KERAMIC STUDIO 
255 
V 
express just what this plant means to you. 
Now having Nature's lines and curves and forms freshly 
in mind, let us use something from one of our drawings as a 
motive for a little design. Our practice in proportion and 
spacing, in the first exercise, and our interpretation of 
plant-forms in this one are to be combined. 
Perhaps we will use a very much simplified flower from 
our drawing, perhaps only a leaf, but we will study how 
best to space it in a little seal, in the same spirit of decora- 
tion as that of the seals and crests among the illustrations. 
It could be used inside a small bowl, or on a hatpin, or in 
various other ways that will occur to you. A nicely 
designed seal is an ornament that always makes the article 
it decorates seem especially one's own. 
shown by a careful outline. Where, however, one part of 
the flower or leaf laps over another, we can strengthen and 
darken the outline ; and the same where we want to indicate 
any part of the plant coming toward us. This management 
of outline, used skillfully, will give a surprising amount of 
movement, and even of atmosphere, to our drawing. 
We use a sharp point because it enables us better to 
study nature's way of putting graceful forms together, and 
to learn how her fine curves, be they great or small, spring 
crisply one from another, giving a feeling of unity and, 
strength to the whole growth, however light and delicate ' 
it may be. 
Now, putting our pencil drawing by, let us try to in- 
terpret a part of the same plant with a brush and ink (India 
ink). 
Again we must keep in mind the structural line which 
holds the entire plant, stem, leaf and flower together, and 
with our brush we will try with clear crisp touches to in- 
terpret the different forms. 
The brush drawings that are among our illustrations 
will give you a better idea of the way to do this than words 
can. Do not hesitate to try the same thing several times, 
altering the dark and light until you find how you can best 
Although our design is not a large one it gives us every 
opportunity to use our principles; the shape of it, to begin 
with, must be good, the space must be planned to give us 
principal and subordinate shapes of both dark and light, 
and we must have only one main interest, that is, one part 
of it must attract the eye more than any other. 
You will notice how well the spaces in the corners of 
the Byzantine panel comply with these principles, and how 
the Japanese have followed the same laws in designing the 
crests and seals. 
Compare all the compositions and designs which have 
thus far been given in these articles, and you will find that 
they all follow the same general rules. 
(to be; continued) 
