18 
ON SKETCHING FROM NATURE. 
[Nature and Art, June 1, 18G6. 
ON SKETCHING FROM NATURE. 
By Aaron Penle^ Professor of Landscape Painting- at the Royal Military Aoaclemy, Woolwich, 
No. I. 
O N introducing to the notice of the reader 
the following hints for sketching from 
nature, I must be clearly understood as by no 
means pretending to have discovered any “royal 
road ” to the acquisition of the whole art and 
mystery of water-colour drawing. Like the poet, 
the painter must, I apprehend, be, “ born, not 
made ; ” and not even the most naturally gifted, as 
respects taste and intelligence, may hope to 
attain to more than a moderate skill without such 
a devotion of time as the successful pursuit of 
every other profession requires of those who em- 
brace it. There are, however, thousands of those 
who take their pleasure by hill and river, who 
have neither the poetic “ afflatus,” nor the aspira- 
tion to be professed artists ; and to whom a rudi- 
mentary knowledge of sketching in colour would 
be a highly-prized acquirement. To such as these 
I now address myself. 
Apart from its utility, there is perhaps no 
accomplishment more to be desired than sketching 
from nature, and so transferring to paper, when 
opportunity offers, some of her choicest scenes. It 
gives an additional zest to travel, and adds, in a 
peculiar manner, to the intelligent traveller’s store 
of information. For it is impossible to put pencil 
to paper without being struck by the perfection and 
completeness of objects before us ; and we can 
imitate none of nature’s forms without an elevat- 
ing appreciation of their character, construction, 
and purpose. Nature and Art should ever go 
hand in hand ; the latter attaching "itself closely 
to the former as to an infallible guide. Every 
principle of art is dictated by, and drawn from, 
nature ; and so soon as the hand of the guide is 
dropped, art will, I submit, cease to excite and 
gratify the intelligence of a nature-loving public. 
This proposition I think none will assail ; all, 
indeed, must acquiesce in it. The first precept, 
therefore, I would address to my student reader is, 
that however slight a sketch from nature may be, 
it must be a faithful transcript of the scene or 
object sketched, without conventionality of any 
kind. 
A “sketch from nature” should imply such a 
representation of a scene as will give a general 
impression of it without over much detail, and yet 
without any such omission as might alter the 
character or injure the effect produced on the 
mind. But to secure this generalization without 
loss of resemblance, an educated eye, a practised 
hand, and a thorough knowledge of the forms under 
treatment, are necessary. A “ study from nature ” 
is a different thing, demanding the strictest atten- 
tion to every part, with literal truthfulness in the 
whole, as well as in each part. Of this I will not 
at present treat, hoping in future numbers to 
illustrate it by separate studies. 
The first thing to be determined in a sketch is 
the position of the Horizontal Line. This must 
be faintly drawn across the paper, and the lines of 
every object above or below, and not parallel to it, 
must incline to some point on it. Of course, a 
certain knowledge of perspective is essential, and 
the student must acquire it before he can hope to 
sketch successfully. 
To sketch in the outline correctly, it is neces- 
sary to observe very attentively the peculiar angles 
and position of the several objects to be drawn, in 
order that a truthful direction may be given to 
every line. All forms deviating from right lines 
— horizontal and perpendicular — -assume certain 
angles, and upon a just appreciation of these angles 
the whole correctness of character must depend. 
The relative position of the various objects in 
the field of view being once indicated (first lines 
should only be “ indications ”), the undulations or 
broken outlines, that certain of them may present, 
should be given, great care being taken against 
exaggeration, — an error of constant occurrence. 
It is not sufficient to give the outside lines 
only, because these are almost always the result 
of irregularities of surface, which claim to be 
themselves represented by lines of their own. For 
instance, the broken character of a mountain’s 
top or side is due to the several masses of rock 
rearing their rugged heads at different elevations. 
These masses — if of any size, and in light — -should 
be made to show whence they spring, and thus to 
express the actual character, or, as I may say, 
construction of the entire mountain. Character of 
surface, again, is requisite to give character of dis- 
tance. A little eminence protruding from a mass 
often tells with immense power, by throwing the 
more distant scenery far — very far — backward. 
Unfortunately, amateurs too often undertake to 
sketch subjects beyond their powers ; and in the 
attempt to take in a multiplicity of objects, 
lose patience, become careless, and so end by 
giving but a vague idea of the landscape. Far 
better would it be to divide the scene, and to 
make three sketches instead of one. 
The best class of subjects for beginners is, with- 
out doubt, to be found in the lake or mountain 
districts — at any rate, as far as outline is con- 
cerned — because the principal objects there are 
few in number, and of large proportions ; and in 
lake scenery, the straight line of water at the 
mountain’s base is of the greatest value to the 
young sketcher as a guide to the position of objects 
whose lines rise from it. But in order to give a 
clearer insight into the process of sketching, I 
