(d) An extraordinarily long tail requires a slight double curve to take off its stiffness.
(e) A good tail may be made by the addition of a double curved stroke on the under side of a straight tail (or of a single curve above).
(f) In treating the tail of J, or the drawn-out stems of A, F, G, I, M, N, P, Y, it is important to preserve the essential straightness of the stems. Therefore, if a finishing curve be used, its size is related to the length of the straight stroke, and, unless this be extraordinarily long, the curve is usually made rather small and abrupt. A curve which is too large is apt to weaken the form and “pull it out of the straight” (g, fig. [163]).
BUILT-UP FORMS
Built-up Letters are composed of compound strokes (c, d, fig. [164]); Simple-written Letters of simple strokes (a, b).
The Pen being an instrument which produces [p292] definite thick and thin strokes on a smooth surface, is perfectly adapted to the construction of either simple or compound forms; other tools, such as the stylus, needle, graver, &c., produce various scratches, stitches, or cuts, generally of the nature of rather varying thin strokes, and to produce thick strokes a building-up process is required.
In making built-up forms the control exerted by the tool is less obvious, and more depends upon the craftsman, who must therefore use greater care and judgment. Not only is it possible, but, occasionally, it may be desirable to depart from the more obvious tool-forms; though generally the more simply and naturally tool-made a form is, the better it is.
The fine early inscriptions are supposed to have been first drawn or painted (in outline) and then cut into the stone. The chisel forms were doubtless affected in this way by brush (and indirectly by pen) forms, but these were of the simplest—nothing was sketched in that was unfitted for the chisel to make into a natural and true chisel-form.
The action of the brush or “pencil” to a certain extent resembles that of the pen, but their effects are really distinct. In contrasting pen-made and brush-made letters, we may observe that a pen form tends to abrupt changes from thin to thick: a brush form to gradation (fig. [164]). The pen particularly affects curved strokes (comp. a & b), generally making them more quick and abrupt (or even broken, see * * c), than brush curves. The brush will give more graceful and finished but less uniform letters (see p. [376]).
The character of a pen-letter depends greatly on the nib-width (p. [324]), and narrow, medium, or broad nibs are used according to the type of letter required. [p293]