When I begin lettering, I often start with the horizontal stripes that can often run along the top and bottom of locomotives. It is important to measure these stripes at several places across the locomotive, as you want to keep the stripes straight. If they begin to angle, not only will your eye catch this in the finished drawing, but also, your lettering may likely begin to slant, as well.
After the stripes are in place, I begin to letter the railroad name that is often centered on the hood of the locomotive. First I see how many doors the lettering will span. Next, I measure the length of this span in inches. I then count how many letters and spaces are in the road name.
It is important to count letters accurately, and to keep a close watch on the words as you letter, as a big challenge to lettering, I find, is that even when measured properly, it is very common to run out of room on your last word. This can be frustrating, as it is hard to see a beautifully written road name spelled out, only to run out of room for the last letter or two. Also, when done in pencil, the paper often, at best only allows about one or two erasures before losing its texture.
Lettering is an exciting part of the drawing process. It is when you get to see a locomotive, freight car or caboose take on the name of its owner. I recommend practicing lettering as much as you can on scraps of paper and even freight cars and cabooses, testing to see how many times you can write a given road name in a set area, such as two or three inches. This skill will lead to great results as you draw. Enjoy drawing trains.
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