Studio: international art (10.1897)

Pencil Drawing at Bus key

strength that may be desired, and so the professor
advocates it as better suited than anything else to
give the student real opportunities of arriving at
definite and effective results. By adopting a me-
dium which is capable of nearly universal appli-
cation the young artist is saved from the risk of
falling into those tricks of expression which are apt
to influence prejudicially any one whose experience
is not great enough to keep him from depending
for his effects upon mere mechanism.

It would hardly be possible to find better justi-
fication for the belief which Professor Herkomer
has in the lead pencil than is afforded by the work

which his students are producing with this every-
day implement. They are able to treat with its
help refinements of delicate gradation as success-
fully as strong contrasts of deep and light tones, to
handle dainty modellings as easily as rugged form.
In the studies of girls' heads by Mr. E. Borough
Johnson, for instance, the gentle modulation of the
half tones is managed with quite as much certainty
and definite meaning as are the violently contrasted
lights and darks in the wrinkled and weather-beaten
face of the old man whom Mr. Syddall has drawn
with a startling sense of character. In the draw-
ings of the nude figure by Mr. A. U. Soord,

and Mr. Borough John-
son (here reproduced)
another quality of the
lead is seen : its capacity
to represent the texture
of flesh and the manner
in which light falls upon
the glistening surface of
the skin. These three
studies have, too, a
further interest. Point
drawings though they
are, they have the
breadth and largeness
of massing of brush
work. They combine
in a very instructive
manner the accurate
placing of the model-
lings and defining lines,
which the point is so
well adapted to secure,
with the freedom of
statement and the
ready expression of
each tone area, which
are the particular at-
tributes of well applied
washes. Of students
who can go as far
as they have in these
drawings the Professor
can well say that they
" can fairly claim to
have evolved an original
aspect of pencil work;"
and he is equally justi-
fied in arguing that " in
their hands this simple
material has been capa-
by j. syddall ble of representing both

STUDY IN* LEAD PENCIL