The Slant on the Story of N By Dr. Joseph M. Vitolo http://www.zanerian.com I will discuss The Slant on the Story of N. My personal preference is to start with the left hairline stroke working from the baseline and proceeding upwards to the top line. I usually use a slant angle of approximately 52 degrees. Find a slant angle you find comfortable and stick with it. Now back to N. I will next move the paper so it is vertical in front of me. The shaded stroke is next. I like to make this stroke almost vertical with the lower point just to the left of completely vertical. I then finish with the final hairline starting from the baseline and proceeding up keeping it on the slant angle. My computergenerated model pictured in the image posted in the next message illustrates the effects of varying the vertical angle of the shaded stroke and/or the angle of the hairlines. My personal preference is for Form #2 and to a lesser extent Form #1. Notice how even small changes can have a big effect on the appearance of the letter. When keeping the hairlines on the main slant angle, varying the vertical angle of the shaded stroke will either flatten or fatten the letter depending upon the position. Form #3 is a little too obese for my tastes. Form #4 with both hairlines and shade off the slant angle just looks off to my eyes. Lastly, Form #5 is your classic tilting till it falls over cap N. This form imparts lots of tension in the appearance to my eyes. Best to experiment and learn.
The Slant on the Story of ‘N’ 1
2
3
Long Axis of the Shaded Stroke
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5
Slant Angle
Š Dr. Joseph M. Vitolo