5. Everything that you can see in the world around you, presents itself
to your eyes only as an arrangement of patches of different colors
variously shaded.[1] Some of these patches of color have an appearance
of lines or texture within them, as a piece of cloth or silk has of
threads, or an animal's skin shows texture of hairs: but whether this be
the case or not, the first broad aspect of the thing is that of a patch
of some definite color; and the first thing to be learned is, how to
produce extents of smooth color, without texture.
6. This can only be done properly with a brush; but a brush, being soft
at the point, causes so much uncertainty in the touch of an unpracticed
hand, that it is hardly possible to learn to draw first with it, and it
is better to take, in early practice, some instrument with a hard and
fine point, both that we may give some support to the hand, and that by
working over the subject with so delicate a point, the attention may be
properly directed to all the most minute parts of it. Even the best
artists need occasionally to study subjects with a pointed instrument,
in order thus to discipline their attention: and a beginner must be
content to do so for a considerable period.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.]
7. Also, observe that before we trouble ourselves about differences of
color, we must be able to lay on _one_ color properly, in whatever
gradations of depth and whatever shapes we want. We will try, therefore,
first to lay on tints or patches of gray, of whatever depth we want,
with a pointed instrument. Take any finely pointed steel pen (one of
Gillott's lithographic crowquills is best), and a piece of quite smooth,
but not shining, note-paper, cream laid, and get some ink that has stood
already some time in the inkstand, so as to be quite black, and as thick
as it can be without clogging the pen. Take a rule, and draw four
straight lines, so as to inclose a square, or nearly a square, about as
large as _a_, Fig. 1. I say nearly a square, because it does not in the
least matter whether it is quite square or not, the object being merely
to get a space inclosed by straight lines.
8. Now, try to fill in that square space with crossed lines, so
completely and evenly that it shall look like a square patch of gray
silk or cloth, cut out and laid on the white paper, as at _b_. Cover it
quickly, first with straightish lines, in any direction you like, not
troubling yourself to draw them much closer or neater than those in the
square _a_. Let them quite dry before retouching them. (If you draw
three or four squares side by side, you may always be going on with one
while the others are drying.) Then cover these lines with others in a
different direction, and let those dry; then in another direction still,
and let those dry. Always wait long enough to run no risk of blotting,
and then draw the lines as quickly as you can. Each ought to be laid on
as swiftly as the dash of the pen of a good writer; but if you try to
reach this great speed at first, you will go over the edge of the
square, which is a fault in this exercise. Yet it is better to do so now
and then than to draw the lines very slowly; for if you do, the pen
leaves a little dot of ink at the end of each line, and these dots spoil
your work. So draw each line quickly, stopping always as nearly as you
can at the edge of the square. The ends of lines which go over the edge
are afterwards to be removed with the penknife, but not till you have
done the whole work, otherwise you roughen the paper, and the next line
that goes over the edge makes a blot.
9. When you have gone over the whole three or four times, you will find
some parts of the square look darker than other parts. Now try to make
the lighter parts as dark as the rest, so that the whole may be of equal
depth or darkness. You will find, on examining the work, that where it
looks darkest the lines are closest, or there are some much darker lines
than elsewhere; therefore you must put in other lines, or little
scratches and dots, _between_ the lines in the paler parts; and where
there are any very conspicuous dark lines, scratch them out lightly with
the penknife, for the eye must not be attracted by any line in
particular. The more carefully and delicately you fill in the little
gaps and holes the better; you will get on faster by doing two or three
squares perfectly than a great many badly. As the tint gets closer and
begins to look even, work with very little ink in your pen, so as hardly
to make any mark on the paper; and at last, where it is too dark, use
the edge of your penknife very lightly, and for some time, to wear it
softly into an even tone. You will find that the greatest difficulty
consists in getting evenness: one bit will always look darker than
another bit of your square; or there will be a granulated and sandy look
over the whole. When you find your paper quite rough and in a mess,
give it up and begin another square, but do not rest satisfied till you
have done your best with every square. The tint at last ought at least
to be as close and even as that in _b_, Fig. 1. You will find, however,
that it is very difficult to get a pale tint; because, naturally, the
ink lines necessary to produce a close tint at all, blacken the paper
more than you want. You must get over this difficulty not so much by
leaving the lines wide apart as by trying to draw them excessively fine,
lightly and swiftly; being very cautious in filling in; and, at last,
passing the penknife over the whole. By keeping several squares in
progress at one time, and reserving your pen for the light one just when
the ink is nearly exhausted, you may get on better. The paper ought, at
last, to look lightly and evenly toned all over, with no lines
distinctly visible.