No. 34 is a landscape reduced to its main lines, all detail being omitted.
Make an enlarged copy of this, or design a similar one. Then, in the
attempt to find the best proportion and the best way of setting the
subject upon canvas or paper, arrange this in rectangles of varying shape,
some nearly square, others tall, others long and narrow horizontally as in
No. 35. To bring the whole landscape into all these will not, of course,
be possible, but in each the essential lines must be retained.
[No. 35. Landscape in Rectangles of Various Shape.]
Draw in ink after preliminary studies with pencil or charcoal, correcting
errors by tracing.
Then find in nature other similar subjects; sketch and vary in the same
way.
[No. 36. Pictures on Rectangular Lines.]
The art of landscape painting is a special subject, not to be treated at
length here, but I believe that the true way to approach it is through
these or similar exercises.
First study the art, then apply it, whether to landscape or any other kind
of expression.