Note.—The first lesson of any kind the author received in drawing was to make a straight line; this was effected by holding the pencil nearly erect and guiding it along by the aid of the little finger held pressed against the edge of a board; this was a useful item of knowledge, as proved by passing years.
A well-known artist, in telling his early experience, said: “The first thing I was taught was to draw a line, divide it, erect a perpendicular from its center, and afterwards to divide the angle made by the perpendicular.” In answer to a question asking how long he was kept at the lines, he replied, “about two months—or a month or two,” indicating that even the longer time would have been well spent in learning to draw a straight line.
PREPARATORY PRACTICE IN DRAWING.
Every visible object is bounded by lines which enable the observer to determine its shape. If these lines are straight or curved, the shape of the object is regular; if broken, the shape of the object is irregular.
The elements, then, of form are lines, straight, curved, or broken, and these, therefore, furnish the beginning of all instruction in free-hand or mechanical drawing.
PERPENDICULAR LINES.
[Fig. 15] shows six lines—upright and perpendicular, with points or “dots” indicated at the top and bottom of each line; to draw these, proceed thus:
Fig. 15.
Fig. 16.