THE PRINCIPLES OF DRAWING

OR

A short and assured way to thoroughly learn it through Geometry.

Just as the Alphabet, or the knowledge of Letters, serves as an introduction to Grammar, so Geometry is the first step that leads us to Drawing, where one can never arrive without it; nor to any other Art or Sciences. Indeed, it is through Geometry, and by the aid of lines, that we learn to know the length and width of Bodies, what is straight or curved, what is set across or obliquely, what is round, oval, square, hexagonal, octagonal, arched, concave, or convex, & all other imaginable figures. But, since there is nothing corporeal in the World that does not fall under one of these denominations, this should indeed serve as the first Lesson for young people wishing to pursue Drawing, and they must be held there until it's well-imprinted in their memory. If I had multiple boys, I would not want any of them to apply themselves to any Art or Science unless they could read and write well. Moreover, if it were in my power, I would wish for them to learn a little Latin, and to stop at the age of ten or twelve years to either embrace a Profession. I add ten more years to mature the mind, and allow the spirit to grow; which makes twenty-two. I allot ten more years to choose and settle on the way of life they wish to follow; making thirty-two in total. Add another ten by ten to reach perfection, whether in Theory or Practice; that totals forty-two. From this age up to fifty, and beyond, if one can get there, is the proper time to acquire a great Name, and to gain Well-being. This is how I view the Life of a skilled Painter. However, God arranges as He sees fit; he makes some succeed earlier & others later; as is said, without genius, toil is useless, absque ingenio, labor inutilis. Finally, experience teaches us that the surest way to succeed in Drawing is to attach yourself to it, at an early age, under a skilled Master, have the mind inclined in this direction, and bring great & constant application, which alone can make easy the most difficult things.

FIRST LESSON.

TO provide a good foundation of this Art for a Student & lead him to the most hidden aspects, or its greatest delicacies, the Master should not hesitate to start with the simplest Principles, and keep him there until they are engraved in memory; since without this, it would be impossible for the Student to make any progress, let alone attain perfection. The first rudiments of Drawing thus consist of making various strokes or lines turned differently, and this is also what can be called the ABC of Measuring.