CALLIGRAPHY& LETTERING

DESIGNBy Arthur Newhall

WALTER FOSTER Publishing

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AND LETTERING DESIGN

BY ART NEWHALL

Walter Foster Publishing, Inc.23062 La Cadena Drive, Laguna Hil ls, CA92653

@ 1989, Walter Foster Publishing, Inc. All r ights reserved.This book has been published to aid the aspiring artist. Reproduction of the work forstudy or f inished art is permissible. Any photomechanical reproduction of art from thepublication or art drawn from the publication for commercial purposes is prohibited with-out written consent from the publisher.

Basic Chancery Cursive

Chancery Stroke Sequence

Chancery Styles

Chancery Samples

Uncial

Flourishes & Swashes

The Black Letter

Roman

Spencerian Script

Awards-Spencer ian..

Renaissance . . .

lntroduct ion. . . .

Materials

Basic lnstruction

Basic San Serif Style .

Exploded View And Stroke Sequence

Numerals. . . . .

Batarde . . . .42

Versals . . . .44

Greet ing Cards . . . 46

lnl ine . . . . . . 49

Logo&Symbol Design . . . . . . . .50

The Steel Brush . . . . . . . . 55

Letters At Work . .. 56

Conclusion . . . . . . 64

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The tremendous interest and popularity of cal l igraphy among the general

public in recent years has increased the scope and the use of this beautiful

lettering form. Aside from its obvious place in the production of diplomas,awards, testimonials and verses; a contemporary use of cal l igraphy has

developed, creating a new, excit ing demand for i t in the design of logos,

movie t i t les, book jackets, album covers, sign design, menus, labels,posters, type design and advertising - to name just a few.

This book offers the reader a comprehensive reference guide and studymanual. l t presents a myriad of alphabets and their applicat¡ons to study

and to copy. Beginners should always have good examples in front of

them while practicing. More advanced call igraphers can use the letter

style samples for reference.

It is imporant to f irst learn the basics and to become comfortable withyour tools, but try to be adventurous and creative. Practice with differentpens, papers and techniques. Develop your own styles of lettering or

change established letter styles to make them your own.

F

The Broad Pen is available invariety of shapes and sizes.

Fine Point Nibs for detai llettering.

PENS AND INKCal l igraphic let ter ing is doneprimari ly with a broad pen. Thereare two types of broad pens: dippens and fountain pens. Both haveinterchangeable nibs. There aremany brands on the market. Themain advantage of foqntain pensis their abi l i ty to hold a largesupply of ink, but they have al imited number of n ib s izes and donot ut i l ize permanent ink. Dippens produce a cleaner, crisperl ine than fountain pens, but aresl ightly more diff icult to master.You wil l need a jar of black indiaink for use with a dip pen. l t is veryimportant to keep both types ofpens clean. A small jar of waterkept nearby for dipping thepen and wiping i t c lean isrecommended.

A wide, small jar secured to a pieceof heavy card or plastic keeps the inkcontainer stable. The ink level shouldbe just high enough for a dipped penload.

Extra-Fine Po¡nt

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Extra Super-Fine Po¡nt

PAPER

There are many types of paper and boards suitable for cal l igraphy.The choice depends on the quali ty and type of work you are doing. A20 lb. ledger bond is good for practice. For al l-purpose lettering,1000/o rag bristol board is favored. Bristol board comes in twof in ishes, k id and plate. The kid f in ish is the better of the two as i t hasa sl ight "tooth." For the f inal "one of a kind" job, a parchment paper

made specif ical ly for cal l igraphy is available. Show card board alsotakes ink beautiful ly. Give it a try.

MISCELLANEOUS

Your equipment can be qui te s imple or very extensive. A drawingtable (about 30" x 40") , achair and a good source of l ight are a mustif you are serious about your work. You wil l also need a t-square,several tr iangles - 30, 45, and 60 degree angles - and pencils,pens, pen cleaner, erasers, a penci l sharpener, ink, opaque whitepaint (for correcting mistakes) and a few lettering brushes'

Cal l igraphic let ter ing is done with the broad pen. The angle the pen isheld is the key to the beaut i fu l " th ick and thin" sty le. A s imple, basicletter style that is quite easy to execute with the broad pen is shown onpage 7. The letter is a thick and thin Roman style without serifs. Thisstyle is beautiful and practical. l t is sometimes called "Stunt Lydian"because i t is s imi lar to the Lydian type face. The pen is held fa i r ly r ig id,point ing above the r ight shoulder, held at a 35 degree angle. Thevert ical (down) strokes and the horizontal strokes are made with a f irmwrist action. The pen is held at a constant angle - never rotated.

Use quali ty bond paper for practice. l t takes ink beautiful ly, and isrelat ively inexpensive. Using your t -square, draw guidel ines on a sheetof smooth i l lustration board, then place it underneath a sheet of bondpaper. (This el iminaies having to draw guidel ines on each piece ofbond paper.) Always keep a small piece of card or scrap paper nearbyto check the ink f low of your pen. After each dip of the pen, pul l a shortstroke on the card to remove the excess ink. This is very important astoo much ink creates a sloppy l ine.

Try using different pen angles to acquaint yourself with the results.Constant practice is a must, and it is important to have Eood copy infront of you for reference. Also, be sure to clean your pen frequently

dip i t in a jar of water and wipe it clean with a l int-free rag. At the endof a session, clean the nib with pen cleaner - ammonia works f ine.

SPACING - The spacing between letters is as important as the lettersthemselves. Good spacing involves equalizing the optical weight orsmoothness of the word. In upper case letters the narrowest space isbetween round letters such as O and C. A sl ightly wider space isbetween a straight letter and a round letter, l ike I and O. The widestspace is between two straight, vert ical letters such as H and l. Diagonalletters are spaced optical ly to equalize the open area; no dark or l ightsections should dominate. Proper spacing is cal led "good color."

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- INSTRUCTION-The Chancery letter is a favorite with calligraphers because of its beauty,function and speed of execution. l t is great for a large amount of copy.

The Chancery Cursive ( i tal ic) letter lendsitself beautifully to the broad pen. The shapeof the letters are tall rather than fat. The penangle is 45 degrees, but the pitch of thestroke is 10-'15 degrees off the vertical. Thepen does most of the work and little pressureis needed. Use one of the larger nibs forpractice as they are much easier to control.Follow the stroke sequence as shown. Usethe guideline board for practice.

BODY OF LOWER CASE5 PEN WIDTHS

- Ascenders & Descendersequal to body height

CAPITAL HEIGHT7-8 PEN WDTHS

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CHANCERY SAMPLES

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-lNsrRUCTloNThe name "Uncial" is derived from the Roman inch of height - "uncia."

Uncial is an upper case alphabet, but i ts ascenders and descenders give i t an

upper and lower case look.

The Uncial letter form is made with a pen angle of 35 degrees. The letters are ful l

and rounded with considerable open areas, so be careful not to overspace'

Uncial should feel that i t can be contained between two guidelines. The alphabet

can be used in a variety of heights and widths. l t blends wellwith i tal ic alphabets.

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UNCIAL

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FLOURISHES & SWASHES

This "styl ish extra" serves a double purpose by enhancing the space andadding unexpected interest.

It is important that these strokes be executed with discipl ine andplanning. The bold r ibbon swash is done with the same broad pen usedfor the lettering. A smaller pen is used for narrower swashes and a f inepoint pen is used for hair l ine f lourishes.

23

laINSTRUCTION-

The Black Letter, also called "Old English," is a handsome, strong, condensedstyle. lt is a great form for creating a feeling of times past. Today, it is often usedfor diplomas, awards and other certificates.

The Black Letter alphabet has many styles andweights. The basic sol id weight letter is not asdifficult as it appears because the letters arequite uniform. The pen is held at a 30 degreeangle. The very ornate Old English with hair l ineflourishes must be drawn careful ly with a sharp,hard pencil , then inked in with a pointed pen.

24

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INSTRUCTIONThe Roman letter is the foundation of many of the letter forms used today. Roman

stone cutters and scribes developed the classic form. There are many variations of

the Roman letter, but the basics remain unchanged.

The Roman capitals are made with a pen angle of 30 degrees. The serifs on the

letters are executed by first making an almost horizontal stroke across the top and

the bottom of the letter. Then the pen is arced to the right and to the left to finish

the serif. A short vertical stroke is made to finish letters C, E, F, G, L, T, and S, then

fi l led in. The detai led, precise classic letters are careful ly drawn and inked in with a

fine pen.

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-tNSTRUcrloNThiS claSsy Script, alSO knOwn aS "COpperplate" Or "ROundhand," iS ideal fOr

awards, diplomas, testimonials, greeting cards or whenever a sophist icated

feeling is desired.

COppERpLATE - The intr icate single stroke letter is writ ten at a slant of 54

degrees with a f lexible, pointed, oblique pen. Copperplate is developed withpressure on the nib. The pressure is gradually increased from a hair l ine to a

swell, then decreased back to a hair l ine.

SPENCERIAN - Used for captions, logos and nameplates, Spencerian ispractical and beautiful. The copy is careful ly laid out on tracing paper with pencil ,

somewhat oversize. When the lettering is accurate, it is transferred to illustration

board and inked in careful ly with a pointed pen. Correct any sl ips with opaque

white paint and it's ready for photo reduction.

Fine Point

SPENCERIAN

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AWARDS SPENCERIAN

INSTRUCTION

This decorative letter style adds much class and effectiveness when the capitalsare used for the lead init ial in a paragraph or a verse.

Being very ornate and detai led, the letter must be careful ly laid out on tracingpaper, then transferred to the f inal stock for inking.

lf using the broad pen, use the smallest nib and build the letter up with care.

l f the art is for reproduction, the tracing should be sl ightly oversize. Transfer i t toi l lustrat ion board and do the f inal inking with a f ine point pen. Sharpen up the artwith opaque white paint and it is ready for photo reduction.

40

RENAISSANCE

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INSTRUCTION

This beautiful angular alphabet was developed in France in the f i f teenth century.

Batarde is a natural for the broad pen. l t is a very angular form and the strokes are

made with l i t i le diff iculty. l t is best to use one of the larger nib sizes to create the

sharp ribbon effect. The pen is held at a 45 degree angle. The upper case letters

are quite wide and contrast well with the t ightly-packed lower case letters'

Batarde combines beautiful ly with Chancery Cursive and other i tal ics'

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-tNSTRUcrloNThe name "Versals" comes from its original use as the init ial letter of a verse.

Versals are tal l letters with an angular grace. The main characterist ic of this letter

style is the gentle tapered f lair curving in at the middle of the stroke. l t is best topencil in the letter shape, then use a pen width that wil l give you one side of the

stroke, then a different pen width to create the other. After this, the space is f i l led

in to complete the stroke. Then thin serifs are made with a f lat pen angle. The

letters B, D, G, P, R and U have raised and lowered loops above and below theguidel ines.

Build up the letter with twostrokes, then f i l l i t in withpen or" brush.

Loops rise above andbelow the guidel ines.

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illNl Lll lNl- INSTRUCTION-The Inl ine style can be str ikingly effective when used as a t i t le or as the init ialcapital of a word. l t has great "poster punch."

The Inl ine technique requires some planning before i ts execution as the lettersmust be wide enough to contain the str ipe comfortably. Each letter should becareful ly laid out with the center l ine in place. One approach is to use a smallbroad pen and letter each side of the stroke, leaving the stripe in between. But thebest technique is to letter the form completely and then careful ly paint the inl inewith opaque white paint and a small brush. This requires precise brush control.

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Logo design is a vital part of promotional advert ising. A good logocan provide instant indentif ication and recognit ion.

The best logos are usual ly qui te s imple and symbol ic. Many t imesthe graphic symbol alone creates the company signature.

A powerful effect is often achieved by grouping stylized initials.

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LETTERINGWITH THE

BrwhRUCTION

The Steel Brush is an interesting and helpful tool. l t is great for large lettering

because of its extra width, and you can use thinned poster paint on it as well as ink.

Steel Brushes range from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch wide. They make it possible to

fashion letters 7 to 8 inches high.

The Steel Brush is a f ine tool for sign or poster work' Try support ing your hand

with a sign painter's mahlstick. The f lexible t ip provides more control than a

brush. For interesting results, try dipping the pen into two or more colors at a t ime.

55

tutEXAMPLES OFLETTERINGUSED INADVERTISING

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ínI t has been my pleasure to share my l i fe-long obsession with theletter form with you. I hope you don't restr ict your lettering to thebroad pen. Try the f ine point f lexible nibs and the steel brush.Experiment with a show card brush and a sign painter's quil l . Thesewil l al l contribute to your total cal l igraphic ski l ls. I have demon-strated many alphabets and styles; they are here for the taking.Remember, every minute you spend exploring this excit ing art isyours to keep. Don't be afraid to be creative!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To Ross Sarracino-for his kindness and understanding.To Sydney Sprague-for her professional help and editing.To my wife, Emma-for her encouragement and patience.

rious Instruction forSerious Artists'll'h¿: > nhat the Artist's Library Series is all

lürr-'il The books in this series will help you,us:¿n.J r-our creativity, overcome technicalnrr:r;-;ies. and explore new media. Each 64-pagep"*rerhack focuses on the materials and meth-qrrs ,trr a specific medium and provides step-by-

w':: de monstrations, helpful tips, and plenty of

üÍi:tlr.Iragement.

The quality of instruction in this series isu;ns-irpassed. Each book is written and illustrat-r; :r a professional artist who specializes in thepr:ir"-ular medium and is uniquely qualified tos;;e the reader to a new level of expertise.

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. 1..i How To Use It)q &: : Pcrsell

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,;ir-;{.', ,Techniques & Uses)¡ _,::. \{3:;alf

,. : ;-. :r. ! : I mp r essionism3 { , i : - : ' ¡3 id

"- :tui;,,-:: . ,; DnbrushTechnique- -r:. ¡::rks

AL13

Perspectiveby Wm. F. Poweil

AL14

Cartooningby Hal Tollison

AL15Calligraphy & Lenenr.: D¿:.:.by Arthur Nerhall

AL16Watercolor Wih lfi.r¿¿ 1l¿;;;by Duane R. Light

ALl7

Oil Painting Materialsby Wm. F. Powell

AL18

Watercolor & Acrylic Materiakby Wm. F. Powell

AL19

The Art Of Framingby Charlene Brom

AL2O

Felt Pen &Watercolorby Duane R. Light

AL21

Sculpturingby Domenico Mazzone

AL22EggTempera Paintingby Kirk Miller

AL23Knife Paintingby Wm. F. Powell

AL24Marker Renderingby Todd Murrison

Walter Foster Publishing providesart instruction products for all agesand skill levels. For more informa-tion, send for a free catalog.

Walter Foster Publishing, Inc23062La Cadena DriveLaguna Hills, CA92653 -t;

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Artist's Libr ary Series

rsBN 1- 5h01,0 - 031, - l ,

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