by Darla Hagensick
SCRIPT LETTERING -- lower case..
There is something especially attractive about a good piece of script lettering. It catches the eye; it’s easy to read and adds a graceful touch to your finished job. A word or two in script adds grace, swing and the necessary curvature to make a pretty layout. Script can
be used in almost any instance that calls for creative lettering. Many are under the mistaken impression that you must be a good penman to learn script lettering. I assure you that is not the case and good script lettering comes from diligent practice. Learning to letter will test you to your limit; after succeeding you should feel a great sense of accomplishment. Hand lettering is a very specialized field and only a few artists will have the pas- sion to dedicate themselves to the practice it takes to learn. There is an upside and not all is gloom because: Script is really the easiest alphabet to learn of all, for several reasons: You have more opportunities to modify the letters and express your own personality. Script lettering does not usually have to follow an exact line and you can end any word with a well executed dagger stroke (the easiest way to end any brush stroke). You can work with a free swing, if a letter happens to get half an inch off the line it will still be good, so long as it is graceful.
There are many who look on script as a mystery because most script lettering does not follow any certain alphabet. That is, the artist may use one kind of capital “S” (or any other letter) on one job and an entirely different looking capital on the next job. This also applies to the lower case, in a lesser degree. Anything goes as long as it is graceful and in harmony with the layout and other lettering that it accompanies. T-shirt airbrush artists find script lettering critical to the suc- cess of their business mainly because of the speed at which it can be done, but also because the general public is very fickle and they will give their business to the artist who writes the most attractive name.
Always remember to stand up tall and straight while attempting to letter and move more with your body than your arms. Swing- ing your arms all about will not get you the graceful motion that is found in pretty script lettering. Your elbows should always be tucked lightly to your waist and that is where they should remain. Your airbrush should be about breast high and you can use your body much like a pendulum by pivoting your hips and shoulders. In truth you will find it takes very controlled movement to create
freehand script lettering, you will not be moving all about care- less of thought and without control of your airbrush. I will try to explain the lower case alphabet first because I think it takes the most stringent practice.
Those of you who have been practicing the 8 brush strokes to complete the Egyptian alphabet as I described in issue #14 of Airbrush Technique magazine will be pleased to learn that there are only 2 brush strokes in lettering script and if you’ve practiced your basic Egyptian print alphabet you should already know these strokes and have them etched into your memory. 1st. there is a slanted line (similar to the leg of an “A”) and 2nd. there is an oval just like the “O’s” you practiced but this time shaped a little more oval and set at a slight slant to the right.
I don’t find it any help to practice loops (large or small). There are no words in the English dictionary that have more than two “e’s” or two “l’s” in a row in them, so you are never going to do more than two at a time in any instance. You will find them very difficult to do even for someone with experience. A whole row of loops will never look consistent or pretty. I think it’s wasted effort and teaches you nothing about lettering. As you progress with your practice you will be able to make two loops at a time (anytime you need), but attempting any more than that serves no purpose and drives you a little goofy. Running “c’s” is what I think will help teach you the most and you can’t practice too many or enough of them. They will teach you spacing which is critical to the outcome of the word you’re lettering and they will teach you something about “SWING”. You need your lettering to flow with graceful movement and running “c’s” set the pat- tern and help your body pick up the rhythm (or swing) it takes to make a pretty letter or word. The running “c” helps complete six letters and that only leaves twenty to go. We’re well on our way!! These letters are “a-c-d-g-o-q”. All of the other 20 letters are made with the slanted line either extending up or dropping down (a leg or a tail), or a combination of both the slanted oval and a slanted line together. It is very important when making the running “c” to bring the stroke at the top almost (but not quite) down to the middle of the right hand side. You will find that in doing this it allows you to gain the necessary momentum or “kick” that it takes to come back around (to finish that letter) and flow into the start of the next letter. Sometimes you will make a little bobble (right where I have placed the red line) before kicking it back up and around. You won’t know about this elusive bobble until you’ve practiced enough that you’ve well mastered the running “c’s”; it’s a good gauge of your progress. You can’t buy this bobble it’s priceless and comes only with a great deal of practice. Before going on to the other letters I would suggest practicing lines and lines and lines of running “c’s” and then
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