The thorough mastery of the fundamentals is absolutely essential to good work, and particular care should be taken with the first four or five lessons that all students master these details. If the student is without an instructor, he should exert every effort to be painstaking, and never hurry the work in the early stages of practice.
Quick, “jerky” strokes, especially with the pen, are decidedly bad form, and should never be attempted until the student has advanced to the point where it is possible to gain a little speed and yet be neat and accurate.
The instructions on the practice charts, as well as on the following pages, regarding the early lessons are fully explanatory.
There should be absolute silence in the classroom, and students should be so arranged that the instructor and assistants may pass rapidly from one chair to another, watching each student, and making corrections wherever necessary. The instructor should provide himself with a pen or brush as necessary, and use a separate sheet of paper in showing the students the correct method of making certain letters. Students need suggestions particularly on the formation of the letter “C,” the letter “S,” etc. Once the “reason why” is mastered, the rest is easy.
Students should assume an easy, comfortable position. A cramped position is hard on the muscles and nerves, and ruins the eyes. Keep the head well over the work and have the work in front of the body—never too far toward the right.
Don’t be afraid to “bear down” on the pen—pressure will keep the hand from “wobbling.”
Keep the third and fourth fingers “folded in” and permit the hand to rest comfortably upon the table or drawing board. Use the thumb, first and second fingers to hold the pen or brush firmly and do as much of the work as possible with these fingers. In other words, “loosen up” the wrist and fingers.
INSTRUCTIONS—LESSON NO. 1
Fundamentals—See Large Chart.
On the adjoining page is shown the plain speedball alphabet, one of the simplest alphabets that can be formed. The light lines show the direction in which the pen should move in forming the letters, and the numerals indicate the order in which the strokes should be made.