General Arrowhead...Both hands move on same path...

Valerie Sutton signwriting at MAC.COM
Wed Feb 14 21:46:44 UTC 2007


SignWriting List
February 14, 2007

Hello Adam and Everyone!
I just returned to my office, so I will prepare some diagrams on  
Movement Paths...I think it is great to discuss this!

It is understandable that you had that misunderstanding, Adam. In the  
past I taught the General Arrow saying that they are moving as a  
unit...because they are...so I have used that phrase myself...but  
what I didn't explain is that it is more than just moving as a  
unit...They are moving as a unit PLUS they are also moving so that  
one hand's path writes directly on top of the other hand's path...so  
the white path blends with the black path which becomes both, or  
general (an overlapping path).

That was the reason the General Arrow developed...because one arrow  
was writing on top of the other and we had no other choice...the  
black and white blended with each other...

This is only true for SignWriting Printing (the formal writing for  
publishing)...

When writing by hand, such detail may not always be necessary...In  
the Shorthand, for example, there are no arrowheads at all...

I will try to create a web page today explaining this better...so I  
will work on this eLesson on the web now... and will write again in a  
few hours when it is posted...

Val ;-)


PS. We have the most sunny beautiful Spring weather here in San Diego  
today. I only wish the rest of the world could enjoy the sunshine  
with me!

---------


On Feb 14, 2007, at 1:16 PM, Adam Frost wrote:

> Wow! I did not know that I misunderstood that rule. I thought that the
> general arrowhead was for when both hands move together as a unit.
> (Probably like many others. Smile.) Now I think understand what the
> rule mean. You said it is for when you would have two arrow
> overlapping. So for the sign continue, the path (black and white
> arrows) for each hand do not over lap, so the general arrowhead is not
> used. Now my question is if you were to write continue from the side
> view (purely hypertheotical of course), then the general arrow would
> be used? And would that still be correct if the two hands were not
> touching (ie as in the sign for way)? Just trying to see if I
> understand this rule correctly. :-)
>
> Adam
>
>
> On 2/14/07, Valerie Sutton <signwriting at mac.com> wrote:
>> SignWriting List
>> February 14, 2007
>>
>> The General Arrowhead
>> WHEN TWO MOVEMENT PATHS WRITE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER (BLEND)
>>
>> The Movement Path of the right hand, writes on top of the Movement
>> Path of the left hand, creating a blend of the two arrows. This
>> creates a General Arrowhead. The blended arrow is neither right nor
>> left...it is both.
>>
>> Imagine placing your right hand in a can of black paint. It is now
>> dripping with black paint.
>>
>> Imagine placing your left hand in a can of white paint. It is not
>> dripping with white paint.
>>
>> Your two hands move in space. As they move, they paint Movement Paths
>> in space. The left hand paints white Movement Paths. The right hand
>> paints black Movement Paths.
>>
>> But what happens when the Right Movement Path paints on top of the
>> Left Movement Path?
>>
>> In those cases, you write a General Arrowhead.
>>
>> The General Arrowhead never meant Parallel Paths. It always meant
>> Blended Paths. There is a difference.
>>
>> I can show you examples later today....Unfortunately I have to go to
>> an appointment again and must run!
>>
>> Talk to you all later -
>>
>> Val ;-)
>>
>>
>



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