The student should be very scrupulous about using only the values of the scale, and in the lower left corner of each sheet he should place within half-inch squares examples of each value used on the drawing with its name and symbol indicated.
This capital, of the Roman Corinthian order, is in the Museum of the Baths of Diocletian in Rome.
The foliated portions consist of olive acanthus, and the student should carefully study the differences between this and the soft acan thus. It will be noted that the greatest difference is in the subdivi sion of the edges into leaflets. In the soft acanthus there is always a strong contrast of large and small leaflets and the lobes overlap each other, producing a full rich effect and the general appearance is more like that of a natural leaf. In the olive acanthus the leaflets in one lobe differ slightly from each other in size, are narrower, and bounded by simple curves on either side, where the leaflet of the soft acanthus has the compound curve on one side.
The student may use as many values as he thinks necessary, but he should be conscientious in keeping his values in their scale relations and should place an example of each value used, with its name in one corner of the drawing.
To make a satisfactory drawing of a form so full of intricate detail as this is difficult, as there is a great temptation to put in all one sees. The general instructions for drawing Plate VII are equally applicable here. The student should remember that a drawing is an explanation, but an explanation which can take much for granted.
For instance, if the carved ornament on the mouldings or at the top of the capital are expressed where they receive full light, they must become more and more vague suggestions and finally disappear in the strong shadows; so the division line between the two mouldings of the abacus may be omitted in shadow and the mind will fill in what the eye does not see. One could go farther and express the detail
only for a short space, letting it gradually die away into light or be merely indicated by a line or two, and still the explanation would be sufficient and far less fatiguing to the eye than literal insistence on every detail for the entire length. It is an excellent plan to look at the original, whether a photograph or the real object, with half closed eyes. This helps decidedly to separate the light masses from the darks and shows how much that is in shadow may be omitted.
The smaller lobes on the olive acanthus have no main ribs and lines are carried from the intersection of each leaf toward the base, the section of the leaflet being concave. The section of the leaflets on the soft acanthus is more V-shaped.
This is a portion of a pilaster decoration in the Italian Renais sance style. The acanthus is of the soft Roman type, but much more thin and delicate with the eyes cut back almost to the main ribs and a space cut out betireen each lobe so there is rarely any overlapping of lobes. Lay out construction lines for the scrolls, block in all forms correctly, detailing little by little, so carrying the whole drawing along to the same degree of finish