410 Directions fo7' dramng Trees and 



purpose the pencils of the class f are useful, as well as for shad- 

 ing : but there is a description of drawing paper with a rough 

 surface, not liable to be much affected by the weather, which may 

 be obtained by those who have occasion to draw in the open air 

 at all seasons. It requires an artist of considerable skill and ex- 

 perience to sketch trees from nature with pen and ink, because 

 such drawings, unlike those made with a pencil, do not readily 

 admit of correction. Indian ink is used for drawing from nature, 

 in preference to common writing ink, because it readily admits, 

 by mixing it more or less with water, of being laid on of differ- 

 ent degrees of darkness, and of being still farther darkened by 

 repetition. The reason of this is, that the colouring matter of 

 the Indian ink is more of an earthy nature than that of the 

 common ink, which, in common language, is a stain, and acts by 

 sinking into the paper; whereas the colouring matter of the 

 Indian ink rests on the surface of the paper. There is this 

 farther advantage in using ink or colours which rest on the sur- 

 face of the paper, instead of sinking into it, that they may be 

 easily rubbed off with a piece of wet sponge, or any similar means, 

 without injuring the paper. Hence it is that, in delineating 

 maps of estates, especially in those respecting which there is 

 likely to be any legal disputes, it is proper, and ought to be 

 made imperious on the land-surveyor, to use, both in delineating 

 and writing, ink and colours which stain, and are therefore not 

 30 likely to be obliterated as those which rest on the surface. 



We shall say nothing about colouring the entire trees, be- 

 cause, as engravings, whether on wood, zinc, copper, or steel, we 

 prefer them in light and shade. The botanical specimens may be 

 advantageously coloured, and for this purpose, when they are 

 drawn from nature, the artist should tint in as much of each 

 specimen as will enable him at any future time to colour the 

 whole, or whatever portion of it may be finally introduced at 

 the bottom or the sides of the tree. 



To persons residing in the country who have leisure, and to 

 the young gardener who wishes to add to his knowledge of cul- 

 tivation that of the art of laying out grounds, we would strongly 

 recommend the sketching of trees from nature. Without having 

 sketched a great many trees, it may with safety be said that it is 

 scarcely possible to acquire the art of seeing trees ; that is, the 

 art of seeing them with the eye of an artist : it is just as impos- 

 sible, in short, for a person who has never sketched trees to see 

 them with the eye of an artist, as it is for a person who has not 

 studied botany to look at flowers or leaves with the eye of a 

 botanist. Let it never be forgotten by the young gardener, that 

 a landscape-gardener, or an architect, or a kitchen-gardener, who 

 has any pretensions to laying out grounds, ought to see trees 

 with the eyes of both an artist and a botanist. 



