A c: 



'Tis a bleak wild hill, but green 



and bright 

 In the summer warmth and the 



midday light; 

 There's the hum of the bee, and 



the chirp of the wren, 

 And the dash of the brook Srom 



the elder glen, 

 There's the sound of a bell from 



the scattered flock. 

 And the shade of the beech lies 



cool on the rock. 



II'. C. Bryant. 





you will also avoid the danger of getting a broken, 

 distorted-looking twig, which would be the inevitable 

 result if you tried putting it in bit by bit as it reappears 

 at intervals behind the leaf clusters. 



Now, with still the lightest possible touches of your 

 pencil, roughly indicate the position and size of the 

 various groups, in their relation one to another ; and be sure these 

 positions and sizes are true before beginning a detailed drawing of 

 individual leaves. It is most important to do this, for it is a curious 

 fact that most of us when drawing anything not previously " roughed " or 

 " blocked " out, have a sort of unconscious, inherent tendency to enlarge 

 as we go on. Why this should be so I cannot tell you ; I have often 

 wondered about it myself. 



Most of }-ou at some time in your 

 lives have amused yourselves with 

 drawing pigs with closed eyes ; possibly 

 some of your friends possess albums 

 full of these extraordinary specimens of 

 porkers. 



You will notice in nearly every case 

 that when poor Piggy, commencing with 

 a curly twist of his tail, has attained the 

 dignity of hind legs, he has hopelessly 

 strayed away from the scale of his 

 original beginnings and absolutely 

 refuses to join up at all ! It is curious 

 that this tendency to enlargement should 

 show itself even in this childish game, 

 as well as in our serious studies. i 



The newly-opened leaves on the jo0 

 lime-trees outside my studio window are 

 waving before me as I write. They 

 are still bright and beautiful in their 

 early spring freshness, though, alas, by 

 the time you are reading this, they 

 will all be smoky and begrimed. There 



is much to be learnt from them before that, though ! Look at the 

 wonderful perspective, look at their subtle colour, and light and shade, 

 with the varying sunbeams playing around them, their form too 

 constantly changing as they bend to the breeze. 



A casual observer would say they are all a bright fresh green ; but 

 you and I will go a little farther and notice carefully of what this " bright 

 fresh green " is composed. Although of not nearly so shiny a surface 

 as many other varieties, the lime-leaves have a certain power of reflec- 

 tion on their upper sides, and take a blue-grey light from the sky. 



77 



