and never once breaking free from this scaffolding to
indulge in the enjoyment of free line expression. This, of course, is
bad, and yet the character of a curved line is hardly to be accurately
studied in any other way than by observing its relation to straight
lines. The inclination and length of straight lines can be observed with
certainty. But a curve has not this definiteness, and is a very unstable
thing to set about copying unaided. Who but the highly skilled
draughtsman could attempt to copy our random shape at Fig. X, page 87
[Transcribers Note: Diagram IV], without any guiding straight lines? And
even the highly skilled draughtsman would draw such straight lines
mentally. So that some blocking out of the curved forms, either done
practically or in imagination, must be adopted to rightly observe any
shapes. But do not forget that this is only a scaffolding, and should
always be regarded as such and kicked away as soon as real form
expression with any feeling begins.

But it will be some years before the beginner has got his eye trained
to such accuracy of observation that he can dispense with it.

[Sidenote: In Blocking-in observe Shape of the Background as much as the
Object.]

In the case of foreshortenings, the eye, unaided by this blocking out,
is always apt to be led astray. And here the observation of the shape of
the background against the object will be of great assistance. The
appearance of the foreshortened object is so unlike what you know it to
be as a solid thing, that much as it is as well to concentrate the
attention on the background rather than on the form in this blocking-out
process. And in fact, in blocking out any object, whether foreshortened
or not, the shape of the background should be observed as carefully as
any other shape. But in making the drawing proper, the forms must be
observed in their inner relations. That is to say, the lines bounding
one side of a form must be observed in relation to the lines bounding
the other side; as the true expression of form, which is the object of
drawing, depends on the true relationship of these boundaries. The
drawing of the two sides should be carried on simultaneously, so that
one may constantly compare them.

[Sidenote: Boundaries a series of Overlappings.]

The boundaries of forms with any complexity, such as the human figure,
are not continuous lines. One form overlaps another, like the lines of a
range of hills. And this overlapping s