Choose some of the previous geometric line patterns, and widen certain of
the lines, as illustrated in the plate. Incidentally this will give good
brush practice, as the lines are to be drawn at one stroke. Push the point
of the brush down to the required width, then draw the line. Try a large
number of arrangements, set them up in a row and pick out the best. In
choosing and criticising, remember that every part of a work of art has
something to say. If one part is made so prominent that the others have no
reason for being there, the art is gone. So in this case; if one line
asserts itself to the detriment of the others, there is discord. There may
be many or few lines, but each must have its part in the whole. In a word,
wholeness is essential to beauty; it distinguishes Music from Noise.
LETTERING. When forming part of an artistic composition, in books,
posters, manuscripts, illuminations, etc., lettering should be classed as
Notan of Line. Obviously the spacing of masses of letters has first
consideration, and is usually a simple problem in rectangular composition.
The effect is a tone or group of tones more or less complicated according
to sizes of letters, thickness of their lines and width of spaces between
and around them. I have found the reed‐pen and the Japanese brush
(clipped) the best implements for students’ lettering (see below). Having
suggested that Lettering, including Printing, as an art, is a problem in
composition of line and notan, it seems hardly worth while to introduce
special exercises here. Johnston has treated this subject exhaustively;
the reader is referred to his book “Writing, Illuminating and Lettering,”
to Walter Crane’s and other good books on lettering. Compare fine
printing, old and new, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic writing, and ancient
manuscripts and inscriptions—Egyptian, Greek, and Mediaeval.
[No. 41. Japanese brushes clipped for lettering.]
[Notan VIII. Repetition and variation in two values.]
[Notan VII. Landscape compositions by HOKUSAI, three values.]
[Notan IX. Two Values, Historic Examples.]