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

228

THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING. [letter hi.

they may be made pines of, or broken crags, or
villages, or stones, or whatever you choose; in clouds
they may indicate the direction of the rain, the
roll and outline of the cloud masses; and in water,
the minor waves. All noble effects of dark atmo-
sphere are got in good water-colour drawing by
these two expedients, interlacing the colours, or
retouching the lower one with fine darker drawing
in an upper. Sponging and washing for dark atmo-
spheric effect is barbarous, and mere tyro's work,
though it is often useful for passages of delicate
atmospheric light.

(c.) When you have time, practise the production
of mixed tints by interlaced touches of the pure
colours out of which they are formed, and use the
process at the parts of your sketches where you wish
to get rich and luscious effects. Study the works of
William Hunt, of the Old Water-colour Society, in
this respect, continually, and make frequent me-
moranda of the variegations in flowers; not paint-
ing the flower completely, but laying the ground
colour of one petal, and painting the spots on it