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PENCIL PICTURES
PENCIL PICTURES
A
Guide
to
Their Pleasing Arrangement
BY
THEODORE KAUTZKY
PUBLISHED BY
REINHOLD PUBLISHING CORPORATION
NEW YORK
ARCHI.
TECTURE
BOOK ROOM
Copyright 1947
REINHOLD PUBLISHING CORPORATION
New
York, U.S.A.
All rights reserved
Printed and Bannd
in the
United States of Atnerica
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
I
PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS
Plate:
The Landscape— Balance
vs.
2
.
Symmetry
PICTURE SYNTHESIS
Plate: Balance— Angular and
4
Curved Forms
VALUE ARRANGEMENT
6
Plate: Foreground, Middleground, Background
PLANNING
Plates:
A
PICTURE
The Beach— Center
8
of Interest
Beach Scene
SEACOAST REFLECTIONS
Plates:
.
.
.
14
Along the Coast— Perspective
Rocky
Inlet
THEFISHINGPORT
Plates: Boats and
In the
20
Water
Harbor
THE USE OF CONTRAST
26
Plates: Line Opposition— Gulls
Fish Pier
COMPELLING THE EYE
Plates:
More Waterfront
32
Topics
Gulls and Shadows
THE VILLAGE SCENE
38
Plates: Tree-Lined Street
Cottages in Sunshine
THE CHANGING SUN
Plates: Light Direction— Shadows
New England
Vista
44
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE WINTER
Plates:
Snowy
A
L A
x\
DSC APE
.
50
Contrasts
Country Church
THEFARMGROUP
Plates: Balancing
The
IN
(Continued)
56
Forms— Details
Sheltering Tree
ROLLING COUNTRY
.
62
Plates: Curving Patterns
Roadside Farm
THEHILLFARM
Plates: Nature's
68
Moods
Vermont Farmhouse
INTHE FOREST
Plates:
Woodland
The
Silhouettes
Birch Grove
MOUNTAIN SCENERY
Plates:
74
80
Rugged Forms
Castellated Crag
THELOFTY PEAKS
Plates: Alpine Heights
High
Sierra
86
INTRODUCTION
Like every other
many
very
artist,
have been asked by
I
lay persons, draftsmen, students, and
them how to go about making
attractive pictures. Most of my questioners already know something about drawing and some
amateurs to
tell
of
them have developed
at
wielding the pencil or brush. Yet they are
excellent technical skill
they
down before a blank sheet
make a picture that really
of paper
sit
try to
inherent sense of what
is
right.
all
when
troubled by the difficulty they encounter
and
satisfies their
Perhaps they have
lect
and arrange the things found in nature
that will
There
make them appeal
rhythm,
ance,
pictures.
Upon how intelligently they are
depends the excellence of the
Naturally, with the pencil
fess
inferior to water colors
this process
does not give them what
to
do about
them
like to set
productive
would
like to help. I
from the
free
give
so that they will
if
they want to
quality of
limitations of re-
and
line
know what
and
book
do with
The
make
pictures that have the
a
I
devoted
an exposition of a particular tech-
complete range of textures and values
attainable through the use of broad strokes,
with a
this
a
wedge-shaped
flat,
point.
I
made
demonstrated
of finished sketches in which the tex-
tures of the
common
trees
were
materials of building and
number
the rendition of a
of different types of
I
am assuming
that the reader has already attained
ficiency in the use
that he
may now
more important
namely, the
some pro-
and control of the pencil
so
concentrate his attention on a
part of an artist's stock in trade;
ability to
combine and put together
the elements of subject matter in such a
make pleasing
way
as to
pictures of whatever he chooses
draw.
The
thing
would like
it is
is
to the average person that this
addressed.
is
illustrations of this
book are of two kinds.
that will be described hereafter.
to teach
here
is
how to
se-
Each Lesson
how
Plate analyzes a picture and shows
been put together, both
as to the
it
has
arrangement of
the pattern in line and the balancing of the principal light
and dark values.
Each Lesson Plate
also gives several additional
small picture arrangements
made with
the same
or similar elements. In the whole collection there
is
a great variety of subject matter, ranging
the seaside and waterfront to the hill
and
wharves
trees; with houses, boats, barns,
as the
aim
to
and
elements out of which landscapes
are built up. In
my
from
and moun-
country of the interior; with rivers, roads,
rocks,
making the
show how there
everywhere and how the
illustrations
is
it
was
picture material
by selecting
them to suit his
artist can,
the essentials and rearranging
purpose, grasp and convey the real truth and
beauty
others
I
however,
There are seventeen of what may be called Lesson Plates and fourteen carefully studied Picture
tain
illustrated.
In presenting this second book,
to
is
technique with a series of lesson sheets and
number
belief,
Plates in which have been applied the principles
nique of drawing with the graphite pencil, where-
by
my
making of
learn to do as well with the pencil as he can with
the brush, and
light
to
book, "Pencil Broadsides,"
to
is
the
that the pencil, in the hands of a true artist,
the
good design.
In my first
my efforts
It
oils in
other means. Certainly, the average person can
the subject matter nature provides in such abun-
dance
art.
medium somehow
this
and
would
them command over
arrangement of pattern of
shadow
makes
worthy works of
are limited to black
hold their own against pictures made by any
I
art, to
believe
to
we
which many people pro-
capable of producing really fine results that can
it.
these people
It is
a limitation
applied
results.
know
they are really seeking, but they do not
what
artists.
all
These principles can be learned and applied by
anyone who is in earnest about wanting to make
leaving anything out or changing the position or
Somehow,
tastes.
contrast, etc., that are followed
they see before them, as a camera does, without
view includes.
normal
dther consciously or instinctively by
and white,
their
to all
are certain principles of proportion, bal-
been taught to reproduce correctly on paper what
form of any of the objects
so that
the resulting pictures will have those qualities
go
to
in the scene that lies
may enjoy
it.
before
him
so that
So, with this objective, let us
work together,
seriously, to
make
pictures.
1
PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS
In making any kind of a picture, obviously the
first
thing to be done
Most
is
much
for
undulating, but you are conscious of the
it
difficult.
You
however,
will,
difficulty in arriving at a pleas-
you give the matter
if
at first
size of the
it
a
will be decided
paper you
You
use.
are
likely to find available sketch pads in the proportion of 9 to
which
12,
more
or
less
thought. Perhaps
you by the
flat
that
antly proportioned one
little
be perfectly
and rectangles have
an infinite variety of possible shapes, which makes
not have too
may
to establish its dimensions.
pictures are rectangular
the problem sound
the distance. It
the page size of this
is
book. In any case, you will not go far
wrong
if
fact
recedes toward the horizon. Various things
contribute to this effect— color
tions,
or
and value grada-
diminishing sizes of familiar objects such
and the converging of actually parallel
as trees,
lines as they lead
away from you. The most pow-
erful of these factors in producing an
depth
in a picture
is
eflFect
the last mentioned.
A
of
tree-
lined road or the banks of a stream, whether they
be straight or winding, lead the eye into the distance as nothing else will do.
The
artist
makes
you accept this proportion at first. As you develop greater sensitivity to proportion, you can re-
will
fine the dimensions of your pictures to suit your
server's eye into the center of interest he has
taste.
The
do with
it,
nature of the subject has something to
of course,
and most landscapes
into a rectangle placed horizontally, with
Most landscapes
of this horizon
it
sides
the river or the road carry your eye into the distance.
important, particularly where
is
With few
exceptions,
it
circumstances be placed
as
the case.
the top
picture, as indicated in
satisfactory results
somewhat
picture, as in
sketches 2, 4, and 6.
the vertical axis
is
also to be
how awkward
it
is
to
place the center of interest in the middle and
placed.
same
with similar
The two
size
trees
elements symmetrically
and the two
and value only succeed
picture a deadly static quality which
and lacking
this
book and
The
may
be used in either the
clouds, too, are arranged in
receding planes over your head, and
look carefully at the sky you will see
this
if
you
how
will
often
receding "S" shaped arrangement occurs. In
sketch 2,
I
have used
it
to
make
the sky go back
into the distance as well as to help lead the eye to
avoided. Sketch 3 shows
it
use of this device, as
make more and more pictures of your own.
In general, the "S" shaped element is a more
subtle and satisfactory way of producing the illusion of depth in a picture. It avoids the monotony
of the straight line and
below or above the center of the
flank
make good
converging sides of
you proceed through
land or the sky.
are always achieved with the horizon
Symmetry about
can
6, the
midway between
The most
opposite.
1,
commonly
You
will be seen as
and
should never under such
and the bottom of your
sketch
is
Observe how,
fit
meets the sky. Theplacing
dominates the picture,
as the focus of his picture.
its
take in both earth and sky: in
distant land
planned
to do; lead the ob-
in sketches 4, 5,
other words, they have a horizon at eye-level,
where the
do what he wants them
well
proportion of about 3 to 4.
in the
use of this fact by placing such things where they
in interest. It
is
hills of the
the silhouetted house and tree.
I
have referred several times to the "center of
in-
Every picture should have a principal
where the most interesting element
terest."
point of focus
or combination of elements should be placed.
For
in
giving the
best results, as suggested above, this point should
is
unpleasing
occur somewhat to one side of the vertical axis and
balance, not
sym-
either above or
below the geometrical center of
metry, which you are seeking. If you will analyze
the enclosing rectangle.
the scenes which delight you most in nature, you
has been done in sketches 2, 4, 5, and 6, and also
in all of the pictures shown hereafter in this book.
will discover that
them
it is
always balance that gives
their admirable quality.
a special case of balance
and
is
Symmetry
but the most skilful and finished
As you look out
is
only
best let alone by all
away before your eyes
picture
to
will notice
how
this
look for this center of interest in every
you
see that attracts
you and observe how
the artist has used the devices I have mentioned
artists.
across the landscape in nature,
the earth stretches
Learn
You
into
here as well as some others to compel the observer's
eye to go where he wanted
it
to go.
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Si-'
THE LANDSCAPE-BALANCE
VS.
SYMMETRY
PICTURE SYNTHESIS
Balance has been emphasized as one of the prin-
any
cipal desiderata in
picture. It
must be present
some extent the
mind
learn, the subject matter, as such,
is
elements or contains
It
may
One
be attained
it
always
in
as
you proceed.
of the useful things to Icnow
that a small
is
By
is
you can control to
upon the observer. This
selection of the subject
effect
psychological
a
important
matter.
making
in picture
Actually, you
as-
the arrangement
of the elements into a
be used to balance a large area of dark or light
wish to
that would otherwise overweight the picture
looks well because of the arrangement of
its
own
direction.
For example,
in sketch
1
op-
,
call
and dark
A
so.
it
areas, of
will
not nearly so
is
spot of dark against light or light against dark can
in
mood.
the type and, in turn, something of the
made up of a few simple
many and complex forms.
in various ways— but only by
whether the picture
keeping
types. Obviously, the subject matter determines
pattern— a design,
if
you
really well designed picture
its
forms and
its
light
lines, into a
its
properly placed against
well balanced and interesting ensemble. Thus,
the large area of sky, has kept the heavy weight
the abstraction, so-called, which containslio rec-
posite, the small gull,
from creating an unshown diagrammatically
of the dark rocks at the left
balanced
effect.
in sketch 2.
This
is
In sketch 3, the comparatively small
mass of the telephone poles serves to counterbalance the large dark mass of the house and
shadow. Often, when you look
may have
a feeling that
direction or another. If
it
at a picture,
overheavy
is
in
its
you
one
you look carefully, you
can usually find a place where the introduction
of
some small
intense spot of dark or light can
restore the balance.
The beginner must
ognizable objects,
art.
may
be a satisfying work of
But we are not concerned with abstractions
here; only naturalistic pictures, which are intel-
average person the world over.
ligible to the
Returning now, for the moment,
your attention
is
called to the
way
to sketch
in
lines of the design pattern cause the eye to
the center of interest— the
little
3,
which the
go
to
house, near but
not at the middle of the picture. Although the
house
at
scale, all
the left
nearer the eye and
is
seem
lines
its
Even
to
at
larger
converge upon the
he put the most interesting element at his center
shadow leads the
eye where it is wanted. There are some strong
horizontals, however, which would carry the eye
away to the right if they were not interrupted
of interest, but he must
by the vertical telephone poles, introduced for
his pictures,
consider carefully, as he plans
what elements he
and where they are
is
going to include
to be placed.
fill
Not only must
the rest of the picture
with other supporting elements, each of which
must be balanced by something
else.
the result will depend on
are
else,
somewhere
Decision after decision must be made, and
how
intelligently they
made. After a good degree of proficiency has
smaller building.
The
that reason.
the
small pole at the
left
not only
helps to assure us of the reality of the telephone
line but
is
carefully placed to help frame the
center of interest, to continue the line of the fore-
ground
roof,
and
to break
up the sky
area.
been attained, he will have learned to decide
In sketch 5, though the forms are rounded, the
automatically or instinctively what to include
underlying principles are the same.
The
and where— and what
barn
is
to leave out.
Some pictures, when analyzed, turn
made up mostly of straight lines and
is
the center of interest, the eye
out to be
by the
rectilinear
and held there by the strong contrast
forms. Others are built out of curves and rounded
lines of the fence
little
led to
it
and the curving road
in
value of
the white silhouette against the dark hill.
The
of
telephone poles not only keep the eye from es-
the latter type as contrasted with the preceding
caping to the left but their crossbeams serve as
ones on this page. There
a balancing accent for the
forms. Sketch 5, and
tended that one
is
its
analysis, 6,
is
show one
no implication
better than
another— just
matter of pointing out the difference.
noting, however, that there
ence in the
is
mood produced by
in-
It is
heavy dark of the
hill.
a
It is
fun to analyze thus a picture already drawn.
worth
It is
more fun
to plan other pictures so that they
something but be
a certain differ-
will not only depict
each of the two
and have good design.
in
balance
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BALANCE-ANGULAR AND CURVED FORMS
VALUE ARRANGEMENT
Most landscape pictures consist— to use the terms
often heard among artists—of a foreground, a
middleground, and a background. While the
by these
relative areas occupied
ginner cannot go far wrong
about equal. There
ever, and
good
is
varies, the be-
he makes them
if
no rule about
this,
found
pictures will be
howwhich
in
the proportions of these three areas are in practically
Most
pictures also contain three principal values,
or grades of darkness and light. Particularly
your eyes
close
in
looking
blue tone, or possibly a mass of clouds.
Its
In sketch 5, the sun
the foreground
at
if
them, you
may be low
in the
shadow of a
in the
is
sky so that
behind
hill
the observer while the sunshine lights up the
beyond the house. Here, we may im-
hillside
agine that the sky
and we make
is
so.
it
actually gray with cloud
The
the possibilities
last of
appears in sketch 6, with a stormy sky beyond
the hill which
every possible relationship.
you half
of
is
in full sunshine,
while a cloud
shadow grays down the foreground.
You have undoubtedly
tions in nature
seen
from time
of these condi-
all
to time, but
have prob-
can see the light areas, the dark areas, and the
ably not stopped to analyze the six possibilities
medium
or gray areas. All variations from these
in this
seem
merge
to
one or the other. For pur-
into
poses of analysis, therefore,
we may assume
that
In the sketches across the page,
I
distance.
them
have shown the
combinations of these values as ar-
bitrarily assigned to foreground,
and
This
not the
is
middleground,
way you
will find
divided in all pictures, of course, but the
device produces a set of six possible ways to
make
simple and often pleasing designs. In nature you
will find
them
times of the year
all at different
or day, given the right lighting conditions.
one can say that one
is
in
mind
in
planning your pictures and
No
better than another for
if
you do you will find that you will have greater
control over the effects
the three are all there are.
six possible
them
way. Hereafter, you will probably keep
you wish
to produce.
Please do not assume, from what
I
have
said,
ways values are divided
As suggested above, there are many
that these are the only
in pictures.
other ways in which the three main values can
may
be interestingly distributed in patterns that
may
be beautifully complex. Darks
foreground and background; lights
ground and distance; grays
and
so on.
You
be in both
in
middle-
in all three divisions
will learn to arrange
them with
greater variety as you proceed.
the picture you intend to make, but, just as with
In most of the Picture Plates to follow,
the type of forms depicted, your choice will in-
indicated at small scale the division of the three
mood
I
have
in
them to
some
cases I have shown the same subject as it would
be with values changed about. It is good training for you to experiment with little sektches like
the morning or late in the afternoon with the
these so that you can gain understanding and
fluence the
In sketch
1,
principal values as I have conceived
produced.
opposite, a cloud
shadow may have
fallen over the foreground, yet the sky
and the
it
hill is re-ceiving
a gray tone. In sketch 2,
hillside
is
enough
to give
perhaps early
it is
completely in shadow.
bright and there
bright
is
enough sunshine
The
what you undertake
control over
times you will find that you can
The
conditions in
mak-
appear gray against the dark
it,
pictures. In
make
sky which might indicate an approaching thunderstorm. Next to
my
again
lighting up the foreground brilliantly and
hill
the best design for
is
sky
sketch 3 suggest the sun behind the observer,
wooded
me
reflected light to
the foreground count as gray.
ing the
give
in sketch 4,
we
again have a
to
draw.
make
a
Many
more
by reversing the value relafrom what you actually see before you.
satisfactory picture
tionships
But
it
must be done with
full consciousness that
the reversed values are possible in nature
different conditions.
what you draw or
it
under
There must be truth
in
will fail to satisfy the eye.
brightly lighted foreground, this time silhouet-
So never miss a chance to study and analyze
ted strongly against the hill over which there
nature as you go about your travels through the
is
a cloud shadow.
The
sky
is
rendered gray
which may be the black-and-white interpretation
country and even along the path you follow
daily on your
way
to
and from work or play.
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FOREGROUND, M
I
D D LEGRO U N D
,
BACKGROUND
PLANNING A PICTURE
Now we
come
the planning and carrying
to
through of a finished pencil picture. Let us
sume
that
attracted
we
by the picturesque quality of a
assume that the sun
is
coming from that
many
which we
shadow which
inforced by a gray
things on and near the beach out of
to lead to the center of interest.
can easily build up an interesting design. There
and boats and
wood, and pools of water
left
tide,
also will help
The
rocks ex-
tending horizontally will also have some good
dark surfaces where they are
bits of drift-
by the
we
direction.
This assumption gives us a good dark area, re-
light-
house we see along the shore. There are
are likely to be rocks
fullest
use of the receding line of rocks at the right,
as-
and that we are
are at the beach
make
of the principal values. In order to
and
shadow.
in
Even
To
in-
movement
crease the strength of this horizontal
choose from which to
we assume a good dark value for the sea beyond.
The shadow sides of the boats, balanced by some
sketch the lighthouse does not include all of the
dark foliage introduced to silhouette the light-
we want to use in the finished picture, we
observe and remember their characteristics.
After we have laid out our bounding rectangle,
we select a high horizon level so that we can
house and accentuate
various seaside cottages or small buildings.
if
we
the point of view
things
include
more of the beach than
of the sky.
our principal dark values. Grays are next to be
indicated
a
itself,
little to
Now
dle of the rectangle.
shadow
the
them
solidity.
We also
make
remem-
sides of the buildings gray,
bering that they contain reflected light from the
the right of the mid-
we begin
and with them we model the forms
of the rocks to give
We
then place the principal object of interest, the
lighthouse
importance, complete
its
beach. This gives us our value diagram at 2.
We
to introduce
can
now proceed
to lay out the final sketch
and elements that will lead the eye toward
the lighthouse. Some rocks receding away from
us along the landward side of the beach, some
given us our plan of action.
more rocks jutting out
angles to the
within the range of each principal value, allow-
shore near the lighthouse, a pool of water near
ing for the play of reflected light from the beach
at full size,
lines
the high tide mark, a
at right
row of old
to contribute to
aground
piles thrust into
.
eye control,
— these
Most
boats, the
notice,
this
also define the details of the
stakes,
of grass and driftwood
needed. In doing this
entire design.
however, that the
it.
To
and put
where we
we
in a
feel
few
they are
may make
in
Nothing should be added
does not have a function in the picture.
give
stop
At
him only the
3, 4,
and
S, I
essentials that
our
that
The im-
agination of the observer will-fill in the gaps.
outward movement, we put a big mass of
bits
are always conscious
of the contribution each item
is
horizon and the horizontal line of rocks tend to
lead out of the picture as well as into
We
mooring
1
of the lines thus introduced converge on
We
this
at
the shadows and for the slight grays in the
are used to
the object of our principal attention, which
what we want.
in
light areas.
at strategic points
build our linear diagram as in sketch
Working
larger scale allows us to modulate the surfaces
the sands to provide mooring posts, with a couple
of boats conveniently
following the diagrams which have
convey our
We
idea.
have suggested some other beach
rock at the left to terminate the ledge, and to
scenes, following the
make
up the design by means of line and value arrange-
things sure
we
turn one of the
into a sailboat, with a vertical
the horizon.
Now we
little craft
the left of the picture, so
we
playing
at
and we are within our rights
around
to contribute
in
what they can
the water's edge; at
ground rock and
and plausible
moving them
to
at
is some bathers
4 an old pictur-
esque hulk half buried in the sands;
introduce a small
house on the right for the lighthouse keeper to
live in. All these things are natural
principles of building
ment. At 3 the center of interest
mast cutting across
have perhaps too much
same
its
at 5 a fore-
reflection in a puddle. In all
three the line arrangement leads the eye and
holds
our design.
it
from escaping;
in all three the
arranged to give the greatest contrast
Our diagram now looks like the sketch at 1.
The next step is to decide upon the arrangement
values are
at
the vital
point as well as to balance each other and keep
the center of gravity where
8
it is
wanted.
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SEACOAST REFLECTIONS
Now we
same
will try another scene along the shore,
with a fishing boat as the principal item of interest.
We
sail
already lowered as the
moored
see the boat,
depends on the
waters.
the shore and looking
down on
center of interest a
in
rocky
bit
the scene, so
little to
the right of center
These two strong
and
well to prac-
gain versatility.
in.
we
see drawings which
fail
to
convince, just because the reflections are awkard-
drawn or
ly
outward
3
and
incorrectly interpreted. In sketches
4, opposite, I
have sketched
a couple of
scenes in which the reflections play an important
would, however, carry the eye
to the left
in relation to
It is
both the interest and the realism of your pictures.
Often, however,
promontory
lines leading
at several sizes to
in
Properly drawn, reflections can add greatly to
beyond so that they will enframe the focussing
point.
your picture
the water, the question of reflections enters
to sketch in the
of shore with the low-lying
drawing
less
In drawing boats and other objects on or beside
we
decide to place the
our rectangular frame and
tice
land away from
We
choose a high horizon.
size of
much
you must put
of detail
the size of your pencil strokes.
about tidy-
ing things up after their day's work on deep
We are standing on high
The amount
detail.
midstream, one
in
men move
picture can be accomplished with
away, so we decide to have a strong counter
part.
movement toward
made to seem very real, almost wet, in fact.
Now, everyone knows something about the laws
this
the boat in the form of a
from the
pier, jutting out
rocks.
To
we emphasize
counter movement,
little
strengthen
the
of optics
little
point of rocks hooking around the cove beyond
A
the pier.
low lying
seen
island, off shore, also helps
As
plan
in line
now
looks like sketch
we
to yahie^distnbution,
is
a firm base, a light
it,
and
a
gray
form the upper enclosure. We
some strong lights in the foregroundjtg_break_
^-ttp'tts'solidity, and imagine the sun coming from
behind us and shining upon the rocks to give us
distance to
there
we
Refer
play to our fancy in putting
A
little
reflections in the
The
some small
to go.
phasize or subdue
its
at
you
it.
lengthening out the reflections, extend-
tilt
one way or another.
in
the matter of perspective.
As you
it
at
varying angles, depending on
how
far out
from shore or near
many more
little
wavelets in a given ver-
distance far away than
will
have
to
put
to
will
it
will close by,
down more
little
zigs
and
and
zags for the more distant reflections than you do
5, I
a smaller size than
to
and currents, or by the pas-
them towards the observer, and breaking up
take in
should be used to em-
is
it.
where you are standing. Thus your glance
tical
This
effect of tides
you are looking
importance.
final plate that follows.
or adjacent to
away you are looking. A given angle of vision
radiating from your eye will include more or
less of the water's surface according as to whether
of contrast
At the bottom of the facing page, sketch
drawn the same scene
it
far
skill in delineation.
The degree
in each part of the picture
image of
Seldom, how-
the surface of water in nature unbroken
down on
craft
every form should be calculated to lead the eye
it
it
look across the water you are of course looking
direction of every stroke, the position of
where you want
When
exactly like
upon
is
Here comes
in details as before.
water will give you ample
opportunity to exercise your
is
ever,
waves
at final size,
grassy growth over the rocks above the tide mark,
and
it
objects
ing
the stream, patches of
in
flat
and unrufiled
straight lines into zig-zags as the surfaces of the
work
boat house on the pier,
moored alongside and
absolutely
effect of
scheme but giving greater
sticking to the general
surface of the
This roughening of the water surface has the
to sketch 2.
can proceed to
The
sage of boats or birds or other things through
for
From
familiar with reflections as
mirror, at least.
acts just as a horizontal mirror.
by the
allow
this opportunity.
all are
is
by ripples or small waves caused by the wind or
middleground to afford a sharp contrast for our
boat which will silhouette against
and
a mirror, reflecting a faithful inverted
1.
decide on a dark fore-
'ground to give our picture
their use, the surface of the water
a
in
water
to close off the temptation for the eye to escape.
Our
By
have
for those near at hand.
the
in
show how the
is
in
14
I
have done precisely that
these two little sketches
kept
in
and the water surface
proper receding perspective thei^eby.
S>S« tl^f!!^;*^.
..-•iSSr*-''-'-^'
ALONG THE CO AS T- P E R S P E CTI VE
svife
I
ST'
THE FISHING PORT
fascinating and picturesque
draw and the waterfront of any seaor lakeside town is full of interest for the
Boats are always
in
subjects to
some
side
do a sketch
upon
wharf and look out across the water
to
other piers where shipping of various types
is
a
Our
tied up.
attention
looking craft
like
did
make
you look sharply you can find them
decide
am
trouble. I
what
going to leave
it
to
did change and for what
I
You should know enough by this time to
for yourself. Of course some of the changes
consisted simply of putting in greater detail and
modulating values
the next wharf, where they
at
if
much
to figure out
reason.
caught by two business-
is
and
without
you
I
slight but important changes in boosting the
scale,
We are here undertaking
in a busy fishing harbor. We stand
aspiring picture maker.
to
the full size job. As a matter of fact,
to define the forms.
present a sparkling silhouette against the shim-
Many people have difficulty in drawing boats con-
mering waters farther
vincingly.
way
Across the
is
out,
and against the
sky.
They either produce awkward and unmake them fail to sit properly on
true shapes or
another dock, with a cluster of
myself, used to have this trouble
miscellaneous ships grouped alongside.
the water.
We decide to make the two fishing boats the prin-
until
I
subject— the nearer one the most important,
trick.
In sketch 3, here,
cipal
with the other giving
placing
them
it
support.
We
see that
we
slightly to the left of center
you would
by
will
it
means of leading the eye and we
also see that
as
see
it
in
it
and learned a
have indicated
I
looking right
a boat as
down on
would appear from the
it
little
top of
These
side.
views you practically never use. Usually a boat
be able to use the group of boats beyond as a
including the end of the pier upon which
and
I,
thought more about
will be
by
viewed from an angle and looking slightly
downwards.
we stand
I
have shown one
in this position too.
we will have a strong foreground element to hold
down the right side of the picture and prevent any
escape for the eye in that direction. The project-
the top edge of the hull, followed around, reduces
ing ends of the two piles which act as mooring
that the
posts
form
a
at
Our scheme
of principal lines
is
If
it
now
movement
ing the
it
set
a little lighter
This makes the diagram
Just for fun,
make
our
a
it
final
drawing.
I
at
By doing
this
at
them
time to
the study
we
in position or
to
it
same
have indicated with
to follow the direction
on the water should be
the boat itself j in other words,
might disturb the
To
lines in reflec-
drawing
essential horizon-
counteract this effect (see
we have only
across all the verticals
to follow nature
and
in-
and changing the emphasis
of line direction. Strips of this sort are visible on
in-
When we have finished with
made
that in the
troduce some narrow strips of light value, cutting
the surface of any harbor. Observe that
can perhaps see some slight changes
value that can be
all in
sketch 4)
can verify
and experiment with the
troduction of details.
made
reflection
tality of the scene.
our earlier judgment about the placing of the
different elements
I
Note
tions along a waterfront, the effect of
the bottom
we
.?
B should be greater than A.
Where there are too many vertical
about half the size of
have done one
of the page, sketch 5.
The
at least as tall as
as in sketch 2.
this
it
sketch of the boat
convincing.
third gray will be
might be interesting
preliminary study
the ends.
rounded form of the hull and will make your boat
make the nearest boat and
The other boat we will
and will balance it by making
used for the pier buildings and the more distant
ships.
way from
this figure eight, therefore,
simple matter to complete the boat, and
the sides. If they are
to
A
a little
and
highest points
of imaginary ribs they will help to express the
reflection the darkest.
make
a
draw
will first
figure eight,
at the
arrows the direction of the strokes used to model
up by the mooring posts
the pier end about equal.
is
little
back to the center of interest.
For values we decide
you
will look real. Easy, isn't
Note how the group of boats
in sketch 1.
bowed
stem and stern occur
on the side of the eight,
a little to avoid
the pier to the right stops the eye from follow-
and turns
its
them
tilt
well as to divide the picture more in-
terestingly.
shown
we
diagram, we discover that
little
itself to a flat, slightly
powerful barrier. Though they are
actually vertical,
stiffness as
Dissecting this
not
advantage
made them
parallel,
together and narrower as they recede.
20
I
and that they are
have
closer
<.^
»«
*
BOATS AND WATER
Pi
o
M
<
X
h
THE USE OF CONTRAST
Standing on the
one day
fish pier
town, we notice a striking scene.
a great
dark triangle of
sail
level.
Some white
It is
low
and
tide
One we
belonging to a fishing
of the
gulls flying around in the sun-
is
as they soar to and fro looking for scraps of
The
food.
place so that
wing
its
is
way we
the
The break
drawing
it
that way.
the sharp edge of the
in
We
sail
the right, and
a
where we can
neighboring pier to the
we break
see the fish house on
left
and some
in other places
and leave
Gulls occur so often as incidentals
and
sails
edge
its
so
small patches of light to increase the
little to
it
put
in
almost in the center of our picture but a
softens
when we
birds suggests a sketch.
be
sail
the juicy black strokes to render the whole
and suggests sparkling sunshine,
sail will
and we
see things in nature
the canvas and the graceful, brightly lighted
take up our position where the
the edge
tip crosses
Notice that where this occurs the wing
sail.
are telling no lies in
contrast between the bold dark area of
We consider care-
relative positions of our gulls.
light against the sail but dark against the sky.
That
light silhouette themselves sharply against the
sail
and
fully the size
projects up into our eye
moored alongside
boat
introducing appropriate detail.
in a little seaside
tures that
it is
worth while
a
few
effect.
in seaside pic-
time to
to take a little
rigging beyond our boat on the right. This will
watch them soaring and darting about and alight-
give us two balancing elements with plenty of
ing on the rocks or on boats or upon the water.
directional lines that can be accented to lead the
They
eye into the center of interest.
which we stand
The
pier
upon
suitable for a foreground,
is
are masters of flight
supreme grace and
its
positions they
A
be ready to insert
dory lying upon
in
it
a chance to
over
in front of
it,
we see
move
it
get added interest and so
our sail in a position that will, we
have our plan
the diagram, sketch
agonal of the
sail
1
,
all nicely
arranged
and rigging on the other
spars
to
it.
downward from
of focus.
The
the
sail at
would
plenty of other gulls around and
structure,
gulls and
we
we can arrange
its
them un-
the picture
balancing grays around
ground.
Now we
almost dictated for us:
the middle, with three
and a light sky and fore-
we
an
in
any
with contrast and
I
have so far
except to refer to
it
of several
kinds— of value, of
They
and
interest
artist
feel
26
is
line,
increase or de-
throughout your
tures, according as they are sharp or delicate.
as usual, in
from
we proceeded to analyze
importance. Contrasts in black-and-white
crease emphasis
choose. In working up the
drawing we use our ingenuity,
it
of size, of shape, of spirit.
can go to work on our half-size
or final, whichever
final
it
is
we were making. Yet you must have
work may be
is
you may
to deal
have noticed
in passing, as
Our
sail in
supposed
said nothing about
time to time
felt its
value arrangement
is
uses, but as
evenly and give them various soaring positions.
the intensely dark
fact
you can draw them, thereafter,
This chapter
We do not put in too
are careful to space
Note
double S-curve of the
position, sight unseen.
are
glance, step by step, in a wavering but inevitable
many
a little,
when drawing them from memory. If you will
remember their fundamental proportions and
them so that they, too, will guide the observer's
course to our chosen center.
wing
and
aid
where the prolonged
There
in relation
It is fair
wings when you see them head-on. This
gull against
intersect.
compact bodies.
also the bracket-shaped
the right into the point
precisely the point
spar and roof plane
tremendous wing-spread
their
the illusion of being longer than they are.
side are also useful
We decide to place a white
Note
rather than the opposite, since in flight they give
break up the verticality of the masts and lead
the eye
will
as the principal subject in sketch 4.
safe to exaggerate the length of
di-
well counteracted by the sloping
roof of the fish house in opposition to
you
in the air so that
used some
to the size of their
as in
with our strong upward
assume
indicated a few in sketch 3, opposite, and have
think, help our design.
Now we
can memorize
them in some of your drawings
without waiting for them to come and pose. I have
presumably hauled up for
over to one side, but
is
You
and j ot down some of the interesting characteristic
edges vanishing away from us towards our picture.
calking or repairs,
and move about with
precision.
pic-
The
always using contrasts to help make you
what he
felt as
he
set
down
his impressions.
LINE OPPOSITION-GULLS
COMPELLING THE EYE
At the
seeming
risk of
the seaside,
at
I
to
am going to
devote one more
son to a waterfront subject. In
some
incorporate
which will merge with the
prolong unduly our stay
of the things
it,
we
mooring posts
les-
enough
will try to
we have
ground
already
at the center as
We will take as our picture material a very famous
In rendering our final,
it is
known
far
Massachusetts— so
and wide among
black and white— but there
and
is
is
it
thus that
variety and interest of pattern
Even
if
solidity.
we
can
We par-
and
to
be precise
the piles along the pier were evenly
we would
make them so, for it would
monotonous. Rather, we try to space them
spaced,
be too
are working with
a rich
to
with their sharp and expressive silhouettes.
We will say nothing
so that they
not
have an irregular rhythm.
suppress one where
range of values
it
We
even
comes behind the gulls and
would break up their pattern.
I have made two little sketches opposite of some
piling along a stone pier and under a wooden one.
In both of these I have deliberately departed from
regularity in the spacing. For whatever reason, it
is lacking in interest to show evenly spaced objects
forms and patterns
a treasury of geometrical
we have opportunity
model our forms and give them
one picture of this subject and there are
some who have made many. Its attraction is that
it is picturesque from every point of view and that
the atmospheric and lighting effects are constantly
we
well as to express their form.
ticularly study our gull formations to achieve
at least
here about the color, for
hold attention
to help
our shadowed areas, for
or sketcher
varying with sun and season.
fore-
think well about the play of reflected light within
fa-
artists
Motif Number One. Practically every painter
who ever came to Rockport has done
as
strong
is
The
rocks, bathed in bright sunshine, will take
touched upon before.
that
which
will be gray also,
some good dark shadow
mous
house on top. The
for their outlying position.
learned and perhaps discuss a few points not
fishing pier in Rockport,
fish
here to reward the searcher after beauty.
We happen to choose today a view from down on
the rocks near the base of the pier. We are intrigued by the strong, dark, receding shadow side
of the pier as a background for the ever-present
make patterns against it with their
Our problem— if we have a problem— is to
gulls which
running across your picture, or any substantial
wings.
part of
prevent the powerful vanishing lines of this pier
you
from forcing the eye always out at the left side of
our picture. But we have countering influences.
know
First, the rocks
right.
Then
the fish house, topside, with
used
flection in the water, can be
picture pretty firmly. It
vertical piles
its
dominance over the
tendency
mooring
any escape.
is
parts
we
Now we
they will compel us
tant
choose to
with trees
its
Anyway,
is still
shown
in the little
it
off into
it is
woods,
more
can do the same thing
as will
be shown later.)
satisfying pictorially to shift
between the
light seen
down from
have made them
the sky, undu-
it
(You
made the
pose. Notice that I have
all
spaces of distant
piles all different. I could
the same, and
how deadly
it
value, as
would have been, even had it been true!
You must have learned by this time that the
will give
artist
the most brilliant silhouette for our birds, and to
shade
in a
can group our gulls so that
diagram, where
a pile-supported landing,
these and other details around to serve your pur-
as a final barrier to
make our deepest dark
you
you can advantageously use the more dispiles, which are in full shadow, to silhouette
the foreground piles.
latingly, to the spot of our intended climax.
We
artistic license:
as at 4,
can introduce a couple
on that side
the original geometric per-
Use your
When looking through
many
and destroy
eye. Finally, lest there
to the left,
piles
many
where the course of time has worn
have one, of course!
re-
weighty
aided by the
bound to draw exactly what
an instance for you
in such
perfectly well that you have often seen
fection of spacing.
along the pierside, which break the
long sloping edge into
of
as a
not
you
down and broken up
to the
element which anchors the middle of the
vertical
a
movement
You are
similar scenes
along the shore can be used to
build up a strong up-sloping
it.
see before
gray toward the end of the
continually uses
common
sense in arrang-
ing his lines, values, forms, and contrasts
he thinks before drawing.
pier,
32
You
— and
can do likewise!
MORE WATERFRONT TOPICS
o
Q
<
X
in
Q
<
CO
J
THE VILLAGE SCENE
Perhaps
it
now
will
from the water and see
what we
village, perhaps
where—the
New
and held by
we
streets until
we
our eye
else-
without interruption.
walk
it
caught
is
I
should
little
houses to the
shadows that
lie
want
it.
The
street
is
horizon
The two
picture,
in
we
This
1
.
low
fill
in
trees
principal dark over the roofs
we put
street.
A
in the
will complete an
have
a
away from it.
remember when using
it is
not of particularly great im-
use figures, use
them
for a pur-
people in a picture.
4, opposite,
I
have made two variations
first
one
is
the same in
in the
sky and
left
houses
out the sheltering trees and
fill
made
I
the
the rectangle. Here, the sloping lines
of the roof gables are important in setting up op-
in the
which the eye
is
coming toward the observer. In the second,
the
shadows on the
in
There
line.
been changed, with the sun higher
and
would otherwise tend to lead
the right. Perhaps it would have
position to the continuing line of the fence
hanging clusters of foliage
arrangement
of the light
content as our main subject, but the lighting has
sides of
somewhat broken up gray mass
background and
movement
having them walking towards
on the same theme. The
the houses, and extending in radiating strips on
the limbs of the trees and the
though
At 3 and
up
any void and keep
and shadow
figures are placed so that
pose and not just aimlessly or because you like
to see
the eye from wandering out in that direction.
Filling in the value diagram, at 2,
verticals of
portance in this case where the figures are small.
themselves to make our
the street can be used to
in
Wherever you do
Some more houses and
little
a useful point to
is
figures,
and our linear diagram appears promis-
ing as in sketch
into
the center of interest rather than
include the foliage.
enough
The two
advantage
slight
houses, the two trees, and their shadows
are almost
The
it
fagade of the house they are passing and so form
They
A
overhead.
a lacy pattern
lets us
to break
with the heavy
it
another interruption to the fence
can use their arching forms to enframe the view
and provide
ways by crossing
they continue the vertical
to
where we
dotted with old elms, and
presence
the tree trunks and house walls also help in this
of center, so that
across the roadway.
its
shadows and merging portions of
purpose.
will be effective in directing attention
I
to assert
have been careful
the horizontal bands of sunshine.
can take full advantage of the long horizontal
tree
in various
street
say.?
frame and decide
left
up
if it
eye away from the center
were allowed
of interest
charming cottages. Why
charm to others in the form
lay out our rectangular
put the
We
to lead the
little
a pair of
pass along the
of a sketch— a picture,
We
England, perhaps
principles are the same.
around the village
can't
some
and picket fence
line of the sidewalk
would tend
can do with
scenes on dry land. Let us go to
in
The long
be refreshing to get away
sidewalk, which
your eye out to
is
both properly directed and held in place.
been better
Going now
hand corner, representshadow or a rut in the street, to direct attention upward to the left where the picture interest lies. However, I left things as they are.
At 5, on the facing page, I have made a picture out
of a couple of larger houses and a majestic tree,
shading one of them. Here, the front door and
fagade of the nearer house form the focus of in-
to full size,
we render
the houses with
under the branches.
low sun
By
in late
this
yourself,
We
have assumed a
afternoon or early morning.
cally, that
it
have failed
is
to point
it
had inserted
a
few countering
ing a
time you have probably observed for
if I
I
strokes in the lower right
plenty of sparkle from the sunshine streaming
across
if
out specifi-
well to put the greatest amount
of clearly indicated detail and the sharpest con-
The
dark and light within the center of inAs we get outside this area, we can make
fuzzier detail and softer contrasts. This, again, is
the way we actually see things in nature, and to
draw them thus increases the likelihood that the
being too solid and overpowering by breaking
eye will respond to the suggestion and go where
give sparkle ; alsoJiow_the_shad.aw..atrQkesi»ll'OW-
strong dark of the adjacent house acts
trasts of
terest.
terest.
as a contrasting
it is
background which
is
kept from
it
up with foliage and reflected light. Notice how occasional breaks in the shadows on our main fagade
wanted.
in
38
general the direction of thj_sun^..i:ays.
l^'Vi 1/4/
TREE-LINED STREET
^^
K
CO
o
<:
h
h
o
o
THE CHANGING SUN
The
possibilities of the village street as a source
for picture material are almost limitless.
There
tail
always, or almost always, a vanishing vista with
forms with strokes that
a variety of houses in sight on both sides to give a
where there
Commonly, there
rich play of architectural forms.
are trees spaced along at
more or
of the day, the light
it
At different times
this lesson,
down
we have chosen
to
a straight street, standing a
extra
two small sketches,
In 3, the sun
make
in
a
ferently
geometric
the
ceives
us our darkest value.
reflected light,
little
The street sur-
and the mingled
value diagram
houses for the lightest value.
and
as
yond.
The
gray areas.
pattern
shadows lead toward our center of
is
in
where we want
is
also a
it.
and
made
The
roughly
elliptical,
interest
selves.
and
:
,
You
have
is
it
The arrangement
will perhaps recognize, in the
known
as
sort of
!
is
at
infinite
num-
ber of possible views in which this famous
little
is
another of the
structure furnishes the principal point of focus.
Though
to
.
we
it is
small in area in this view,
dominate the scene by
its
it is
made
contrasting value and
by the careful arrangement of the foreground
courage the eye to come to
skill in indicating
middle
Motif Number One Yes, the scene
Rockport, and this
Here we
our
5, I
interest
distance, the familiar silhouette of the fish house
The sloping line
plan of action complete,
all
to contribute to
with the foreground ele-
objects so that they encircle
upon
and
steeple of the village church, lightly
are ready to go ahead with our final drawing.
call
same
frame rather than holding the attention for them-
powerful arrow point-
rectilinear forms.
Our diagrams and
in the
ments strongly accented yet forming a
in-
ing in the right direction. Note, too, the contrasts
of curved
darks and grays are
has travelled across the water.
is
the arching tree limbs and vertical trunks
hold the eye
it
accent which eventually catches the eye after
in-
1 ,
of the nearest roof
and hold
analyze both of these picture
silhouetted in gray against the sky, counts as an
light
You will have noticed in the line diagram, sketch
how strongly the receding street lines and tree
how
are con-
across a little harbor with a fishing village be-
dramatic contrasts.
full of
fall dif-
different
At the bottom of page 45, in sketch
made a picture in which the center of
across
This leaves the sky and sunlit portions of the
tricate
to the right.
and value patterns
line
You should
how the
beyond the
and shadow on our cottage fronts can best be
dicated on our
swung over
the effect desired.
under side of nearer foliage which re-
some
has
principal lines are accented or suppressed
and the dark fronts of the houses
way give
it
arrangements so that you will observe how the
trunks and branches of the trees, the shadows
face, the
have made
3 and 4, on the facing page.
coming from the left but toward
trolled to lead the eye
area.
middle and low
the mass of foliage of the tree just
a
and the houses are lighted on
Yet the
sides.
they cast across the street and upon the buildings,
cottages,
this, I
In both instances, of course, the shadows
our rectangular frame.
The
is
the observer. In 4,
cottages are to be our center of in-
terest, a little to the right of the
demonstrate
few
upon two or three little cotdistance from where we stand. The
The
To
rearranged.
feet out
long tree shadows strike across their fronts but
pattern.
perspective.
satisfactory picture with the values completely
look directly
falls interestingly
the sides shine out brightly and
means of accentuating the
a little
As suggested above, the same scene can make
several dif-
from the sidewalk on the right hand side. The sun
is coming from our left and a little behind us and
tages a little
windows the sha-
beyond them and give us
against light
from the same point of view.
ferent pictures
For
make
sun strikes
dow forms are definitive and we make them so. A
few figures down the street stand out sharply
comes from different direc-
quite possible to
is
Where the
the eaves or the dormers or the
tions and constantly changes the aspect of things
so that
a silhouette of light against dark or
is
dark against light we are careful to make our
tervals, creating interesting shadows and letting
the sunlight strike through their branches and
foliage in a brilliant display.
We
model the
suggest the contours and
edges clean and expressive.
regular in-
less
trunks and
in the architecture, in the tree
limbs, in the grass and flowers.
is
de-
44
it
rest
and subtly en-
upon
it.
"^!W^-~™««»,
'
3
LIGHT DIRECTION-SHADOWS
<
h
en
Q
iz;
<
O
iz;
THE WINTER LANDSCAPE
The
makes great changes
arri\al of winter
even brighter and are so shaped
in
black and white.
therefore furnishes admirable
It
subjects for pencil pictures.
very white, while in shadow
it
sunshine
in
The
offers every grada-
become even darker
shadows they
tours of the
ground with subtlety and
around
in
our
car, if
we come from
On
until
one such day
I
we
find
rather than
can drive
trees,
distant
a
have made
I
A
of simple elements.
few
where
of contrast
nature gives them continuity.
its
In sketch 3, opposite,
we
light
The degree
they pass against dark.
what we want.
came upon
focal center.
become
against light yet proceed to
can don heavy boots and tramp along freshly
plowed highways
mould
We remember how things sometimes appear dark
We
the city, or
each stroke will contribute to our
and movement toward the
direction
exactitude.
We
a picture out
small, weathered barn, a
and
hill,
snow-covered
a
barnyard make an effective grouping, granted
a gracefully
thought
little
to
make them
barn door, a
have made
deep shadow, intensified by the snow on the
the subject of our next plate.
I
The
chose a point of view where the church would
be a
little to
sun
fell
the right of center.
The low
winter
the left of center, takes a
little to
vertical trees, stark against the hill
gray sky, lead
down
a
The
build a design.
steepled white church beside a crossroads and
it
the
while other strokes, crossing them, give
trees;
Let us go out to the country on a winter's day
should not have too far to look.
all
the forms of the rocks, the snowbanks, and the
in
and the
and see what we can find for picture material.
how
while of
on the snow model the con-
cast
develop our detail thought-
design. In shadows the strokes can help to
winter. Buildings, too, share in the general play
of reflected light across the landscape,
We
and sometimes playfully, thinking
fully
trees stand out sharply, both
the
principles that have been pointed out in
other lessons.
those which have shed their leaves and the evergreens, which seem to
we follow
In rendering our final drawing,
same
is
which reflected light plays an
tion of gray, in
important part.
Snow
as to help carry
the eye to the center from every direction.
the landscape and intensifies the contrasts of
roof.
and the
in strong contrast with the
putting one side of the
horizontal ground level. Notice that the trees are
building in deep shadow and almost obscuring
spaced rhythmically and not equally, so that they
from the
left,
the minister's cottage alongside.
A
following the curves of the road threw
shadow
across the
the roadway.
long
its
heaped-up snow and well
Some naked
beside the fence could be
trees in the field
made
to
do not become monotonous. Some
stone fence
shadows across them give some diagonal
tree
into
relief to the
and
the
enframe the
same
their positions a little to contribute to our design.
diagonal
Beyond
1,
sort
the S-curve rather than
upon the vertical-horizontal
sketch 4.
developed
many
with the lines of the road leading
in
from
holding the attention on the facade.
formed
at
a
powerful accent
the focussing spot,
.'^.s
The
Below,
hind the church
against
is
snowy
steeple
for values,
in
sketch 5,
1
you
have made another
silo
elliptical
standing on
hill
and the
a
profile of the
foreground road from which we view
dark be-
you
fields that will give
knoll, encircled by the dark, distant back-
ground of forested
it.
This
is
the gray foreground, light middleground, dark
used to furnish the background
backgi'ound theme described
which the building shines out almost
spectacularly.
woods and
picturesque subject.
arrangement, with a barn and
to pin the eye
will see in sketch 2 that the horizontal
a
contrast, appears in
Almost any farmhouse has outbuildings
in settings of
as in sketch
eye.
of material but with accent on the
movement and
to
into strong relief.
well as performing
farm group, made up of much the
of
several directions and the verticals of the trees
down
little
some dark forms
the church were
line pattern analysis
itself
as
and other houses which could be used
throw the church
The
foreground
well-known function of leading the
Another
church and we had no scruples about shifting
trees
with light
ruts,
page
The gray foreground shadows and
make the snow
6.
in
our analysis on
You have no doubt been watching
all
the
pictures thus far discussed to decide which classi-
the lighter ones across the field
fication
50
they belonged
to.
It is
well to do
this.
lb
Jtki.A.. L.
SNOWY CONTRASTS
o
D
O
>^
Pi
o
o
i
||:M
THE FARM GROUP
Farmhouses and
their
picturesque.
The
barns,
in
leaves our foreground in bright sunshine, bal-
somehow always
ancing the bright sky and increasing the tendency
buildings
accessory
every part of the country are
new and
old, the chicken
come
for the eye to
to rest
midway between them,
houses, the sheds for various purposes, the silos,
on the gable end of the house.
the windmills, and all the multifarious buildings
Partly to break up the sky area
farm
that
seems
life
to
demand
arranged so that they hold together and
story of the kind of life lived in
on that
tell a
and around
our big
etc.— with which the artist can construct an un-
number
limited
when he
of patterns
ring in the old trick of putting
is
is
just
your picture,
in the principal area of
be sure not to put
puts their
foil for
whenever there
tree. Incidentally,
one big tree
shapes— prisms, cylinders, cones,
we
side,
slender tree, which serves also as a
in a
them. Not only that, but they make a design of
solid geometric
the right and
at
partly to stop any tendency for the eye to escape
usually
are
right in the middle. This
it
true advice in general but
is
especially perti-
three dimensions on two-dimensional paper.
nent in the case of such a prominent downward-
Let us take one such farmhouse as our subject for
thrusting form as indicated in the diagram.
the next exercise in picture making. It happens
to
be in
New
England and
is
There
of the old gambrel
salt-box variety with a big central chimney.
nothing much new to be said about ren-
is
dering the
Some
Your arrangement
final.
you have but
to
is
all set
and
apply the principles you have
a stately, spreading tree rising high over the roof
By now, this should be a habit.
Again, I have made two little sketches of the
same scene with different lighting. One has the
and giving welcome shade from the summer sun.
sun coming from the right and our tree and
This tree and the shadow of
gable are
made dark
the other,
it is
owner has thoughtfully
sycamore which has now grown into
already learned.
ancestor of the present
planted a
gable end of the house will
branches on the
its
make an
excellent
center of interest for our picture.
as the
We
way we look
plan our rectangle with the principal focus
to the left of center
and sketch
eye-controlling lines as
objects.
sit
An
we
in
find
old ramshackle shed
our important
them
at
our
in
it is
we
curves
downward toward
from
first
it,
fits
The
into our plan, since
limbs of the tree
itself,
The road
it
A
series of
most important surface
make
a "picture,"
a
The
a picture.
is
that
below
horizontals— the path to the
fence, the roof lines of the buildings— afford us
we have
toward our objective.
the sur-
to the tex-
have not tried
have tried
to
to put
decide on a dark background formed by the
thing
I
a
as that
museum,
directs attention back at the house
light
chance to make an infinitely more interit
than
shining full from the
same
have tried to demonstrate
across the surface in long diagonals
esting job of
wooded hill behind the house and partially merge
this dark area with some foreground darks at the
left, culminating in a pointed shadow on the
ground which
I
a sharp
and following the streamers of
it
and shadow
We
though
in
by letting each clapboard shade the one
shed, the fence, the base of the house, the second
a succession of steps
at
balance and emphasis into even this segment of
most powerful converging force from the top
down.
matter which
it.
a picture!
show up and give character
face will
travels
form
No
call
we have
ture. In sketch 5, opposite, I
silhouet-
ting against dark masses of trees beyond,
it,
often well to choose to have the light falling
across the
toward the house and then away
which
both ways.
the tree.
at
back-lighting,
angle so that even small irregularities
facing our subject will give us a set of lines
vanishing
photographers
we have
In drawing closeup views of architectural detail,
nearby
left as
against a gray distance. In
winter, and
followed in lighting sculpture
particularly
cate.
When
fully
it
is
we would if the sun were
front. The principle is the
when
the modelling
a subject so lighted
full of life
is
in a
is
deli-
drawn
skil-
and sparkle, even though
For the gray parts of the picture we use
the middleground grass, the foliage of the tree,
grays are predominant. Lighted from the front,
and the front and roofs of the buildings. This
sunshine
and
tree.
it
56
becomes
flat
itself
and
loses "color,"
may
even though the
be extremely brilliant.
AV-
BALANCING FO RM S- D ETAILS
Pi
a
I—
Pi
•J
M
M
H
-^<..-l
ROLLING COUNTRY
IN
Most
of the pictures
have been scenes
we have been analyzing
which the land
in
itself
has been
Now
see
go out
let us
to the hilly terrain
what we can do with the curving
profiles
and
the nature of the
and
strong
contours of the rolling landscape as material out
weave our patterns. We will, of course,
encounter houses and barns, and may even make
more
First of
we
curved
will be dealing with
trees but
its
adds
.
many more ways
pelled to go where
it is
in
is
com-
wanted.
forms and lines rather than straight ones. Even
As before,
ject can
follow the line of least resistance to hold to their
rearranged. Sketch 3 depends on a clean dark
Our first
and past
a
group of farm buildings toward
series of hillsides arching
The
principal line, as
we
which
it, is
left to right,
down
hill,
its
and windbreaking trees stands out clearly
road as
it
At
disappears
down
away, two successive
leading lines.
perspective,
we have
4,
dominant elements of
The
movement
its
the
a strip
breaks
we have
share in leading attention to the barn and
silo,
sides,
its
level base.
The
curving
of the roof line
is
at
is
our back and to the
shadow on the
left,
which
side of the barn.
balanced by the mass of dark foliage
The
cupola and
silo are
allowed
at
to sil-
Together with the
poplar, they pin
tall
the right side of the picture and keep the
eye from wandering out.
a
See
its
if
you can take this same subject and by revers-
ing the direction of light and changing the value
arrangement make another picture with a
by
and
ent
flanking trees, nail our principal focus firmly in
place against
left.
skyline.
silo.
Vertical strokes on the barn itself, reinforced
the punctuating forms of the cupola,
is
down
wealth of opportunity to make every stroke do
"V"
houette clearly and their forms add interest to the
silhouette.
In our final drawing at full scale
light
This
background for the
Our farm group
dark hillside with
very slightly to the right
inverted
gives us a strong
value scheme develops with the principal
dark extending across the middle distance, an
distant hills at the left.
and made
complemented and echoed by the flat "V" of the
ground line as it dips to the basement entrance.
The
into the
little,
with the gable end as the prin-
cipal item of interest,
of center.
have taken the same
I
turned around a
silo,
a close-up picture
poles, vanishing in
up by
in a
movement.
line
At the bottom of the page,
barn and
The
a gray
immediate
of these arrangements the curves are the pre-
vertical barriers to escape for
and
coming from
mood, with the
a poetic twilight
converging rhythmically toward the center.
of stone fence,
is
light
make
of the
give us additional in-
essentially light foreground broken
sun
light in a sequence of silhouetting planes. In all
turns the other
the eye at the left and set up a counter
The
dark foreground grading away into the distant
into the valley. Farther
hills
The telephone
form
it
light.
and towards us and the
barns
recedes from us hooks around and
points to the buildings before
way and
to
The curve
an obvious center of interest.
now made
sil-
against the hill,
silo
sharp horizontal at the base of the buildings.
a little slope to the
the farm with
a picture with the values entirely
foreground merges into the gray middleground
road, then up on the other side and over a hilltop.
Against this nearest
have demonstrated that the same sub-
which extends away from us and terminates
an S-curve fol-
lowing a line of dark trees extending across our
view from
is
the right
a
one into another.
see
I
make
houette of the barn and
try will be a view across country,
looking from beside a twisting dirt road, across a
field
its
and you
which the eye
the highways are winding in such country, as they
grades.
sil-
diagonal leads
right into the picture. Study this plate
will see
incidental than heretofore.
all,
windblown
stone wall at such a place that
the focal points of our pictures, but they
will be
expressive
downward thrust as it throws its long encircling arm around the central area. In the foreground we insert a gate of chestnut rails into our
of which to
them
The jagged and
our objective.
houette of the dark evergreens not only describes
secondary to other elements— trees, houses, barns,
etc.
converge unobtrusively but surely upon
arcs that
mood. Then experiment some more with sub-
jects of
now
hill-
both dark and light, are modeled with long
You
your own choosing.
getting the hang of
control over
62
differ-
it
what you draw.
are certainly by
and acquiring
Is
it
not so?
real
.-Pi.:
^..^^^5-^
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x
^«-*/
J.
CURVING PATTERNS
'j^
s
1
Pi
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i
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2^
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GO
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OS
^
THE HILL FARM
among
one
balance around the center, with large areas on the
frequently comes across a farmhouse that makes
nearer hill and the big tree and smaller ones for
In the highlands, up
good
the green
The
picture material.
hills,
rectilinear
forms of
the shingled roofs, grass, cloud shadows, and
The
the house itself are in contrast to and comple-
foreground objects.
mented by the rounded slopes of the wooded
among which it nestles. There is also
as the strongest contrast,
plenty of chance for dramatic lighting effects,
The
such country with
in
changes of season and weather.
drawing
cussed earlier.
friend of mine had such a farmhouse in Ver-
mont and
I
decided to use
The
it
for the
developed
final picture
You
page plate overleaf.
A
lesson plates.
was reserved for the
gable end. This planning gave us diagram 2.
hillsides
which continually change
strongest light, as well
as
shown
all the devices we have disThe calculated direction of strokes,
have used
I
the play of light against dark and dark against
accompanying
edging of silhouettes to define
light, the clean
long, low, horizontal lines of
the house, extending back at right angles to the
form and
road, were set against a background of receding
lying portions, the practice of leaving
hills.
The
sented
and
in
its
this,
the
hills in
these and
a
made
low horizon
keep
we took
its
bit to
the
it
The
exhaust
a
sloping pro-
1 felt
sides of the road
storm
and
so I
moved
its
is
interest, as well as to
To add
it.
the possibilities of our material,
I
scene.
have
At
3,
lighted up
gathering in the distance. At 4,
is
a peace-
hills.
At
5,
drawn
at a different scale,
snow covering the
You can, if you try,
a winter scene, with a light
fields
arching limbs effectively enframed our
focus and held our gaze in position.
ground
is
beyond the
a
venerable maple across the road to a position
where
you master
arrangement does not
ful twilight effect with the afterglow lingering
the need for an extra
force at the left of our gable
master and
momentarily by sunshine from the right while a
toward the house. Since they were much stronger
on the right, however,
all
artist if
that one
to
made three other pictures of the same
we have the house and foreground
of the hills lent themselves easily to our
scheme by leading down on both
to give reality.
what you are trying
show you
Just to
strong perspective influence from
left.
is
what will make you an
left.
the liberty of curving
That
picture.
passed the house, was actually
it
and that help
but the arrangement which makes our drawing a
level, so as to include the
with the focus a
as
are tricks of draftsmanship that
are based on truths
our picture, we developed our line dia1,
more
— all
But the really important thing is not the technique
a suitable center of interest.
leading the eye out to the
files
in out-
little flecks
gable end to the approaching visitor,
straight, but
little to
edges
of light in gray areas to suggest sunshine
flanked by a comfortable, shaded porch
gram as at
The road,
attract attention, the soft
graceful, two-story, front portion pre-
ell,
Choosing
in the full
will observe that in this
and roofs and
hilltops.
conceive of others.
The
fore-
provide more lead-
variations
was
derived from one photographic print, sent to
me
material for this sketch and
my
its
ing lines, I imagined a bit of rail fence, a rock, and
some roadside weeds, all of which helped to
direct and hold attention where I wanted it. To
keep the long sloping line of the hill from leading out to the right, I arranged some cloud forms
in opposition. A few trees back of the woodshed
by
end of the house could
heights of excellence that can be achieved by a
ward movement
like
friend. Naturally, the
photograph
is
not
any of the finished sketches, for the camera
must include everything within view
just as
it is
and cannot move things around and change the
emphasis. That
is
why
the camera picture,
how-
ever skilfully taken, can never quite rise to the
effectively stop the out-
of the long horizontals.
real artist.
The camera
is
sometimes a real aid
make quick
to
Values were aranged to give a strong silhouette
the
and picturesque chimneys, by making the more distant
of material he might not have time to sketch or
dark and including some dark foliage just
be used sparingly, however, and wisely, with
to the house, with
hill
back of the ridge
its
interesting roofline
line.
Grays were distributed
to
artist, for
it
enables
him
to
have access to places he cannot
visit. It
records
should
firm resistance to any temptation to copy blindly.
to
68
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NATURE'S MOODS
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THE FOREST
IN
There
are people
see the
woods
who
are said to be unable to
for the trees,
supplied by the long shadows on the
ground and by the massed trees along the far
iently
and others who con-
versely are unable to see the trees for the forest.
The artist must be able
to see both.
side of the pond.
He must know
To
break the monotony
troduce a leaning tree
at
the
individual tree forms and must also
know how
also to force the eye into our center.
and
affect each
In distributing our values
the trees live together in nature
other's habits of growth. It
is
one thing to draw
at
a single tree, of definite species, so that its charac-
unmistakably expressed.
teristics are
draw
to
that
group of
a
It is
birch trunks into relief.
light— using whatever
produce
it
in-
a strong dark
will
throw the
We then make some
some gray, and some
we have to
of our nearby trunks dark,
trees, a grove, a forest, so
will be convincingly real.
it
the center of interest, where
little
another
we put
we
which helps
left,
artistic instinct
a pleasing balance.
The
rest of the distant
making a picture out of a bit of
woodland, we will take up our position in a little
birch grove, in winter, where we can look
trees
out through an opening, across a frozen, snow-
short, curving horizontals to express the texture
covered pond, toward a spruce woods beyond.
of the bark and give vibration. Occasional long
This will give us a chance to draw individual
vertical strokes help to
As an
trees,
By
exercise in
We draw our tree trunks in lightly and then proceed to render them with clean strokes; mostly
The
small groups, and massed growth.
move-
the very nature of things, the general
ment must be
ground
nishing the contrasting opposition.
We
range for some diagonals, too,
in the
it
may
suit
straight trunks, closely
our convenience.
and branches of the nearer
interestingly. Character
lot of
a
wood
find
is
to
them, they are
break up the darks
given to the band of
make
the
jagged silhouette of their tops describe their
nature. Finally, our
ground shadows are put
in
with soft, undulating strokes of fluctuating widths
are unevenly spaced, of varying thickness
of trunk, and of different degrees of dark or light
textures.
the lighter trunks
distant trees by simply taking care to
that the trees in
is
and help
clearly silhouetted
and equally spaced, would
What we
we
trees pass along or
across the darker ones behind
shape of
be deadly monotonous, to say nothing of their
lack of reality.
Where
have observed them.
fur-
can ar-
A
their roundness.
following the growth habits of the trees as
branches, and can even have a tree or two falling
over where
model
interlacing branches are put in with long,
firm strokes that vary in thickness and direction
vertical, following the lines of the
trunks, with the horizontals of the
and our ground shadows are gray.
accomplished by rocking our pencil.
Within reason, we can play upon these
ful to
divergencies and create interesting rhythms.
add
to the receding effect
shadows closer
we are standing close
we cannot include their
our rectangular frame. We make the most
as
We are care-
by spacing these
they get farther away from
us.
have provided several other sketches of wood-
In the present instance
I
among the
land scenes in which you will discern the same
tops in
nearer trees, so
principles.
At
3, I
have emphasized the impor-
of this situation by deciding to group their slender
tance of clean, suggestive silhouette
trunks in an irregular and interesting rhythm.
my subject
We
a glance that the forest
little
choose to
make what we
opening our center of
interest,
a little to the right of center.
on either side
and one on the
in
see
The
and place
two
at
a
the left
of the
pond
is
now needs some
line
this
is
means.
You
can
tell at
of wind-beaten everis
into the water to drink.
I
have drawn two old dead
the forest's edge.
I
chose these two trees for
central topic rather than three because
placed in the center of interest to
Our
moose wading
In the picture at 5,
A slim, triple-stemmed birch at the edge
give the eye an anchoring post.
by
trunks standing out starkly against the pines of
clusters are all different
the number, size, and spacing of the trees they
include.
entirely
greens and that the creature in the foreground
it
We group the trees
in three clusters,
right.
through the
by describing
it
my
never
seems quite satisfactory to put three similar ob-
diagram
jects
horizontals which are conven-
prominently
or five
74
make
in a
group.
a pleasing
One
or two or four
unit— never three.
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MOUNTAIN SCENERY
When we
travel about in
we
country,
tainous
more ruggedly moun-
where the sun cannot
reaching up the mountainside
encounter striking
often
many
scenes that prompt us to reach for pencil and
paper. The bold and striking natural forms we
see are of noble and majestic proportions and re-
The
houettes.
more intimate views we have been dealing with. How shall we ever put these huge vistas
onto a 9" X 12" sheet? Well, it can be done by
attention to
following exactly the same principles of arrange-
some
As you will
was not so difficult
skyline
make
of the leafy
given especially careful
is
A
few wind-battered
added character.
have seen by now, the change in
pines along the crest give
have taken for the following
a little farm
after all. It
is
scale
just a matter of
Things that required many strokes
relativity.
now become mere
plate a mountain view that includes
before are
nestled close to a couple of steep and jagged
picture, to be described adequately with a
cliffs.
What
was once the rounded shoulder of
a small mountain,
now looms up
against the sky,
naked rocks
soil
its
well-placed strokes.
romantically
washed
A
of its mass, nature has chiseled a series of
The
details in the broader
thing that counts
we weave with
the pattern
clear of
by the action of centuries of wind and water.
Out
sil-
the crenellations count interest-
ingly in broken rhythm.
with smaller subjects.
in point, I
broken up with
is
rounded crowns, with jiggly strokes here and
there to give vibration to
than the
ment
As a case
of trees
curving strokes that suggest the
short
quire greater scope for our canvas, so to speak,
as
The mass
reach.
few
is still
and values.
lines
couple of other arrangements of the same ma-
terial are
shown
directed
differently
at 3
and
4.
in
each.
Attention has been
them
Analyze
stony towers whose architectonic forms suggest
and strengthen your comprehension of picture-
some medieval fortress. Here is a subject
has grandeur enough for broad treatment.
making.
The
a
that
At
choose to
make this our
it we assume
accentuate
We
the right.
have depicted
a
We
The elements
flows a broad river.
are big but
center of interest and to
they are simply expressed with a few value areas.
the sun striking in from
In rendering
place the sheer edge
somewhat
lively
to
it,
and sparkling,
as befitted
serenity of the distance
of strong lines leading to it— an approaching road,
its
shadowed
its
was expressed by merging
details into soft grays as they receded
See
trees, the roof slopes
made more
nearness. The
the foreground was
the right in our rectangle and develop a series
the profiles of the
long vista through moun-
tainous forms skirting a valley through which
castellated ridge terminates dramatically in
perpendicular wall of imposing height.
5, 1
if
you can follow the
scheme
line
as
from
it
us.
makes
and chimneys of the house, and the forms of the
use of directional lines, vanishing parallels, S-
mountains lend themselves to our purpose. In
curves,
sketch 2,
we arrange our
and
Then
lines in opposition.
try to
make
some broad views of your own.
values to highlight the
with darks and grays
We have come a long way, have we not, since we
which funnel the gaze to the exact spot of our
started out on our long excursion into the realm
cliffside
and surround
intended emphasis.
close against the
is
to
it
The
deepest black
is
placed
of picture building.
gleaming triangle of rock which
form our focus and
is
something
balanced by another
as
I
hope that you have learned
we went
but smaller intense dark in the foreground trees.
press both graphically
Grays are
important thing
also distributed so that they balance
around the central motif.
Rendering the
in
the areas
final
worked
drawing
we have
is
model the
shadows
and putting
to define the
rich blacks inside the
deep
fissures
and
in
have tried
words.
to ex-
The most
you have presumably
making drawing
after
drawing and
efforts
and the work of
this consistently
over a
period of time, you should have progressed
forms, leaving patches of white paper in the
lighter grays
it,
and
that
shown here but your own
others. If you have done
laid out with strokes of ap-
We
at
is
I
conscientiously analyzing not only the examples
a matter of filling
propriate weight and direction.
along, and that you have
absorbed the principles that
gate to
crevices
80
at
way beyond the threshold of the
the world of creative art.
least a little
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THE LOFTY PEAKS
We have now come to the final lesson in this book
and
it
is
we
since
started out at sea level, so to speak,
among
rate,
view
in the
ject a
scenery
I
have chosen for our
last
water
sub-
High up among
western mountains, where the
we
where
group of
a
Note that by making
and down on the
stands out
The mass
peak.
foreground tree
of the trees roughly
we have here
and the
to
make
sail
secondary center up the mountain top.
trifle to
cone a
flat,
snow are put
We decide
Our
Where
tree
farther out in the
same
direction.
edge are made
To
The
provide a barrier against escape
at
the
left,
the
with broad even strokes, close
in
snow has melted or blown away from
more or
'
.
I
make and
I
we
will leave
it
have
to
you
a
few
enough room
just
have earnestly tried
to
in this
to interpret
book
knew how
I
shaggy branches are also useful
Our
down and
from the
in
value diagram shapes up easily as
them.
in
with
and
trees
bits of
showing through near the peak are made
trast
more
them.
softly with the gray
The dark
reflections in the
position of the trees which cast
ledge
do
to
hope that
I
what the
so,
mental
artist's
and executes
have impressed upon you the
to con-
what you need, and putting
maimer
in
such a
I
have not tried
of
may or may not
water accent the
it
together
as will produce pleasing results,
to
make you overnight
That
work and presupposes
finished artist.
shadows around
them and
I
selecting
the strongest dark of the trees against the bright
snow beyond. Other dark
you
fundamental ways of analyzing your material,
left.
at 2,
to give
helpful guidance. I have explained, as clearly as
which gives a strong contrasting
directing attention
remarks to
final
processes are as he plans his pictures
vertical. Its
them
make them.
put in the trunk and lower branches of a fulltree
your
less self-explanatory at this stage of
to yourself, for I
to
in-
is somehow more
much for the tech-
grown
fir
well to use
it
smaller sketches opposite are, or should be,
progress.
crease the sense of depth in our picture as well as
to
the
Smooth shadows on the
nical points.
pond and returns toward our focus along the
base of another group of trees. The angular forms
of the mountain press down from above and some
at the water's
mould
vertical strokes to express
expressive of the texture. So
the
foreground rocks
rendered with a combination
of each exposed patch. This
A
receding S-curve follows around the edge of
slope their planes in the right direction.
we
of the
short strokes going across the shorter dimension
the right of the axis, with the apex of the
little
The trunk
the rock formations, I have found
and a
in the rectangle
measured up
together and ending cleanly at the sun line.
the trees our center of interest, with a
group centers low down
is
the texture of the bark.
by the
to that furnished
down by the seacoast.
nearer
this strip of light
vertical plane of our picture,
form and some long
the opportunity to play up a
somewhat akin
contrast
gulls
cut a slender hori-
of short horizontal curving strokes to
echoes the shape of the rocky crest above them,
so
vertical strokes for the
increase the illusion of depth.
against a snow-filled ravine on the slope of a
conical
by
Through them we
the far shore rather than halfway,
lake and look
little
tall firs
and
placid
passed and caused a slight ripple to reflect the sky.
the infrequently trodden snows,
stand at the edge of a
across to
The
zontal streak of light where a puff of air has
the last level where substantial vegetation can
exist,
pure silhouette,
to stand out boldly.
best expressed
is
reflections.
noted for breath-taknig magnificence.
is
in
for their profiles are sufficiently descriptive
the snow-capped peaks above the timber
At any
handled almost
trees are
we want them
perhaps appropriate that we should end up
line.
at
The
is
have.
I
a natural talent that
you
do believe, however, that
you should have derived from these pages
also in-
into a
something that takes years
a better
tensify the importance of the farther shoreline.
understanding of pictures and their making than
When
you had before you began
our scheme
satisfies
our sense of balance,
we go ahead with our drawing
at full size.
Clean
I
and accuracy of definition of forms and
areas now become important, and we display our
hard-won knowledge of how to render textures.
have accomplished
this
yours has not been wasted.
detail
of success in both
and draw.
to read
much,
I
my
time and
wish you the best
making and appreciating
and better pictures— Pencil Pictures,
86
If
better
let's say!
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