The text discusses techniques for drawing and shading, emphasizing practicing drawing on larger scales for versatility. It describes three shading techniques: hashing, grainating, and stomping, each offering different textures and depth to the drawing. Understanding these methods can help artists create more dynamic and realistic artworks.
METHOD FOR LEARNING
...days for original drawings done after skilled Masters, & handled properly and boldly. When one learns to draw well on a large scale, it will not be difficult to draw small afterward; whereas someone who only practices drawing small will often struggle with a piece where the figures are somewhat large. This is what experience shows us in landscape painters who usually only include small figures in their paintings, which are touched with spirit & freedom of hand. However, they would be troubled if they had to create something larger.
Different ways to shade a drawing
Up to now, we have only talked about the line or outer contour of figures; but since it's necessary to add shadows & highlights when finishing them on paper, to give them more relief, we will explain how this is done.
A drawing can be shaded in three ways: first by hashing simply with a pencil, as prints do; which is considered poor taste & is rarely practiced except by those learning to engrave, to get accustomed to arranging their cuts properly: secondly, by grainating, that is, by rubbing the pencil on the paper to prepare shadow masses, & then hashing over to form & fix them: this method is called grainating because this rubbing shows the paper's grain: thirdly, by stomping, which is done by blending lights with shadows, using rolled paper, with which one gently rubs the drawing afterward...
Translation Notes
Hashing: Refers to creating texture with short, parallel strokes. Grainating: Involves showing the paper's texture by rubbing. Stomping: Softening and blending areas for a smoother transition between light and dark.