PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION.
As the title implies, the ultimate aim of pictorial representation, commonly known as free-hand drawing, is the creation of a pic ture — the graphic expression of the beautiful in plant-life, animal-life and landscape. A true picture shows not merely how an object or group of objects appears, but it tells how these objects impressed the artist. It is the draughts man's concrete effort to communicate to his fellow beings the esthetic sensation he ex perienced in the presence of nature.
To attain his end, the artist must augment a natural aptitude for the subject by a study of linear and aerial perspective in landscape and marine drawing, anatomy in figure and animal drawing, and the principles of selection and arrangement (pictorial composition) in all the types of representation. He moreover, be acquainted with the qualities and limitations of the several forms of rendering and mediums used.
In looking thoughtfully at a landscape, we shall notice that objects diminish in size as they recede farther and farther from the eye; and that forms we know to be rectangular or circular appear modified according to the different po sitions in which they are placed in relation to the observer. These changes in form and size are due to what is termed linear perspec tive. We shall also notice that objects in the distance appear paler and grayer in color, due to the action of what is called aerial perpec tive.
The draughtsman need not necessarily go into a scientific study of linear perspective; but he must embody in his work what is known as free-hand perspective — the general prin ciples of the subject deduced from observa tion and practice. These principles are here with stated: 1. The apparent form of any object, ex cept a sphere, varies with every position in which it is placed in regard to the observer.
2. The apparent size of an object decreases as its distance from the observer increases.
3. A circle seen obliquely always appears like an ellipse.
4. The more obliquely the circle is seen, the more nearly the ellipse approaches a straight line.
5. A horizontal face, when above or below the eye, appears fore-shortened.
6. All parallel horizontal edges receding from the eye appear to converge to a point on the horizon — an imaginary line on a level with the eye.
7. Parallel horizontal edges receding to the left appear to converge to a point on the hori zon at the left of the object, called Vanishing Point 1; those receding to the right appear to converge to the right of the object, called Van ishing Point 2.
8. For rectangular objects standing with the side faces turned equally away, the vanish ing points are equidistant from the object. (Fig. 1).
9. For rectangular objects standing with side faces turned unequally away, Vanishing Points 1 and 2 are unequally distant from the object according to the angles at which the objects stand. (Fig. 2).
10. Receding parallel lines situated obliquely in relation to the observer appear to converge in a vertical vanishing line. (Fig. 3).
Forms of There are four modes in which objects may be rendered. They may be drawn in outline, in neutral values of light and dark, in light and shade, or painted in color masses. With the last form of rendering we are not concerned in this article. See PAINTING.
Rendering in The practice of drawing in outline as an independent form of pictorial representation is not much in vogue now, as it is more or less abstract and limited in its power to convey to the mind all the truths in the appearance of an object. Never theless, an experienced artist can express many characteristics of an object by a skill ful modulation of line: now thin, and then thick; here long, graceful and rhythmic, and there short, hard and angular.
Rendering in Flat Values of Light and On a gray day when the sky is over cast, the light does not come from a particular spot, but is rather diffused from the slcy gener ally. We shall find that then all the elements in a landscape, as trees, buildings, distant hills, etc., appear in simple flat masses of color. If we interpret in black and white the character istic forms and relative degree of light and dark, called the values, of these color masses, we shall have a landscape drawing rendered in flat values of light and dark This method of rendering is now frequently used by artists in still-life, landscape and figure compositions where decorative effects are re quired, as in poster work and mural decora tions. (Fig. 4).