The Artist's Assistant, In the Study and Practice of Mechanical Sciences: Calculated for the Improvement of Genius. Illustrated with Copper-Plates (Birmingham, [ca. 1785])

2o THE ARTIST'S ASSISTANT.

ters, or ftudies, or all of them united. Elegance
gives a delicacy that not only ftrikes perfons of
judgment, but communicates an agreeablenefs that
pleafes univerfally. The character is what is pecu-
liar to each thing, wherein there muft be diverfity,
infomuch that every thing has its peculiar characber
to diftinguifh it. The expreffion is the reprefentation
of an object, according to the circumftances it is
fuppofed to be in. PerfpecKve is the reprefentation
<}f the parts of a painting, or a figure, according to
the fituation they are in with regard to the point of
fight.

The defign or draught, is a part of the greatefL
import and extent in painting. It is acquired chief-
ly by genius and application, rules being of lefs
avail here* than in any other branches of the art, as
colouring, &c. The principal rules that regard de-
fign are, that novices accuftom themfelves to copy
good originals at fir ft fight; not to ufe fquares in
drawing, left they ftint and confine their judgment;
to defign well from life, before thev prafhfe per-
fpe&ive; to learn to adjuft the fize of their figures
to the vifual angle, and the diftance of the eye from
the model or object. ; to mark out all the parts of
their defign before they begin to fhade : to make
their contours in great pieces, without taking no-
tice of the little mufcles, and other breaks; to make
themfelves mafters of the rules of perfpeftive ; to
obferve the perpendicular, parallel, and diftance of
every ftroke ; to compare and oppofe the parts that
meet and traverfe the perpendicular, fo as to form a
kind of fquare in the mind, which is the great and
almoft the only rule of defigning juftly ; to have a
regard not only to the model, but to the parts al-
ready