Drawing of Landssapes. The science of perspective is so absolutely necessary in this branch of the art, that it must be acquired before the student attempts to copy a drawing or print; for although the heights of trees, bushes, hills, &c. &c. vary greatly, yet there is a general and palpable declension in the relative propor tons as they retire from the eye ; besides, if a building intervenes, the want of truth in this particular becomes instantly ob vious.
When the student is master of perspec tive, he may proceed to copy good draw ings, either with black lead pencils or chalk, according to the paper he adopts ; hut he should prefer those only that give a clear and distinct idea of the outline, as he cannot possibly comprehend the forms of objects which are mixed and lost in others, merely to bring the light into a focus for brilliant effect : it would not be amiss, at the same time, to draw detached objects, till their forms are per fectly and correctly obtained ; having ac complished this point, groupes will be more easily understood and copied. Shad ing with the above materials must be go verned by the objects drawn from : in using Indian ink, the student should lay on the colour exceeding faint next the light, and deepen the shade gradually; and we would recommend him to confine himself to it till a good judge of his merit pronounces he may attempt colouring, as be should remember his aim is to become a skilful artist by regular progression, and not a mere gaudy colourist, to err rap vulgar applause. When the student ar rives at this most difficult and arduous branch of the art, he cannot too atten tively consult the best specimens of co louring within his reach, remarking how the tints of the air in the zenith are ge nerally treated, which is of a purer blue than on the horizon, where the vapours, continually floating near the earth, be come more visible, and are tinged with yellow or purple, according to the posi tion of the sun, and their form when con densed and raised in clouds, which par take of the same tints from the same cause, their transparency in some parts, their dazzling light, reflections, and deep shades, in others. He will perceive that the experienced artist, sensible of the ex istence of moisture in the between him and the remotest objects, has shewn very distant hills obscured by blue, or faintly purple vapours, which, becoming less dense in nearer objects, are gradually made more perfect, till those in the front of the drawing exhibit a decided bounda ry, and clearly defined lights and shades. Contrary to Sir Isaac Newton's opinion, that the rays of the sun contained seven primitive colours, more modern philoso phers insist there are butthree, blue, red, and yellow ; those must therefore serve as the grand basis in colouring ; but as nature never glares in fierce tints, they should be tempered according to her dic tates, and for the causes mentioned above. No one colour should prevail in
a good landscape, neither should they be disposed in the prismatic form, but all parts ought to harmonize, and give a pleasing aggregate. The colouring of objects in the fore-ground requires parti cular attention, as neither a wall, a bank, or a tree, presents one uniform tint ; on the contrary, the stones, or bricks, of which the first is composed, always differ from each other in colour; besides, the trickling of dews, the vegetation of different spe cies of moss, the corroding effects of time and the weather, produce charac teristic effects extremely picturesque:this is equally observable on wood and the bark of trees, and banks, present nume rous tints in the sand, clay, and stones, of which they are composed, exclusive of the variety of plants scattered on their surface. The walls of castles and of ' monasteries adorned with beautiful mass es of ivy, the north sides of houses in damp situations, and trees, are excel lent subjects for contemplation in this particular; indeed, every substance in a state of decay seems to invite represenL tation, by the beautiful properties they assume, which are still further observa-, ble As they become useless to the pos sessor. The peasant's house, in this instance, in complete ruins, with fallen bricks, or broken plastered sides, and almost without thatch, is more inviting to the artist, than all the splendour of Grecian facades and magnificent porti cos.
In composing a drawing, the best parts of various views from nature should, be selected, always remembering that those parts should never resemble each other, and that none of their lines should be parallel ; if nothing more is intended than a good composition, such are to be obtained from reality, by merely correct ing little errors committed by nature ;for instance, a stream of water may flow in nearly a straight line through a most beautiful district, yet, thus represented, it would have a bad effect in the drawing ; equally disagreeable are two or three hills of similar outlines ranged beyond each other : to turn the stream into a more serpentine form, or change the out lines of the hills, will, therefore, be no de viation from propriety: it is far otherwise in making a view of any particular place for topographical purposes; in that case, the object to be attained is not an unex ceptionable drawing, but a true represen tation even of deformity.