Ruskin, John; Cook, Edward T. [Editor]: The works of John Ruskin: The elements of drawing. The elements of perspective. And the laws of Fésole (London, 1904)

1. ON FIRST PRACTICE

41

arrangement in this kind of sketch is unintelligible with-
out the outline. It may perfectly well happen that in
Nature it should be less distinct than your outline will
make it; but it is better in this kind of sketch to mark
the facts clearly. The temptation is always to be slovenly
and careless, and the outline is like a bridle/ and forces
our indolence into attention and precision. The outline
should be about the thick-
ness of that in Fig. 4,
which represents the rami-
Rcation of a small stone
pine, only I have not en-
deavoured to represent the
pencil shading within the
outline, as I could not
easily express it in a wood-
cut ; and you have nothing
to do at present with the
indication of foliage above,
of which in another place.
You may also draw your
trees as much larger than
this figure as you like;
only, however large they
may be, keep the outline as delicate, and draw the branches
far enough into their outer sprays to give quite as slender
ramification as you have in this figure, otherwise you do
not get good enough practice out of them.
22. You cannot do too many studies of this kind: every
one will give you some new notion about trees. But when
you are tired of tree boughs, take any forms whatever
which are drawn in Rat colour, one upon another; as
patterns on any kind of cloth, or Rat china (tiles, for in-
stance), executed in two colours only; and practise drawing
i [So Leonardo (§ 113) : " Perspective is to painting what the bridle is to a
horse."]