Fig. i. 



to represent them with freedom; and it is not 

 enough that they should be exactly copied, or that 

 every scratch and point is rendered ; they should 

 be undsrstood. 



Fig. 2 represents a new-built cottage. It will 



CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



a table, or the boards of a large book. The there is much to be taken into consideration the 



drawing-board may be made of any smooth- lines are broken and irregular, requiring a certain 



surfaced wood : common deal does very well \ amount of practice before the hand can be trainee 



when sufficiently seasoned. As to size, for ordin- 

 ary purposes, one about twenty-four by eighteen 



inches will be large enough. 



It is advisable to fasten the paper to the board, 



especially when it has been kept rolled up, so as 



to keep it flat. This is most conveniently done 



by inserting a small drawing-pin in each of the 



corners ; but if these cannot be had, any small 



flat-headed tack will do. 

 A penknife to point the pencil, and a piece of | 



day-old bread to erase or lighten portions of the 



drawing when required, complete the materials. 



India-rubber is sometimes used ; but as it smears 



the lead, especially in the darker portions of the 



drawing, and destroys the surface of the paper, it 



is not to be recommended. If it is used at all, 



the part to be erased should first be rubbed with 



bread, so as to remove the greater portion of the 



lead, and then rubbed as little as possible. 



The mode of holding the pencil in drawing 



differs a little from that of the pen in writing. 



The mid-finger should support the pencil on one 



side, and the thumb on the other, the forefinger 



pressing gently on the top between them : they 



should be a little curved, holding the pencil easily. 



The mode of holding a pen is only suited for lines 

 sloping from right to left, and cramps the move- 

 ment of the fingers in any other direction. 



The first effort of the pupil should be to draw 

 straight lines, beginning with the vertical or 

 upright, then the horizontal; proceeding to the 

 diagonals from right to left, and left to right. 



They should be drawn at once from end to end, 

 not in short pieces attached to each other ; and 

 of various lengths, from three to six or eight inches. 

 When short, they may be drawn while resting on 

 the wrist ; but when long, they must be made 

 from the elbow. In the first case, the fingers make 

 the motion ; in the second, the arm. 



To educate the eye, it is of importance that 

 besides making the lines straight, they should be 

 of a certain given length ; for example, the vertical, 

 horizontal, and diagonal lines should be drawn 

 equal in length to each other. This should be 

 done by making a dot where the line is to begin, 

 and another where it is to end. 



The pupil should now proceed to draw definite 

 regular forms, beginning with the square. This 

 should be drawn by first making two dots, to 

 represent the length of one of the sides, and by 

 carefully placing other two equally distant. Pro- 

 ceed to draw the lines. 



A parallelogram, with its length equal to twice 

 or thrice its width, and an equilateral triangle, 

 should next be attempted, and these, though per- 

 haps not very attractive as subjects, are most 

 valuable in training the eye, for it will be found 

 that the only way to judge correctly the nature of 

 any irregularly proportioned object, so as to be 

 enabled to give a representation with due truthful- 

 ness, is to note how far it deviates from regular 

 form, and render it accordingly. 



Fig. 2. 



be observed that its appearance is not in any way 

 attractive as a picture ; the lines are stiff and 

 hard, and the whole is monotonous. Fig. 3 is 

 more pleasing, and more picturesque ; the lines 



the 



After a course of practice in such elementary 

 lessons, if sufficient facility is attained, it may be 

 advisable to proceed to those of a picturesque 

 description, beginning with some simple study, as 

 exemplified in fig. i. It will be found, how- 

 ever, that simple as any such copy may appear, 



642 



same 

 The 



cottage, 

 lines of the 



are more varied. It is 

 shewing the effects of age. 



masonry are serrated, because in the course of 

 time the lime gives way, and chinks are formed 

 the stones absorb moisture ; these, expanded 

 the frost, break and crumble, especially at the 

 exposed angles ; hence the chinks become wide 

 and the outline more irregular. 



