DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18972#0115
LETTER I.]
ON FIRST PRACTICE.
87
ner, take one of the drawings, and put it first a
yard away from you, then a yard and a half, then
two yards; observe how the thinner stalks and
leaves gradually disappear, leaving only a vague and
slight darkness where they were, and make another
study of the effect at each distance, taking care
to draw nothing more than you really see, for in
this consists all the difference between what would
be merely a miniature drawing of the leaves seen
near, and a full-size drawing of the same leaves
at a distance. By full size, I mean the size which
they would really appear of if their outline were
traced through a pane of glass held at the same dis-
tance from the eye at which you mean to hold your
drawing. You can always ascertain this full size
of any object by holding your paper upright before
you, at the distance from your eye at which you wish
your drawing to be seen. Bring its edge across the
object you have to draw, and mark upon this edge
the points where the outline of the object crosses, or
goes behind, the edge of the paper. You will always
find it, thus measured, smaller than you supposed.
G 4
ON FIRST PRACTICE.
87
ner, take one of the drawings, and put it first a
yard away from you, then a yard and a half, then
two yards; observe how the thinner stalks and
leaves gradually disappear, leaving only a vague and
slight darkness where they were, and make another
study of the effect at each distance, taking care
to draw nothing more than you really see, for in
this consists all the difference between what would
be merely a miniature drawing of the leaves seen
near, and a full-size drawing of the same leaves
at a distance. By full size, I mean the size which
they would really appear of if their outline were
traced through a pane of glass held at the same dis-
tance from the eye at which you mean to hold your
drawing. You can always ascertain this full size
of any object by holding your paper upright before
you, at the distance from your eye at which you wish
your drawing to be seen. Bring its edge across the
object you have to draw, and mark upon this edge
the points where the outline of the object crosses, or
goes behind, the edge of the paper. You will always
find it, thus measured, smaller than you supposed.
G 4