Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/358

350 like the other letters, or they may be outlined in a parallelogram, their point being in the middle of one of the sides. The X is necessarily drawn according to the latter method. Fig. 86 shows the small letters, or lower ease, of the Italic character. It is as it were a substitute for plain writing, but no flourishes of any kind are admissible.

The words written in Italic small, must not be spread, in fact, the character looks much better when packed, or placed close together, the down strokes not being too thick. It is very important that a uniform slant should be preserved throughout, and this slant should not be quite as

oblique as that of writing characters, a set square of a different degree to the one already alluded to should therefore be provided for this purpose. Of the Script or writing character, the most elegant of all, one specimen only is given. Fig. 87, knowing that this character has been more studied than any other, since it is the hand taught in schools. Yet, writing with a pen is very different from drawing the letters which are to be painted, the first is done in an off-hand manner, the latter should be drawn deliberately and carefully. The writing done with a pen is as a rule temporary in character, and the exact form of each