Your pointers were very helpful and, because of them I've increased my facility with the bezier curves. Now I'm confident I can get the results I want - thank you.

Inkscape was the model I had in mind when I did the first post, but I didn't consider the fact that it is a vector drawing program and SU isn't and I suppose that makes for a difference in procedure.

Sometimes I need to trace lettering which necessitates using bezier curves. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I find the SU beziers to be clumsy and inaccurate. There doesn't seem to be the handles that one finds in graphics programs. I wish there was something of the sort for use doing the precise control that is needed for typographical work.