Ruskin, John: The elements of drawing: in three letters to beginners (London, 1857)

34

THE ELEMENTS OP DKAWING. [letter I.

one of the squares, and lay a pond or runlet of
colour along the top edge. Lead this pond of colour
gradually downwards, not faster at one place than
another, but as if you were adding a row of bricks to
a building, all along (only building down instead of
up), dipping the brush frequently so as to keep the
colour as full in that, and in as great quantity on
the paper, as you can, so only that it does not run
down anywhere in a little stream. But if it should,
never mind; go on quietly with your square till
you have covered it all in. When you get to the
bottom, the colour will lodge there in a great wave.
Have ready a piece of blotting-paper; dry your
brush on it, and with the dry brush take up the
superfluous colour as you would with a sponge, till
it all looks even.

In leading the colour down, you will find your
brush continually go over the edge of the square, or
leave little gaps within it. Do not endeavour to
retouch these, nor take much care about them; the
great thing is to get the colour to lie smoothly where
it reaches, not in alternate blots and pale patches;