as there are endless varieties of orna- mental letters, the styles found to be most essential will be con- sidered. There are many letters into which ornamental construction The plain letters include FIG. 28 FIG. 27 enters but slightly, while others are composed en- tirely of ornamental forms. The ornamental letters of most value to the student are those on the face of which the or- nament appears, either in the form of relief scrolls, geometrical figures, or designs in arabesque; although this latter treat- ment is not used exten- sively in modern practice. 30 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 52. Ornamental Forms. Letters classified as orna- mental are of so great a variety that such as are used in connection with the shade to produce a bent or rounded effect, as shown in Figs. 27 and 28, might be classed with this style. Fig. 27 shows the ground to be a plane surface and the letter bent or warped, while Fig. 28 shows the fj^/^ FiG.29 letter to be perfectly straight, and fastened with screws, while the ground has the effect of being bent or warped. FIG. 30 53. A letter that in itself is perfectly plain but sur- rounded by ornamentation, as shown in Fig. 29, is called an ornamental letter also, though as a matter of fact the letter itself may be perfectly plain. 54. Other Forms. Other ornamental forms are as fol- lows: The relief-ornament letters shown in Fig. 30 can be made in various ways. The whole form of the letter may be treated in this manner, as at (a), or by simply suggesting it in the middle or edge of the letter, as in (b) , (c), and (d). A letter may be plain, so FIG. 31 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 31 far as its face is concerned, but on account of its form and construction it may be classified as ornamental, as shown in Fig. 31. There are many forms of designs used in letter-face orna- mentation, either filigree work, geometrical designs, or a com- bination of both. In Fig. 32 are shown three letters of the (c) face-ornament class, the one at (a) being decorated with filigree work, while (b) shows a geometrical design, and (c) simply the cross-line shading. GROTESQUE LETTERS 55. Rustic Letters. All letters are either plain, orna- mental, or grotesque. The first two classes follow in their outline construction the forms of the fundamental styles and their many variations, but this third class is entirely different. The grotesque letters have no recognized or classical form, such as would place them among the styles of the alphabet, but are made by using natural objects, which are arranged so as to conform to any regular or irregular shape that will cause them to represent a letter, and any form, therefore, is allowable so long as the letter may be recognized. To accom- plish this, objects such as a human figure, a piece of rope or ribbon, broken boards, leaves, vines, and trunk of a tree are used. Of the three latter forms, the rustic letters are made. The leaves, tendrils, stump, and trunk of a tree FIG. 33 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 form the material used for an entire alphabet, one letter of which is shown in Fig. 33. These letters can be made very artistic, and show great skill in their arrangement. And, while they may be pleasing to the eye, they are of no practical importance to the student in the study of show-card writing, as their proportions are purely arbitrary. Examples of these letters are given in order that the student may be able to form any style of letter were he called on to do so. Fig. 34 shows the forms of some of the grotesque FIG. 34 letters, in w r hich (a) is formed by a human figure, (/>) by broken boards, and (c) with a piece of rope. Any alphabet may be constructed of these forms as the fancy of the artist may dictate, even though he may be ignorant of the true form or proportion of the simplest style of the alphabet. ILLUMINATED CAPITALS 56. History and General Use. The monks of the Middle Ages were the first to make use of this art, many specimens of which would indicate that they must have spent days in designing and executing a single letter. In treating this subject here, our purpose is simply to call attention to the most simplified forms of illuminating, especially those forms designed for the use of the average card writer. The practical use of this art is now confined to lithographing, engrossing, card work, and ecclesiastical decorations. The printing and lithographing artists have displayed wonderful skill in recent years in illuminated work, especially on show-bill designs. The use of colors to 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 33 light up the capital letter gives a surprising effect to a com- plete line of lettering, and is done by a simple combination FIG. 35 of designs of most harmonious colors with the letter exe- cuted, and by using colors of striking contrast to the tints used to form the background. Such colors as can be combined to give a brilliant effect are used in the form of a plaque, part panel, or both, on which the letter is brought out most conspicuously, as shown in Fig. 35. The illumina- tion practiced by engrossers is usually of such a nature as to pro- duce a finished and pleasing effect without resorting to colors. There are many ways by which this can be accomplished. One method is simply by the use of a pen and black ink, as shown in Fig. 36, outlining the letter first, then making the FIG. 36 34 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 ornamentation surrounding it conform to any desired design, thereby giving the letter prominence. Great care should be taken that the ornamentation is not made more pronounced than the letter, but rather that the former is used as a means to bring out or illuminate the letter. 57. Card Work. For card work, the illuminating of capitals gives tone and finish, and relieves a show-card FIG. 37 of extreme plainness. For practical purposes, such as attractive advertising cards, banners, etc., the illuminating of capitals will be found to hold an important place, and is coming into favor and more general use. There are also many forms and designs employed as a panel, on which illuminated capitals are placed, in a solid or outlined letter; the out- line letter, however, being the most convenient, is most frequently used, especially when either the panel or the letter, or both, are to be treated in water colors. The letter outlined is sometimes filled in with carmine or other bright color, while the panel surrounds it with a tint of cream white, yellow, or green. Two or Fir.. 38 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 35 three shades of color are sometimes used, either variegated or in the form of line work on top of tint, as in Fig. 37. 58. Index Capitals. Fig. 38 shows the index capital that may be used both as an illuminated capital, or to draw FIG. 39 attention to the inscription following. If the hand be colored in natural colors, and the letter brought out conspicuously,, this will produce a most attractive form of a capital letter. 59. Paneled Capitals. Illuminated capitals are used in show-card writing on a panel or design made to conform in a general way to the letter used. By the use of water colors these capitals may be made most attractive and very little time will be consumed in designing them. Several examples of these capitals are given in Fig. 39. FIG. 40 36 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 60. Heraldic Shield. A heraldic shield is often brought into use, on which the illuminated capital is placed. There are many designs or forms of this shield, which can be changed to suit any form of a letter, as shown in Fig. 40. TREATMENT OF LETTERS CONDENSING, ELONGATING, TELESCOPING, AND INTERLACING 61. Condensing Letters. In conforming letters to fill a required space, we are often compelled to resort to various means of accomplishing our purpose, without making the inscription appear distorted or out of proportion. When the panel or space to be lettered is much shorter than would admit of a regularly proportioned letter, we are compelled COMPANY FIG. 41 to resort to the condensing of the letters, observing generally the rules of their proportionate width. To illus- trate more fully, the word company is used to show the two forms of condensing, as well as the two forms of elongating. 62. Example of Condensed Letter. In Fig. 41 is shown the condensed form, as may be seen by comparing the proportions of the letters with those of the Egyptian Plate. The letterer may condense his letters to the width of those of Fig. 41, and find they are still too large for the required space; the vertical strokes can then be reduced to one-half the regular width, and the horizontal strokes main- tained at the regular, or even greater, width, and less space 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 37 allowed between letters, as in Fig. 42. This reduces the word to almost one-half that of Fig. 41. 63. Elongating Letters. To elongate the same word in the same style of letter, make the height, for convenience, one-half that of Fig. 41; thus, it will be observed that if this elon- gated letter were twice the height it is in Fig. 43, it would occupy a space almost four times that of Fig. 41. To further elongate this word, reverse the rules of Fig. 42, by reducing the horizontal strokes one-half the regular width, keeping the vertical strokes regu- lar width; or these may be increased to twice their regular width if desired, also giving more space between the letters, FIG. 43 as shown in Fig. 44. By this means a word can be made to- fill a space much too long for the regular proportion given this style of letter. 64. Exaggerated Example. To show condensing and elongating in its maximum form, the example in Fig. 45 is given. This, however, is a form of lettering that is not IVI FIG. 44 practical for card writing except it be used merely as a novelty. In reading this style of letter it is necessary to incline the surface in order to produce a foreshortened view of the letter, and to close one eye to avoid a confusion of the vertical lines. 38 SHOW-CARD WRITING FIG. 45 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 39 65. Telescoping. Telescoping is not of so much prac- tical advantage as condensing or elongating, and is used O FIG. 47 mostly to produce a relief effect. This is done by giving the letters the appearance of overlapping one another, as shown in Fig. 47. Every alternate letter is dropped enough below the line to prevent con- fusion of horizontal lines and to preserve the complete identity of each. These letters can be shaded on the background but not on the face, as this would tend to destroy their legibility. 66. Interlacing. Interlacing to its fullest extent enters into the construction of a monogram; but the form of inter- lacing at present under consideration is somewhat different, and includes the inter- lacing of an entire word. This is very often resorted to by the designer, espe- cially in the use of eccentric letters, which are made to extend far beyond the limits of the fundamental styles from which they are derived, as shown in Fig. 46. There are examples of interlacing and tele- scoping combined, one of which is given in Fig. 48. This is also a practical treat- ment in designing, but a letterer who understands the principles of the fore- going subjects may easily apply them whenever the inscription requires to be thus treated. 40 SHOW-CARD WRITING BRUSH WORK METHODS OF HANDLING THE BRUSH 67. Treatise and Practice. In the foregoing pages we have endeavored to give the student all the information necessary to enable him to intelligently undertake the prac- tical study of brush work in all its forms. Having acquired a knowledge of the various colors, tools, appliances, materials, etc., which have been given him thus far simply in the form of a treatise on these subjects, we now require him to take up the study of the following subjects by putting into practice every detail of instruction given, subject by subject. Before beginning on any portion of the practice work, on which we are about to enter, we again urge upon the student the necessity for constant practice. If you do not make a credit- able attempt, even after many trials, do not be discouraged; keep on trying until you are successful. EXERCISE I STRIPING 68. Position of Hands. For practice use white card- board. After charging the brush with show-card black, the hairs of the brush should be drawn to a point on a paper palette before attempting to apply the brush to the show-card. Use a No. 5 red-sable rigger. Study carefully the position of the hand shown in Fig. 49. The brush is held firmly between the thumb and forefinger, allowing the handle to rest against the fleshy part of the thumb. The three fingers remaining free are used to guide the hand. The beginner should at first run a stripe quite near the 1 SHOW CARD WRITING 41 edge of the card, about i inch from it. We would advise that he first mark the line lightly with a lead pencil, using a straightedge. Draw an even straight line. To avoid the possibility of making what is known among stripers as a fat line, that is, wider in some parts than others, the hand should be maintained at a uniform distance from the surface of the card. This feature of striping requires much practice. The first attempts will show irregular and wavy lines of various widths; it is possible, in a short time, however, to make a hair line by this method at any re- ., quired distance from the ! edge of the card. Many expert card writers ex- perience no difficulty in running a stripe 2 inches from the edge, which is the maximum distance generally required. After striping the card i inch from the edge, the student should run another stripe parallel with this and about i inch inside of it. Repeat this operation until the striping is 1 inch from the edge; then use a fresh piece of cardboard. FIG. 49 69. EXERCISE II Striping With the T Square. There are two methods of accomplishing the same results in hair-line striping. The card-writer's design may be composed of several fine lines that run at various angles with the edge of the card. He is compelled, therefore, to seek some other method for striping than that given in Exercise I. The position of the hand shown in Fig. 50, aided by the use 42 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 of the T square or other straightedge, will best serve all requirements. For practice, take a piece of cardboard or stiff flat paper, charge the brush as previously instructed, take the brush between the thumb and forefinger, rest the fingers remaining free against the edge of the T-square blade, and proceed to draw lines as described in Exercise I. The brush must be FIG. 50 held in a vertical position. Hold the brush in the fingers as closely to the hair as possible. By observing these few directions the student should soon be able to draw a hair line with comparative ease. EXERCISE III 70. Broad Striping. In Fig. 51 is seen another process by which the card writer is enabled to execute a broad stripe. It is by this means also that large letters are outlined with accuracy and rapidity. When practicing the method of striping the student will first notice that the position of the 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 43 hand is similar to that used in Exercise I. In this case, however, the hand is inclined to the right in order that the brush may be carried beyond the blade of the T square. The brush should be held as nearly parallel with the surface of the card or paper as possible. The brush is drawn over the surface, spreading its hairs somewhat, and touching with almost the entire length of the brush. Be careful to keep the width of the stripe uniform; this can be accomplished only after much practice. The width of the broad stripe must be governed entirely by the width and style of brush used. The brushes recom- mended for practice in this style of striping are the Nos. 5 and 9 red-sable rigger. After practicing, using this position, the student may make the broad stripe with the hand in the position shown in Fig. 49, Exercise I. He will find the latter as convenient and useful in show-card writing as the former. When striping with the T square, do not hold the square at the head as when working with the drafting pen, but it should be held firmly in the center in order to resist the pressure necessary in guiding the hand. EXERCISE IT LETTERING 71. Position of Hands. The show-card writer has need for but two positions in placing his hands on the surface of the card. The mahl stick, a round stick with a padded end, formerly used for a hand rest by letterers, has long since been laid aside, and the arm rest, a narrow strip of wood with cleats fastened underneath either end, is now seldom seen in a modern show-card establishment. The show-card writer must possess the same freedom in the use of his hands as is necessary in penmanship. To accomplish this, he must place his hands on the surface of the card. Fig. 52 shows the position used in writing. When making letters 1 inch high or under, this position will be found most 44 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 45 practicable, and the card writer may attain great speed in executing some styles of letters by this means. Practice holding the brush in this position, making vertical lines 1 inch long. When letters of a larger size are required, it is necessary that the right hand should be given some rest, or support, in order that the hand may be raised a sufficient distance above the surface to enable the letterer to make a longer stroke with the brush. The position shown in Fig. 53 has been found, by card writers gener- ally, to be the only position that will serve the required purpose. The former posi- tion being the one used in ordinary writing, is familiar to the student. We there- fore require him to practice especially the position shown in Fig. 53. Allow the left hand to rest in any easy position, projecting the little ringer somewhat in order to steady it. The right hand should rest comfortably on the left, and be arranged in such manner as to allow the wrist of the right hand to rest on the thumb of the left; the brush, being held between the thumb and forefinger, is also supported by the second finger. Although this may seem to be somewhat awkward at first, it will be found, with a little practice, to be the most natural and comfortable position, as well as the one by which the best work can be accomplished. It gives a greater scope to the hand in making a stroke than any other position or method; it also forms a rest, giving the letterer entire control over his brush. After some practice, a perfectly straight line may be drawn with the brush, either vertically or horizontally. FIG. 52 46 SHOW-CARD WRITING 72. PLATE, TITLE: ELEMENTARY LINES Elementary Lines. It is important that the stu- dent should become accustomed to the use of the brush in the several positions in which he has been instructed, and be able to draw all elementary lines and curves before begin- ning the work of executing the alphabets. It is for this reason that we require him to give a large amount of time to the practice work given in the preliminary plates. As FIG. 53 previously instructed, use Manila pattern paper for practice work; make each line and curve many times, and when you are satisfied that you possess the ability to construct these in a creditable manner, prepare them as shown on the copy, using the drawing paper furnished in your outfit, and send the work to the Schools for correction. Draw the plate as follows: On the drawing paper, 2 2 inches from the edge on either side, draw a light lead-pencil line; 3 inches from the bottom edge draw another line, and 9 inches above this draw the top line, which encloses a rectangle 9 in. X 15 in. Within 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 47 this space arrange the figures, beginning with the vertical lines. Use the No. 5 red-sable rigger. Make an even symmetrical line the width best adapted to the brush. Show-card black or India ink may be used by the student in the preparation of the work to be sent in for correction, although we prefer that ink be used for this purpose. The figures on this plate consist of vertical lines, horizon- tal lines, ogee lines (vertical and horizontal), left and right arcs, radiating lines, right oblique lines, diagonal lines, left oblique lines, parallel ogee lines, and double ogee lines. After completing the figures, place title where it properly belongs. Print your name, class letter and number in the right-hand corner of the drawing, the date on which you completed it in the left-hand corner. An ordinary writing pen may be used for this purpose. Make the letters of the size and style shown in the copy. PLATE, TITLE: ELEMENTARY CURVES 73. Elementary Curves. In the construction of let- ters generally, there are several principal curves or features that predominate throughout the alphabet. In ornament this is called the motive; in the alphabet, it is known as the stroke. To execute a series of these curves and become per- fectly familiar with all curves employed in letter formation will better fit the student for the more difficult task of join- ing these together to form a symmetrical and well-propor- tioned letter. Give much time, therefore, to the study and practice of these elementary curves. After you have prac- ticed making them, and are able to execute them with accu- racy, draw a rectangle 9 in. X 15 in. on the drawing paper as described in Art. 72, and arrange them in their proper order, as shown in the copy. Letter the title and print in your name, class letter and number, and date where these properly belong, and send the work to the Schools for correction. 48 SHOW-CARD WRITING IMPORTANT TO THE STUDENT 74. The subjects that follow cannot be put to a practical use until the student has had considerable practice in letter forma- tion. We therefore recommend that he defer a practical study of the following subjects until he has completed the plate entitled Condensed Egyptian. However, read them over carefully now before proceeding with plate entitled Brush Stroke Letter. When a study of these subjects is resumed, take up each separate subject in the same manner as you would an exercise in brush work, and put into practice every detail of the instructions given, whether this be in the form of a process or a practical suggestion. SPEED IN LETTERING 75. A Common Error. Too much cannot be said to warn the student against making the mistake that the begin- ner is very liable to make, namely, that of at once aiming for speed in lettering. Speed in the work is essential for the show-card writer in our day of activity, as well as for any other tradesman; but it has been observed that our most expert and speedy card writers are those whose early career was built on foundations of accuracy, study, and painstaking. As a result of these qualities they have acquired the greatest speed, and while they may execute a piece of work in the shortest possible time, it does not fail to bear the distinguish- ing evidence of a master hand. The beginner that would make speed his first requirement unfits himself at once for the highest attainment, and is soon found in the class whose worthiest ambition is expressed in their creed, "Anything is good enough that will pass." We would say, therefore, do not at first consider the amount of time that you spend in executing a piece of work. Let the student ask himself these questions: Have I done the work to the best of my ability? Could I improve on it were I to execute it again? Again, the question of salary enters into the argument in favor of the careful card writer. The card writer of greatest 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 49 versatility, whose brain sparkles with original ideas in design- ing and whose work is faultless in its execution, can readily command a salary equal to four times that of the workman whose position is assured him only because of his ability to turn out a large number of cards each day. We would say, therefore, put a high premium on your ability, and do not allow your work to fall so low in the estimation of your employer that, were your hand work not a matter of economy in his printing bill, your services could be easily dispensed with. Make the artistic and attractive feature of your show- card writing paramount, and you will find laurels laid at your feet in the number of positions offered you and in your opportunity for advancement. In conclusion, we would again urge upon our students the need for hard and con- tinuous study combined with untiring practice. We give complete instruction by mail, but education does not come to the student straightway on opening the envelope; it is acquired only by hard work. METHODS AND APPLICATION DRY COLORS 76. Use of Dry Colors. In show-card writing beautiful effects are produced on white show-cards by blend- ing several colors together, thus giving the appearance of much labor, while in reality little time is required to accom- plish the work. Primarily, dry colors are intended for use in combination with some slow- or quick-drying vehicle, when they are converted into the form of ready-mixed paints. The dry colors used for blending must not be mixed, but applied only in their dry state. The student's outfit consists of five small packages, labeled: dry blue, dry green, dry orange, dry lemon, dry red. 77. Blending. Let the student now study the subject of blending with these colors by first taking a sheet of white cardboard 14 in. X 22 in. Hereafter we will refer to this 50 SHOW-CARD WRITING as a half card. Lay out a diamond from points, 1 inch from center of top and bottom edge, and i inch from center of either side; 2 inches from the edge of the card draw a line entirely surrounding the card, but omitting this where the points of the diamond cross it. We then have the design as shown in Fig. 54. Cut out a triangular opening in a piece of Manila paper that will correspond in size and form with one of the triangular corner pieces of the background left uncov- ered by the diamond. Allow a margin around this triangular opening of 4 or 5 inches. Begin by rubbing an even tint on the four triangles. To insure an even tint take a small ^*w BUTTER FIG. 54 amount of the green and place it on a piece of paper. Use a chamois skin or a wad of cotton batting for rubbing on the color. In order to avoid the use of too much color, the pad should be dipped into the color and rubbed out well on the paper until entirely free from loose color, and it should then be applied to the card, using the triangle in the form of a stencil. Rub the space until evenly covered with the tint. Do not make these colors too strong; their purpose is to take a secondary place to the inscription of the card. Repeat the operation, by cutting out a diamond the size required; blend this by occupying one-third of the center horizontally with yellow. Into this blend red in the top 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 51 and blue in the bottom part. Outline the entire design with a fine line of black or red. The inscription may then be placed on the diamond in black, as shown in the figure. Many beautiful designs, such as illuminated capitals, ribbons, panels, borders, and in fact any design that can be cut in paper to form a stencil, may be thus transferred to the card. FIG. 55 78. Blending Around the Design. Another treat- ment with dry colors is as follows: Design a heraldic shield, or a fancy panel, suitable for an illuminated capital; cut this out and fix it in the desired place on a white card. Two colors may then be rubbed on and blended together either horizontally or diagonally, one color above the center and the other below. These colors should be of greatest strength close to the shield or panel and gradually diminished in strength as they leave the panel until they become indistinct, 52 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 as shown in Fig. 55. The panel should then be outlined with a strong color. The letter may be outlined with black, and filled in with scarlet lake, and thus, by a very simple process, an elaborate illuminated capital may be produced. 79. Border Effects. There are many ways of intro- ducing artistic effects by the use of dry colors for bordering cards. This may be accomplished by laying on a straight piece of paper 1 or 2 inches from the edge of the card and rubbing on the dry color toward the edge of the card. A serrated edge may be produced by cutting the edge of the paper, or a simple design may be cut in the edge of the paper. After rubbing on the dry color, the edge may be striped with some harmonizing color, or with black. ILLUMINATION OF SHOW-CARDS 80. Use of Water Colors. Water colors are used to the best advantage on white show-cards having a dull finish that readily absorbs the moisture. By the use of water colors, white or black lettering may be made most conspic- uous, either by shading the letters or treating the letter face as described under separate headings that treat these subjects in a special manner. But the handling of water colors is not confined to these subjects only; the modern show-card writer can embellish and elaborate the show-card until this may be rightly classed as a work of art. The designs that are com- posed of artistic trade marks, floral pieces, or symbolic ornament offer an excellent opportunity for the display of skill in coloring. In Show-Card Design and Ornament, such designs are given, and the student will more fully appreciate our present instruction when he possesses an experimental knowledge in the more advanced subject of designing. We now require him to devote his time to applying the present instruction by filling in outlined letters with water colors. On a piece of cardboard outline several letters from the alphabet entitled Condensed Egyptian. Fill in one letter with scarlet lake, making this a medium shade. On the lower half of the letter, when dry, flow on a stronger shade 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 53 of the same color. The other letters may be colored in various ways, as shown on the plate entitled Transparent Color Work. 81. Outlining for Water Colors. The outline is made with India ink or with the card black, to which the water color will not adhere, but flows to the edge and stops. By this outline method, beautiful designs in flowers and highly illumi- nated effects can be produced. The outline of the design may be used as the guide for all water-color work in lettering panels, floral designs, etc., although this is not always essen- tial for the latter. The wider this outline is made, the easier will be the work of flowing on the color evenly, and the less the liability of running over the line; the fine outline, how- ever, should be used in many places, especially for floral designs and other work where a black outline does not enhance the artistic merit of the work. 82. Shading With Water Colors. There is nothing that will take the place of water colors for shading show- cards either in economy of time or in convenience. For shading the letters, a brush is used that will as nearly as possible make the shade with one stroke. The camel's-hair brush known as the square shader is best adapted to this special purpose. Water color cannot be worked over, when once applied, without showing brush marks; therefore, the color must be flowed on evenly with a quick, well-directed stroke, using care not to apply the brush again over a shaded part when the excess water has been absorbed by the card. Aside from filling in letters, designs, and for shading, water colors serve the purpose of ornamenting the show- card, being used to tint borders and for blending. A knowl- edge of the handling of water colors is, therefore, a necessity to the card writer. 4 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 LETTERS VARIOUS TREATMENTS 83. Black Letters. The comparative strength of black and white is found to be in favor of the latter. Nothing in nature is pure white, nor is a shadow so deep as to require black to represent it. We have therefore in the use of black and white the greatest possible contrast. They may be said to balance evenly in the proportion of three-fifths black to two-fifths white. The reason for this is, that black absorbs the light, and therefore cannot be made neutral in combina- tion with white because of their opposition to each other. In show-card writing, black is used mostly on white card- board. It is important for the letterer to know that black letters should always be made heavy in stroke. Especially is this true if it be the intention of the writer subsequently to treat the face of the letter with colors or ornamentation in order to embellish it. 84. White Letters. White letters may be placed on black or on any dark-colored card. If white lettering be done with neatness and accuracy there is less need for shading or face treatment than is necessary in the use of black. The stroke of a white letter should be narrow, and in fact a small letter is always preferable. The student should choose such styles, therefore, as the extremely light- stroke Egyptian with an almost indistinct spur on each corner of the letter which classifies it as Antique Egyp- tian. A Roman letter is also used; while the letter best adapted, and the one that may be executed most rapidly and present the most artistic effect, is script. White letters may be shaded or they may be tinted on the face, by either making the center or lower part of the letter of one or more 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 55 tints, or by filling in the entire letter with a tint, leaving a white outline surrounding the letter. 85. Colored Letters. Colored letters may be placed on white or black cards without regard to their nature except in reference to their harmony, which must always be con- sidered. Colors should be mixed with white when placed on a black surface, or such opaque colors as orange vermilion may be used clear. On vermilion a transparent color, such as crimson or scarlet lake, may be used. Colored letters on a white card may be opaque or transparent, but they should invariably be made of sufficient strength to appear well and be easily read. 86. Bronzes. Gold and aluminum bronzes are often used for lettering, in which case they are mixed like paints and are brushed on; after that, they may be outlined with white or some bright color, such as orange vermilion. Bronze is often used to outline letters or otherwise embellish them. If a large panel, ellipse, or disk be required, gilt or silver paper may be cut out and mounted on the card; or, if bronze be used, it will be found necessary to employ some means of checking the natural absorbing quality of the card. Shellac, glue, or a quick-drying varnish may be used for this purpose. Give the surface one or two coats, after which a coat of varnish size should be applied. Banana oil or brass lacquer is used if the bronze is to be mixed first and then applied as paint. If aluminum be required, make the size by adding a small amount of white lead and turpentine to the varnish. If gold or copper bronze be used, lemon yellow may be added to the former, and Indian red to the latter. 87. Flitters, Metallics, and Brocade. Flitters, metallics, and brocade are small flakes of thin sheet metal that are applied to a letter face in order to more highly illuminate the work. These adhere to the letter by first coating the part with varnish where it is desired to place the metallics. 88. Isinglass. Crushed isinglass is sometimes used on white letters to produce a sparkling effect, especially when 56 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 the letters are made to represent ice or frost. In card writing anything may be resorted to that will produce a novel effect and serve to attract attention to the show-card and so induce the passer-by to pause and read the inscription. 89. Embossed Letters. A bulb known as the air pencil is used to make relief letters, but its use is not espe- cially recommended, for the reason that sharp clear-cut letters cannot be produced by any mechanical means. This, as well as Scollay's relief bulb, known as the decorator's relief bulb, are convenient tools for any card writer to possess for deco- rative and ornamental purposes. Relief compound, a powder used for this purpose, is mixed with water to the consistency FIG. 56 of thin putty and placed in the bulb. It is then applied by squeezing the bulb, thereby pressing the mixture on the surface of the card through the small tube or nozzle attach- ment, as shown in Fig. 56. 90. Automatic Shading Pen. Perhaps no mechanical device for card lettering is so serviceable as the shading pen, and we therefore advise every student to become familiar with its use and the various styles of alphabets best adapted to it. These pens are furnished in sets of six sizes, ran- ging in width of stroke from -fg inch to i inch. There are also six colors of ink specially prepared for shading pens, 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 57 as follows: purple, green, blue, crimson, brown, and black. The pen is grooved so as to leave a dark color at the right of the stroke and an even light shade of the same color for FIG. 57 the remainder of the stroke, as shown in Fig. 57. The automatic shading pen is convenient also for certain kinds of ornamenting in card writing. MODIFICATIONS OF LETTERS 91. Limits of Eccentric Letters. It is the constant aim of the show-card writer, as well as letterers generally, to produce an exaggerated form of a letter, or to give to a well-known style of letter some new and original character- istic. For this reason letters are distorted into every forma- tion possible. This departure is always allowable and even commendable on the part of the designer so long as he does not depart from the chief essential of lettering; namely, legibility. If this be attained, the matter of eccentric form is of secondary consideration. 92. Modifications of a Block Letter. In illustrating the following modifications of letters we will show the nor- (a) [e] (d) FIG. 58 mal or regular letter and its modifications, as in the example given in Fig. 58. (a) is the style known as Full Block; (b) is the Railroad Block, in which the horizontal stroke is greatly SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 reduced and the vertical stroke increased in width. For elongating there never has been a letter invented that may be extended to equal this style of letter, (c) and (d) show the condensed forms. 93. Modifications of the Egyptian. The same modi- fications appear in the Egyptian also, as shown in Fig. 59. (a) represents the normal letter, () the elongated, and (c) the condensed form of the letter. Another modification of a letter exists in the enlarged or reduced size of the stroke, as in the Antique Egyptian character &, shown in Fig. 60. In treating the modifications of letters, when the size of stroke is the principal alteration of the normal style, (a) It) FIG. 60 it often becomes necessary to change the character of the letter to meet the new conditions and give the letter a sym- metrical appearance. 94. Letters That May Be Modified. Many letters in the alphabet are not capable of much change on account of their simplicity, while others may be changed in several 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 59 details. Such letters as a, r, d, e, g, h and y of the lower case can be made eccentric to better advantage than many others. Fig. 61, beginning with the normal letter g, shows a variety of modifications of this letter. Also, several forms of the letter d are shown in Fig. 62 that illustrate how, by FIG. 61 simply altering the curve of the stroke, the character of the letter is entirely changed. It would be impossible to show every modification of the fundamental styles of letters, as these exceed 800 in number, and can be seen in a type-foundry dddbd FIG. 62 specimen book. The principles on which these changes are made are comparatively few in number. It is to these we desire to call the student's attention. The change from the normal letter occurs either in distorting the regular propor- tions of the letter, in altering some detail, or by changing the 60 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 character of the letter in its stroke or outline. In Fig. 63 several examples of the latter change is shown. Instead of the symmetrical outline, (a) shows how this may be utterly disregarded, and the serrated edge used; (b) shows the curved stroke, and (c) the ornamental outline of a letter. The inventive propensity of the expert letterer will lead him to create an entirely new detail to a letter and thus allow him to add this in a corresponding manner to other letters that will permit of its use. For example, the cross-bar in the letter A may be made in the form of a cyma, which may also be added to the letter //. The letter A is perhaps sub- ject in a greater degree to modification than many other letters, although this may not appear to be so from a first glance at a normal letter. Without reference particularly to the styles of alphabets to which these belong, examples of some of the modifications of this letter are given in Fig. 64. 95. Extended Letters. Such modifications as arc easily and quickly made serve the purpose of the show-card writer. Freehand graceful curves are, therefore, to be sought after in making letters. To this end the letters may 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 61 be extended above or below an entire word. An example of this is shown in Fig. 65. The letter S, while it may not extend underneath a word when used as a capital, yet the tail FIG. 64 may extend a great distance to the left of the body of the letter without distorting the effect of its symmetrical pro- portions. When this is done it is always advisable to make FIG. some other modification that will counterbalance it in appearance, as shown in Fig. 66. Fig. 67 also shows how a stroke extending above the line may be counterbalanced by 62 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 a corresponding stroke that may be ingeniously attached to the final. Some finals, it is true, will not permit of this addition. In such cases, if desirable to use some balancing lam. FIG. 66 feature, it may be done by placing it in a detached manner or connecting it with some projecting letter in the middle of a word. RELIEF LETTERS 96. Block Shading. A letterer who is thoroughly familiar with the principle of shading may give great variety to his work by introducing some exaggerated form of sha- ding, such as will bring out the letter conspicuously. This FIG. 67 may be accomplished by representing letters cut out of a thick block and placed in some position that will cause them to appear erect, inclined, or flat, which is done by means of FIG. 68 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 63 shading. There are several ways in which letters may be shown in relief. Some artists drawing on their imagination have placed letters on water above a picturesque waterfall, showing the reflection of the letters in the water, etc. Such ideas, however, are somewhat chimerical and require more labor and thought than a practical show-card writer would care to devote to this subject. In Fig. 68 is shown three examples of relief letters. From these the student may arrange letters in a number of positions. Another form of relief shading is shown in Fig. 69, in which the letter is made to project from an opening while PIG. 69 the shade or block appears to extend back to a point where it is cut off by a frame. The opening being dark gives an excellent opportunity for strong contrast in coloring as well as light and shade. BEVELING 97. Plain Beveling. When one colored card is mounted on another, which is often done by the card writer, it greatly improves its appearance if the upper, or even both cards be beveled on the edge, instead of being cut off square. When beveled, the thickness of the card is apparently increased, and the edge may also be bronzed and thereby enrich the card without causing much extra time to be given to the work. The beveling is easily accom- plished even by one who may never have had any experience in this line of work. It is necessary to use a beveled iron straightedge for this purpose and a sharp-pointed steel knife. 64 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 When cutting the card the hand should be maintained in a uniform position that will give an angle of about 45. 98. Ellipses and Circles. For beveling cards in the form of an ellipse or circle, it is advisable that the machine, made especially for this purpose, be used. This will insure a perfect and even bevel joining the line with accuracy. These figures are much used in show-card writing and serve, in a marked degree, to make the show-card artistic and attractive. It is therefore advisable that the show-card writer possess the beveling machine. 99. Fancy Beveling. There are several methods used for producing a deep bevel, either on the edge or in the cen- ter of the card. The beveling on the edge of the card may be done as follows: Measure off, on the back of the card, the width desired for the bevel, as shown in Fig. 70, which should be from 1 inch to ll inches; then score the card, by using a dull FIG. 70 knife that will not cut through, but will permit of bending the edge to the required angle without a liability of break- ing the surface. To join the corners accurately, make a pat- tern on a piece of card by cutting out a triangular piece on the corner that will allow the beveled portion to meet with a perfect joint on the proper angle, shown in Fig. 71. This. 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 65 r- pattern should then be used on all corners in order to insure a uniform and perfect bevel. A piece of tough paper should be glued in each corner in order to hold the bevel firmly in position. Another method, shown in Fig. 72, used in beveling, is to cut a square or rectangle out of the center of the card, and fasten a card that has been beveled by the fore- going process to the back of this opening. The glued strips should in this case be placed on the reverse side of the card, as the back of the former card is used as the face when placed in this position. The bevels of the card may be gilded or silvered with bronze, or a gilt or silver paper may be FIG. 71 FIG. 72 mounted on the bevels. This beveled treatment greatly adds to the attractiveness of a show-card if proper regard is paid to the inscription, design, combination of colors, etc. MOUNTING 100. Purpose and Methods of Mounting. There are many occasions when mounting, if neatly done, may be made to deceive the eye and allow the observer to believe the work to be done entirely by hand. A sketchy print may be mounted on a card and afterwards colored, or the card 66 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 immediately surrounding it ornamented so as to cover the edge of the mount. 101. Photo Mounting. Photographs are also mounted on show-cards, which may be done by the following method: Place the print in a tray of clear water and allow it to remain long enough to become thoroughly soaked; sponge the card on which the photo is to be mounted with clear water in order that the absorbing quality of the card will be arrested; lay the photo face down on a clean surface after par- tially drying; use a sponge in applying paste, which should be made of gloss starch and free from lumps. Locate the position the print is to occupy on the card by making two small triangles with a sharp-pointed lead pencil and apply the print. When this has been laid on lightly, a clean piece of thin paper should be laid over the print and rubbed care- fully but firmly from the center to the edges. 102. Mounting Heavy Cards. It is necessary when placing one card on another to use some adhesive that will cling with greater tenacity than starch or flour paste. Ready- mixed glue, which may be obtained in screw-cap pots, is best adapted and most convenient for this purpose. When mount- ing the card, it is necessary to apply the glue to the edge of the card only. This is not only a saving of time and material, but prevents the liability of the card from warping or twisting when the glue has dried. In mounting small cuts or thin paper, library paste may be used. MANIFOLDING 103. Printing. When a large number of cards are to bear one inscription or design, it becomes a matter of econ- omy in time to duplicate them by some other method than brush and hand work. To avoid the use of printers' type, which is recognized as such at a glance, the work must be produced from a freehand design. The work of printing may be done on a printing press, but the preparation of the form should be done either by the use of a zinc etching, 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 67 wood engraving, or on a lithograph stone. The etching is done on a zinc plate after the same has been covered with two coats of pure asphaltum with a small quantity of varnish added. When this has dried sufficiently the design is executed in the asphaltum after which the edges are banked up with a beeswax dam. Nitric acid diluted with water, in the proportion of one-third acid to two-thirds water, is flowed on the plate, which readily eats its way into the exposed zinc without affecting the asphaltum resistant. After the plate has been etched to a depth of about aV inch, it is thor- oughly rinsed in clear water, the asphaltum removed with turpentine, and, after it has been mounted on wood, the plate is ready to be used for printing purposes. Wood engravings are made on boxwood or hard maple by cutting away the parts not required in printing. This is done by means of small gravers and chisels. The lithograph stone is used in manifolding by placing the design on the stone with a water- color preparation, after w r hich the stone is etched and other- wise prepared for the press. The design in all cases is placed on the zinc, wood, or stone in a reversed order or backward to that on the printed card. 104. Use of Stencils. For manifolding in show-card writing the stencil pattern very effectually fills this place, and is made to stencil either the letter or the background. The stencil for the former purpose is made by cutting out of paper or other material the greater portion of the letter, but allowing parts called ties to remain, as these tie the inside of the letter and parts likely to curl up when in use. A second stencil is also required, which is laid over the work done by the first stencil when it has dried, thereby covering up the spaces left by the ties, and thus making a solid and complete letter. The same rule is observed in regard to the cut ting-in stencils, which are used to make the background, and leave the letters the original color of the surface on which the color is spread. Large ties are used for cutting-in stencils, reaching from the letter to the edge of the stencil or border. A second stencil, so cut as to overlap the edges 68 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 of the ties, is also used, thereby completing the entire back- ground, leaving the letter clear and distinct. 105. Materials for Stencils. The toughest medium- weight Manila paper should be used for stencils, oiled thor- oughly with boiled linseed oil, and allowed to stand at least 24 hours before coating both sides thinly with orange shellac. If a light quality of fiber board is used, no preparation is necessary. A sheet of glass laid on a perfectly even table provides a surface on which the stencil can be cut with a good steel knife sharpened to a thin point. It is well to mark the ties with some bright color, to avoid cutting through them, as a single tie cut through destroys the whole stencil, and an imperfect stencil will cause more bother in its use than it is worth. It is best, therefore, never to use a patched or repaired stencil. 106. Cutting Ijetter Stencils. Fig. 73 shows one method of cutting a stencil; (a) shows the stencil that makes (c) the body of the letter, allowing ties to remain where most strength is needed for the preservation of the stencil; (/>) shows the stencil used to cover the parts left in the first stencil, and (c) shows the completed letter. When preparing the stencil pattern (a), cut two notches on either end of stencil pattern where shown by d, d. The purpose of this is to insure accuracy in placing the stencil (a) on the surface of the paper when preparing stc'ncil (b). This second stencil - S 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 69 may be made by marking around the letter with a sharp- pointed lead pencil, or it may be stenciled with a brush that should be almost free from color, after which the stencil for the ties that were left by the first stencil may be cut out. By using both stencils we have the perfect letter, as shown at (c) . 107. Background Stencils. To make stencils for a background, everything is reversed from the plain letter stencil just described. In this stencil the letters must be covered, and all ties so cut as to keep the letters firmly in posi- tion. If a border is desired, we must treat it just as we would a letter. The ties should be cut wider on the border edge, as additional strength is gained where most needed by doing so. In making this stencil, it is better to have too many ties than to leave one place weak. There is a great possibility of leaving one or more such places, especially in this form of stencil. In Fig. 74 is shown the two forms of stencil pattern necessary, (a) represents the pattern that stencils the body of the background. The lined portions indicate the parts cut out, the letters and ties being allowed to remain, (b) shows the stencil so cut as to cover up the ties that were left in (a), the letter being allowed to remain covered also, as in (a), (c) shows the finished work and the completed letters. We would recommend that the student make the plain as well as the background stencil, in order that he may become thoroughly familiar with the subject. Make the letters shown in Figs. 73 and 74 for practice 3 or 4 inches in height. 108. Card Stenciling. For stenciling on a cardboard surface, a color should be used that is free from oil. Coach black ground in japan is the best black to use. Colors should be mixed with a slow-drying varnish. If an oil color be used, the oil is absorbed by the card and spreads beyond the edge of the letter, leaving a yellow streak surrounding the letter. Card signs that have been stenciled may be relieved by a few touches of hand work and made to present a very artistic appearance, either by shading or ornamenting with some bright color. The letter may be outlined with gold bronze or red, entirely covering all traces of a stenciled effect. 70 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 (a) \ (c) FIG. 74 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 71 STORE AN13 WINDOW SIGNS INTERIOR SIGNS 109. Store Banners. The progressive show-card writer should be capable of preparing every manner of announcement sign used in the store or window. Such work as gold lettering on windows, board, or other outside signs are necessarily outside the province of the card writer, and are therefore not considered in this Course. These sub- jects are fully treated in the Course on Lettering and Sign Painting. All signs that are made on paper or cardboard will be prepared by the show-card writer, and, besides these, enameled cloth and ordi- nary cotton-sheeting let- tering may not be con- sidered outside of his province. 110. Wall Banners. Store banners are much used for permanent in- scriptions either to direct the customer to different departments or to utilize wall space with attractive signs that will bear some suitable motto or appro- priate inscription. These signs are often prepared in the form of a banner and are stayed on the back with a thin strip of wood at the top and bottom of the card. Window-curtain fixtures and other inexpensive and available material, such as rings, FIG. 75 72 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 poles, tassels, and trimmings, are used for these banners. The bullion fringe used on silk banners is represented with gold color, shaded with burnt sienna. A detailed sketch of this banner is given in Fig. 75. a represents the body of the banner on which the chief portion of the inscription is placed; b the hood, a very appropriate place to put the name of the firm; c shows where the fringe is usually placed on the banner. If a banner is to be placed on a white wall it is desirable to have the body of cream or some light color, while the hood should be a dark color. For example, if cream or gold color be used for a, the hood b should be a dark blue. 111. Combination Metal and Card Banners. A banner that is used in our leading stores at present is a FIG. 76 brass frame, silver plated, with a slot in one end through which a card may be slid into place. This is projected from a column, window sash, casement, or other convenient object by an artistic ironwork design, shown in Fig. 76. 1 SHOW-CARD WRITING 73 OUTSIDE SIGNS 112. White Enameled-Cloth Signs. It is often desir- able that a bulletin or other announcement be hung outside the store window, in which case cardboard could not be used, for the reason that it would not withstand moisture, either rain or snow, and therefore some other material that will serve the purpose must be used. This is found in enameled cloth, which is white, glossy, and durable. Show-card black and varnish colors may be used to letter on this surface. It is well to sponge over the surface with benzine before marking or lettering on enameled cloth, in order to prevent the color from creeping, which means that the color will not remain always where applied, but will leave a straight line and become an irregular and broken outline, causing much annoyance to the letterer. When enameled cloth is used for an outside sign, a frame is usually constructed of strips of wood strong enough only to allow the cloth to be stretched over the frame without bending. To prevent the possibility of this, which is inevitable if the sign be a long one, cross- strips should be placed far enough apart to give the required strength. The cloth is then drawn over the edge and tacked securely, or it may be tacked on the back of the frame, which is preferable when a better finish is desired, for in the latter case the tacks are not seen. If the following directions be observed, the student will have no difficulty in stretching the cloth on the frame without wrinkling: Lay the frame on the cloth and cut the cloth, allowing a margin that will lap over the edge and giving an additional width for tacks. Do not begin to tack from the corners to the center of the frame, but always from the center of the frame to the corners, stretching the cloth from the opposite side, and at the same time drawing it toward the corner. After four tacks have been temporarily driven in all four sides, continue the tacking by putting not more than two tacks on either side of the center at a time, which will serve to hold the cloth and withstand the strain put on it when tacking the opposite side. Endeavor as nearly as possible to reach the corners of the sign at the 74 SHOW-CARD WRITING 1 same time; in other words, do not tack one entire side before another, as this will invariably cause wrinkles. 113. Sheeting Signs. Special announcements are often made on material that is cheaper than enameled cloth, more quickly lettered, and less permanent in appearance. For this style of sign, common cotton sheeting is used. Another advantage in using sheeting is that several narrow widths may be sewed together, and thus a sign of large proportions is quickly and cheaply produced. To letter on cotton sheeting, use the best lampblack. Mix this with copal varnish and thin with gasoline to the consistency of cream. Apply the black with a flat camel's-hair brush 1 inch wide. The inscription is marked on the cloth by using charcoal. The lines are snapped on with a string that is charged with charcoal. After lettering the cloth, the char- coal marks may easily be dusted off the surface when the black has thoroughly dried. 114. Show-Card Transparencies. The advent of thin celluloid sheets has developed a new use of the show-card, namely, a window transparency. A fancy panel is usually cut out of the center of the card, and the celluloid sheet, of some brilliant color, is fastened with glue on the back of the card. The portion of the inscription of special importance is reserved for this opening. This style of show-card is suspended with an incandescent lamp directly behind it, pro- ducing a sign that may be read in the evening as well as in the daytime; it is especially attractive by lamplight. To letter on celluloid, use a solid varnish black that will make the letter opaque and serve as a base. After this has dried, the center of the letter may be filled in with gold or alumi- num bronze (penciled on), leaving a blank outline surround- ing the entire letter. The remainder of the show-card is lettered as usual, surrounding the panel with appropriate lining or ornamentation. 115. >Vin keeping witlp tj?e prices of ttys store. T^e Pricey charged for Rugs at li)is sale are pot equal totfjoseaskedbytfje rug dealers, but are ip keeping witfr tf?e prices of tjjis store. HASTINGS & Co. (a) (b) FIG. 26 31. Selection of Alphabets. The selection of the most appropriate style of letter to be used is a subject that should be given careful consideration. The letterer should have the various styles of letters so fixed in his mind that when given an inscription to design he may be able to give to every word the particular style of letter best adapted to its length, to the combination of its letters, and to its relation to the other lines of the inscription. This the letterer cannot hope to do until he has had considerable practice and long experience in lettering. To provide him with those styles of letters most commonly used is the pur- pose of the plates of alphabets to be drawn and sent in to the Schools for correction. In the following alphabets, however, styles less frequently used are given. A student who has become proficient and has ability to draw the regu- lar plates of the Course will experience no difficulty in executing any of these added styles. Practice these alpha- bets during your leisure moments, and in a short time you V A\ A o czfl OD I 2 2 SHOW-CARD DESIGN AND ORNAMENT 19 will find that you have memorized the details of construction in "every letter of the various alphabets now in use. These plates will be found valuable for reference purposes, and, for this reason, they should be kept close at hand when the student is designing. SUPPLEMENTARY ALPHABETS 32. Full Block. -This style of letter is suitable for headings, or for a short single word. Perhaps no style of letter is so little used as this, and yet the card writer, to be thoroughly prepared to meet every requirement, should at least possess a knowledge of the construction of this letter. By following the few general rules given, the Full Block letter may be made freehand. First, note that the width of the letters generally is equal to their height; also, that the stroke and the space between horizontal strokes are equal. The length of the spur is equal to one-half the width of the stroke. The inside and outside bevels should be parallel and the distance separating them should be the same as that given to the width of the stroke. The bevels begin one-fourth the width of the stroke above or below the horizontal and reach to the vertical, thus avoiding too great an angle in the construction of the letter. By always observ- ing these few rules, the letterer will find it unnecessary to use ruled lines for Full Block letters, except when absolute accuracy is required. 33. Half Block. -This style of letter, like the Full Block, is mechanical and composed of many angles; it is, therefore, seldom used. Its practical appli- cation is confined mostly to that feature of designing known as cutting in. While a round letter may be made more quickly than any other style when lettering in the ordinary way, the angular letter with its many bevels is made with greater rapidity when cut in. The card writer 20 SHOW-CARD DESIGN AND ORNAMENT 2 may add spurs to the corners of the Half Block, thereby relieving the letter of its severe plainness; when so relieved, it is classified as Antique Half Block. Fig. 29 shows how these spurs are added to the side bevels as well as to the corners of vertical strokes. 34. Antique Egyptian (l^iglit). This style of letter, shown in Fig. 30, is an extreme light-face treatment of the normal Antique Egyptian letter. It is especially useful to the show-card writer when the inscription calls for a small neat letter on a black or colored card. No style of letter answers such a purpose so admirably as this. Great care must be given to its execution, in order that the proper uniform width may be maintained 1 in the stroke, that the spurs may be made small and sharp-pointed; also, that the curved strokes may be made symmetrical by merging the rounded part gracefully into the horizontal stroke. The student will find it necessary to devote considerable time to the practice of this alphabet before he is able to use it to advan- tage in show-card writing. Few styles of letters are subject to modifications in so many points as this. The alphabet entitled Eccentric Egyptian is so closely allied to this style that the student is not required to prepare this one as a lesson to be sent in for correction. The corrections made on the Eccentric Egyptian plate will also apply, in a general way, to the errors usually made in this plate by a beginner. 35. Old English. The need is occasionally felt by the card writer for a style of letter that will serve the purpose of a heading or give variety to the inscription. The Old English letter, shown in Fig. 31, is an excellent one for such purposes, because of its ornamental character, and also on account of the simplicity of its formation. The letter is com- posed of crescents, cyinas, and straight lines. It is a letter that may be easily memorized and one that may be made with great rapidity. The Old English alphabet is capable of the most beautiful effects in color treatment. The capital maybe highly illuminated by paneling or ornamenting, while the balance of the line, or the lower-case letters, may be *% | LOWER CASE 34. Spacing the Lines for Lower-Case Letters. The lower-case letters are included in a rectangle the same size as that required for the capitals. Beginning at the lower left-hand corner, measure off on the vertical line \ inch from the bottom line, which gives the base line for the lower-case letters. These are inch high; IT inch above this gives the base line for the numerals. The numerals are li inches in height, and the space between the lines is inch. The distance from the top line of numerals to the base of the first line of lower-case letters is f inch. The height of the lower-case letters is the same throughout the alphabet. To design the scroll, draw a vertical line through the center of the rectangle 7i inches from either end. Measuring from the base of the first line of lower-case letters, point off on the vertical line just drawn li inches; 4 inches below this place another point, which gives the height of the scroll. The extreme length is 7 inches, or 3| inches to the left and ST inches to the right of the vertical line. The letters on the scroll are f inch high. They are located I inch from the top of the scroll and I inch from the bottom. To describe the curves of the scroll as well as of the let- ters, find a point 5f inches above the scroll and i inch to the right of the center vertical line. 35. Details of the Letters. The width of the verti- cal strokes is -& inch. The width of the fine-line stroke is one-half that of the heavy, or vertical, stroke. The outline of the lower-case letters is somewhat lighter than that of the capitals or numerals. In drawing the letters, note carefully that the spurs at the top of the vertical strokes are rounded in the lower-case 4 LETTER FORMATION 15 letters. These strokes" are cut off on an angle of about 45. The letters of the ornamental scroll are a modification of the normal, differing in the a and d\ also, the capital D. In the former the stroke is inclined, which changes the character of the letter. In the capital D the upper stroke is carried beyond the vertical, which is a form of treatment often used in this style of letter. The width of stroke in this letter is i inch. 36. The Brush Work. Use the same brush as that used in outlining the capital letters. After completing the outlining, and having erased all pencil marks, the scroll may be colored and shaded as follows: Use charcoal gray for shading. Make a tint that will be equal in strength to the shade on the copy, that is, produced with fine lines. Place the shade on the left, in the manner shown. After this has dried, color the scroll with mauve purple. This should be done with care, in order that a large surface may be covered evenly and not show streaks. Rub up this color in one of the small dishes. Keep the shade light at first. Flow on the color copiously, using a large brush. When this has dried, another coat may be flowed on if the first coat appears too light when dry. Shade the letters on the scroll with a darker shade of the same color. Keep the shade on an angle of 45, leaving a narrow space between the shade and outline. The width of the shade should be i inch. PLATE, TITLE: ROMAN 37. Practical Application. As the Roman letter is one that never changes in character, being a fundamental alphabet, or prototype, from which many modifications arise, it is necessary that the student should possess a knowledge of its formation. Roman letters are used extensively in show-card writing, especially for headlines, important words, etc. They are also subject to extensive treatment in color- ing and shading, and in no style of letter is the skill of the letterer more apparent than in the graceful and symmetrical curves of the Roman alphabet. 16 LETTER FORMATION 4 CAPITALS 38. Spacing the Lines for Capital Letters. Con- struct the rectangle the size used on former plates, 9 inches by 15 inches. Beginning at the bottom line, draw eight horizontal lines, allowing li inches for each line of letters and f inch for the space between the lines of letters. 39. Designing the Letters. The letters of the normal Roman should be equal in height and width, although the letter may be greatly condensed in width when it is necessary that they should be so treated. The width of the vertical stroke is f inch, and the crescent strokes are somewhat wider than this. The spurs project one-half the width of the stroke beyond it, and these should be one- fourth of a circle, as shown in Fig. 6. The pointed stroke of the letter M may rest on the base line, or may be made one-half stroke above it. This letter should be one stroke FIG. 6 FIG. 7 wider than letters generally; the L and N are slightly nar- rower than the //, although they do not appear to be so. The tail of letter R should be maintained in a vertical position and should be a perfect cyma. To construct the cyma, make the maximum width in the center of the figure and diminish it gradually in either direction, as shown in Fig. 7. Note the following details in drawing the letters: The middle fine line of the letters B, E, F, and H is one-half stroke above the center of the letter. The lower portion of the letter C projects beyond the upper spur. The spur of the letter G is directly above the center of the vertical stroke. Curves are necessary to give symmetry to the ball 4 LETTER FORMATION 17 in letter T\ also, in the character &. The upper spur of the letter 5 is about one-half stroke within the limits of the body of the letter, while the lower spur projects the same distance beyond it. 40. The Brusli Work. -Use the same brush thus far used. Note carefully the order in which the strokes of the first three letters are drawn. Draw the extreme outlines of letters in every case, after which the details may be com- pleted. The spurs may be drawn to a needle point, as shown in the copy, or they may be finished by leaving the end of the spur the thickness of the outline. Draw the vertical lines to which are attached the spurs, commencing about the width of a stroke from the top line and leaving off the same distance above the base line. The spurs may then be drawn and joined to the vertical line. LOWER CASE AND NUMERALS 41. Spacing Lower-Case Letters. In order to give the student the advantage of practice in the various forms of arrangement in drawing the plates, they have been pre- pared along such lines as will give him practical examples that may be readily applied in show-card writing. To place the lower-case letters on parallel ogee lines, draw a rectangle 15 inches by 9 inches, and divide this into 5 equal spaces horizontally. Beginning at the left, number the four vertical lines drawn. Then, from the bottom line of the rectangle, measure off on line 1 the points that will give the position of the long line of the ornament, the height of the lines of lower-case letters and numerals; also, the position of the ogee curves. These points are as follows: i, li, 3f, 3f, 6, 7, and 8f inches. The points at 3f inches and 5^ inches give the height of the numerals; points at 3f inches and 8i inches the top line of ornament. The points on line 2 are I, li, 6i, and 7i inches; on line 3, lA, 2-nr, 7, and 8 inches; on line 4, lH, 2H, 5i, 7i, and Si inches. The point at 5i inches gives the lower line for the ornament; that of the other ornament rests on the base line of the 18 LETTER FORMATION 4 rectangle. From the points given, first draw the two lines for the numerals; then draw two symmetrical ogee curves through the points given. The long strokes project ^ inch above and below the line. The letter g is f inch below. It is necessary to draw but one line for the long-stroke letters the one above the first line of letters. The length of other long letters may be measured separately. To space the letters of this plate, note their position in regard to the vertical lines, and locate them on the specimen sheet accordingly. 42. Designing the Letters. Do not incline the let- ters to follow the curve, but make every letter vertical. The curved finish in the letters a, b, etc. at the base should not be exaggerated, but made small to correspond with the size of the spur. In constructing the outline of the character 2, and in all similar instances, the strokes of greatest length are made first. In drawing the lower stroke of figure 7, the right outline should be made first. The cyma stroke of figure 8 should be one-half stroke above the center. The lower outline of the cyma stroke should be made first. After the letters and the numerals of the plate have been finished and the pencil marks erased, draw the freehand lines that compose the ornament. For this, use the orange ver- milion water color. The long lines should be drawn first. These are parallel. They should be brought to a needle point on the inner end and given added thickness at the curved end. Having drawn these, the other lines may be added. The manner in which these should be drawn is indicated by the arrows in the top ornament. PLATE, TITLE: TRANSPARENT COLOR \VO1JK 43. Advantages of Color Work. A knowledge of the methods of handling colors in show-card writing is invaluable, and the benefit derived from this is obvious. Show-cards are made more attractive through coloring, and the writer's taste is gratified by artistically embellishing a piece of work by the use of harmonious colors properly applied. The 4 LETTER FORMATION 19 examples given, therefore, are such as the student will find most profitable for all practical purposes. 44. Spacing the Letters. Construct a rectangle 14 inches by 9 inches, or, 1 inch shorter than previous plates. On this locate the words and single letters as follows: iinch above the line forming the base of rectangle gives the base line for the word Charter. The lower-case letters of this word are H inches high, the capital C is 3 inches. Measuring from the base line of the rectangle, the ribbon is 82* inches, and the height of the ribbon is 2i inches. The letters G and M are f inch above the ribbon, and are 2A inches high. The letters W and O are li inches above the ribbon, and are li 2 ^ inches high. The extreme width of the letters G and M, exclusive of the spurs, is 2% inches. The letter Fis 3 inches wide, including the spurs; the letter O, 2i inches. The word tires on the ribbon is li inches high, or f inch from the top and bottom edges. The word the is f inch from the base of the rectangle. The capital letter is It inches high; the lower-case, i inch. The lower left-hand corner of the ribbon is 2i inches from the vertical line of the rectangle, and the upper right-hand corner of the ribbon is the same distance from the right-"_and vertical line. 45. Designing the Letters. Attention is especially called to the width of strokes in the letters of this plate. They are made extremely heavy in order that the letter-face treatment may be better shown. First draw the outlines of the letter; also the ribbon. The letters C. B. & Co. may be approximated in regard to height and location. The letters on the ribbon incline with the edge or fold, while the letters of the word Charter incline on an angle of about 40. 46. Coloring the Plate. After the plate has been carefully designed, and before outlining with black, the blend- ing on the ribbon should be done. For this, use Prussian blue and chrome yellow. First erase the pencil marks on the ribbon with the sponge eraser, leaving only faint guide lines for the letters. Then, before blending, wet the portion of the ribbon occupied by the letters with clear water, and, 20 LETTER FORMATION 4 before tms has been entirely absorbed by the paper, cover the entire space with a light shade of yellow at the top and blue at the bottom, leaving the center of the letter white. When this is dry, proceed to letter the plate, beginning with letter W. Follow the letters of the copy carefully in every characteristic detail. In cutting in the word tires, be careful that you do not run the black on the space to be occupied by letters, or on open spaces at the edge of the ribbon. When the plate has been outlined and the black brush work entirely completed, use the sponge eraser and remove all pencil marks preparatory to coloring the balance of the work. Now color the edges of the ribbon, using a yellow on the top edge somewhat stronger than that used on the letter; likewise, a stronger blue on the lower edge. Fill in the entire space within the letters C. B. & Co. with a tint made from crimson lake. Use the same color and make a shade of medium strength for the lower half of the letters. When dry, add another still deeper shade at the bottom of the let- ters. Fill in all letters before beginning with the shading. The colors used are as follows: For the letter IV use a tint made from burnt sienna; for the darkest shade on the face of this letter, blue to sienna. The same colors are also used to fill in the letters of the word Charter. The color on which the filigree ornament is placed is the same as that used for sha- ding the word Charter, and is made of orange chrome yellow and sienna. A little red and sienna are added to this of suf- ficient strength to make the filigree ornament. New green is used on the face of the letter G with two darker shades made of the same color, to which Prussian blue is added for the diminishing ellipses. The shade farthest from the letter is called the natural shade, and is made from charcoal gray, with a little orange chrome added. The two inner shades arc made from burnt umber. The space between the shade and the letter is filled in with a tint made from orange chrome. The letter M is filled in with mauve purple, and shaded with darker shades of this color so as to give the ornamental cen- ter of the letter a relief effect. The shades of the letter, aside from the natural shade, are made of burnt sienna. The upper 4 LETTER FORMATION 21 portion of the letter O is the same tint as that used on the let- ter IV. The lower portion is made from sienna and orange chrome. The ornament is filled in with an orange-chrome tint. The shade on this letter, as well as the ribbon and adjoining letters, is made from charcoal gray; this is called a double shade. The shade from letters C. B. & Co. is a cast shadow, being in reality a repetition of the letter on the back- ground, as shown in Show-Card Writing, Fig. 19. In shading the letters, make the shading, as well as the space between the shade and the letter, uniform in width. PLATE, TITLE: ECCENTRIC ROMAN 47. Practical Application. The Eccentric Roman, as well as the Heavy Egyptian, is best adapted for water- color treatment, because the extreme width of stroke gives sufficient area within the outline of the letter for a variety in the coloring. When a lower-case letter is required to be used in connection with this alphabet, the lower case of the Roman may be used. The stroke of this letter, however, should be li times the width of the normal Roman lower case, which makes it conform to the stroke of this extreme letter. 48. Spacing the Lines. This alphabet is also drawn within a rectangle 9 inches by 15 inches. The letters are li inches in height and the space between the lines of letters is f inch. 49. Spacing the Letters. The width of letter D, which may be taken for a basis of measurement, is \\ inches. The width of the vortical stroke is f inch. Use the method recommended in previous plates. Divide the specimen copy into five equal vertical spaces, 3 inches wide, and also the copy into an equal number of spaces 2j inches wide; then arrange the letters in the drawing in their relative position to those on the copy. It is necessary in spacing all letters to have them appear as nearly equal in width as possible, allowing additional space for letters that are always of exceptional width; namely, the M and IV. Aside from this, it is not essential that a show-card writer should give the 22 LETTER FORMATION 4 subject of the proportion of letters in each alphabet further consideration. 50. The Brush Work. Use the brush that has thus far been used in lettering previous plates. The outline should be iV inch wide, or the stroke that is most suited to the size of brush a line that may be made without bearing heavily on the brush. Make every curve graceful and sym- metrical. When making the outline that forms the inside of the letter, great care should be exercised to not only form the stroke properly, but to make the space within the letter true and regular. The feature shown in the lower stroke of the letter E is the cutlas of the loth century, which was first employed as a characteristic in letter formation in the German Renaissance of that period. In finishing the plate, after it has been outlined, fill in the letters and shade them as shown in Fig. 8. To do this, first fill in the letters with orange chrome, being careful to keep the color light, as this is one of the strong colors and but very little is necessary. Moisten up some of the color in one of the water-color dishes, and test its strength before applying. When the proper shade has been secured, flow the color on with the No. 3 short red-sable Columbia. The cymas that form the ornament on the face of the letter are made with the same brush, the color used for this being burnt sienna. Shade the letters with charcoal gray, making the first shade one-half the width of the stroke. When this is dry, use a stronger shade of the same color and apply it on the first shade, evenly dividing the width, thus leaving a space between the letter and the shade equal to the width of one shade of the letter. PLATE, TITLE: OGEE-CURVE STROKE 5 1 . Practical Application. The Ogee-Curve Stroke serves the same purpose in show-card writing as the eccentric styles of letters. It is not intended for general utility, but, in order to give variety to an inscription, it is often used. The versatility of the letterer is shown as much by his ability to 4 LETTER FORMATION 23 employ that style of letter most fitting to the inscription as by his knowledge of a large number of different alphabets. The style of letter under consideration is most graceful, quickly made, and subject to eccentric treatment, when a student has become familiar with the normal forms of the letters. CAPITALS 52. Spacing the Lines for Capital Letters. The rectangle enclosing the letters is 9 inches by 15 inches. The letters are li inches high, and the space between the lines of letters is I inch. The approximate width of this letter, using the letter H for the basis of measurement, is If inches. The compasses may be set at this width, and the space for the letters pointed off on the base line, or a line drawn horizontally through the center of the letters. The width of the stroke is f inch. The letters are inclined on an angle of 20. 53. The Brush Work. This letter is made of ogee curves, and, therefore, before lettering the plate, the student should practice making this curve until he is able to make it symmetrical; also, to place several ogee lines side by side and have them parallel. The curve should not be exagger- ated, but should be slight, curving the line to the right above the center of the letter and to the left below it. The lines in many of the letters are exceptions to the general feature that characterizes this letter. Some of these, as in A and H, are straight lines, while others, as in A^K,M, N, Y, and the character 4, are circular arcs. Use the No. 5 red-sable brush; make the stroke somewhat lighter than that of Eccentric Roman. Great care should be exercised in merging the outlines of the stroke into the fine line, to make the outline symmetrical and not show an additional thickness in the outline at this point. There is no spur attached to the corners of the strokes; the corners should therefore be made with as sharp an angle as possible. Observe the details of each letter closely and endeavor to reproduce them precisely like the copy. In doing this, the 24 LETTER FORMATION *4 following few suggestions will be found profitable: Many of the strokes in letters of this alphabet extend beyond the limits of normal letters. It is well, therefore, in order to reproduce such features in proportion to those of the copy, to note their length, using the width of the stroke as a basis of measurement. For example, the lower stroke of the letter 5* projects one and one-third strokes to the left of the upper portion of the heavy stroke, measuring from a line drawn tangent to this at an angle of 20. Do not enlarge or exaggerate the double-line thickness on the end of all fine lines. It is a feature that characterizes this form of alphabet, and to enlarge on this would entirely change the general appearance of the letters. Give to every curved stroke a free-hand graceful curve. Do not permit this to appear broken or distorted, thereby throwing the letter out of balance. Shortening or lengthen- ing a line more than the required length will cause the letter to incline to the right or left. LOWER CASE 54. Spacing the Lines for Lower-Case Letters. Construct a rectangle 9 inches by 15 inches. Beginning at the lower left-hand corner, measure off on the vertical line 2i inches, which gives the top of the bottom line of lower- case letters. These letters are 1 inch high. Between the lines of letters there is a space of li inches. The character $ is 2 inches high, and the character t is If inches. The long strokes project i inch above the body of lower-case letters, while the letters that project below the base line are of various lengths, which should be determined with refer- ence to their proportion to the height of the body of the letter, as shown on the copy. 55. Spacing the Letters. The incline of the lower- case letters is 20, or the same as that of the capitals. The stroke is i inch wide, while the width of the outline is the same as that of the capital letters. In spacing the top line of letters, a space of -J inch should be allowed between the FIG. 8 4 LETTER FORMATION 25 vertical rectangle lines and the first and last letters. At either end of the lower line 1 inch space should be allowed. This will permit a uniform space between letters and also give the proper width to each. 56. The Brush Work. Use the same brush as was used for the capitals. The ogee line curves either way from the center of the letter, which is true of the long strokes, such as b, /,/, etc., as well as the 1-inch letters. Many of the letters of the lower-case alphabet are identical with the capitals, while others are characteristically different from all other styles of lower-case letters, such as the g and y. Note the curves of these last-mentioned letters, and study to give to them, as well as to all letters, the same incline and general appearance. PIRATE, TITLE: SQUARE ENGLISH 57. Practical Application. The Square English letter is simple in construction, and, when the characteristic features that exist throughout the alphabet are understood, this form of alphabet becomes as easy to make as the simplest letter in the Course. A chisel-shaped brush, such as a square shader, or the automatic shading pens, may be used to the best advantage when the letter is to be made solid. It may thus be made with accuracy and also with rapidity. Its chief qualifications that recommend its use in show-card writing are, that a line of letters formed from this alphabet presents a studied uniformity in appearance; also, that the letters may be colored and shaded with very little work, which is an advantage to be considered. CAPITALS 58. Spacing the Lines for Capital Letters. Con- struct a rectangle of the usual size, 9 inches by 15 inches. The base line for the last line of letters rests on the line enclosing the rectangle. The letters are li inches in height, and the spaces between the lines of letters are f inch. 26 LETTER FORMATION 4 59. Spacing the Letters. The second and fourth lines are indented 2f inches from the vertical line of the rectangle on the left, while the first and third lines finish about ll inches from the right-hand vertical line. The letters are If inches wide, and the stroke is TUB inch. The letter B is 3 inches from the vertical line. The filigree ornament extends f inch above the rectangle. A space of If inches, or equal to the width of the letter M, should be left between the letter Z and character &. 60. The Brush Work. First, make the letter A solid, as shown in the copy; then proceed to ornament it by follow- ing the longest curved lines, after which the shorter lines may be made. The outline of the letters should be made heavy or iV inch wide. The beveled stro'ke that occurs at the left of the top, and at the right of the base of the vertical strokes, should begin at a point opposite the outline of the stroke and should be carried at an angle of about 40 to a point almost equal to the width of the stroke. The spur opposite this angle should be small and sharp-pointed. 61. Coloring the Letters. When the plate has been outlined and all pencil marks erased, proceed to color and shade the work. Fill in the letters with a medium shade of crimson lake water color. After this is dry, fill in the lower half of the letter with a darker shade of the same color, cutting off the color on a horizontal line in the center of the letter. Cover over the entire filigree ornament with a light shade of chrome yellow, extending this about inch beyond the lines of the ornament. Shade the letters, exclusive of the letter A, with charcoal gray. Make the shade the width of the open space of the stroke, and leave a space between the shade and the outline equal to li times the width of the outline. The bevel at the top of stroke being on an angle of 40, and the shade on an angle of 45, a slight narrow shade only should be shown at the bevel. Be careful to always maintain the 45 angle in shading, as well as to give the shade, and the space between the shade and the letter, a uniform width. 4 LETTER FORMATION 27 LOWER CASE 62. Spacing the Lower-Case Letters. The rectangle enclosing the lower-case letters is also 9 inches by 15 inches. The long strokes of the letters p, q, and y rest on the line of this rectangle; i inch above this draw the base line for the last line of letters. The lower-case letters are 1 inch high, and the space between the lines of letters is 2 inches. The panel enclosing the letter 5 is 1 inch from the rectangle line and f inch from top line of letters. It is 2i inches wide between the inner vertical lines, and about f inch above and below the letter. The width of the panel enclosing the letter M is 2i inches, and the height should correspond with that of the letter 5". The width of the letters is 1 inch. The width of the stroke is one-fifth the height of the letters. Use compasses to divide the height into five equal parts. 63. Tlie Brush Work. -Use the brush that has thus far been used for outlining to make these solid letters. First outline the letter, being careful to make the outside edge of the stroke straight, after which the letter may be filled in with the same, or a larger, brush. Points to be observed in the details of these letters are: Make corners sharp. Do not exaggerate the size of spurs where these occur on corners of strokes. Where horizontal strokes are cut off on a bevel with the point touching the vertical stroke, be careful that the extreme point only is made to touch. All bevels should be maintained on a uniform angle of about 45. In outlining panels for the capitals 5 and M, make the outline precisely like the copy, as this conforms in a general way to the outline of the letter. 64. Hints on Coloring. In the practical example given on this plate, not only is a line of capitals and lower case from this style of letter employed, but the subject of illuminating and paneling capitals is also shown. To accomplish this with the least amount of work and produce a most pleasing combination of colors, proceed in the follow- ing manner: First rub up a tint of orange chrome yellow, 28 LETTER FORMATION 4 and fill in the first panel, leaving the letter .S* open. Use crimson lake cautiously in the same manner, filling in the panel containing the letter M. Fill in the letter 5 with a medium shade of crimson lake, and the M with a medium shade of new green. The lower half of the letter M should be filled in with a dark shade of green darkened with blue, cutting across the stroke in a diagonal line. In the same manner a darker shade of crimson lake should be applied to the lower half of the letter 5". To shade the letters 5* and M, add a small amount of crimson lake to the yellow first used, which will give a natural shade for the letter .S*. This shade should be about three-fourths the width of the stroke in width, leaving a space one-fourth stroke between the letter and the shade. In like manner shade the letter Af, using a darker tint of crimson lake. Now shade the lower-case letters in the same manner, using charcoal gray for this purpose. The panels should be shaded with a cast shadow, which is illus- trated in Fig. 19, Show-Card Writing. In this case the panel should be duplicated in the shade about i inch wide, and this, as well as all other shading, should be maintained at an angle of 45. The panel should also be shaded with char- coal gray. PLATE, TITLE: HALF SCRIPT 65. Practical Application. There is no style of letter that will take the place of Half Script for certain uses in card writing. It is, therefore, one of the most impor- tant alphabets taught in this Course. It is quickly made and graceful in appearance, which alone would recommend it and give it a foremost place in the list of show-card writers' alphabets. This letter calls for the display of the writer's ability in making freehand curves. It is known as Half Script among card writers, because of the resem- blance of the capitals to Italic Roman and the lower case to Spencerian Script. 4 LETTER FORMATION 29 CAPITALS 66. Spacing the Lines for Capitals. After con- structing the rectangle of usual size, draw the lines that give the height of the letters li inches apart, leaving a space between these of I inch. The letters of this alphabet incline at an angle of about 22^, or one-fourth of a quad- rant. The width of the vertical stroke is fV inch, while the rounded or crescent strokes are * inch. Allow li inches on either end of the last line of letters, and fill in the space between the alphabet and the character with a cyma. 67. The Brush Work. Study carefully the details of each letter before beginning on the brush work. It is important that all rounded letters, as well as all straight- line letters, be inclined at a uniform angle, or the appearance of the work will be greatly marred. The use of the cyma in such letters as A, E, F, and H is not arbitrary in this style of letter. A straight line may be used in its place, with a spur attached to this in the E and /% such as is used in the Roman alphabet. The spur on these letters is much smaller than those of the Roman, and in many cases the letter is carried above or below the line. In the eccentric form of the letter T, the cross-stroke is carried to the right, sometimes covering several letters. LOWER CASE 68. Spacing the Lines for Lower-Case Letters. A rectangle 9 inches by 15 inches also encloses the lower-case letters; f inch above the base line of the rectangle, draw a line that is the bottom line for the letters. The letters are I inch high. The space between the last line of letters and the numerals is 2 inches. The numerals are li inches high, and the space between the numerals and top line of letters is l inches. The long-stroke letters project f inch above the line, while those of the / and g project below the line somewhat further. The stroke of the lower-case letters is -rV inch wide; that of the numerals is f inch. The letters 30 LETTER FORMATION 4 should incline at the same angle as the capitals. The numerals, however, are more symmetrical, and are easily made on an incline of about 20. In connection with the capitals and lower case, the numerals appear to be on the same incline. The cipher of the numerals is not given, for the reason that it is always identical with the letter O of the corresponding- alphabet. In spacing the letters of this alpha- bet, do not leave a space between letters that will not permit of being joined with a fine line at an angle of 45. 69. The Brush Work. The outlining brush may be used for these letters, although the fine line should be made much lighter than lines that the student has been accustomed to in drawing previous plates. The stroke of the lower case should be made as shown in Fig. 9, beginning at the FIG. 9 FIG. 10 FIG. 11 top of the left-hand outline, and continuing to the termination of the line. The right-hand outline begins with the fine line at the top and terminates at the fine line of stroke 1. Thus, all strokes are made with two strokes of the brush. Study the details of each letter carefully and endeavor to give to the curves of strokes as well as fine lines a graceful touch and symmetrical finish. Avoid the common error that is made by many letterers when making this style of letter. This occurs in the curved stroke where joined to the fine line. Fig. 10 shows the improper way of forming the stroke, and Fig. 11 the proper way. By thus comparing them it may be readily seen that to curve the outline at this point destroys the artistic appearance of the stroke. 4 LETTER FORMATION 31 PLATE, TITLE: SCRIPT 70. Practical Application. Without a knowledge o the Script alphabet, the show-card writer's education would be incomplete. It is true that Script letters are the most difficult to accomplish; the alphabet has therefore been given the last place. It is likewise true that the formation of the letters may be easily learned, and with much practice they may be most gracefully executed and also made with great rapidity. CAPITALS 71. Spacing the Lines for Capital Letters. Con- struct a rectangle 9 inches by 12 inches, leaving an equal margin at the top and bottom. Beginning from the base of the rectangle, draw five lines, making 3 spaces for the letters, 2 inches high, with a space between the lines of letters of 1 inch. There are but twenty-one letters on this plate, seven letters on each line, thus giving abundant space for the extensive sweep of the fine lines that characterize this style of letter. 72. Spacing the Letters. The width of the shaded stroke at its maximum should be -& inch. The fine line should be made extremely light, for this gives added grace to this form of letter. Script letters should always incline at a uniform angle of 40. Draw the letters, after locating them in their proper place, with a needle-pointed, hard-lead pencil. Be careful to make all details correspond with those of the letters in the copy. 73. The Brush Work. Having drawn the letters with accuracy, proceed with the brush work by first making the principal stroke of the letter, which in many cases is the stem or the ogee stroke, as in the letter B. The shading of this stroke should be below the center of the letter. To incline this stroke at the proper angle, the ogee stroke should be an equal distance from the 40 line above and below the center of the letter to the left of the line above 32 LETTER FORMATION 4 and to the right below, as shown in Fig. 12. The crescent strokes are given the proper incline by making the maximum distance from the 40 line at the center of the stroke and crossing the line at equal distances above and below the center, as seen in Fig. 13. It is essential in script writing that the use of too many fine lines be avoided. The best script writers employ very few fine lines. In joining the FIG. 13 fine line to the stroke, always merge this into the stroke so as to join the outline and form a symmetrical and continuous line, if the stroke were outlined instead of being filled in. Endeavor as nearly as possible to give to all letters a uni- form width, making the usual exceptions with the M and IV. LOWER CASE 74. Spacing Lower-Case Letters. The base line for the numerals is the bottom line of the 9" X 15" rectangle enclosing the lettering of the plate. The numerals are 2 inches high; 4i inches above the numerals draw the base line for the remaining capitals, which are also 2 inches high. The lines that limit the height of the first six letters of the lower case are 4f inches and 5f inches from the base of the rectangle. The lines for the four final letters of the lower case are 2* inches and 3f inches from the lower line of the rectangle. In order that the ogee line of letters may be 4 LETTER FORMATION 33 properly located, it is necessary for four vertical lines to be drawn on the plate, making 5 spaces 3 inches wide. Draw lines on the copy, also, 2i inches apart. These lines will be of assistance in spacing the letters. Beginning with the left-hand vertical line of the rectangle, place two points 3i inches and 4i inches from the base line of the rectangle. On line 2 the two points are 2li inches and 3i inches; on line 3, 3iV inches and 3| inches; on line 4, 3f inches and 4f inches; on line 5, 4T inches and 5A inches; on the right- hand vertical line of the rectangle, 3f inches and 4f inches. From the points given construct a graceful ogee curve. The length of the long-stroke letters may be approximated by observing their position relative to the strokes of other letters above or below them. To locate the letters on the ogee curve, draw those first that touch the four vertical lines. It will then be an easy matter to draw the remaining letters and give the proper space between them. The width of the stroke of the lower-case letters is somewhat narrower than the capitals, or TZ inch. PLATE, TITLE: OPAQUE WATER-COLOR WORK 75. Practical Application. In order that the student may understand the difference between transparent and opaque lettering, it may be well to say that if transparent colors were used on a black-card surface they would not be seen; the card would absorb the color, and no trace of it, except perhaps a slight discoloration on the surface of the card, would remain. Opaque color, if used on white, would be liable to appear streaked, or uneven. Even though they possessed the same advantages in regard to their covering quality, the transparent colors are more convenient and are always used in preference to opaque on white cards. The latter are used on black and all dark-colored cards. 76. Spacing the Lines. Construct a rectangle 15 inches by 9 inches, making the faintest line possible for this, as well as all pencil marks on this plate. No attempt should be made to erase or remove them when work is completed, 34 LETTER FORMATION 4 or a marred or ruined plate will be the result. It is pref- erable, therefore, that the guide lines be made with chalk, which may be easily removed. To do this, charge a piece of thread by drawing it over white chalk; hold one end with the second finger of the left hand and the other end with the thumb of the right; then, with the thumb and fore- finger of the left hand, the thread may be snapped on the card, leaving a line suitable for measurements, and one that can be dusted off readily when letters are drawn in lead pencil. Divide the length of the rectangle into 5 spaces 3 inches wide, and the copy into 5 spaces 2i inches wide. On the first vertical line, place two points 5^ inches and 7A inches from the base of the rectangle; on the second vertical line, 5| inches and 7f inches; on the third line, 6i inches and 8f inches; and on the fourth line, 6-nr inches and ST& inches. By the aid of the eight points given, the ogee curve may be drawn on which the word champion is placed. The other measurements are as follows: The word the is drawn on lines 8i inches, 82" inches, and 8|~ inches from the bottom line. The word celebrated is 41 inches from bottom line, and -\* inch high. The letter B and character & are tV inch from the bottom line, and are 3| inches high. The lines that limit the height of the letter 5 are i inch and 3A inches. The lines of the ribbon containing the words trade mark are lf inches and 2i\ inches. The remainder of the work may be located approximately, using the letters, words, and vertical lines as guides in placing all lines in their proper position. 77. Spacing the Letters. The letters on the ogee curve are on an angle of 22i, or one-fourth of a quadrant. The stroke is ~h inch wide. The stroke of the letter in the word celebrated is A inch wide. The space between this word and the vertical line of the rectangle is 3| inches. The panel surrounding the letter 5 is 6 inches from right-hand vertical line and 5| inches from the left, measuring at the point where the ribbon crosses the panel. 78. The Brush Work. Use show-card white for letter- ing. This should always be well shaken before it is used. 4 LETTER FORMATION 35 Use the No. 5 red-sable brush. Letter the words the, cham- pion, celebrated, and the letters B. & Co.; also, outline the ribbon, but leave the words trade mark until later. If the white for any reason does not cover well, run over the letters a second time. Pour a small amount of the white into one of the water-color pans. Rub up a small amount of deep chrome yellow; also, a small amount of orange and vermilion, using a short stocky brush for this; and, allowing the color to drop into the white, stir well and apply the shade to the lower half of the first line of letters. Make a gold color by adding, to the white, orange-chrome yellow and ocher in the same manner. With this color make the ornamental panel; also, fill in the letters B. & Co., leaving a uniform white outline. The dark color at the bottom of these letters, also the ornament within the letter B, is made by adding sepia and burnt sienna. Outline the letter 5* with orange chrome and vermilion; also, use this for the stripe underneath the word celebrated. Fill in the let- ter 5" with pink made of white, with a little orange and ver- milion added. A small quantity of white, thinned almost to the consistency of a transparent color, is used to cover the ribbon. Flow this on and blend it off into the black as it approaches the letter 5. Afterwards the words trade mark may be lettered on the ribbon. Use mauve purple and white for the ornament above and below the word champion. Use clear white in highlighting the ornament. ELEMENT / (JUNE 25, /8 98 Printed ii Copyrifjht. 1905. by In Entered at St AU r LINES United States otional Textbook Company rs' Hall, London reserved JOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 2 4529 ELEMENTAL UUME 25, /89Q Printed in the Copyrifjfit, 1903, by Intcrm Entered at Mufinn AU right* CURVES 'ted States \al Textbook Company Hall, London Tved UOHH SM/T/i, CLASS N 2 4529 BRUSH STR UUNE B5, /898 l*rhitcd in th Copyright. 1W.1. '.'/ Ml rit/k KE LETTER KVZ. Company UOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 24529 London CONDENSE) /O M p UUNE 25, /898 Copyright, 1 !><>:". /i/ Entered ;i I>tt "I States not Textbook Company ' Hall, London \erved - o o JOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 24523 LOWER CASE.] t I*rititrtl in Copyright, /.W.5, by // Kntmd at Sin AUri, JENCH ROMAN % nittd States mat TfjctbiHtk Company f Hall, London served UOHM SM/TH, CLASS N 24529 ROI 25, /898 I'rinfl in i i/rin/it. l'.tti.:..f>it IntC l'.ntl>>iri'ilit. I'.KI.;, by Int. l'.nt> ml (it Stai AUri* IE ROMAN o o States onal Textbook Company i* Hall, London metved JOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 2 4529 TRANSPARENT- JUNE 25, /898 Print' il in Copyright. 1W).">. by Inh Entirril at Hat All rii :OLOR WORK Jnited States tonal Textbook Company Hall, London 'nerved JOHN SMITH, CLASS N 4529 - - ECCENTR] UUNE ^5, /898 I'rinlcd in th Copyright, inn.;, hi/ Interr !:/< r 'I nt statioi Ml rii/h. ; ROMAN tfal States al T'sthook Company Hall, London erred JOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 24529 OGEE C UUNE 25, /89Q Printnl in Copyright, IMS, by Int Entered at Sta AU rt RVE STROKE 7nited States lonal Textbook Company tf Hall, London \eserved UOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 2 4529 LOWER CASE OGEI UUNE 25, f898 I*rint<(l in t Copyright, HH>3. by Intel Entered at Stati All rigl CURVE STROKE /^7T State* Textbook Company Hall, London red UOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 24529 SQUARE UUNE ^5 i /898 1'rintcil in t t. lnn.;. >>!/ Intel Entyriyht, 1903, by h Entered at Si AUl HALF SCRIPT ^ <* * United States \iional Textbook Company ers' Hall. London i reserved JOHN SM/Tfi, CLASS N 9 4523 UUNE 25, /89Q 1 'rin ltd <'<>l>!iris itional Textbook Company erx 1 Hull. London JOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 4529 SCF UUME 25, /898 Printed in }j Copyright, W<>,>. hi/ 7 Entered at Matt All ri<> IPT kited States il Textbook Company full. London JOHN SM/TH, CLASS N 9 4529 UUNE.25, /898 ted in th I,,/ liilr.ri nt Statin All ri;//i, \ited States nal Textbook Company Hall. London served JOHN SM/TH, CLASS N24529 INDEX All items in this index refer first to the section number, which is printed on the inside edges of the headlines and is preceded by the printers' section mark g, and then to the page number. Thus, Applied design 3 2, means find the paper having g 3 on the head- lines and then find page 2. Acorn leaves Advantages of color work .... 4 Air pencil 1 Sec. Page 3 9 18 Sec. Page Alphabets, Freehand 4 Selection of 2 Supplementary .... 2 Antique Egyptian (light) 2 Apostrophy 1 Application and methods 1 of design to show-card writing 2 Reward of 1 Applied design 3 Appropriate ornamenting .... 3 Arc, Circular 2 Arrangement and classification of the Course .... Display Freehand Straight-line .... Automatic shading pen Background 1 stencils 1 Banners, Combination metal and card Store Wall Beveled cards shading Beveling Fancy Plain Black letters Preparation of Blending around designs 19 Block letters. Modifications of . shade Board, Photo-mounting .... Border effects Borders, Ribbon Brights Broad striping Brocade Bronzes Brush, Methods of handling the work . Brushes Camel's-hair . . . Care of Red-sable . . . . Wash Bulb, Decorator's relief . Camel's-hair brushes Canthus, Inner Outer Capitals, Condensed Egyptian . . Illuminated History and general use of .... in card work Index Paneled Card electric signs hangers stenciling " writer, Chief qualifications for becoming a . How to become an expert 19 57 24 18 52 19 14 42 55 55 40 40 2 14 15 3 14 17 56 IX INDEX Card writers, Cardboard used by colors white " blank .... Cardboard used by card writers . Sec. 1 1 1 1 1 Page 17 9 10 17 17 Colors, water, Use of Combination metal and card ban- ners panels Comma Sec. 1 1 1 Page 72 6 74 Cards Beveled 1 18 Common error ? 16 Colored Fancy-edge . Mounting heavy Panel Care of brushes Cast shadow 1 3 1 3 4 1 18 17 66 17 3 25 Component parts of a letter . . . Composition of a design Compound relief Condensed Egyptian, Brush work with . . . capitals . . 1 3 1 4 4 19 9 56 5 4 Center of circle ? 3 Details of Centerpiece ornament Circle Center of Circumference of Diameter of Radius of Circles 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 13 3 3 3 4 3 64 letters in Details of letters in Lower case and numer- als in . . Spacing let- 4 4 4 5 7 6 Circular arc 9 2 ters in 4 4 Circumference of circle Cold colors 2 1 3 8 Spacing lines for Colon 1 78 capital let- Color, Flesh work. Advantages of ... Designing letters for Spacing letters for . Colored cards " letters 1 4 4 4 1 1 9 18 19 19 18 H ters in . . Condensing Cone, Pine Construction of indexes Contrast Cornea 4 1 3 1 9 4 20 10 23 8 25 Coloring the eye ? 26 Corner ornament R 1? ' plate Colors " Card-writers' 4 1 1 19 5 9 Course, Arrangement and classi- fication of Purpose of 1 1 3 1 " Classification of Cold 1 1 5 8 Curved lines. Freehand Curves and lines 2 ? 15 2 Dry 1 49 Elementary 1 47 " Use of 1 49 Cut-in letters, Uses of 1 28 Gold 1 9 " out designs 3 7 Handling of Neutral oil. List of Primary Principal necessary .... Secondary Semineutral Shading Spectrum 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 6 13 5 10 5 6 9 Cutting in letters letter stencils Cycas palm branch Cyma 1) Dash Decorators' relief bulb 1 1 3 1 1 28 68 12 20 80 56 Tertiary " Warm " Water List of Necessary Outlining for .... Preparation of ... Shading with . . . 6 8 12 12 13 53 12 66 Design, Applied Elements of Designing, Illustrative Inscription Practical Designs, Composition of Cut-out Elliptical 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 12 12 9 7 11 INDEX XI Designs Figure Sec. j 1 age 5 F J Face >:. A 1 a&e 19 Novelties in show-card . 3 20 Fancy beveling 1 64 Permanent 3 o edge cards 3 17 Trade-mark Various 3 3 2 14 Figure designs Figures in relief 3 3 5 6 Diameter of circle Display arrangement 2 ? 4 12 Simple Fine line 2 1 2 19 Ditto marks Diverse treatment of words .... Dry colors " Use of 1 2 1 1 81 17 49 49 Flesh color Flitters Flowers Forms Ornamental 1 1 3 1 9 55 9 30 Freehand alphabets 4 1 E Eccentric Egyptian, Brush work in Practical ap- plication of Spacing the letters for . Spacing the lines for . . V " Uniformity of letters in . letters, Limits of . . . . Roman, Brush work in Practical appli- cation of . . Spacing the let- ters for . . . 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 11 10 10 10 11 57 22 21 21 arrangement curved line French Roman, Brush work in cap- ital letters in . . Brush work in lower-case let- ters in capital letters . . Details of capital letters .in .... Details of lower- case letters in . (light) letters . . Lower-case let- ters in Practical applica- tion of . . . . . 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 4 15 15 13 15 12 13 14 22 14 1? Spacing the lines for . . Egyptian letters, Modifications of Elementary curves 4 1 1 21 58 47 Spacing capital letters in .... Spacing lines for capitals in ... 4 4 12 1? lines Elements of design " lettering Ellipse 1 2 1 9. 46 2 19 4 Spacing lines for lower-case let- ters in Width of capital 4 14 Methods of describing Ellipses 2 1 4 64 letters in .... Full block letters 4 ? 12 19 Elliptical designs Elongating Embossed letters 3 1 1 14 20 56 G Gold color 1 9 Emphatic words Engrossing 2 ? 16 21 Gothic letters Grotesque letters 2 1 23 31 Error, A common Examples, Value of Exclamation point 2 3 1 16 1 80 H Half block letters 2 19 Exercise I 1 40 script, Brush work in capitals II 1 41 in . . 4 29 III IV Extended letters 1 1 1 42 43 60 " lower- case letters Eye ' Coloring the " Drawing the Eyelets 2 2 1 24 26 24 77 in . . capitals Practical application of 4 4 4 30 29 28 Xll INDEX Half script. Spacing lines for cap- itals in Sec. 4 Page 29 Letters. Antique Egyptian (light) . Black Sec. 2 1 Page 20 54 Spacing lines for lower-case letters in Hands, Position of, when striping Harmony and contrast Heavy Egyptian, Brush work in . Coloring letters 4 1 1 4 29 40 8 9 Classification of Colored Condensing Cutting in Elongating Embossed . . . 1 1 1 1 1 1 29 55 36 28 37 56 in Practical appli- cation of ... Spacing the let- ters for . . . Spacing the 4 4 4 9 8 8 Exaggerated examples of elongating Examples of condensed . Extended French Roman (light) . . Full block 1 1 1 o > 37 36 60 22 19 lines for . . . 4 8 " Gothic 9 23 highlight 1 27 Grotesque 1 31 Heraldic shield Highlight 1 1 36 28 Half block Imitation relief 2 3 19 16 Heavy History of illuminated capitals . Holly 1 1 3 27 32 10 Interlacing Limits of eccentric . . . Modifications of 1 1 1 39 57 57 Hyphen 1 81 " block 1 57 I Illuminated capitals 1 32 Egyptian Old English Ornamental 1 9 1 58 20 29 History and general use of 1 32 Relief ornament Rustic 1 1 1 62 30 31 in card work . Illumination of show-cards 1 1 34 52 Shippers' box marking . Spacing of 2 1 22 20 Illustrative designing 1 3 3 the 4 2 Imitation relief letters 3 16 Telescoping 1 39 Index capitals Indexes Construction of Inner canthus 1 2 2 ? 35 23 23 25 that may be modified . . Treatment of Uses of cut-in White 1 1 1 1 58 36 28 54 Inscription, Arrangement of an . designing Location of Inscriptions for show-cards . . . Interior signs 2 2 2 3 1 12 12 16 23 71 Light, Reflected Lighting and shading, Effects pro- duced by Importance of 2 1 1 11 26 26 Interlacing letters 1 39 Letter-face 1 26 Interrogation point Iris Isinglass L Leaves. Acorn and oak Letter, Component parts of a . . face lighting and shading formation Lettering Elements of Position of hands when Speed in Letters . 1 2 1 3 80 25 55 9 19 26 1 43 19 43 48 54 Limits of eccentric letters .... Line, Fine Lines and curves Elementary Freehand curve Spacing the Location of inscription M Manifolding Manila pattern paper Materials for steni-ils " necessary . 1 1 2 1 2 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 57 19 2 46 15 9 16 66 18 17 68 3 INDEX Xlll Mechanical devices in window let- tering Metallics Methods and application Modifications of block letters . . " Egyptian letters " letters Mounted panels Mounting heavy cards Purposes and methods of N Neutral colors Novel designs in price tickets . . Novelties in show-card designs . Oak leaves Ogee-curve stroke, Brush work in capital let- ters of ... Brush work in lower-case letters of. . lower-case let- ters Practical appli- cation of . . Spacing lines for capital letters of . . Spacing lower- case letters of Oil colors. List of Old English letters Opaque water-color work. Brush work in water-color work, Practi- cal application of ... water-color work, Spa- cing letters for .... water-color work. Spa- cing lines for Origin of .the possessive sign . . Ornament . Sec. Page Centerpiece Corner Ornamental forms letters Ornamenting, Appropriate .... Ornaments, Various styles and application of . Sec. Page Outer canthus 2 25 Outline 1 19 Outlining for water colors .... 1 53 Outside signs ... 1 73 1 6 3 21 3 20 4 23 4 25 4 24 4 22 4 23 4 24 1 13 2 20 4 34 4 33 Palm 3 branch 3 Cycas 3 Panel cards 3 ends 2 Paneled capitals l Panels 2 Combination 2 Mounted 3 Part Relief-scroll Rococo Use of, in designing .... Paper. Manila pattern Parenthesis Part panels Pen, Automatic shading Pencil, Air Period Permanent designs Photo mounting board Pictorial show-cards Pigments Pine cone Plain beveling Plate, Coloring the Dimensions of Title: Brush-stroke letters . Condensed Egyptian Eccentric Egyptian . Roman . Elementary curves . lines . . French Roman . . . Half script Heavy Egyptian . . Ogee-curve stroke . . Opaque water-color work Roman Script Square English . . . Transparent color work Position of hands when lettering . striping . Possessive sign. Origin of .... Practical designing Price tickets . 3 21 2 8 2 9 2 9 2 6 1 18 1 81 2 8 1 56 1 56 1 78 3 2 1 66 1 18 3 15 1 7 3 10 1 63 4 19 4 1 4 1 4 2 4 10 4 21 1 47 1 46 4 12 4 28 4 8 4 22 4 33 4 15 4 31 4 25 4 18 1 43 1 40 1 77 2 12 XIV INDEX Primary colors Sec. Page 5 ^ Secondary colors xc. * 1 Pa^ 5 Printing 1 66 Selection of alphabets > IK Punctuation 77 Semicircles ? 4 Importance of 77 Semicircumferences ? f. 78 Semicolon 1 79 Purpose of the Course 1 1 Semineutral colors Sending work to the Schools . . . Shade 1 4 1 6 3 19 Block 1 24 Quadrants Relief 1 25 Qualifications for becoming a card writer Quotation marks R Radius of circle Rectangle 1 1 2 ? 2 81 3 6 Shaders, Square Shading and lighting, Effects pro- duced by Importance of .... 1 1 1 1 17 23 26 26 Red-sable brushes Reflected light 1 2 14 11 Angle to be executed upon 1 24 Relief bulb. Decorator's . ... 1 56 colors 1 9 compound 1 56 " letters 1 62 ornament letters " scroll panels . . 1 ? 30 9 on the left ribbons 1 2 23 10 shade Ribbon borders Ribbons Forms of Shading 1 3 2 2 ? 25 19 10 10 10 with water colors .... Shadow, Cast Sheeting signs Shield, Heraldic Shippers' box marking 1 1 1 1 2 53 25 74 36 22 Riggers Rococo panels Roman, Brush work in, capital let- ters 1 2 4 14 9 17 Show-card design and ornament . " designs, Novelties in . " Inscriptions for .... 2 3 3 3 1 1 20 23 capital letters Designing, capital letters lower-case let- ters .... lower-case and numerals Practical application of . Spacing lines for, capital letters .... lower-case let- ters Rustic letters S Script, Brush work in. capital let- ters 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 16 16 18 17 15 16 17 31 31 " transparencies .... " writing Application of design to . Forms used in cards, Illumination of ... Pictorial Signs, Card electric Interior Outside Sheeting Store and window White enameled-cloth . . . Simple figures Spacing, Correct and incorrect . . Importance of 1 1 2 8 1 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 74 1 1 2 52 15 75 71 73 74 71 7:5 2 20 20 capitals 31 of letters 1 20 lower-case letters .... Practical application of . Spacing capital letters of . lines for capital letters of .... lower-case letters of . 4 4 32 31 31 31 32 the letters " lines Spectrum colors Speed in lettering Spur Square English, Brush work in capital letters of 4 4 1 1 4 3 o 48 19 26 INDEX XV Sec. Page Sec. Page Square English, Brush work in Trade-mark designs 3 2 lower-case let- Transparencies, Show-card . . . 1 74 ters of .... 4 27 Window .... 1 74 capitals .... 4 25 Coloring: capital U letters of ... 4 26 Underscore 1 81 Hints on color- Use of dry colors 1 49 ing plate . . . 4 27 " " stencils 1 67 " lower case . . . 4 27 " water colors 1 52 Practical appli- cation of ... 4 25 V Spacing capital Value of examples 3 1 letters of ... 4 26 Spacing lines for AY capital letters Wall banners 1 71 of 4 25 Wash brushes 1 17 Spacing lower- Water colors 1 12 case letters of 4 27 List of 1 12 shaders 1 17 necessary 1 13 Stenciling, Card 1 69 Outlining for .... 1 53 Stencils, Background 1 69 Preparation of ... 1 12 Cutting letter 1 68 Shading with .... 1 53 Materials for 1 68 Use of 1 52 Use of 1 67 White 1 6 Store and window signs 1 74 blank, Card-writers' . . . 1 17 banners 1 71 Card-writers' 1 10 Straight-line arrangement .... 2 12 enameled-cloth signs . . . 1 73 Striping 1 40 letters 1 54 Broad 1 42 Preparation of 1 10 with the T souare 1 41 Width 1 19 Stroke 1 19 Window and store signs 1 71 Supplementary alphabets .... 2 19 lettering. Mechanical de- vices in 1 76 T transparencies 1 74 T square. Striping with the .... 1 41 Words, Diverse treatment of ... 2 17 Telescoping letters 1 39 Emphatic 9 16 Tertiary colors 1 6 Work, Brush 4 2 Tickets. Price . . 3 21 " How to send, to the Schools 4 3 4404 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY