letter and the spacing of the words are matters of but small consequence, unless the work be a piece of ornamental caligraphy or illumination. But, as already stated, the work of the sign-painter is to have a permanent object, and must therefore be carefully outlined and spaced. The painter should take as models the engraved head-lines of some of the copy-books now used in the schools, then proceed to draw the letters on a much larger scale, outlining them in pencil, and subsequently in color, and finally practicing them on an upright board.
As already stated, a fair but not exaggerated slant, and much taste, are required in the arrangement of the capitals and their heights, and of the heights and lengths of the
Fig. 87.
long letters. If the capitals are too small, a degree of meanness is given to the writing, and the effect of the tails of the letters being too short is extremely unpleasant. Various teachers of writing and engraving have different rules as to the lengths of the letters which are to project above and below the lines, and these rules, which will be apparent from the examples above referred to, must be taken as standards, to be adapted to the circumstances of the case, for the height of the surface on which the work is to be executed being limited, and a certain inscription being required, the heights of the letters must in some cases be modified, the letters should then be kept rather thinner than otherwise, or they will look clumsy, the thickness in
