PREFACE

As in the case of "The Bases of Design," to which this is intended to
form a companion volume, the substance of the following chapters on Line
and Form originally formed a series of lectures delivered to the
students of the Manchester Municipal School of Art.

There is no pretension to an exhaustive treatment of a subject it would
be difficult enough to exhaust, and it is dealt with in a way intended
to bear rather upon the practical work of an art school, and to be
suggestive and helpful to those face to face with the current problems
of drawing and design.

These have been approached from a personal point of view, as the results
of conclusions arrived at in the course of a busy working life which has
left but few intervals for the elaboration of theories apart from
practice, and such as they are, these papers are now offered to the
wider circle of students and workers in the arts of design as from one
of themselves.

They were illustrated largely by means of rough sketching in line before
my student audience, as well as by photographs and drawings. The rough
diagrams have been re-drawn, and the other illustrations reproduced, so
that both line and tone blocks are used, uniformity being sacrificed to
fidelity.

WALTER CRANE.
Kensington, July, 1900.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Origin and Function of Outline--Silhouette--Definition of Boundaries
by--Power of Characterization by--Formation of Letters--Methods of
Drawing in Line--The Progressive Method--The Calligraphic Method--The
Tentative Method--The Japanese Direct Brush Method--The Oval Method--
The Rectangular Method--Quality of Line--Linear Expression of
Movement--Textures--Emotion--Scale of Linear Expression 1

CHAPTER II

The Language of Line--Dialects--Comparison of the Style of Various
Artists in Line--Scale of Degrees in Line--Picture Writing--Relation
of Line to Form--Two Paths--The Graphic Purpose--Aspect--The
Ornamental Purpose--Typical Treatment or Convention--Rhythm--Linear
Plans in Pattern Designing--Wall-paper Design--Controlling
Forms--Memory--Evolution in Design--Variety in Unity--
Counterbalance--Linear Logic--Recurring Line and Form--Principle
of Radiation--Range and Use of Line 23

CHAPTER III

Of the Choice and Use of Line--Degree and Emphasis--Influence of t