Plates used by permission of Ely & Walker Dry Goods Co., St. Louis.]
INSTRUCTIONS—LESSON NO. 6
Embellishing, Decorating, Etc.
If this work is being done in a class under an instructor, it is suggested that examples be prepared exactly as described on this page, and illustrated on the following page. This will enable the students to gain an exact idea of the work to be done. If the student is practicing alone, it is suggested that cards duplicating, or at least similar to those described, be procured, and the various combinations followed out.
Card No. 1, size 9×13. Mottled mat board with a slight tinge of very light green. First three lines of lettering were done in bright red, and then the words “Fancy Stunts” were striped with light yellow. The word “color” was lettered in dark brown and embellished with light yellow.
Card No. 2, size 9×13. Light blue mottled mat board. Lettering was done in blue—the first lines in dark blue, and the numerals “40” in light blue, outlined with dark blue. The snow effect was accomplished by coating the top of the card and the letters very heavily with thick, white showcard color. Before this color dried, fine “imitation snow”—ground mica—was distributed. The card was then left to dry, after which the surplus ground mica was brushed off into a receptacle, to be used again.
Card No. 3, size 9×13. Pink mottled mat board. Lettering shows two styles of outlining. The first two lines were light purple outlined closely with black—the last two lines were dark purple with rugged light green outline. Note carefully the methods of outlining.
Card No. 4, size 18×8. Linen finish, cream tinted mat board. Lettering was done with No. 10 brush, using orange ink. The outlines and underscoring were done in purple, and the decorative dots over the face of the letters are white put on with small brush.
Card No. 5, size 6½×4½ inches. Light tan mottled mat board. Price was lettered with brush, using dark blue color, shading was done with light blue. The embellishing across the face of the figures was done with white.
Card No. 6, size 12×18 inches. Mottled tan mat board, round cornered. Body of lettering done in dark, reddish brown, then dotted with gold. The letters were outlined with bright red.
FANCY STUNTS IN COLOR
Christmas Candies 40¢
Close Outline
Open Outline
Gloves
25¢
CAFE
Plates used by permission of Ely & Walker Dry Goods Co., St. Louis.]
INSTRUCTIONS—LESSON NO. 7
Use of Pantograph, Pictures, Copying Designs, Etc.
Card No. 1. Size 8¼×7 inches. This was a sample from a wholesale paper house. Body color was a very light green. The border and center panel were made with olive ink. The figures were light yellow and outlined in bright red. The picture of a parrot was cut from a magazine and pasted in the corner of the card as shown.
Card No. 2. Size 10½×14 inches. Dark cream mottled mat board. Lettering was done in a dark gray with No. 10 brush. The initial letters “D” and “F” were shaded with black. The picture which represents a photograph was a neatly printed half-tone, cut from a trade paper. The border of the card was gray.
Card No. 3. Size 10½×13 inches. Plain white cardboard with a picture pasted on the upper left-hand corner cut from a manufacturer’s showcard. The lettering on this card was done in black with the round speedball pen. The border is dark green to match the picture.
Card No. 4. Size 11½×18½ inches. Plain white cardboard. Lettering was done with large round speedball pen. The picture shows the use of the pantograph and the sketch was enlarged from the original at the left. This was enlarged four times as shown on the card itself. After the sketch was traced with a pencil, the drawing was filled in with drawing pen.
Card No. 5. Size 8×6 inches. Plain white cardboard lettered with No. 10 brush, using bright green ink, then shading with black.
The butterfly was a cut-out from a trade paper and pasted to the card-board.
In shading the letters on a showcard, or on any piece of sign work, the student should keep in mind the theory of shading which is as follows:
Imagine, if possible, that the letters to be shaded are about one inch in height from the paper and that a light is being held above and to the right of the letters at an angle of about 45 degrees. If this experiment is carried out in actual practice it will be found that the shadows fall to the left and below the letters. This is the rule for proper shading. The effect can be reversed by imagining the light coming from above and to the left. This would necessitate the shading on the right side of the letter and at the bottom.
Elements of Show Card Writing · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.