Question: About lettering

I know lettering is important that is why I want to focus on it.
I have seen a lot of nice hand engraved letters and I want to do it right.
it is not easy to explain for me, that is why I made some examples.

On the first example A, I tried to cut the bends at the bottom of the letters in one movement.
On the second example B, I made the bends ot the bottom in two movements,except for the capital letters, they are done the same way, like scrolls.
The third example is done like B, and the one I think is the best way to do it

In example B, I cut the lines from top of the letter lo the bottom, making a bend to join both cuts.
This is the one I prefer most, because this way the "bright cut" has the same angle. If I make the bend in one movement, the "bright cut" reflects the other way.

I tried to cut the lines from thin to thicker and back to thin, using both deeper cut and bevelling to the outside.

Can someone help me out with this, I knoiw it is not the same for all letter types, but the snell font is a nice letter and can be done fast.


arnaud

Hi Arnaud

I've attached a sheet that someone sent me to post on the forum.

My very sincere apologies but I've forgotten who exactley sent it to me as I get quite a few e-mails from various people.

A book that may be of some help to you is "The Jewellery Engravers Manual" by Allen Hardy & John Bowman. An excellent book that goes into lettering quite a bit. Another is "The art of Engraving" by James Meeks.

Another book is the 1904 publication "The Art of Engraving:The ractical treatise on the engravers art, with special reference to letter and monogram engraving".............this is well out of print so you woiuld have to pick it up second hand from somewhere...........it's an excellent book and the information is still very relevant.

They all show you the directions of the cuts and go into quite some depth on the whole subject.

Cheers
Andrew

Round hand script!

Hi Arnund

I like all three of your scripts and the discriptions of how you cut them.

This is a script from my Speedball book, the arrows are for pen & ink which don't work for engraving but its a very nice script and something to shoot at.

Jim Sackett

Arnaud Your lettering looks great. Looks like you have been doing it for years. Especially the first example. Your really getting the hang of engraving that's for sure.

Arnaud,
Come to the states and take Sam's lettering class w me, altough it looks like I need the help more than you do.
Jeff

Hi Arnaud. very impressed with your lettering; it shows I have a lot of catching up to do. I found Andrews' thumbnail very helpful; It has pointed me in the right direction. It also highlights the 'squaring in' or 'picks' in the tops of the letters, which I feel may sharpen up your letters nicely. regards Tony

In the second tutorial contest on Lindsays site, Miss Ruth did an entry on lettering. She included this link at one point: http://www.iampeth.com/lessons/
It was more than I needed to take in, but is an amazing resource on lettering. Have a look
Will

@ Andrew, as usual I enjoy your comment witch are very useful to me. I still don't have any book on engraving, so the result of what I'm doing is all thanks to all of the café members.
Once I have and studied Ron's books I will go for one you suggest about lettering.

@Jim, thanks for the attachment, it is really usefull.

@ Mike, reading your comments is always a pleasure for me, especially when you say I'm doing things right.

@ Will, thanks for the link

Of source thanks to all, and sure a 40 our lesson from Sam would help a lot, I try to do one this year when he comes to the Alexandre shool in Antwerp, for me less expensive then coming to the states.

arnaud