DRAAVING. 



near the points, nor should the rule and 

 compasses be employed, except in mak- 

 ing 1 admeasurements and drawings of 

 architecture; when copying from any 

 given subject, it will greatly expedite 

 the progress to imagine the picture or 

 drawing divided into squares, and the 

 paper in an equal number; by this means 

 the true situation of each figure, within 

 these imaginary squares, may be trans- 

 ferred to the same imaginary squares on 

 the paper. A more mechanical method 

 to copy in the same size as the original, 

 or to reduce or enlarge the copy, is, to 

 draw real lines across each, forming an 

 equal number of exact squares, and num- 

 bering them throughout so as to corres- 

 pond : threads stretched across a picture 

 instead of lines must be less injurious to 

 it, and ought to be preferred. The penta- 

 graph is an useful instrument, invented 

 for enlarging or reducing the outlines of 

 pictures, drawings, prints, or plans, or 

 copying them from the original size. In 

 drawing from nature, much circumspec- 

 tion should be used in choosing the spot 

 whence the view is to be seen, as a few 

 feet or yards often make an essential 

 difference in the beauty of the groupes 

 and individual objects; a gentle elevation 

 should be preferred, whence the eye may 

 embrace a large circumference ; then fix- 

 ing upon some certain points, imagine 

 several perpendicular lines, and marking 

 an equal number on the paper, let the 

 horizontal line intersect them; the objects 

 to be represented are thus obtained as in 

 the method of copying by squares. Every 

 peculiarity of the landscape must be 

 r.aught with avidity, the declination of 

 lines, the apparent lessening of objects, 

 the species of the trees, the tendency of 

 the broken fragments on the edges of 

 clouds, and the movements of the foliage 

 and branches by the wind; the seasons 

 should also be observed, as the lights vary 

 greatly with them, and the colouring es- 

 sentially. Raging billows, waterfalls, 

 and clouds discharging rain, offer many 

 particulars for minute observation, and 

 the shadows of passing clouds have a 

 beautiful effect, when chasing each other 

 over the sides of mountains, or are 

 spread like a veil over a large tract of 

 country. In making the lights and shades 

 of a landscape, it must never be forgot- 

 ten, that, whatever place the sun may be 

 in, the light can fall but one way, and that 

 all the difference possible in the shades 

 are their degrees of strength between 

 morning, evening, and noon, and their 

 strength at either extreme of the day, 



compared with the meridian ; as they are 

 very short at that period, and often inter- 

 mixed with strong reflected light, expe- 

 rienced artists always prefer morning 

 and evening, as productive of those gold- 

 en and purple tints, which catch upon ob- 

 jects half buried in deep shadow, and 

 give a beautiful effect to the landscape. 

 Claude Lorrain was almost the only 

 painter, who thought himself equal to re- 

 presenting the sun, and the silvery effect 

 of its beams upon water ; that he suc- 

 ceeded to admiration must be acknowl- 

 edged, but it is extremely doubtful whe- 

 ther his pictures will ever be equalled : 

 it is, however, certain, that the attempt 

 has failed in every modern instance. As 

 one step towards imitating the brilliancy 

 of the orb of day, it has been the custom 

 to suppose the sun just beyond the boun- 

 dary of the picture, by making the sky 

 clear and light on that side, and gradual- 

 ly fading thence through the landscape, 

 As this method isfounded uponjust prin- 

 ciples, the young artist may safely adopt 

 it, though not as an indispensable rule ; 

 for the light breaking through clouds, 

 and luminating the centre or front of a 

 view, has an excellent effect, especially 

 if that spot is animated by human figures 

 or cattle. When a building, whether a 

 modern or ancient edifice, is the principal 

 object, the light should be thrown de- 

 cidedly on it, though that on the sides of 

 clouds next to the sun must be brightest. 

 But as that may be considered too at- 

 tractive of the attention from the build- 

 ing, the atmosphere ought to be rather 

 dark and tempestuous ; because, if there 

 are few clouds, the light distributed on 

 the globules of moisture floating in the 

 air will overpower even the direct rays of 

 the sun on an opaque body. In shading 

 circular bodies, the light side ought not 

 to cut hard upon the next object, but be 

 softened into it in a slight degree ; the 

 brightest light succeeds, then the shading 

 gradually deepens about three quarters 

 through, after which the extremity catch- 

 es a reflected light, and the outline 

 blends with the tint behind it ; in the 

 same manner foliage, the edges of hills, 

 Sic. should combine with the light or 

 shade behind them. In representing the 

 angles of houses, the strongest shades 

 must be next the light, whence they de- 

 cline and become lighter : in this case, 

 and in every particular relating to archi- 

 tecture, it will be most proper to draw 

 from the works of the best masters, and 

 finally from reality, as it is almost impos- 

 sible to describe the consequence of every 



