, 1881-04-29
why STUDY DRAWING ?
BY MRS. A. T. BCRNELL.

vlte schools. il may bc of interest 10 cnn-
slider what special benefits may br derived
from its study and practice. As generally
taught in The public schools, a mere me-
cln"ical operation OF constructing geo
metricai figures. for which there can be
no possible uSe when constructed. save it
il b. i'll the sub>rqunt study of geometry!
it i tar les useful in mental and Muscular
discipline tlan the practice of line pcm-
man>Lip. which might with all propriety
take its place.
But when we leave the "mechanical"
for free hand drawing" we have before
u a wide range OF possibilities 10 which
AL ihut is maStcrly in painting and Sculp-
ture is IN inspiration. In advocating the
study OF drawing tand shall continue to
Use the term OF. ly in the sense of free hand
drawing | will say at the outset tnat it is
not with the idea that all may become AZ
lists. for 10 be an artist. one must be by
nature endowed with rare faculties OF per-
ceptiOm and Imagination such a are pos
SesSed by but few and which by 10 dill
gcnce and application can be acquired.
Our object rather i TO show how the study
of drawing. As that of music or arithme-
tic may be pursued with profit though II
may be 10 more expected Of the student
in the one case th..s lie may become an ar
list. than IN the other that he will become
a composer OF music or Rn authority in
mathematics. As only Il small percent
age OF those who spend years OF precious
time drumming away at the piano. or in
pu mping aud lingering an organ become
skilled performers; so il might be expect
ed that only a minority of those who,
with opportunities. would practice draw
ing wOuli become accurate anu successful
drHught<meu. Yet we firmly believe that
all may by its study readily come 10
erccive nceties of materill form. aud
LATER of thought and expression which nj
first were but slowly. il at all. recognized.
. The study OF drawing continually
brings into the most active exercise the
faculty of prIcrpriou, which Itself lies n
the foundation of rapid and sul crSSin
progress in all other studies. First:
Drawing cullivaIeS accuracy OF percel'-
ti0n. AS the student seek 10 Represent
an object lIc mus. first carefully oh-erve
lis form. with it, various curves and an
glrs and proportions OF length and
breadth. Then a5 his drawing Eli = 10
saii>fy in iikcmrsS hc will review the forns
| uril
each part with tue corrcSp spending part OF
his drawing which hr Low proceeds To cor
reel by his later and clearer perception.
Second: a strdy of drawing ctIlllvatcs
quickIcSs Of perception. What at first
MAS perceived slowly and with graf
| pa!u>takimg comes To bc perceived readily
and without conscious effort. Again a
stuiy of drawing Iu:tivaieS breadth oi
perception. All the parts Of an office,
na>E bc drawn III rr.ative proportions,
cl>c the result i Il cIricalurc. By some
prrSou~ clricatures are thous It 10 he mas
ter pieces, but al beginners in drawing
make earicatures. II any part of an Oh
ject is a little out of pleasing proportion
that catches the untraiued eye first and is
rendered with stilI greater dispropOrtiun.
As the young draus htsman PASSES from
il oingie object 10 the grouping OF objects
aud figures III II picture the incest powers
of Discrimination are brought into play.
Each elemcnt OF the picture must be given
only that degree of prominence which
shal. render the combination one harmO-
niouI whole, expressive Of intelhgible
thOug ht.
| When one considers that the most diff
cult work in the solving of a mathemati-
cal problem consists in true conception
OF the various relations involved therein;
aud again, that a rapid aud successful pro-
gress i'll the study of language must de-
pend upon the readiness and accuracy
with which the student Derceives the rela-
ton of one word TO another. and the logic
al and grammatical dependence Of phras-
es and clauses, all of which is determined
by the same faculty of perception which is
SO constantly exercised and strengthened
III drawing it must readily br admitted
that we are not Claiming too much when
We say that a study OF dra wing forms a
broader basis OF culture than any other
one study. Again, II study OF drawing
may do much Tor tie young in forming
habit Of honest and unprtjGdicetl research;
which he will naturally retain Us he passes
from the study of material form 10 that OF
social, political or theological Questions;
II benetit that c;ln hardly be over e>timat-
cd, wlIcI. we reflect how rnuch Il mans
us tuinrsS aud csIceu III ,ne word mII>t
depend upon the breadth and c.elrneSs Of
his perceptions. Did more men udy
drawing we shun Il hear less OF .aboi ighL-
ing against capit i; less often shuu Il sye
nleu turning the icaves of Gods Hord 10
iind RUS wherein may run uuhiudereI
thei: own narrow Thoughts Instead OF
seeking for inspiration 10 Il hoiicr living.
On pacing cup within a saucer before
q Class b. ginning in drawing | find, al
most without exception. that they draw
the cup entire, showing through the side
OF the saucer rs though IL We're tranSpar-
ent. AN iuaccHracy resulting entirely from
L prjuiIced perception. rhey draw not
alomc what they cnn.d sre but ia aJ,iitio
what they b. lieVeI 10 exist. Just as au-