When beginners draw letterforms, semantic familiarity often distracts from recognizing pure spatial relationships. Exercise 1b offers an abstract pedagogical alternative rooted in the teaching traditions of Inge Druckrey (Basel / Yale / Cooper Union) and André Gürtler (Basel School of Design).
By replacing alphabetic characters with sequences of modulated vertical, diagonal, and curved lines, the assignment isolates two fundamental skills: tool control through pressure variation (press & release) and optical sensitivity to the rhythmic cadence of negative space.
Learning Objectives
- Motor Control & Modulation: Execute fluid transitions between pressure and release (thick-to-thin-to-thick) without abrupt artifacts or blunt terminals.
- Abstract Spatial Awareness: Regulate intervals between strokes based on optical grayness rather than mechanical ruler measurements.
- Typographic Analogy: Translate abstract spatial balances into the principles governing internal counterforms and sidebearings in type design.
- Critical Evaluation: Diagnose rhythm anomalies, dark clusters, and loose gaps across repetitive compositions.
Methodological Phases
1. Stroke Modulation (Gürtler’s Stroke Characteristics)
Individual vertical strokes (5 cm) executed with medium graphite (HB–2B). Students apply pressure at the head, ease into a light stroke through the waist, and reapply pressure before braking at the base. The aim is a dynamic, living line that anticipates the weight shifts of classical letterforms.
2. Parallel Rhythm & Intervals (Druckrey’s Inge Lines)
Repetitive series of parallel modulated vertical strokes (2.5 cm) across an A3 sheet. Students calibrate inter-stroke negative space purely by eye, creating a balanced, vibration-free optical gray tone across the page.
3. Abstract Composition (Pseudo-Alphabet)
Constructing 4 to 6 lines of non-semantic character clusters combining verticals, diagonals, and open curved stems. Students treat these abstract clusters as pseudo-letters, balancing inner negative areas against outer separation spaces to simulate continuous textual color.
Key References
- Druckrey, I. (2012). Teaching to See (A. Severny, Dir.; E. Tufte, Prod.) [Documentary Film]. Edward Tufte.
- Gürtler, A. (1997). Experiments with Letterform and Calligraphy / Schrift und Kalligrafie im Experiment. Verlag Arthur Niggli.
- Tufte, E. (2012). Inge Druckrey: Teaching to See. Edward Tufte Forum.
Enrolled FBAUP students: Refer to the course Moodle and Teams channel for submission templates, video demonstrations, and delivery guidelines.
This page was compiled and edited with research and editorial assistance from Google Gemini Pro, 3.8 Flash (September 2026).