DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18975#0224
184
THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING
to the head, that it may accomplish its part in the outer
form of the whole tree, yet always securing the compliance
with the great universal law that the branches nearest the
root bend most back; and, of course, throwing .SW7M always
back as well as forwards; the appearance of reversed action
being much increased, and rendered more striking and
beautiful, by perspective. Fig. 25 shows the perspective
of such a bough as it is seen from
below; Fig. 46 gives rudely the look
it would have from above.
212. You may suppose, if you
have not already discovered, what
subtleties of perspective and light and
shade are involved in the drawing of these branch-hakes, as
you see them in different directions and actions ; now raised,
now depressed : touched on the edges by the wind, or lifted
up and bent back so as to show all the white under sur-
faces of the leaves shivering in light, as the bottom of a
boat rises white with spray at the surge-crest; or drooping
in quietness towards the dew of the grass beneath them in
windless mornings, or bowed down under oppressive grace
of deep-charged snow. Snow time, by the way, is one of
the best for practice in the placing of tree masses; but you
will only be able to understand them thoroughly by begin-
ning with a single bough and a few leaves placed tolerably
even, as in Fig. 88, p. 179. First one with three leaves,
a central and two lateral ones, as at <2/ then with five, as
at 5, and so on; directing your whole attention to the ex-
pression, both by contour and light and shade, of the boat-
like arrangements, which, in your earlier studies, will have
been a good deal confused, partly owing to your inexperi-
ence, and partly to the depth of shade, or absolute blackness
of mass required in those studies.
213. One thing more remains to be noted, and I will
let you out of the wood. You see that in every gene-
rally representative figure I have surrounded the radiating
branches with a dotted line: such lines do indeed terminate
THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING
to the head, that it may accomplish its part in the outer
form of the whole tree, yet always securing the compliance
with the great universal law that the branches nearest the
root bend most back; and, of course, throwing .SW7M always
back as well as forwards; the appearance of reversed action
being much increased, and rendered more striking and
beautiful, by perspective. Fig. 25 shows the perspective
of such a bough as it is seen from
below; Fig. 46 gives rudely the look
it would have from above.
212. You may suppose, if you
have not already discovered, what
subtleties of perspective and light and
shade are involved in the drawing of these branch-hakes, as
you see them in different directions and actions ; now raised,
now depressed : touched on the edges by the wind, or lifted
up and bent back so as to show all the white under sur-
faces of the leaves shivering in light, as the bottom of a
boat rises white with spray at the surge-crest; or drooping
in quietness towards the dew of the grass beneath them in
windless mornings, or bowed down under oppressive grace
of deep-charged snow. Snow time, by the way, is one of
the best for practice in the placing of tree masses; but you
will only be able to understand them thoroughly by begin-
ning with a single bough and a few leaves placed tolerably
even, as in Fig. 88, p. 179. First one with three leaves,
a central and two lateral ones, as at <2/ then with five, as
at 5, and so on; directing your whole attention to the ex-
pression, both by contour and light and shade, of the boat-
like arrangements, which, in your earlier studies, will have
been a good deal confused, partly owing to your inexperi-
ence, and partly to the depth of shade, or absolute blackness
of mass required in those studies.
213. One thing more remains to be noted, and I will
let you out of the wood. You see that in every gene-
rally representative figure I have surrounded the radiating
branches with a dotted line: such lines do indeed terminate