The text discusses simplifying the understanding of facial proportions using an oval shape, as illustrated by letters and curved lines. It describes how features like the eye and face align with these guidelines. These instructions aim to depict the variation and true size of features as perceived, noting changes using different line techniques.
The First Part
XI.
Instead of making long discussions to explain the topic of the three variations of the face, since these are elements that serve only for assembly, I have not found it necessary to elaborate further. I will show how to create an oval, as indicated by the letters A B C. Within this, the lines are curved or bent, due to the roundness or partial circle, as explained by the letters C as the lines D E F show. They rise into each other, and also for the placement of the eye where G rests in the eye, halfway, from the extreme of the view and the true distance, and how the appearance changes with the lines H I K, because it resembles a sphere; nevertheless, it forms an oval, just like the figure L, M, N. This must be observed in the entire face, how they vary, as our view of another object shifts, with the straight, perpendicular lines K L. This has been discussed regarding this subject.
Translation Notes:
1. "Circular, oval, and roundness" - These terms refer to techniques in drawing faces, where understanding shapes and dimensions helps in portraying realistic portraits.
2. "A B C, D E F, H I K, and L M N" - These are likely illustrative markers or diagrams referred to in the text.