An example is given where a tree is placed in the forefront, appearing dark and distinct from the rest. This allows one to easily judge the reduction in tone. In figure 1, it is noted that the lights on the building (a), seen from an angle, are less bright than those on the sides of the window in the foreground. The lights on the tower, which is further away than the building, are less bright than those of the building itself. In the landscape of figure 2, it is observed that the lights in the reflections are half as bright and the shadows are half as dark as the objects themselves.

If you are drawing the landscape in a smudging technique, it’s best to start by shading the sky and water, comparing the tone with the shadows of the foreground. On the foreground, establish the darkest possible black with the pencil, and then notice the gradation as previously indicated.

The following observations may be of interest for beginners.

"It is easy to make mistakes when starting to shade a drawing, such as when shading the water. You might think it's very dark because the contrast with the surrounding white makes it appear strong. But as soon as you shadow the objects around it, you may be surprised to find it too light. Therefore, calculate these factors in advance, and experience and observation habits will help.

"When beginning to shade, always keep the lights broader than they seem. In finalizing and blending the shadows, lights are always reduced more than intended."

In a round object, like a tower, neither the darkest shadow nor the brightest light is found at the edges. There is always a slight half-tone on the light side and a semi-tone on the shadow side. The transition from shadow to light is not abrupt but through half-tones. In an angular object, like the corner of a house (plate 8 bis; figure 1), the brightest light is next to the darkest shadow. The contrast of the light makes the shadow appear very dark and the contrast of the shadow makes the light appear very bright: thus, the brightest light is close to the line where the two sides meet, and the closest shadow is near this light."

"When working on a sketch, the first plan should have firm, thick, and dark lines. On the second plan, where objects begin to diminish, use a finer, lighter line, always remaining pure. For subsequent plans, always reduce the stroke, finishing with the finest, lightest line possible. It's beneficial to use a very dark pencil for the first plans and gradually reduce according to the arrangement of the plans, etc. When there's no more way to reduce the tone and finesse the pencil used from the start. By the Italian stone which gives a fine and gray line could be used; the pencil lead can also be useful in such cases. In this way, even in a simple sketch, much effect can be obtained; while if strong touches are placed on distant plans like on the foreground, the distant plans would appear to come forward instead of receding.

Cast Shadows.

A cast or projected shadow is an shadow produced by the absence of light interrupted by an opaque object, on the plane where the object is placed. The cast shadow is always in the direction opposite to the light.

When drawing from life, for example, an interior, if the shadows come from an object lit by artificial light, compare the width and length of each shadow with the object that produced it. Conversely, if the interior or landscape is lit by natural light (the sun or the moon), as the shadows change continuously in these circumstances, one...

Translation Notes:
- "Esquisse" can be translated as "sketch," especially in artistic contexts referring to preliminary drawings.