SONS IN DRAWING. 



H| imonHof wild plant* and pro- 

 servo them in water; or, what in 



r win -n practicable, take 

 them up lioilily with the roots 

 mid plunt thorn in potH. From 

 those, separate and careful stu- 

 dios may bo made, which will 



to bo an excellent prepara- 

 tion fur more extensive practice 

 win n drawing them collectively 

 in their natural state, as seen on 

 tho common, under the hedges, 

 or in shady lanes. We cannot 

 here refrain from expressing ro- 



i hat wo arc limited in these 



us to form only, since so 

 much is gained by colour in tho 



: ;il effect of ground plants. 

 It' we reflect for a moment upon 

 the infinite variety of growth they 

 exhibit upon tho flowers whose 

 brilliant colours, blue, red and 

 yellow, and sparkling white 

 crop up from amongst greens of 

 every hue, we must confess that 

 wo should be very glad, were it 

 possible, if we could take up 

 the palette as well as the pencil, 

 and by introducing our pupils 

 to these additional charms, givo 

 them another sensation besides 

 that which is produced by form 

 only ; but, even if this were prac- 

 ticable, we must withstand the 

 temptation to turn aside from the path we are pursuing, which 

 leads to a point where form and colour meet and help to perfect 

 each other by their union ; for if we must maintain that form 

 without colour is less satisfactory, it is, nevertheless, expressive; 

 but colour 

 without form, 

 however beau- 

 tiful the ar- 

 rangement 

 may be, con- 

 veys no mean- 

 ing, and pre- 

 sents nothing 

 whereby to 

 characterise it. 

 In the prac- 

 tice of draw- 

 ing foreground 

 herbage, a 

 writer on art 

 observes " that 

 the edges of 

 the several 

 more advanc- 

 ing leaves 

 must be made 

 sharp and de- 

 cisive against 

 the ground, 

 whilst those 

 that retire 

 may have less 

 opposition ; 

 this will assist 

 their perspec- 

 tive, "and they 

 will acquire a 

 more receding 

 character by 

 slightly toning 

 down or blend- 

 ingthe remoter 

 parts with tho 

 ground or ob- 



Fig. 106. 



jeote behind them < this role may 

 bo applied to all object*, regard- 

 lew of their size at form. The 

 strength of the shadows mart be 

 allowed to bo an important consi- 

 deration. Our popiia will remem- 

 ber the observation, that near the 

 highest light* are the darkest 

 shadows ; so, for example, should 

 tho light fall strongly upon the 

 leaves of a plant, the shadow* 

 beneath them will bear the same 

 proportion of depth, and those 

 leaves which receive leas light 

 will have lees strength in their 

 shadows. Whilst we recommend 

 our pupils to make close copies 

 of plants separately, in order to 

 obtain a knowledge of their con- 

 struction and character, we are 

 not advising them to make bo- 

 tanical studies, bat art studies ; 

 this procedure will be all that is 

 necessary to obtain a practical ac- 

 quaintance with their forms, and 

 will enable oar students to repre- 

 sent them with greater skill and 

 freedom, which is of such great 

 importance when grouping plants 

 in a landscape. The work then 

 will be in the end pleasing and 

 satisfactory, because it is truth- 

 ful ; otherwise, when less atten- 

 tion is paid to particular details, 

 and a slovenly manner is employed, it is sure to terminate in 

 confusion and failure. Mr. Burnet, in his work on Landscape 

 Painting, says, " To begin with the foreground, as being that 

 part of tie landscape nearest the eye, it is necessary, therefore, 



that it should 

 receive all 

 those qualities 

 conducive to 

 its situation 

 such as detail, 

 breadth, and 

 largeness of 

 parts." In 

 contrast to 

 this, the same 

 writer - *, 

 "In the early 

 stages of the 

 art, the minu- 

 ti of indivi- 

 dual plants 

 and flowers 

 were carried 

 to the highest 

 pitch of 

 absurdity; 

 not only is the 

 whole ground 

 of these pic- 

 tores inlaid 

 with endless 

 specimens of 

 botanic scru- 

 pulosity, bat 

 the interven- 

 inir <p:i'V< un- 

 filled with 

 reptiles and 

 insects, as if 

 the lives of 

 the artist* 

 had been of 

 an antedilu- 

 vian length." 



Fig. 107. 



