On Drawing

Until now, we have only seen empty figures, but now we can fill them, give them depth through shadows, and turn them into what we call solid bodies. Since our students have come this far, and they only need to know how to arrange shadows to refine this noble art, they must get accustomed to drawing with a red pencil and marking hatches clearly and distinctly, without smudging or blending, as some do.

Eighth Lesson

The example shown here demonstrates how one should handle the pencil. It shows us simultaneously that to create shadows, the hatches should consist of only two intersecting lines, or three for the strongest shadows if necessary, and for roundness, just one. In areas where recesses and cavities demand the full strength of the pencil, one should smudge or grain; it would be futile to use more than three hatches over each other here, as seen in this example. Therefore, one must copy it carefully, take the necessary time, and not rush; for drawing little by little, revisiting it often, and doing it well advances more than doing much in haste and working quickly. But it is typical for youth to lack attention and restraint, though they greatly need both. That is why philosophers have said that circumspection is absolutely essential for humans.

Translation Notes

1. "Craïon rouge" translates to "red pencil"; commonly used for sketching during this time.
2. "Hachures" refers to hatching, a technique used to create shading effects with parallel lines.