File:Drawing for beginners (1920) (14753032642).jpg

Identifier: drawingforbeginn00furn (find matches)
Title: Drawing for beginners
Year: 1920 (1920s)

Dorothy Furniss  (1879–1944)
Description	artist
Date of birth/death	1879	1944
Authority file	: Q18784974 VIAF: 92987496 NLA: 35646186 Open Library: OL2371342A

Subjects: Drawing -- Study and teaching
Publisher: Pelham, N. Y. : Bridgman Publishers
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
what was written ofSir Joshua Reynolds, the great portrait-painter of theeighteenth century: His pencil was striking, resistless, and grand ; His manners were gentle, complying, and bland ; Still born to improve us in every part. His pencil our faces, his manner our heart. ■<* Compare our beloved Sir Joshua with the Chinese painterwho, like most Chinese artists, was excellent at copying alikeness, defect and blemish complete, and to whom one ofhis sitters objected that he had not made him handsomeenough. The painter replied, blandly but firmly : No hab got handsome face, how can hab handsomepicture ? Supposing that it is your intention to sketch the likenessof a person who has what is sometimes called an unfor-tunate profile, you should not pitch on the particular positionof a profile for choice. The pencil says that my model has a small eye, snub nose,receding chin, and it records these facts remorselessly. Itmay not mean to be unkind. But the outline is such anddown it goes.164
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 84. Expression in Portraits How to Catch a Likeness In such a case a three-quarter view, or even a full facewould be wiser—and kinder. Some people run away with the idea that portraiture ismerely seeking out defects and exaggerations—but that iscaricature. We should look for the pleasing characteristics. We donot, it is true, wish to draw the pretty pretty face—thechocolate-box style of beauty—but there is no reason againstrecording pleasant rather than unpleasant facts. It takes avery big man to rise above facial defects, and an OliverCromwell to wish to be painted warts and all. We will presume that a group of girls and boys are waitingprimed ready to sketch portraits. And one has been selected,or very good-naturedly volunteers, to sit as a model. Some oneremarks, not very politely and a little despairingly, Theresabsolutely nothing in Rachel that isnt just ordinary! Ordinary ; what is ordinary ? Common, customary,says the dictionary (among other things). Is Rachel ordi

Note About Images