The Principles Fifth Lesson

To achieve this boldness of strokes and accuracy, which I have just mentioned, let us present the following example.

Example

A, marks two straight lines; B, two lines across. C, two oblique lines; D, the Horizon; E, the point of view; F, the ground line; and G, the distance line.

Here we see only lines, already familiar to our student, and which he does well; but instead of calling them two straight, transverse or oblique lines, we teach him here to name them parallels. Every stroke in art must have its particular names, and this is most appropriate, as will be seen later. We aim to give our student an exact idea of things as we discuss them; so that he does not act blindly, nor confuse shadows for bodies, like those who are in the dark. It is for this same reason that we do not overwhelm him here with a multitude of examples or stories, which would serve more to confuse than to be of any use, besides this method would be better suited to a historian than to a teacher. Indeed, we sometimes seek to give him an example or a comparison; but always in a concise, precise manner that aligns with the subject as much as possible. Moreover, when we're more advanced, we will present him with more composed figures, as the case demands.

Besides, one must remember that the horizontal line dividing the board is called the Horizon, and that the small eye in the middle is named the point of view. The two lines coming out from there, and all others that could be drawn, are visual rays. The line that crosses below is the ground line. The two lines, drawn from one side to the other of the Horizon, are called

Translation Notes: "Point de vue" is translated as "point of view," a key term in perspective in art. "Parallèles" refers to lines that are equally distant from each other at all points. The language deals with basic perspective drawing concepts.