se often exist); they
may be only imaginary lines linking up or massing certain parts, and
bringing them into conformity with the rhythmic conception of the whole.
Or again, only a certain stress and flow in the forms, suggesting line
movements. But these line movements flowing through your panel are of
the utmost importance; they are like the melodies and subjects of a
musical symphony, weaving through and linking up the whole composition.

Often, the line of a contour at one part of a picture is picked up again
by the contour of some object at another part of the composition, and
although no actual line connects them, a unity is thus set up between
them. (See diagrams, pages 166 and 168, illustrating line compositions
of pictures by Botticelli and Paolo Veronese). This imaginary following
through of contours across spaces in a composition should always be
looked out for and sought after, as nothing serves to unite a picture
like this relationship of remote parts. The flow of these lines will
depend on the nature of the subject: they will be more gracious and
easy, or more vigorous and powerful, according to the demands of your
subject.

This linking up of the contours applies equally well to the drawing of a
single figure or even a head or hand, and the student should always be
on the look out for this uniting quality. It is a quality of great
importance in giving unity to a composition.

[Sidenote: Parallelism]

When groups of lines in a picture occur parallel to each other they
produce an accentuation of the particular quality the line may contain,
a sort of sustained effect, like a sustained chord on an organ, the
effect of which is much bigger than that of the same chord struck
staccato. This sustained quality has a wonderful influence in steadying
and uniting your work.

This parallelism can only be used successfully with the simplest lines,
such as a straight line or a simple curve; it is never advisable except
in decorative patterns to be used with complicated shapes. Blake is very
fond of the sustained effect parallelism gives, and uses the repetition
of curved and straight lines very often in his compositions. Note in
Plate I of the Job series, page 146 [Transcribers Note: Plate XXXI],
the use made of this sustaining quality in the parallelism of the
sheep's backs in the background and the parallel upward flow of the
lines of the figures. In Plate II you see it used in the curved lines of
the figures on