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Page Summary:

The text advises artists to balance spontaneity and refinement by completing projects extensively to correct bad habits. Students are guided to practice with increasingly complex drawings, focusing initially on nudes before attempting group compositions. Teachers should allow creative attempts only when students are proficient in copying, to avoid wasted effort.

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English Translation of this page:

Method for Learning

To avoid the habit of becoming overindulgent in their work, they should strive to complete their projects, even excessively so, to correct this fault. They should not fear putting weight on their hand, as they are naturally inclined to revert to their initial vivacity. Similarly, those who are found to over-refine and tire their drawings should dare to loosen up. Practicing lightly to ease their work, they should finish it with as little detail as necessary. However, one should not always seek to destroy the talents Nature has given us, pursuing blindly what we lack; rather, we should temper them prudently to avoid being led astray by these defects without caution.

When your students reach this level of perfection, you will then get them to undertake more difficult designs, starting with single figures and even those they have previously copied, for they will complete them much better and more easily than the first time. Following this, provide them with drawings of two or more figures, so they learn to group and combine them, while still allowing minor attempts at their innovation, always encouraging them (a).

Note that this initial study should be done from nude models, and rarely from clothed or draped figures. Thus, one should

(a) It is good to note that teachers should not allow students to attempt creative works until they can easily copy them, otherwise, if the student is not strong enough, it will be a lost effort.