who
have painted a thousand pictures: he knows better how to do what he has
not done than the others know what they do.

_Michael Angelo._

CXXIV

It is known that bodies in motion always describe some line or other in
the air, as the whirling round of a firebrand apparently makes a circle,
the waterfall part of a curve, the arrow and bullet, by the swiftness of
their motions, nearly a straight line; waving lines are formed by the
pleasing movement of a ship on the waves. Now, in order to obtain a just
idea of action, at the same time to be judiciously satisfied of being in
the right in what we do, let us begin with imagining a line formed in
the air by any supposed point at the end of a limb or part that is
moved, or made by the whole part or limb, or by the whole body together.
And that thus much of movements may be conceived at once is evident, on
the least recollection; for whoever has seen a fine Arabian war-horse,
unbacked and at liberty, and in a wanton trot, cannot but remember what
a large waving line his rising, and at the same time pressing forward
cuts through the air, the equal continuation of which is varied by his
curveting from side to side; whilst his long mane and tail play about in
serpentine movements.

_Hogarth._

CXXV

Distinguish the various planes of a picture by circumscribing them each
in turn; class them in the order in which they present themselves to the
daylight; before beginning to paint, settle which have the same value.
Thus, for example, in a drawing on tinted paper make the parts that
glitter gleam out with your white, then the lights, rendered also with
white, but fainter; afterwards those of the half-tones that can be
managed by means of the paper, then a first half-tone with the chalk,
&c. When at the edge of a plane which you have accurately marked, you
have a little more light than at the centre of it, you give so much more
definition of its flatness or projection. This is the secret of
modelling. It will be of no use to add black; that will not give the
modelling. It follows that one can model with very slight materials.

_Delacroix._

CXXVI

Take a style of silver or brass, or anything else provided the point is
silver, sufficiently fine (sharp) and polished and good. Then to acquire
command of hand in using the style, begin to draw with it from a copy as
freely as you can, and so lightly that you can scarcely see what you
have begun to do, deepening your stro