This figure is a rosette made up of the Roman or soft acanthus, and the drawing has- the general character of a working drawing. Every part is very .clearly expressed in outline, slightly shadowed, and a section explains the exact contours. In drawing the outline of the leaflets, observe that one edge, usually the upper is generally ex pressed by a simple curve and the other edge by a compound curve, the variation in which, however, is slight. Draw a circle first to con tain the outer edge of the rosette and sketch in lightly the main rib or central axis of each leaf. Then block in the general form of the leaves, not showing the subdivisions at edges. Next place the eyes—the small elliptical spots which separate one lobe from another—and draw the main ribs of each lobe, finally detailing the leaflets in each lobe. In shading use the value dark (D) for the darkest values ttnd the middle value (M) for the others, and instead of producing a perfectly blended tone as in the original, let the tone retain some suggestion of lines, the general direction of which should follow that of the main ribs in the leaves. In the shadow of the rosette on the background, let the lines be upright. Lines naturally show less in very dark values than in lighter tones, for it is difficult to produce the darker values without going over the lines with another set and that has a tendency to blend all the lines into a general tone.
Plate VIII is a sculptured frieze ornament introducing various forms of the Roman or soft acanthus. In this as in all scroll drawing, the skeleton of the pattern should be carefully drawn, then the leaves and rosettes disposed upon it. Always draw the big general form of the acanthus, and proceed gradually to the details as described in the directions for Plate VII. This like Plate VII, has the general charac ter of a working drawing, only in this case there- is no section. Use the same values and same suggestions for directions of line as in Plate VII.
This plate is an example of the Byzantine acanthus on a fragment in the Capitoline Museum. In drawing this, place the central axis or main rib of the leaf first, then establish the position of the eyes—the egg-shaped cuts which separate the lobes. The general contour of the lobes and their main ribs should next be blocked in before the final disposition of the points or leaflets is determined.
The drawing of this plate is to be enlarged to about ten inches in height and well placed on the sheet with the center of the drawing coinciding with the center of the plate. This drawing is to be made by the use of two values only, with white, and the student may select his own values. The object is to, select the most important features and to omit as much as possible. It would be well for the student to first try to see how much he can express with one value and white. The values are to be obtained by upright lines. Outlines are to be omitted as far as possible in the finished sketch, and forms are to be expressed by the shapes of the masses of shadow. Where only two values and white are to be used, it is desirable to leave as much white as possible •and not allow the shadow values to run too near to black as that produces too harsh a contrast with the white. On the other hand, if the shadow values are too high in the scale, that is too near white, the drawing becomes weak and washed out in effect. As this drawing is to be large in scale, it should be made with thesolid ink pencil and with wide pencil strokes. After the outline has been sketched in, the shading or "rendering" may be studied, first on tracing paper over the drawing. There should be no at rendering the background in this drawing.
Figs. 1 and 2 are to be placed on this plate, but Fig. 1 is to be rendered this time as near to the true values as it is possible to go by using four values and white in shading. The pencil. lines shOuld be blended together sotewhat, hut the general direction of the shad ing should follow the central axis of the lobes. Only the leaf itself is to be drawn and the background value should be allowed to break in an irregular line about the leaf. It should not be carried out to an
edge which would represent the shape of the entire fragment of stone on which the leaf is carved. In studying the shapes of the different shadows it is well at first to exaggerate somewhat and give each value a clean, definite shape even if the edges appear somewhat indefinite in the original. At the last those edges which are blurred may be blended together.
Fig. 2 is a Byzantine capital from the church of San Vitale, at Ravenna. This is to be drawn so that the lines of the column shall fade off gradually into nothing and end in a broken edge instead of stopping on a horizontal line as in the original. The top of•the draw ing above_the great cushion which rests on the capital proper should also fade off into nothing and with a broken line instead of the hori zontal straight line. A small broken area of the background value should be placed either side of the capital. In drawing an object like this which is full of small detail there is danger of losing the larger qualities of solidity and roundness by insisting too much upon the small parts and there is also danger of making the drawing too spotty. It is a good principle to decide at first that the detail is to be expressed either in the shadow or in the light, hut not equally in both. This principle is based on one of the facts of vision, for in looking at an object one sees only a comparatively small amount of detail; what falls on either side of the spot on which the eye is focused appears blurred and indistinct. In an object of this kind whose section is circular, one can best express the shape by concentrating the study of detail at the point where the light leaves. off and shadow begins, representing less and less detail as the object turns away from the spectator. In this drawing, however, there may be more detail ex pressed in the shadow than in the light, but remember that outlines of objects in shadow lose their sharpness and beconie softened. Do not attempt to show all the grooves in the parts in shadow; indicate one or two principal ones and indicate more and more detail as the leaves approach the point where the light begins. There the richness of detail may be fully represented, but as the forms pass into the light., omit more and more detail. Again observe that any small plane of shadow surrounded by intense light, if examined in detail, appears darker by contrast, but if represented as dark as it appears it becomes spotty and out of value. If observed in relation to the wholc object its real value will be seen to be lighter than it appears when examined by itself. Use white and four values to be determined by the student. Guard against too strong contrasts of values within the shadow as it cuts it up and destroys its unity, and in every drawing made, show clearly just which is the shadow side and which is the light. That is, do not place so many shadow values within the light that it destroys it, and do not invade shadows with too many lights and reflected lights. Note that it is characteristic of the Byzantine acanthus to have the points of every tine or lobe touch something; no points are left free, but observe also that the points have some sub stance and width at the place they touch and must not be represented by a mere thread of light. It would be a mistake to introduce much variety of direction in the lines in this drawing, especially in the shadows, as it would " break it up" too much. The concave line of the contour of the capital may well determine the dominant direction of the lines which should not be very distinct as lines, but should blend considerably into general tones. Wherever a plane of shadow stops with a clean sharp edge the drawing must correspond, for its interest and expressiveness depend upon its power to suggest differences in surface—those surfaces which flow gradually into one another as well as those in which the transitions are sharp and abrupt.