Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-11-13
gos Aaseles Asrala.
Teachers Institute.


FIFTH DAY-MoRNINa SESSION.
The number of teachers In at
tendance this morning was less
than on any previous day, some
having been obliged to return
home. The exercises, however,
were as interesting as any of the
week. The first was an essay on
drawing, by Mrs. c. P. Bradheid,
in which she advocated the instruc-
tlon Of very young pupils in the
art. A child can learn to draw be-
fore learning to read, and the prac-
tice Is not only discipline to the
mind, butrn amusement also. She
spoke Of the great practical import
Ance Of industrial drawing; II gen.
orally taught in the schools the re-
cult would be to improve manufac-
lures, to develop skilful designers
and to diffuse that kind Of art edu-.
cation among the people which
forms the basis of all industrial
progress. A knowledge of indus
trial drawing comes by early and
long practice, and should begin in
children In the common school
with training the eye, the hand and
the mind, until, by q gradual pro-
cess, the true can De distinguished
from the false in design, and the
beautiful, which Is always the
true, can be developed IN execu-
tion. Geometry Ia the fou utlation
of industrial drawing. Distance
and direction are radical geometri-
cal ideas. Distance lies at the
foundation Of size; direction lies at
the foundation OF form; distance
aud direction are the FIRST Lessons to
be taught the child. In drawing
straight lines Mrs BradAeld teaches
the child to fix the mind upon the
point to he reached, forgetting the
pencil, the paper or slate. and
everything else except the one
Idea, TO reach certain point. -6hs
f. not particular as to the manner
of holding the pencil, except to see
that It is not clasped with the hn-
gers too near the point. When q
child can draw straight lines 1t
soon learns to draw squares, TRAN
giles, rectangles, circles, elipses,
etc. An Immense number Of decor.
alive designs, mostly geometrical,
can be based upon the square
divided into nine or sixteen equal
squares. - Wbether the division
of circle into $50 equal parts was
the result of experiment or ab.
stract reasoning, its relations to the
principles Of unity, variety and
harmony Qeading ideas in design
- expressed by numbers) is very
striking. Also the relations Of the
triangle, square and circle, and the
harmonic relations of elipses are
we'll worthy the study Of all inter-
ested In such matters. Mrs. Brad
field ad led: The subject to me lie
full of beauty, aud geometry would
be anything but dry study II such
points were taught In classes; and
what field Of thought there is in
Reometrlc mholism, which we
might callithe poetry of geometry.
All true design Iuust mean
something, end the real artist,
whether he work in metal, wood or
stone, whether with brush, pencil
or chispi, must throw his soul into
his work. It Is not given
to all to b. artists, but all can in q
degree know, appreciate. and in a
measure execute good work. All
vi no can learn TO write can learn tC
draw, aud it takes no wonderful fac.
uity Of the mind to understand and
spply the principles Of design.
Very young children can be taught,
by means of natural objects, to
comprehend unity, symmetry and
continuity, also the laws Ut repeti
ton, alienation and proportion.
In reference 10 the advisability
permitting young children to
make drawings of their own con-
ceptioD, Mrs. Bradfeld said GER
tsinIy she would not only permit
but encourage them to do 50, but
the child must first be made to see
that it's work is to have meaning.
The black board is q great aid In
teaching, and the illustrations
may be made rapidly, the class to
be told that they are not Intended
for copying. Blackboard work &c
be copied should be executed with
great care, aud by the aid of in
strumeDts, with which every
schooiroom should be supplied.
Mrs. Bradfield gave illustrations
on the board, showing that curves
should be drawn with cOntiDu
Gus sweep OF the pencil, without
removing il from the board. Be-
sides the practical education that
nhilA III An N Tnhflaf ri n
Drawing, the aesthetic culture
IL also of great value. The love
of the beautiful and the power to
anslyze and dellneate beautiful
forms, tend to elevate and refine
the character. Instruction IL
ORA wing is therefore u moral edu
cation, discipline for the mind o.
well as for the eye aud hand. Sh,
here quoted Lord Brougha ms opin
ion that drawing leads to accurate
habits of observation, and 10 NOR
exact knowledge. 1t is a sover
eign remedy for correcting idl'
habits, aud of the greatest benef
to the scholar. 1t IL q most admir-
able adjunct to education, ant
Mrs. Brudfield added, 1t is In itsel
an education.
Numerous questions by teachers
were promptly and pointedly ans
r"r"d, with blackboard iliustra'
tlons. t- IL
.u.. G. G. Hall then treated brief
ly the subject of "Oral Language
Lessons" He said that in teach
Ing children language, the teacher
must first see that they have clear
ideas. When the idea is clearly
formed In the mind, the next thing
ts its accurate expression In words
An idea should be given to the pu
pills, aid when clearly comprehend