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A 
Brief and General Idea of Drawing, 
and Painting in Water-Colours: In¬ 
tended for the Amufement of the Curious, rather. 
than for the Inftru&ion of Artifts. 
\ 
A S the greateft Number of the prefent Edition of this Work will be delivered 
ftained, or wafhed in their natural Colours, and as the Drawings in General 
are quite new Defigns, with fome little Decorations added on the Ground- 
Work, in order to fet off the Figures which are the Subjedl-Matter of the Work; 
I think it will not be improper to give my Thoughts on Defign and Colouring, in 
brief and general Terms. I fhall not meddle with Perfpedlive : Yet, it may not be 
improper to hint, thatPerfons who are unacquainted with it can be no Proficients in 
Drawing, as is manifeft from the Works of fome Painters of no fmall Fame, in 
whole Works a Mathematical Eye difcovers very grofs Abfurdities. We have many 
good Authors of our own, as well as Tranfiations from other Languages, on the 
Subject of Perfpedlive ; from which any one may eafily gain a general Conception of 
the Art, and by a little Labour become a Mafter of it. 
Perfpedlive is principally necefiary in regular Buildings, where many firaight Lines 
run through the various Parts of them, of which all that are parallel mull meet in 
one Point. In other Subjects a thorough Knowledge of Perfpedlive is not fo abfo- 
lately necefiary, yet a due Regard for it is always to be had, as in Landfcapes, to - 
diminifh every Thing according to its fuppofed Diflance from the Eye; for, by 
making the diftant Figures the leaft, and drawing them in finer or fainter Lines 
than you do thofe that come forwards in your Piblure, they naturally feem. to be 
more diftant; and when you come to finifh fuch Pidture, your extream diftant Ob¬ 
jects fihould appear fo faint, or fo obfcure, as not to be difcovered to be of any 
precife Form or Colour; for fo it is in natural Objedls far diftant from our Sight, 
As Objects draw nearer, they may be made a little more exprefiive ; and fo on, more 
and more, till you come to the neareft Cbjedls of all in the Fore-Ground of the 
Pidlure, which fhould be finifhed with great Strength, and brighter Colouring : For 
it muft always be confidered, that fuch Objedls as have really in themfelves a very 
bright Colouring, if they are removed to a little Diftance from the Eye, will 
loofe (by the Interpofition of the Air) fome of their Luftre ; and by being farther 
removed they will loofe more of it, till they appear, as it were, Colourlefs: -For, 
if. 
