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THE POPULAR EDUCATOE. 



other subject in the whole range of art that so thoroughly de- 

 pends upon the judgment, the eye, and the power of the hand. 

 There are very few practical rules which can afford us any help, 

 except the general rules of proportion, and some knowledge of 

 anatomy, which is indispensable ; be- 

 yond these there is very little besides 

 the all-important principle of arrang- 

 ing {lie work: therefore, before we give 

 the rules relating to the proportions of 

 the human figure, or say anything upon 

 its anatomical construction, we must 

 again repeat some of our former obser- 

 vations respecting the necessity of 

 arrangement. Our pupils will remem- 

 ber how earnestly in the early lessons 

 we advised them first to decide where 

 the lines are to be drawn, and not to 

 attempt the finished drawing until the 

 positions of the lines are satisfactorily 

 determined: the success or failure of 

 their efforts will depend upon how far 

 they follow or neglect this fundamen- 

 tal course of proceeding. We trust 

 this once more repeated appeal to their 

 practical sense and judgment will suf- 

 fice, being ourselves assured that if 

 they are really in earnest in their de- 

 sires and endeavours to draw the 

 human figure well, they will show their 

 appreciation of this advice by fol- 

 lowing it out to the letter ; for both 

 master and pupil must now remember 

 they have entered upon a noble, and at 

 the same time a difficult subject. 



We have just observed that it is in- 

 dispensably necessary to be acquainted 

 with the various proportions of the 

 human body, and to have some know- 

 ledge of anatomy. To these points we 

 wish for a few moments to direct the 

 attention of our pupils, and to place 

 before them some powerful reasons 

 why this course is so necessary. It 

 must be borne in mind that the human 

 figure in its action is almost inde- 

 pendent of any fixed laws ; it is seen 

 in every possible position, and under 

 every form of expression ; it is seen at 

 rest, and in violent action ; it is seen 

 in its strength and in its weakness ; 

 it is seen in old age and childhood, in 

 delicate womanly beauty and manly 

 vigour. Then in addition to this there 

 is the face, the index to the mind, 

 subject to every variety of change 

 resulting from inward emotions of joy 

 or sorrow, revealing the best and the 

 worst feelings of the heart passion, 

 despair, love, hatred, malice, revenge 

 and though last, not least, the 

 various gradations of mental power, 

 from the highest intellectuality to im- 

 becility and madness. Surely here is 

 a field for study which in its extent 

 and grandeur has no rival. Now we 

 wish our pupils thoroughly to under- 

 stand that we are in earnest in what 

 we are about to lay before them, and 

 they must be in earnest also in their 

 application. We are desirous to impart 

 something more than a superficial know- 

 ledge of the human form ; we wish to go 

 thoroughly, as far as we can, into the 



sufficient information for all they may require. Our object is only 

 to open out a path for them to pursue, to point out other sources 

 of information, and direct them in the way of applying the know- 

 ledge thus gained : therefore any of our pupils who do not care to 

 enter into the subject to the extent we 

 propose may stop when they think fit ; 

 but as to those who desire to make their 

 knowledge really useful for all prac- 

 tical purposes and there are many en- 

 gaged in the mechanical arts who will 

 find it a great acquisition to be able 

 to draw the figure well we will en- 

 deavour not to disappoint them. When 

 we consider how much this branch of 

 art is required in decorating, stone- 

 masonry, modelling, wood-engraving, 

 and many other occupations, including 

 all kinds of designing, we feel it incum- 

 bent on us not to allow so useful an 

 addition to their education to be passed 

 over lightly, and oblige them to lay 

 our lessons aside, disappointed in not 

 finding the instruction they require. 



We will first give the relative pro- 

 portions of the whole form, as repre- 

 sented in Fig. 119. The skeleton may 

 be properly considered the framework 

 upon which the whole body is built, 

 and by which it is strengthened and 

 supported ; the proportion and height, 

 the efficiency and freedom of the 

 whole structure, depend principally 

 upon the right formation of the skele- 

 ton ; this hard and solid framework 

 may be considered the timbers and 

 beams of the superstructure, and the 

 muscles which cover it are the ropes 

 and pulleys for moving it ; thus the 

 framework is for strength, the muscles 

 for action, and these determine the 

 visible and varying outline of the body. 

 Taking the head as a standard 

 that is, from the crown to the chin 

 the whole length of the figure of a man 

 may be considered as measuring seven 

 and a-half or eight heads ; of a child, 

 the proportion will be according to its 

 age ; one of seven or eight years old 

 may be allowed five and a-half heads ; 

 and an infant, nearly four. When the 

 arms and hands are fully extended 

 horizontally from the body, and if the 

 distance between the tips of the fingers 

 from the right hand across to the left 

 be measured, it will be found equal in 

 length to the whole body, so that a 

 well-proportioned man can stand in a 

 square frame and be able to touch the 

 sides of the square respectively with 

 his head, his feet, and the extremities 

 of his fingers. The distance from the 

 top of the shoulder that is, from the 

 head of the humerus, a (the upper bone 

 of the arm) to the elbow, b, is the 

 same as from the elbow I) to the first 

 knuckle of the hand, c ; the same dis- 

 tance occurs horizontally between the 

 outer parts of the shoulders from a to 

 d; from the top of the sternum (breast- 

 bone), e, to the navel /, the same ; from 

 the lower part of the breast-bone, g, to 

 the pubis li (the bone across the lower 



part of the body), the same ; thence to 



subject, but at the same time it is not our intention to write a | the top of the patella i (or small bone on the knee, generally 



called the knee-cap), the same ; and from the lower part of 

 the patella fc to the instep m, the same. The knowledge of 



work upon anatomy in our drawing lessons ; instead of this, we 

 tvill recommend our pupils io study carefully the lessons upon this 

 and kindred subjects which are to be found elsewhere in the 

 pages of the POPULAR EDUCATOR. In these they will find quite 



these uniform lengths, so repeatedly occurring, is a very 

 material help in drawing the figure, preventing many doubts 



