Abecedary to color: R

Click here for a high-res, 

full-page printable to color in.

When calligraphers start learning letters, they deal with only with two dimensions, letting the pen lay down a flat trail of ink on a flat page. But the minute they start drawing the capitals, it's hard to resist exploring the third dimension.  

  

Each of the designs here creates the illusion of depth: the robed people kneel in a crowd; the plump angels hover; and even the flat strip seems to curl up off the page.  You can let them fool the eye without extra help, or add to the effect by shading your colors.  

This letter R starts with a simple outline, but is looped with twisted cord, draped with little pearl drop earrings, and adorned with one large gem. It makes you think that at least parts of it stick up from the page, even if you can't actually walk around it.  (You might try coloring that cut gem with several colors to suggest its shiny facets.)