ON DESIGN

LESSON TEN

When a student has understood everything we have seen so far, it is time for them to give evidence of their abilities in design, and to show, to use a proverbial expression, if they are firm on their feet. Then they will be given a simple bas-relief, that is, slightly raised in relief, with two figures, one clothed and the other naked, to see if they have well understood everything we have already noted about Sketching, Arrangement, and shading techniques, considering the diversity of objects. However, it is important that they do not place their model too close or too far from the light, and maintain the model at a reasonable distance, so the shadow is strong and reasonable; for the more distant from the light, the weaker and more doubtful the shadows appear. Secondly, the student should not approach the object too closely but should maintain a suitable distance; meaning, if they can clearly distinguish attitudes, especially the shadows of the eyes, nose, mouth, and other essential parts, they are not too far away. Thirdly, they should place the object at such a height that the eyes of the figures are level with theirs, which we will discuss at length later. Fourthly, they should ensure the light is moderate and comes through a single window, because this better reveals the shadows, unlike a strong light that can spread out from various parts, increasing ambiguity. It would be pointless to teach a young student how to hold their paper or board, as they see it practiced by others daily, and as shown in the example, which introduces our twelfth lesson. So after they have copied the bas-relief, which we

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will clarify more.

Translation Notes:

- "Bas-relief" refers to a sculptural relief where the projection from the surrounding surface is slight.

- "Ordonnance" relates to the arrangement or organization of elements.

- The use of terms like "hatchures" refers to the technique of shading with closely drawn parallel lines.