Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/360

352 fact of the script character should always be kept within, rather than up to, the maximum, as the work never looks well when the down strokes are too thick.

As a rule, the capitals should be at least double the height of the line of the other letters, and the long letters such as l, d, etc., should be nearly up to the same level, whilst the tails or loops of letters such as g or p should extend the same distance below the line, the letter t being just half the height of the general letters above the line. Thus if the body of a line of writing on an architrave were to be 6 inches, the capitals and long letters should be 12 inches high, whilst the latter should descend 6 inches below the line, and the letter t should be 9 inches high. It adds, however, to the dignity of the writing to give the capitals still greater height, but the long letters should never exceed the proportions laid down, whilst they may, if required, be rather shortened.

Great care is necessary in forming the turns in writing characters, so that the junctions of the up and down strokes may be gracefully accomplished, the down strokes must be drawn to their exact slant until near the turning, they must not be kept, as it were, bending in their whole length, nor on the other hand must the bend take place too suddenly.

It is not advisable either to give the appearance of thickness, or to shade writing characters, for the lightness and elegance of the work is much diminished by either process.

A very elegant style of writing, called the Italian, is well adapted for inscriptions where the business is one of a refined character.

It is in fact to such inscriptions that the script character seems specially adapted, the heavier or more solid characters being better suited to trades with which they harmonize.

This idea cannot of course be carried out to its full extent, as the sign-painter is greatly in the hands of his employer, but it seems clear that there should be a certain