DRAWING. 



into a focus for brilliant effect : it would 

 not be amiss, at the same time, to draw 

 detached objects, till their forms are per- 

 fectly and correctly obtained ; having ac- 

 complished this point, groupes will be 

 more easily understood and copied. Shad- 

 ing with the above materials must be go- 

 verned by the objects drawn from : in 

 using Indian ink, the student should lay 

 on the colour exceeding faint next the 

 light, and deepen the shade gradually ; 

 and we would recommend him to confine 

 himself to it till a good judge of his merit 

 pronounces he may attempt colouring, as 

 he should remember his aim is to become 

 a skilful artist by regular progression, 

 and not a mere gaudy colourist, to en: rap 

 vulgar applause. When the student ar- 

 rives at this most difficult and arduous 

 branch of the art, he cannot too atten- 

 tively consult the best specimens of co- 

 louring within his reach, remarking how 

 the tints of the air in the zenith are ge- 

 nerally treated, which is of a purer blue 

 than on the horizon, where the vapours, 

 continually floating near the earth, be- 

 come more visible, and are tinged with 

 yellow or purple, according to the posi- 

 tion of the sun, and theirform when con- 

 densed and raised in clouds, which par- 

 take of the same tints from the same cause, 

 their transparency in some parts, their 

 dazzling light, reflections, and deep 

 shades, in others. He will perceive that 

 the experienced artist, sensible of the ex- 

 istence of moisture in the a r between him 

 and the remotest objects, has shewn very 

 distant hills obscured by blue, or faintly 

 purple vapours, which, becoming less 

 dense in nearer objects, are gradually 

 made more perfect, till those in the front 

 of the drawing exhibit a decided bounda- 

 ry, and clearly defined lights and shades. 

 Contrary to Sir Isaac Newton's opinion, 

 that the rays of the sun contained seven 

 primitive colours, more modern philoso- 

 phers insist there are but three, blue, red, 

 and yellow ; those must therefore serve 

 as the grand basis in colouring ; but as 

 nature never glares in fierce tints, they 

 should be tempered according to her dic- 

 tates, and for the causes mentioned 

 above. No one colour should prevail in 

 a good landscape, neither should they be 

 disposed in the prismatic form, but all 

 parts ought to harmonize, and give a 

 pleasing aggregate- The colouring of 

 objects in the fore-ground requires parti- 

 cular attention, as neither a wall, a bank, 

 or a tree, presents one uniform tint; on the 

 contrary, the stones, or bricks, of which 

 the first is composed, always differ from 



each other in colour; besides, the trickling 

 of dews, the vegetation of different spe- 

 cies of moss, the corroding effects of 

 time and t.e weather, produce charac- 

 teristic effects extremely picturesque :this 

 is equally observable on wood ; and the 

 bark of trees, and banks, present nume- 

 rous tints in the sand, clay, and stones, 

 of which they are composed, exclusive 

 of the variety of plants scattered on their 

 surface. The walls of castles and of 

 monasteries adorned with beautiful mass- 

 es of ivy, the north sides of houses in 

 damp situations, and trees, are excel- 

 lent subjects for contemplation in this 

 particular; indeed, every substance in a 

 state of decay seems to invite represen- 

 tation, by the beautiful properties they 

 assume, which are still further observa- 

 ble as they become useless to the pos- 

 sessor. The peasant's house, in this 

 instance, in complete ruins, with fallen 

 bricks, or broken plastered sides, and 

 almost without thatch, is more inviting 

 to the artist, than all the splendour of 

 Grecian facades and magnificent porti- 

 cos. 



In composing a drawing^ the best parts 

 of vanous views from nature should 

 be selected, always remembering that 

 those parts should never resemble each 

 other, and that none of their lines should 

 be parallel ; if nothing more is intended 

 than a good composition, such are to be 

 obtained trom reality, by merely correct- 

 ing little errors committed by nature ; for 

 instance, a stream of water may flow in 

 nearly a straight line through a most 

 beautiful district, yet, thus represented, it 

 would have a bad effect in the drawing; 

 equally disagreeable are two or three 

 hills of similar outlines ranged beyond 

 each other : to turn the stream into a 

 more serpentine form, or change the out- 

 lines of the hills, will, therefore, be no de- 

 viation from propriety : it is far otherwise 

 in making a view of any particular place 

 for topographical purposes ; in that case, 

 the object to be attained is not an unex- 

 ceptionable drawing, but a true represen- 

 tation even of deformity. 



The best colours ape those sold in 

 boxes, properly mixed with gum, which, 

 rubbed on a tile, and diluted with water 

 in the brush, flow readily, and are very 

 clear: those commonly used will be 

 found properly placed and named in the 

 cases alluded to. Nothing will contri- 

 bute more towards obtaining correctness 

 in drawing, than a free and unembarrassed 

 conduct of the black-lead pencil and port- 

 crayon, which should not be held too 



