A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING BY HENRY T. BAILEY, O State Supervisor of Drawing, Massachusetts. 853 COPYRIGHTED BY EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1894. PREFACE. 'TVHE chapters of this book first appeared as monthly articles in Primary Education, With the June number came letters from different parts of the country expressing the wish that they might be pre- served in more permanent form. This is the only excuse for being which this little volume has to present. If it shall encourage or help a faithful teacher in any nook or corner of this broad land, in her high work with the little men and women, the news of it will overflow a cup of happiness already full. H. T. B. North Scituate, Massachusetts, September j, 1894. 20^5269 RAPHAEL PAINTING THE MADONNA OF THE CHAIR. By WMmer. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING, SEPTEMBER. I. Illustrative Sketching. " T SUPPOSE I ought to try to teach drawing this year ; 1 O dear!" The teachers who come to their school-rooms in September with such thoughts are becoming scarce. Drawing is one of the delights in a modern primary school. How children love it ! They all draw, that's the proof. They draw transparent boxes and pre-his- toric men and wrecked railway trains and disjointed trappers scalping wild Indians. They even draw pic- tures of the teacher on the sly. What fun ! So much 5 6 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. better than learning number, or anything else in school. " But you don't call that drawing, do you? " What else is it? It isn't the formal drawing-card sort, to be sure, but it is a kind of drawing just as an acorn shoot is a kind of oak, or a restless boy a kind of man. Pluck up the sprout, starve the boy, and hope is gone. And so when we discourage these first attempts of our pupils we poison the fountain at its source. When shall we learn the lesson our pupils have been trying to teach us so long ? that our business is education not injection. We are not to force a knowledge of language and number and drawing into a boy's empty head, but to draw from his mind all these as sun and rain draw spring flowers from the ground. His mind like the March earth is stored with possibilities : it needs but a warm hearted teacher whose lessons are never dry, to induce rich growths. The teacher knows this, and finds drawing already sprouted, so to speak : nurturing is the first work, not planting. The children have just had a fascinating lesson from a real live kitty, or mayhap a lamb, Mary's little lamb, for the teacher no longer turns him out, she uses him for a language lesson. While he lingers near let the children sketch him. The sketch may be crude, but it may embody ideas, and these will be forcibly ex- pressed. Children have the happy faculty of getting at A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. Fig. i. the " true inwardness of things " without loss of time. Compare, for example, these two cows with the two horses: (Fig. I.) The characteristics by which chil- dren distinguish them are never lacking. Cows are long-bodied animals with four legs, horns, an udder and one particular kind of tail. Horses are long-bodied animals with four legs, like cows, but having cars instead of horns, (not one pupil in ten ever represents a cow's ears) a mane, and quite another kind of tail. To the child-mind, evidently shapes of bodies, or heads, or hoofs, are of no importance. Children seize the spirit of things as well as their essential forms. (Figs. 2, 3.) 8 A FIRST YEAE IN DRAWING. We feel the opposition of forces in the second sketch, and their correlation in the third ! Figs. 2, 3. Not only may language lessons be illustrated, but stories and memory gems and number work. For ex- ample, here is the story of Moses by Master Fred Home, of Maiden, Mass., aged six. (Fig. 4.) Fig. 4. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 9 Here is Miriam standing on the Nile bank reluctantly leaving little Moses to his fate in the ark amid the bul- rushes. Then comes Pharaoh's daughter and stands in the very spot where Miriam had been a moment before. Miriam stands behind the bulrushes and offers to find a nurse while the maid-servant brings Moses to the princess. The princess is next shown walking home in triumph with Moses ; and in the last sketch, we see Moses now grown to a mischievous boy running about with the princess near the king's palace. For the lack of space illustrations of memory gems and number are omitted. In connection with nature studies, illustrative sketch- ing is indispensable. How much character is expressed in these sketches from the Model School, Bridgewater, Mass. ! There are many " older and wiser men " than Albert Boyden who do not know as he does that soft-pine needles are put up five in a paper. Hasn't the pupil expressed correct ideas of proportion, form, number, delicacy of growth, in the sketch of the anemone? The anonymous artist of the bird's head has produced almost a "speaking likeness." (Fig. 5.) Illustrative sketching must be encouraged and directed. The teacher's work is to lead the pupils to observe a good order. Some objects may be better sketched by following the natural order ; for instance in 10 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. the anemone. (Fig. 5.) The order was stem, leaf, stalks, leaflets, flower, the order of growth. Others Fig. 5- may be better sketched by following a logical order ; wholes, parts in order of importance. This is the best order in sketching flowers, leaves, etc. A FIKST YEAR IN DRAWING. 11 The first test to be applied to these illustrations is : Do they embody definite ideas ? If they do, they should be praised, not criticised. Later, changes in form should be suggested, perhaps, but sparingly, for con- tinued observation of objects, under guidance, will soon furnish the pupil with sufficient knowledge to insure better sketching. He will become his own critic. One definite idea which the illustrative sketch should embody is life, "But how shall we teach pupils to make sketches which show life ? " We can't. That is, we can't by saying draw this so, and that so. We must lead them to feel the life. " Bah ! that's sentiment ! " All right, call it by any name you like. It is the one element which determines the life or death of a sketch. If we love our little bluet, and feel that it has a little, God-given life like ours, and that it grew just for us to see and to love and to draw, our feeling, in some myste- rious way, will inform our hand, and the life-element will flow into the sketch. Here is Master Sidney Babcock's live sketch of a live bluet. (Fig. 6.) These sketches are faithful reproductions of the original pencil drawings. In Figs. I, 2 and 3, I have simply added ground lines to give the animals standing room. Master Home the author of Fig. 4 was in the lowest primary grade, and the pupils whose sketches are 12 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. grouped in Fig. 5 were all in the second primary grade. In Fig. 6 the circle represents the outline of the circular Fig. 6. piece of paper on which the sketch was made. The half-tinting indicates color. In the original drawing the tips of the flowers were light blue, and the leaves green. The central part of each flower was yellow and the roots brown. The colors could not, of course, be reproduced here. The little artist was in the second primary grade. OCTOBER. II. First Lessons in Form. BUT the illustrative sketching is not enough. Gossip, (mere reporting of facts, ct cetera, endlessly), never produces an accurate, elegant English style. No more will mere illustrative sketching make good reliable drawing. It is too superficial. It must be re-enforced by systematic, thorough study of the science of Drawing, and by persistent, intelligent practice of the art. For this, definite time should be set apart and con- scientiously improved. One hour a week is little enough two would be more just. Divide this time into convenient and reasonable periods. Perhaps a daily lesson during first and second years, and three each week aftenvard, is best. Having once determined the lesson periods, let them be like the laws of the Medes and Persians. An insight into the course as a whole, is of next importance. 13 14 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. The pupil is to be trained to know and to correctly represent the form of objects. He begins with the study of type forms, and models these in clay ; he analyzes . types, and represents their faces by paper; he studies faces representing the edges con- cretely by sticks, and corners by points ; this placing of points prepares for drawing lines, representing edges ; lines combined produce geometric figures representing faces ; and geometric figures, normal, varied or modi- fied, when properly combined form the basis of the grammar work in Drawing. Here it is put concisely, the arrows indicating the progression. (Fig. 7.) / Primary Course. s Analytic 3ynthebt. , "^ 1. Wholes. * Type Forms ,- (Clay) ---4- Qco.Figs. Combmed. 2,.PtS.\ Faxes, (Pa.pf) ..-,/. Qeometric Figures, 3. \ Edges,- (SticKs.)-,/- Lines, Angles, 4. Corners, TJeprettnteilb; Points, Fig. 7. The materials required are spheres, cylinders, and cubes (Fig. 8,) to be used as type solids,* and five or ten pounds of sculptor's clay ; f tablets and sticks are useful, but not indispensable, for paper and tooth picks * These cost about two cents each when purchased in large quantities. All the material required for first year work, may be obtained, packed in a neat box, either from the Prang Educational Company, or through other dealers in school supplies. f According to size of school. Five pounds will do for a dozen pupils. Clay may be obtained from almost any dealer in school supplies. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 15 or straws may be substituted. Be sure that there are a few objects in the school-room based on each of the type forms. The lessons should be short, direct nd attractive, and may be given as follows : 1. The sphere. (Have a box containing a sphere, marbles, a ball, a shot, a cylinder, one or two cylindrical objects, a cube, and some cubical objects.) Pass a sphere about among the pupils for their examination. " Who can find something shaped like that in this box?" " Who else? " " Another may try." When the pupils recognize the shape readily, give the name, Sphere. "How does the sphere feel to the hand?" "How does it look? " "What will the sphere do when placed on the floor?" "What when placed on an inclined desk-top?" Ask other questions and suggest other experiments to make clear the mental picture, and to develop the ideas that a sphere is smooth and round every way. By skillful questioning lead the children to use correctly the terms sphere and spheres. Write the name on the black-board. 2. Spherical objects. Review the sphere. Lead the pupils (a) to find similar objects in the room ; (^) to think of objects shaped like a sphere ; (c) to recall spherical objects when described ; as, for instance, " I am thinking of something shaped like a sphere, about 16 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. as large as a small marble, red, sour : it grows on vines, close to the ground, and is used for sauce at Thanks- giving ! " Three degrees of mental effort are thus required of the pupil; (a) Idea sphere compared with an object present to the senses ; (3) two ideas compared ; (c ) thought developed through selection and combination Fig. 8. of ideas. Ask the pupils to bring spherical objects for use in other lessons. They will bring everything from a gold bead to a " spit-ball," and from a pumpkin to a dust shot. 3. Modeling the sphere. Have the clay in good con- dition, soft enough to model easily, but not soft enough to adhere to the fingers. Drop the mass upon some hard, smooth surface, again and again, until it is cubical in form. Cut it by means of a string into pieces about one cubic inch in size. Distribute these. Review the form to be modeled. Lead the pupils to model the sphere by pressing the clay between the A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 17 fingers, not by rolling. The smooth surface may be obtained, at tJie last, by rolling gently between the palms but smoothness is entirely secondary to general roundness of mass. Select the most worthy clay spheres, and mark them with the makers' initials, using a pen or other sharp point. Collect the remaining clay, place it in a moist cloth, sprinkle it generously with water, and after allow- Fig. 9. ing it to stand for a few moments, swedge it into a compact mass ; wrap it in moist cloths, and outside place a piece of old waterproof or other " air-tight " cloth. If the inner cloths are moistened occasionally, clay so wrapped will keep in condition to use an indefi- nite length of time, a whole term. 4. Modeling the spherical object. Select an evident application of the type. Lead the pupils to determine the important characteristics, those which distinguish this object from other spherical objects. Model the type ; modify it to conform to the selected object. Do 18 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. not allow the pupils to attempt the reproduction of unimportant or minute detail. 5. Modeling from memory ; to give additional prac- tice, and to test the truth and completeness of the pupil's concept. This exercise may be the modeling of the sphere, or of the approximate form. Whichever it is, no assistance should be given by the teacher. In all these lessons the correct pronunciation of the new words should be persistently required. " Sp'ere" is no more splicre than " 'and " is hand, or " drawin' " drawing. The order of lessons here given may serve for all the type solids : r a. Recognition. b. Name. 1. The type c. Qualities and attributes. ^ d. Approximates. T a. Observed. 2. Similar objects \ b. Remembered. (^ c. Imagined. 3. The type modeled. 4. Similar object modeled. 5. Memory lesson. Illustrative sketching of the spheres and spherical objects may follow or accompany these lessons ; but the chief business now is to add to the pupil's knowledge of form. As a wise master-builder, lay the foundations that another may find something to build upon. NOVEMBER. III. Other Lessons on Form. '"f II THAT is the name of that solid we were studying YV last week?" "Who can find a sphere in the box?" " What will it do when placed on the desk-top? " " How does it feel to the hand? " " Do you think this a sphere too? " says the teacher, holding up a cylinder: " It rolls ! " (rolling it upon the desk-top.) "No? Well, who can find a solid like it?" " Another." " Another." "And here is its hard name upon the blackboard : let us pronounce it together, cyl-in-der." " Don't ask these questions : ask similar questions of your own to review the previous work and introduce the new. It's an art to use the hook (<;) successfully, to get what you want each time. I have ventured no answers, you see. One can seldom predict his catch with certainty. 19 20 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. However, if the teacher has a definite plan for pre- senting the new object and discovering its qualities and attributes, the pupil will come out right in the end. A plan has been already suggested in a previous chapter. The pupils learn that the cylinder is like the sphere in one respect and unlike it in another, it is round one way and has flat ends. No solid rivals the cylinder in Fig. 10. interest it is like a stick of candy, and a big fire- cracker, a muff and a rolling-pin. What could be more interesting to boys and girls? Let the children model it directly from the cubical piece of clay : do not make a sphere first. The longest way round isn't the shortest way there ! Press the clay into shape with the fingers; do not roll and "pat" except for the finishing touches. Perhaps two lessons on modeling the type may be necessary before attempt- ing an approximate form similar to those shown in Fig. 10. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 21 The cube is not round at all ; it has six flat sides alike. There are but few evident applications : the chalk box, the teacher's inkstand perhaps, a letter block, dice, square beads for number, hat-pin head, and, "O, there are lots of cubes good to eat," exclaims the hungry small boy ; " cake and sugar and caramels and marshmallows." Fig. ii. The modeling is simple if the cube is made directly by pressing the clay into shape with the fingers. The edges may be made sharp by "pinching" between the thumb and fore-finger, very gently, drawing out the clay. The sides may be made flat, at last, by tapping lightly upon the slate. Here are sketches of a few simple applications for modeling. (Fig. 11.) The three solids should now be reviewed. There are many interesting devices. For example ; give each 22 A FIKST YEAR IN DRAWING. pupil one of each kind. Have him hold up the one called for, or the one whose name is written on the board. Make a row on the desk, sphere, cylinder, cube ; or, cylinder, sphere, cube ; cube, sphere, cylinder ; or, cube, cylinder, sphere. Recognize and name from sketch upon the black-board, correctly drawn. (See Fig. 8.) Another interesting exercise, and valuable, is this : sketch some object on the board, an apple, orange, spool, mug, bottle, box, block, and have the pupils tell which solid it is most like. But perhaps most interesting is the sketch of a simple group of ob- jects suggesting some story, like Fig. 12 or Fig. 13. Have the children first name the objects, then suggest the story, then tell the form of each object, by referring to its type. In ungraded schools the older pupils in the first section may sometimes use such illustrations for lan- guage work. Here is a sample from real life : " Papa came home late one night and found a tea set on the table for him to drink. He pored it out into the cup. He put in milk and six lumps of shuger cubes. There were three spoons in the holder. The tea pot was shape like a sphere." Many suggestions for making these first form lessons interesting may be found among the kindergarten litera- ture. There are one or two little songs which help to A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 23 fix the forms in mind. But even if such cannot be found, the wide-awake teacher will devise some way to make the child's knowledge stay with him, through interest. One young teacher, somewhat of a poet Fig. i_. withal, composed this ode, and caused it to be com- mitted to memory as a "Memory Gem!" " Here is the cube as square as a brick ; Here is the cylinder round as a stick ; Here is the sphere, it is shaped like a ball ; Sphere, cube, and cylinder, that is all." Lastly, the children should know these forms so well that they can find them in combination. The mallet, (Fig. 10), is composed of two cylinders; the inkstand, 24 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. (Fig. n), of a cube and a cylinder; the lamp, (Fig. 13), of a sphere, a cylinder, and a half sphere. As a review exercise in modeling, little groups may be made similar to Figs. 12 and 13. A croquet set is interesting with its box, balls and mallets and wire Fig- wickets. The ground may be made of a thin sheet of clay placed on a board ; the wickets of straw or grass- stems and the stakes of clay. But let us remember that the chief end is to teach form : not to make pretty things for amusement. The true product is in the boy's head, not on a shelf in the closet. DECEMBER. IV. Details of Form. "TF the prophet Isaiah had ever taught a primary 1 school," once said a discouraged teacher, " he would have revised his directions. ' Precept upon pre- cept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line,' is all right ; but he should have added, here a little, and there a good deal! Children are so forgetful ! " Children often forget what they have been told, but seldom what they have discovered. Did a boy ever forget the location of a bird's nest? The boy who discovers that his body is a cylinder, and his limbs cyl- inders, and his head a sphere, will not soon reach the sad state where his teacher feels like asking him if he hasn't mistaken the shape of his head ! As a review lesson on form, nothing is more interest- ing than a voyage of discovery. We find the largest sphere in town, the largest cylinder, (perhaps "The sand-pipe on the hill what the water comes out of," as I have been told more than once), the largest cube: then 25 26 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. the smallest. The longest cylinder in the room, the shortest ; these always yield interesting results, and make definite the pupil's ideas of form, preparatory to lessons on details of form. "You have a sphere in your hand. What part of it do you touch? " "The outside." "What part of the cube are you touching? " " The outside." " How many outsides has a thing? " " One." " Here is a new word for outside; surface. Let us pronounce it together : Surface. Here it is written on the blackboard. Let us pro- nounce it once more. Mary may try. John may try. What is it, Tommy? " "Then what part of the sphere are you touching? What part of the cylinder? What part of the cube?" "Touch the surface of the desk; of the book; of the slate," etc., etc. Another day ; " Move your fingers over the surface of the sphere. Over the surface of the cube. Do you discover any difference between the two surfaces?" A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 27 Can you find some other thing in the room with sur- face like that of the sphere ? Like that of the cube ? " And so develop the ideas curved surface and plane surface* Review. Another day ; " Touch the top of the sphere ; the side ; the front ; the back. How do you know where the ' top ' stops and the ' side ' begins ? " " Touch the top of the cube ; a side ; can you tell now where the ' top ' stops and the ' side ' begins? " Other questions will develop the thought that a surface may have distinct parts. Distinct parts of surface are faces. Review, finding large and small faces ; number of faces on a given solid or object ; and later the kinds of faces, : curved, plane ; and shapes, round (the end of the cylinder), and square (a face of the cube.) At this point it may be well to divide an ungraded or partially graded school into two sections ; one composed of the younger and duller pupils, and the other com- posed of the older and brighter. * At this stage do not attempt to teach " round surface." The term is ambiguous; spherical surface is definite and correct; but if that is taught, why not cylindrical surface, and conical surface, and spheroidal surface ! Teach it round surface and children will confuse it with round face, and make no end of trouble. 28 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. The Primary Section then, may continue the analysis of form, going slowly and surely, with occasional lessons in modeling applica- tions of the type forms. (i) Faces are bounded by edges; either curved or straight. (2) Straight edges have definite positions; (3) horizontal, (4) vertical, (5) oblique. (6) Edges end at corners, whose pictures are points. (7) Corners have certain locations, as at the top, bottom, left, right, etc., and are (8) definite distances apart on the cube, namely, one inch. The figures in parenthesis show the order of lessons, and by their position indicate approximately, how much may be taken in each. These lessons, so precise and uninviting in cold type, when passed through the alembic of a live teacher's love, arouse almost uncontrollable enthusiasm. The interspersed lessons in modeling during the month, may have some reference to Christmas. Why not make Christmas presents a ball for baby brother, some alphabet blocks, a Jack-in-the-box for the little lame boy, a fine ink-stand for teacher, and a box of marshmallows, a string of beads for Jennie, a hat pin for mamma, and a scarfpin for papa; and caramels and oranges, and O, so many pretty things besides ! Here are suggestive sketches. (Fig. 14.) A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 29 Fig. 14- Sketches of simple objects involving in their construction the modelling of K forms similar to the type solids. "This clay well mix- ed with marl and sand, Follows the motion of my hand ; For some must fol- low and some command, Though all are made of clay." [Longfellow in Keramos^ 30 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. The Intermediate Section may make a more careful study of the shapes of faces, taking first the circle and square, derived from the cyl- inder and cube. These may be cut from paper and studied for edges and corners and then drawn on the black-board. Paper circles and squares are capable of magic trans- formations ! A six-inch circle, halved, will give two semi-circles, (Fig. 15), one of which, (A"), with the aid of a bit of glue and a strip (A) for a handle will make a cornu- copia for Christmas; and the other (D), after modifica- tion at the center as shown at d, d, will, with a three-inch A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 31 32 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. circle (B) make a fine little mustard-pot. Then another three-inch circle like B, with one radius cut, when properly glued, and furnished with a handle (B") will make a cover. A five-inch circle (C") and the cross form (C) properly glued, will make a Japanese sun- shade, and a tooth-pick will do for the handle. A three- inch circle (B) and a twelve-inch strip like Bx will make a ladle ; and so on to the end, wherever that is. Squares are equally interesting. (Fig. 17.) A five-inch square cut as shown at E, will make a wind-mill ; one cut as at F, with f folded over upon F, and f then folded over and glued upon f, will, with a bit of ribbon make a neat handkerchief case. A square like G, folded upon the dotted lines, and g, glued to g' will make another hanging basket for Christmas. Another pretty little basket may be made from H plus H'.* But with all the pretty things let us not forget that mental discipline is the end, and that at the close of each exercise the pupil should either knoiu more, or have a greater power to work accurately and neatly, or have a higher skill to work rapidly and deftly. * The completed objects are shown in Fig. 16. Many similar objects may be found in White's Primary Manual, and in various other publications of the Prang Educational Company. JANUARY. v. Movement and Drill. QUESTION : If all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, what will all play and no work make him ? The answer begins to materialize in some quarters: certainly not an ideal American citizen. In some primary schools illustrative sketching and clay modeling are popular, they're////// but movement exercises and the drawing of lines, discipline, " Let's make some- thing pretty!" Not so, my friends; rather let us gird up the loins of our mind and ascend the Hill Difficulty at once. It's hygienic. First, the children must acquire good habits of posi- tion and movement. If we could but come into perfect sympathy with our children, and see things from their point of view, we could lead them to see for themselves how much more desirable is an erect position, and "long pencil holding." We could lead them to prefer a hand and arm subject to the will, and to rejoice in any effort necessary to secure that end. 33 34 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. If we tell the pupil to sit thus and so, and prescribe rules for every part of the body, we put him into such a straight jacket that he hardly dares to move for fear of getting out of position. His hand seems about as capa- ble of free movement as the " flipper" of a stuffed seal ! Let us sit down and draw with the children, example is better than precept. " Can you sit up straight as I do ? Do you see how my pencil is held ? Can you hold yours so? (Two or three inches from the point, and almost perpendicular to the direction of the line to be drawn.) Let us place a point here, one inch from the left edge of the paper ; another here, one inch from the right edge. Pencil over the left point ; over the right point; all together, over the left again. Now we will make believe draw a line ; all ready, slide. Do you think that would have been a good line if the pencil had touched the paper? Let us try it again, now; again. Good. Watch me now ; I shall slide once or twice and then let the pencil touch the paper so that it can draw. That isn't a very straight line, is it? I shall try again. You can do better than that, I'm sure. You may try it with me. Now, all together. And so the lesson goes on, everybody happy, every- body doing his best. It's surprising how the difficulties disappear, and what fun it is to climb the hill, to work, when we have a good guide and a jolly companion. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 35 Let us not sit at the desk and say, "slide, back ; slide, back ; slide, back ; draw:" with that sing-song mechani- cal rhythm productive only of ennui. Review the positions of edges, with the models, with objects in the room; practice the movements, (defi- nitely, from point to point, the careless, aimless slid- ing does more harm than good " Sliding in the air" is Fig. 1 8. just what the expression implies,) and draw in order (i) horizontal lines, (2) vertical lines, (3) oblique lines downward to the left, (4) oblique lines downward to the right. Two lessons on oblique lines are enough ; lay emphasis on horizontal and vertical. When these two positions are known, pupils will not write " up hill," nor write a column of figures always slanting downward to the left. 36 A FIRST YEAR IX DRAWING. Have the class draw upon the blackboard once every two weeks at least. Here, no erasing, except as the teacher may direct, full arm movement, long lines, at least eighteen inches, the pupil standing as far from the board as possible while working. Continue the illustrative sketch- ing. The specific lessons in draw- ing will begin to better this. The little sketches, Figures 18, 19, and 20, show how the lines may be embodied in interesting form : the sea must be level, for it is almost calm ; the spider's thread must be vertical and the hill oblique. Other / details may be changed according / % to the pupil's fancy. Here are suggestive notes for other sketches, embodying the type forms and the lines. I see a boy coming home from the fair with his mother. He has a toy balloon held fast by a string. Can you make the picture? (Sphere and vertical line.) John is in the country helping his grandpa pick apples. He stands on a ladder leaning against the tree. He has a basket. I see a barrel of apples under the tree. There Fig. 19. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 37 is a bird on the tip-top spray watching him. (Cylinder and oblique line.) At grandpa's is a well-sweep. One day Harry threw .a stick into the well when grandpa was drawing water for old Brindle to drink. While grandpa leaned over the well-curb looking in, Harry ran away to hide in the barn. (Cube and oblique line.) Be merciful in criticising these sketches. Do they embody the ideas awakened by the story? Are vertical lines vertical and horizontal lines horizontal? Let us look for the good to commend it, not for the bad to condemn it. Fig. 20. Intermediate Section. After these pupils can draw horizontal and vertical lines with comparative skill they may begin the sys- tematic study of the geometric figures. These are important ; they form the basis of all kinds of graphic 38 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. representation, Geometric, Decorative and Pictorial. They must be known by the pupil as thoroughly as the four fundamental processes of arithmetic. Review the shapes of faces already found (circle and square,) and, if models are to be had, half-sphere, half- cylinder, and half-cube, find the new shapes of faces, namely, triangle, oblong and semi-circle. If no models are to be had, the new shapes may be made by dividing squares and circles. However obtained, the most satis- factory order of study seems to be, triangle, square, oblong, circle, semi-circle. Some object to this course, this insisting on a clear knowledge of geometric fig- ures. But I have yet to find a school where pupils, who have not had such lessons, discriminate clearly between circle and sphere, oblong and cylinder, square and cube ; angle, triangle and triangular prism are in a hopeless tangle, too. We must take special pains to keep distinct those things likely to be confused. During the first two years NEVER talk about tablets as representing views. They represent plain faces only. (One face of the cyl- inder is two inches by three and one-eighth, nearly, not one by two! No tablet represents this.) The average child's mind makes no such fine distinctions as are involved in the thing, the view of the thing, the repre- sentation of the view of the thing, and the drawing of the representation of the view of the thing ! A F1KST YEAR IN DRAWING. 39 Fig. 21. A series of lessons on the triangle may be given as follows : 1. Find a plane face having the fewest possible num- ber of straight lines. Find a tablet like it. Cut this shape from paper. Find objects having triangular faces. Draw triangles on the board. 2. Cut a four inch square in two to make two tri- angles. Make a drawing from one, upon a sheet of ma- nilla paper (See Fig. 21.) Mount the triangle in another position upon the same sheet. (Using the other paper triangle.) 3. Find the part on which the triangle is supposed to stand. Write near it the word base. Find its highest 40 A FIRST YEAR IX DRAWING. Fig. 22. point. Write near that, vertex. Fold the triangle, or in some other way show a straight line from the vertex down vertically to the base. Write near this altitude. Indicate the base, vertex and altitude in each of several triangles of different shapes drawn upon the blackboard. 4. Draw two triangles upon manilla paper, and indi- cate these details (See Fig. 22.) 5. Draw some triangular object. (See Fig. 23 ; the support and shelf of a corner bracket.) 6. Reproduce the drawing from memory. Without help from the teacher. 7. Draw the following from dictation. Turn the sheet (6" X 9") with a long edge horizontal. Place a A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. Fig. 23. point one inch from the lower left hand corner. (The pupils know, of course, that this means one inch above the lower edge and one inch in from the left edge, called, for short, one inch from the corner.) Place a point one inch from the lower right hand corner. Place a point one inch and one-half below the middle of the upper edge. Connect these points to form a triangle. Indi- cate its altitude by means of a very light line. Place a point on the altitude one inch and one-half above the base. This point is the centre of a circle one-half inch in diameter. Draw the circle. (Result: a draftsman's triangle, from the Springfield Drawing Kit, See Fig. 24.) 42 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. Fig. 24. Suggestions for other lessons on the triangle may be found in White's Primary Manual, (Prang Educational Co.) and in Thompson's Manual Training No. I. (D. C. Heath & Co.) FEBRUARY. VI. Faces. "HPHE class may pass to the blackboards." (If there 1 is not room for all, the brightest may remain at their seats and work with slates, or better, with paper and pencils.) " You may place points for a horizontal line one foot long." (On the paper perhaps 6''.) "Draw the line." " Now I shall ask you to do something which hun- dreds of boys and girls can't do, although it seems so easy. Can you see the ends of your line? Can you see the middle of the line? Sure? Look right at the mid- dle of your line ; now make a little mark across the line, exactly in the middle. Do you think yours is just right? Stand back and look at others. Do you think one is just right? How shall we know whether this one is right or wrong? Yes, we can measure. Who would like to measure all the lines upon the board. John may measure them." And so John measures and finds only two right. The 43 44 A FIRST YEAK IN DRAWING. teacher who had been working with the children finds her own wrong, to the amusement and encouragement of the class. She says she will try again ; the class wishes to try again too ; and the lines are erased. Others are drawn, divided and tested. Mary divides her lines correctly every time. Her name shall be written in one corner of the blackboard with a star after it. " I wonder whose name will be written there after the next lesson?" Fig. 25. At another time : "You may sketch two telegraph poles with their wires." (Fig. 25.) " One day a little bird flying along thought he would stop to rest on one of the wires. He happened to light just half way between the two poles. Can you sketch him." Again, it is a man setting out trees along the sidewalk in front of his house. Or there are three soldiers in a row, or three crows on a fence. Before the pupils are aware of making any unusual effort they have learned to bisect. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 45 While practicing free drawing of lines and judging dis- tances the pupils may be learning the positions and shapes of faces. I have yet to discover a school in Massachu- setts where the pupils are not familiar with the terms horizontal, vertical and oblique ; and I might almost add with truth, that I have yet to discover one where the Old Alden Place, Duxbury. Built by the son of John and Priscilla Alden, in 1653. Fig. 26. pupils know which is which ! They often guess right twice out of three times but if you doubt the guess they will guess again with great confidence. With three type solids on the desk the terms may be easily taught. "Place your finger on the top of the cube ; on the top of the cylinder. Mary may touch the 46 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. top of the play table. What do you touch? " (Surface or face.) "Place the sphere on the table; what does it do?" (Stands or rests.) "Can you find another face on which the sphere will rest?" A face on which a sphere will rest is horizontal. " Place the sphere on the middle of the desk-top ; when you let it alone, what will it do ? Find another face on which the sphere will roll without being pushed." A face on which a sphere rolls is oblique. All other faces are vertical. Find horizon- tal faces in the room. Find vertical faces. Find oblique faces. How many horizontal faces has the cube, as it rests on the floor? How many vertical faces. Can you hold a cube so that all its faces will be oblique? So that four of them will be oblique ? How many faces do you think there are on this old house with its L? (Fig. 26.) How many are vertical? How many are oblique? The terms may now be applied to edges. Pupils have no difficulty in thinking edges which are level, edges which go straight up and down, and edges which slant. How many horizontal edges on the top of the cube? How many on the whole cube? How many vertical? How many oblique when the cube rests upon one edge only? Upon one corner only? Apply the terms to lines. For busy work give the pupils four or five sticks 2" long and ask them to make as many objects as they can using all the sticks ; first A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 47 arranging the sticks, and then making a little sketch at one side on the slate, as a record. Here is a series obtained in the Dover street school, Lowell, each pupil having four sticks. I give the names =a .11. I I f An I Table House Chair. Umbrella T| wet-Tot Fig. 27. given by the children. (Fig. 27.) And here is another, with five sticks obtained in the Ames street school, Lowell. (Fig. 28.) The pupils made the sketches and indicated the num- ber and positions of lines in each: as "Fan, 2 H, 3 V." " Dipper, 2 H, 2 V, i O," etc. This is busy work which 48 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. : f . *> } &> o <=> 3 X3 , c ' / i ^H -1/1 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 49 busies brains as well as fingers. It keeps the imaging power active, and gives training in drawing and number. The children like it. Fig. 29. The next lessons may be on the shapes of faces. Two faces of the cylinder are round. Those of the cube are square. By pressing a piece of paper over the end of the cylinder, the shape of the face may be creased, and the impression will guide the pupil in cutting out the circle. The square may be cut from a corner of the paper by following similar steps. Let the pupil trace around the faces, then draw them 50 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. large size upon the blackboard, then make illustrative sketches involving squares and circles. Intermediate Section. By constant review keep the past lessons fresh in the pupil's mind. " How many things do you find shaped like triangles? I wish you would keep one sheet of paper in your geography, on which to make sketches of things shaped like triangles, as fast as you discover them." After the interest begins to flag, show the pupils a sheet of your own containing such sketches as these. (Fig. 29.) A series of lessons on the square may be arranged upon the same general outline as that given for the previous series on the triangle. 1. Study one face of the cube. How many edges has it? How many angles? What can you discover about the length and relation of edges? What about the angles? Find a tablet like it. Cut this shape from paper. Find objects having square faces. Draw squares upon the board. 2. Cut a four inch square so as to make four two-inch squares. Make a drawing of one, enlarged, upon a sheet of paper. (See Fig. 30.) Mount the square upon the upper left-hand part of the sheet. 3. Fold another two-inch square to make four small A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 51 squares. How is the square divided by the creases? How do the creases divide each other? Lines passing through squares as these do are diameters. Fold another two-inch square to make four right-angled triangles each having a two-inch base. How do the creases divide the square? And each other? Lines passing through aitAr wina 1 Fig. 30 squares as these do are diagonals. Draw diameters or diagonals in squares drawn in different positions upon the board. 4. Mount the two folded squares near the left side of a sheet, and draw a large square with diameter and diagonals in the space at the right. Add the names of details. (Fig. 31.) 52 A FIRST YEAR IX DRAWING. 5. Draw some square object. (See F g. 32 ; a cold- wave signal.) 6. Reproduce the drawing from memory, or draw some other square object. 7. Draw the following from dictation. Turn the *'N *" \ Fig. 31. sheet (6" X g"} so that a short edge is horizontal. Place a point one inch from the upper left hand corner. Another one inch from the upper right hand corner. Place other points for a four-inch square. Sketch the square. Sketch its diagonals. Place points on each side of the square one inch from each corner. Place points on each semi-diagonal one inch from the center. Connect the points to form a Maltese cross. Make the A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 53 lines of the cross much heavier than the sketched lines. (Fig. 33.) What do you know about the Maltese cross ? Have you read "In His Name," by Dr. E. E. Hale? Kg. 32. Fig. 33- Suggestions for other lessons on the square may be found in Prang's Primary Course Manuals, and in the other books previously mentioned. MARCH. VII. Faces. Continued. IN a fourth year room the other day we were discussing form. Certain expressions led me to surmise that some forms were yet in a sort of nebulous condition in the pupils' minds, and as a test I said "Tell me the difference between a sphere and a circle." The best reply I could get, and to which no one took exception, was, "A spear is sharp and a circle ain't!" Further speariii , as a Scotchman might say revealed that solids and surfaces were almost hopelessly confused, owing to the indiscriminate use of tablets to represent "views." I believe that the less a primary pupil has to do with different "views" the better. When he knows the shapes of plane faces and can draw them in about five seconds apiece, without the eraser, he may perhaps steer a straight course through "Five views of a circular tablet" and other like useless and inane complexities, if he must; but he ought to know some few facts, and be 54 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 55 able to do some few things well before leaving the primary grade. From the first three solids but two plane figures are derived, the circle from the cylinder and the square from the cube. Last month the pupil pressed or traced and cut out these two shapes. Each should be made perfectly familiar. Fig. 34- To secure this three-fold result, knowledge power skill, three sorts of lessons should be given: 1. Object drawing, to give definite knowledge of the object, and of the method of representing it. 2. Memory drawing, to test the results of previous teaching, and to develop the power to reproduce. 3. Dictation drawing, to review previous work and to secure rapidity in execution. The square. There are various ways of giving the early lessons on the square, depending upon materials, circumstances and individualities ; but the fundamental order is, (Fig. 34,) (a) the cube, (b) one face of the cube, (c) a concrete representation of the face by tablet or paper, ( d) its representation by sticks soaked peas 56 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. and tooth picks or wires as in the kindergarten, or sim- ply splints or sticks laid upon the desk, (which may be omitted, with all but the youngest children) (e) its more abstract representation by drawing from the object upon paper and larger upon the blackboard, often tested to see that corners are square and edges equal. These steps occupy from two to six lessons of twenty minutes each, according to conditions. Squares cut from stiff manilla paper may be used in constructing little objects delightful to children, as shown Fig. 35- in Figure 35; or if cut from colored paper they may be arranged in borders, mats and rosettes as in Figure 36. The first drawing should be from the object directly, without blackboard illustration. Hold the cube in the hand before the class. "We will draw this face. You A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 57 may place a point to represent this corner. (To insure uniform work, have all papers in a similar position, and the first point placed one inch from the upper left-hand corner of the sheet.) Place a point to represent this corner, this lower corner, this corner. Draw this edge, this, this, this." In each case directing attention to the face of the object. Memory draw- ings should be made without suggestion, help or hinder- ance. The direction is, simply: "You may draw J''g-3 6 - the square you drew yesterday, same size, same position." At another time a vertical line is drawn upon the blackboard. " This line is one side of a square, draw the square." Later draw one horizontal side, and lastly, when you think the pupils know square, draw one side oblique, and ask them to finish the square. This is a crucial test for primary children. Dictation drawings should be very simple : "Place points for a square ; draw the square ; connect opposite 58 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. corners by straight lines," or something equally sim- ple, may be too difficult at first. If so, dictate one point at a time, one line at a time, clearly, slowly, but with- out repetition. Let the exercise progress as rapidly as the children can follow, without interruption by question or otherwise. An exercise requiring twenty minutes one week, ought to be drawn in ten the next, and in five the next, and in three the next. The end is skill. Emerson has given us the law of the dictation exercise, uncon- sciously of course. "Without halting, without rest Lifting Better up to Best." In all this early work, let not erasing be once named among us. "Think before you speak," is a good rule, and if followed will eliminate three-fourths the errors. One ounce of thought is worth a pound of rubber. How often in primary schools the old parable is exemplified afresh : "Nimble Dick, he was so quick, He tumbled over a timber ; He bent his bow to shoot a crow ; And shot the cat in the winder ! " If Dick's brain had only been more nimble ! Some pupils hang their "thinking cap" in the entry with the other. This is a bad habit, and should be broken up. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. Intermediate Section. 59 " How are you coming on with your sketches of things like squares ? Show me your sketches and you may see mine." (Fig. 37.) A series of lessons on the next geometric figure, the oblong, may be as follows : Fig. 37- i. Review square and diameters. Divide a square upon one diameter. How many parts? What about their shape? Study one part. What has it in common with the square ? In what does it differ from the square ? Find objects having a similar shape. Yes, the room is full of oblongs, almost every object in it has an oblong 60 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. face. Cut an oblong from paper. Make it exactly 2 X 3-j". Draw oblongs on the blackboard. 2. Review oblong. On a sheet 6" X 9" make a drawing of the paper oblong previously cut, just twice its actual size. Mount the paper oblong in the center of the sheet. (Fig. 38.) 3. Review square with diameters and diagonals. All diagonals connect what? All diameters connect what? Cut an oblong 2-" X 4". Can you fold that oblong to show its diameters ? That's easy ; but can you fold it to show diagonals? Now be careful! Draw sheet shown in Fig. 39. 4. Draw some oblong object. (See Fig. 40; a tag.) 5. Reproduce the drawing from memory or draw some other oblong object. 6. Draw the following from dictation. Turn the sheet (6" X 9") so that its short edges are horizontal. Place a point one inch from the upper left hand corner; another one inch from the upper right hand corner. Trisect the distance between these points. Measure on the pencil a distance equal to one of these divisions. Show on the pencil a distance equal to two of the divi- sions : a distance equal to four of the divisions. Place a point for the lower left hand corner of an oblong whose vertical side is equal to the distance you now have on the pencil (four-thirds as long as the horizontal side.) A FIRST YEAH IN DRAWING. 61 Fig. 38. 39- 62 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. Place a point for the lower right hand corner. Trisect the distance between the lower corners. Quadrisect the distance between the left hand corners : between the right hand corners. Sketch lightly four vertical lines connecting opposite points. Sketch a horizontal line connecting the upper corner points. Sketch a similar line connecting the points next below. Sketch a similar line connecting the middle points. Sketch a similar line connecting the lower corner points. Line-in parts of these sketched lines to form the outline of a Latin Cross. (Fig. 41.) What is the symbolic meaning of the Latin Cross? Of the Greek Cross? NOTE. TJic Crosses. No simple ornamental forms are of greater interest, historically, and as symbols, than the crosses. There are numerous varieties, but all are A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 63 reducible to four types ; the Greek cross, (at the left, Fig- 37) the Maltese cross (next to the right), the Saint Andrew's cross, and the Latin cross (Fig. 41.) These four in final analysis become two, one based on the square and one on the oblong. Their simple pleasing forms, inter- esting because of their his- tory and sacred by associa- tion, become valuable material Fig. 41. for primary teachers. The oldest by far is that known as Greek so called because adopted by the Eastern and Greek church to distinguish it from the Western or Roman or Latin church whose symbol was the Latin cross. It has been found on monuments in all parts of the world, ante- dating the Christian era by hundreds and even thousands of years. Some archaeologists suppose it to symbolize Eden or rather the rivers which watered Eden. " Springing out of the midst of the garden, and thence parted into four," flowing north, south, east and west, " to the great ocean stream which encompassed the whole land round about." However this may be, it was a sacred symbol for ages before the Christian fathers 64 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. adopted it, to symbolize the waters of life, the gospel "the fountain for sin and uncleanness opened at Jerusalem," thence flowing north, south, east and west, eventually to make the whole earth the garden of the Lord. In England the Greek cross became the cross of St. George, and as such appears in the English flag. The Latin cross symbolizes Christ himself, and his death on Calvary. This, too, is a very old symbol. Some trace it back to the tau of the Egyptians. A sim- ilar form appears in the Scandinavian Mythology as Thor's hammer. Longfellow introduces the symbols of the opposing religions, with artistic effectiveness in the Olaf Saga. Then King Olaf raised the hilt Of iron, cross-shaped and gilt, And said, "Do not refuse; Count well the gain and the loss Thor's hammer or Christ's cross ; Choose ! " Olaf went over his kingdom "with this rough harrow of conversion," as Carlyle puts it, and obtained an outward conformity to the rites of the new religion. But when O'er his drinking-horn, the sign He made of the cross divine, As he drank and muttered his prayers ; . the Berserks evermore A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 65 Made the sign of the Hammer of Thor Over theirs. 'Twas the Latin cross Constantine saw in the heavens with the words " Conquer by this." By this same sym- bol, Peter the Hermit aroused all Europe for the First Crusade. It became the badge of the crusaders and lives in history and story and hymn as the most powerful symbol of the middle ages. Many of the world's greatest cathedrals are built upon the plan of the Latin cross. The Maltese cross was probably evolved from the Greek cross by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, during the Crusades. These Knights obtained Malta as a perpetual sovereignty, and fortified the island until it became almost impregnable. This cross formed the principal bearing of their arms and banners, hence its name Maltese. Sainc Andrew's cross in its original form was X, based on the oblong, later, in heraldy it appeared as X , based on the square. That given in Fig. 37 is an ornamental form, often found in Gothic ornament. Saint Andrew is the na- tional saint of Scotland, and his symbol now appears with the cross of Saint George in the flag of Great Britain. These four crosses recur again and again in mediaeval ornament, under various and beautiful forms often with foliations and tracery, often bejeweled or enriched with lovely colors. APRIL. VIII. Faces. Continued. ERE is a picture for you." Such an announcement is always hailed with delight in a prima- ry school. Children love pic- tures. Such a sketch as Figure 42, placed on Fi g-42- the black- board before school begins, will claim their attention a long time. "What do you see here?" The answers come quickly and with little agreement, "Hens chickens 66 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 67 Fig. 43- birds a house a barn a fence windows pigeons." "Yes, yes; but not so fast. When you see a sketch like this (Fig. 43) you don't say I see eyes ears nose necktie, do you ? No, you say, ' I see a little girl.' Now of what is this (Fig. 42), a picture?" " Yes, it is a hen-house : or poultry-house. Two families live in it, one on the ground floor, and one in the attic. Now who is ready to name all the different things to be seen in the picture?" When the interest is at its height ask, "How many squares can you find in the picture?" The answers come like popping corn " Two five one seven three five four fourteen six ! " "Well, well, not so fast; somebody is guessing. Now count quietly and raise your hand when you are sure you know the number." At last the squares are found, seventeen in all, and the children may sketch something having a square in it, or copy the sketch on the blackboard. The sketch may be left upon the blackboard until the next lesson, which will be upon another figure, (i.) "Do you remember when we pressed upon one 68 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. face of the cylinder and cut out the shape of the face? We will try that again this morning, and do much better than we did before." Cylinders, paper and scissors are distributed and the circles are cut out by the pupils. Each writes Circle upon one side, and his initials upon the other side of his paper circle. (2.) "What did we make during the last lesson? Place the little circle in the middle of the desk-top. Using the point of your fore-finger as though it were a pencil, you may trace around the circle without touch- ing it. Yes, go round again, tracing a larger circle. Now let's trace as large a circle as possible without falling off the edge of the desk. Let's trace it round and round several times. Now, all together." Have the movement uniform. There is no special virtue in beginning at the bottom and moving up toward the left. Begin at the top and move downward toward the left if you prefer. The only rule is that the point of beginning should be in sight during the entire process. Find circles in the room, the clock face, the number ring, the ink-well cover, etc., etc. Practice the movement again. " How many circles can you find in this picture that we studied the other day?" (3.) Practice the circular movement first without pen- cils then with pencils. If possible have a large printed or drawn circle (about 4" in diameter) for the pupils to A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 69 trace. Hold the pencil as for a vertical line, and trace round and round barely touching the paper, so as to make very, very light lines. Now try without the printed circle. Just as twenty homely girls photographed suc- cessively upon the same plate will make a pretty composite face, so twenty imperfect circles lightly drawn may produce the effect of roundness. (4.) Practice drawing circles of limit- ed sizes. That is, place two points to indicate the height of the Fig. 44. circle, and practice the movement and draw through these points. (5.) Cut circles from paper and construct one or more such simple objects as shown in Fig. 44. (6.) Draw one or more such objects upon manilla paper. (7.) Reproduce such drawings from memory. (8.) Dictate as follows: Place points for a four inch circle. Sketch the circle. Place a point one inch 70 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. above the lower part of the circle. Practice the move- ment for a new circle through this point and the highest point in the first circle. Barbarous and other imperfectly civilized people some- times wear ear-rings, often of this shape. (Fig. 45.) " What is the largest circle you ever saw?" Fig. 45- Intermediate Section. "Do you remember that in our last lesson many of you had trouble with trisecting? Now that seemed of but little consequence in drawing the cross, although I believe you thought the crosses looked better when drawn accurately ; but we shall have trisecting to do before long which will be very important. You know that last Arbor Day we set out trees at the corners of our school house lot, next the sidewalk. This year we have two more to set out. Where shall we put them? Here is a rough plan. (Fig. 46.) The corner trees are only 75 feet apart, and we must have the others placed so that the trees shall have all the room possible to grow evenly. Will the arrangement at A look well, or B look better? Here are two dots on the blackboard A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 71 for the corner trees. Who will show me where the others should be placed ? We will trisect three different lines 8" long. The two pupils who do this accurately may drive the stakes in the yard to show us where to set the trees Arbor Day." "When you think you can trisect perfectly, you may try to puzzle out this : Cut a 4" X 9" oblong from paper ; trisect the long sides ; make three cuts through Sohool i a * X house lot; JH ^ - jji * * Sidewalk - 1' u * A ! 1 i 4 y L* * 3,'dew.IK. B Fig. 46. the points of trisection so that the pieces will form three equal quadrilaterals whose sides measure two inches by five inches ! " " By the way, how about the sketches of things like oblongs ? How many have more than three ? Here are 72 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. some of mine. There are so many oblong things in the world one has difficulty in selecting what to sketch. Of course you all have sketches of doors and windows (Fig. 47) and picture frames, and the American flag. The next geometric figure to be studied is the circle. I. Review cylinder, surface, face and circle. Pro- vide a 4 inch paper circle for each pupil. What kind of edge has it? Can you find a point equally distant Fig 47- from all parts of the edge? The line bounding the circle is its circumference. The point equi-distant from all parts of the circumference is its center. Write the words upon the circle in their proper places. Find objects having circular faces. Practice drawing circles upon the blackboard using a string, and later, freehand. 2. Have each pupil fold his 4" circle so that a crease A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 73 will divide it into two equal parts. Each is what part of the circle? Each half circle is a semicircle. Describe the position of the crease. A straight line passing through the centre from one point in the circum- ference to an opposite point is a diameter. Fold the circle so that the two ends of the diameter come together. The new crease bears what relation to the first? Into how many equal parts is the circle now Fig. 48. divided ? A quarter circle is a quadrant. Half a diam- eter, a line from any point in the circumference to the center is the radius. Write the words upon the circle in their proper places. Mount the paper circle upon the left half of a 6" X 9" sheet. 3. Review circle and its details. Draw the circle and its details upon the right half of Sheet 1 4. (Fig. 48.) 74 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 4. Draw some circular object;* (see Fig. 49, sec- tion of a young maple) a watch, or the ink-well cover. 5. Reproduce the drawing from memory or draw some other circular object. 6. Draw the following from dictation. Turn the sheet (6" X 9") so that its short edges are horizontal. Place a point one inch below the middle of the upper edge ; four inches below place another point. Through these points sketch a circle. Sketch a radius from the center downward ; extend the line to within one inch of the lower edge of the sheet. Sketch a line parallel to this vertical line one-quarter inch to the left of it. Sketch another similar line one-quarter inch to the right of it. Sketch short horizontal lines joining the ends of these lines. Line in to make a fan. (Fig. 50.) When drawing circles, " If at first you don't succeed, Try, try, try again." not with the eraser, but with the pencil. Did you ever *A good list of objects based on the geometric figures may be found in the Primary Manual, " White's New Course in Art Instruction," Prang Educational Co. This book contains valuable suggestions for paper cutting, with illustrations. Fig. 49- A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 75 hear about the most famous circle in the world? There once lived in Florence a renowned artist named Giotto (pronounced Jot'-to) ; Pope Boniface wanted some fres- coes painted on the walls of St. Peter's Church, Rome, and despatched a messenger to obtain samples of Giotto's work. The messenger stopped at Sienna on the way, obtained specimens of work from some famous artists there, and then came to Florence. One morning he visited Giotto and request- ed a sample of his work to send to Rome for the pope's inspection. Giotto seized a brush, dipped it in red paint, and with one stroke of his hand drew a circle so perfect that it was a wonder to behold. Handing the paper to the messenger he said, "Here is your drawing." "Am I to have nothing more than this?" "It is enough and to spare," said Giotto. " Send it with the rest and you will see if it will be recognized." The wonderful circle " Giotto's O," secured the contract, and the master went to Rome to decorate the church. 50. C MAY. IX. Reviews. HILDREN, what is the position of this Nine times in ten the answer is a snarl of syllables from which the practiced ear may disentangle three words, horizontal, vertical and oblique. "What?" Fig. 51. " Horizontal," is the general verdict, for so the lead- ers said the first time. "Horizontal?" says the teacher in his most skeptical tone. 76 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 77 "Vertical ! " shout the children. "What?!!" " Oblique." "Well, now which is it?" Did you ever listen sorrowfully to such a dialogue in your own school, my fellow teacher? Is it so with draw- ing only? Are you conscious how much your children depend upon the tones of your voice and upon your looks? Half the pupils in Massachusetts will take back everything they have said if the teacher changes the expression of her face : The children don't know what they know, and know that they know it. " How many angles has this X?" said I the other day. "So you think you know, do you?" And the young gnostic answered sturdily, "I KNOW, I know!" But he was a brilliant exception to prove the rule. Now one reason for this indefiniteness and uncertainty is lack of review. A good teacher not only teaches this one lesson, but welds it to previous lessons and keeps the entire work to date before the pupil. When one asks in May about the surface of a sphere, something is wrong if the teacher says apologetically, "They had that last September." It's so easy to do this review work well in drawing. "Here is another picture?" (Fig. 51.) "This is a group I saw at the paint shop this morning. What are 78 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. these things? The oil can is shaped like which type solid? How many faces has it? How many edges? How many corners? What is the shape of the paint pot? How many faces has a cylinder? How many edges? How many corners? What kind of edges? Can you find something in the picture like a sphere? Tell all you know about a sphere. Can you see the picture of a plane face in this sketch? What is the shape of one plane face ? How many plane faces would there be on the real objects? How many plane faces are visible in the sketch? How many angles on one face of the oil can? What kind of angles would these be on the real oil can ? What are they in the picture ? " etc., etc. All the pupil has studied to date may be reviewed with such a sketch upon the blackboard. But special emphasis should be laid upon the geo- metric figures, square and circle, derived from the solids. In these reviews such a book as "Primary Manual Training" by Mrs. Cutler, (Educational Pub. Co., Boston and Chicago), will be found suggestive. Ask pupils to cut pictures of objects involving these figures from dry goods catalogues, seed catalogues and other advertisements. These may be pasted in a scrap book, and used for busy work in various ways. Encourage sketching objects containing these figures. Have large squares and circles drawn upon the blackboard by the A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 79 Jig, 52. Fig. 53- 80 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. children. Such sheets as Fig. 30, (page 41) may now be made, first with the square, then with the circle. Teach trisect using bits of chalk or beans, or other movable objects of small size, then have the Greek cross folded and cut from paper, and, lastly, drawn, (Fig. 52.) Try this exercise: Cut a 4" circle and mount it on the left half of a sheet, (Fig. 53.) With a ruler draw a vertical and a horizontal line through its center. Paste a i" circle upon the center. Make a .freehand drawing of the rosette upon the right side of the page. Intermediate Section. The review with these older pupils may be closely related to nature study. During the winter, " Nature whistled with all her winds, Did as she pleased and went her way." But now " She paints with white and red the moors To draw the nations out of doors." And it is time for boys and girls to leave " The fancies found in books ; Leave authors' eyes and fetch their own To brave the landscape's nooks." A FIRST YEAR IX DRAWING. 81 54- 82 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. Such a diagram as this placed upon the blackboard may help. TRIANGULAR SQUARE OBLONG CIRCULAR Leaves Flowers Leaves Flowers Leaves Flowers Leaves Flowers Sorrel. Wake- Hepat- Bluet. Shad- Violet. Pyrola. Hepat- Robin. ica. bush. ic a. Fern. Lilac. Marsh- Blood- Lom- Marsh- Mari- root. Straw- bardy- Dwarf Vetch. gold Colum- berry. Poplar. cornel. bine. Blood- Marsh- Black- Dwarf- root. Marigold berry. cornel. Cinque- foil. At the beginning only the diagram is upon the black- board. One fine morning a boy brings an hepatica. The blossom is found to be circular; hence "Hepatica" is written in the column for circular flowers. The boy is asked to bring an hepatica leaf the next day, and that is found to be square, (if the variety is triloba.) " He- patica" is again written upon the board, this time in the column for square leaves. The list grows day by day as fast as the pupils discover the new plants, until the end of the term. The quest becomes fascinating. Why aren't there more oblong flowers ? and more triangu- lar flowers ? and fewer triangular leaves ? To many pupils such exercises will be revelations. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 83 Fig. 56. Fig- 57- 84 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. They may not exclaim with Kepler " God geometrizes ! " but they will discover that things are intelligently planned in this wonderful world, and that the humblest natural object has a beauty of its own. If we can train a generation of young people who go about " Pondering shadows, colors, clouds, Grass-buds and caterpillar-shrouds, Boughs on which the wild bees settle, Tints that spot the violet's petal Why Nature loves the number five, And why the star form she repeats ; " there will be more men and women by and by who can see something in this world besides the almighty dollar, and who can talk about something besides Self. The drawings this month may be similar to those here sketched : each pupil selecting his own objects and completing a series of four sheets, (Figs. 5457.) A, represents a pressed flower or leaf fastened upon the sheet ; B, the enlarged drawing. These sheets may be made quite artistic in arrangement and beautiful in color. JUNE. x. Arrangement and Design. BY this time the children know that all objects in nature and the constructive arts may be classified according to their type forms, (solids, or geometric fig- ures derived from the solids.) When I say they know it, I mean, of course, in their childish way. " When I was a child, I talked as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child," and now that I teach children, I must appreciate their point of , I view; and how fascin- ating it is ! Now they may be led to see that all ornament is based , upon these same things. For example, here are three classic mouldings, one for each type form ; the bead, Fig. 59, the astragal, Fig. 60, and the dental, Fig. 61. They are ubiquitous and have been for a millennium. Two of these may be reproduced by arranging models. 85 86 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 87 But more satisfactory exercises may be given with tablets or units cut from colored paper. The lowest type of beauty, mere regularity, recurrence at equal intervals, repetition, is already familiar to the pupil (Fig. 36.) Alternation is the next higher law. Here are examples Fig. 62. Two classes may safely be at- tempted, borders and surfaces; a and d show alterna- tion of size, b and e alternation of position, and c and f alternation of form. With such designs as these reproduced, enlarged, in color, the teacher may fire every pupil with zeal to pro- duce such for himself. His own, of course, should be original. Not original in the sense of novel or unique, not entirely different from all others in existence, but original in the truer sense, the result of the pupil's own thought. A good set of tablets for each pupil is now a. necessity.* With these tablets as units, the pupil should (i) copy one good example to insure accurate spacing, etc., (2) make several original arrange- ments, the teacher noting results, (3) rearrange the best with utmost care, studying proportionate amount of *"Form Tablets Second Year, Individual Set," (White's New Course in Art Instruction,) is the best. It contains a larger number of well pro- portioned tablets than any other. If these cannot be obtained, tablets may be cut from manilla paper by the teacher, or by the older pupils, or as a la-t resort, by the primary children themselves. As the tablets are to be used a? patterns later, they should be accurate. 88 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. surface covered. (This sounds difficult, but any child will have a preference if three sketches like those in Fig. 63 are placed before him.) (4) Trace the design,. and line in with even gray lines. Using the tablets as pat- terns the units may be traced and cut from colored paper, and the design constructed. D n D D D Q Fig. 63. The following order of steps may be helpful : a, Select the design to be constructed and the colored paper to be used (one color with gray for the ground, contrasted harmony.) b, Cut the gray ground of the required size. c, Trace and cut out the required units. (If a border, cut margin lines.) d, Arrange the units precisely as they are to be in the finished design. e, Place delicate points upon the back-ground locating two cornes of each unit. f, Remove, glue, and replace one unit at a time. {One drop of liquid glue should be sufficient for each pupil.) The end to be secured is not novelty, not brilliancy, A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 89 nor intricacy, but beauty ; the quiet beauty which comes from the accurate spacing of simple, well proportioned forms having pure, harmonious tones of color. Intermediate Section. Here are some designs for you. Fig. 64 is an old Byzantine border some seven hundred years old. Fig. 65 is from a Gothic stained glass window of the I3th century, and Fig. 66 is a wall decoration taken from a 90 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. modern Gothic church. What is the general shape of the units used in the Byzantine border? What is the general shape of the units in the other designs? Can you find other illustrations of geometric units used in designs? Look over the books upon the teacher's desk, you may find good examples there. You will be sure to find bits of calico or wall paper at home which show the use of similar units. Let us see how such units are produced, Here is a square folded upon one diameter (#, Fig. 67) then upon the other (<,) and yet once more to bring all the single edges together (c.) The shape of the paper as now folded is triangular. The angles are marked I, 2, 3, (c.) Unfolding the paper will show that I is at the center, 2 at a corner and 3 at middle of a side. Let us now cut off the corner upon the dotted line near 3. See the result! (Fig. 68 a.) Might we not have cut off the corner upon a curved line? Curving either way? Or both ways, making a A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. 91 Fig. 68. reversed curve? See the results. (Fig. 68, b, c, d.} Could you now cut a unit like those in Fig. 65 ? But in Fig. 66, the corners are modified. How many kinds of cuts might be used in modifying corners? Straight (e,) simple curve (_/",) reversed curve (^.) And one might modify both sides and corners (//.) The best units are those which show contrasts of line (b, straight t>s. curved,) or mass (a, broad and obtuse vs. narrow and acute,) which are not so modified that their unity is destroyed, nor so deeply cut that they appear to have no strength. Practice cutting units based on the square and circle. Can you get suggestions for cutting by studying leaves and flowers? (Compare Figs. 54, 56 and 57, with Figs. 64, 65 and 68.) When you have obtained several fair units make duplicates and arrange them to form borders and surfaces. You will discover that the space between the units are often more important than 92 A FIRST YEAR IN DRAWING. the units themselves! (See Fig. 66.) When you have one satisfactory design, make a careful drawing of it. (Sheet 21.) The end is Beauty. Every means which conserves this end is legitimate. The order of drawing is, i, lay out the ground; 2, divide it accurately into spaces of the proper size and shape; 3, trace the units; 4, finish with even gray lines, adding half tinting if desired for contrast. Sheet 22 may be the design re- produced in colored paper. Select tones from one scale, for example, a tint and a shade of blue-green, to pro- duce a dominant harmony. The order for constructing a design has been previously given in this article. And this is the final sheet for the year. The results on paper are important for they mirror the true results in the pupil's mind and heart. Do these final sheets reveal a growth in mental power, and manual skill? Do they show an increasing love for the true and beautiful ? Is Nature richer to your pupils? Is art dearer? "Of course not ; the work has been so very simple ! " Yes, very simple, but not too simple to transmit your spirit, your love to the pupil. " There is no great and no small To the soul that maketh all : And where it cometh all things are And it cometh everywhere." if the teacher is of the right sort! INDEX. PAGE Analysis of Primary Course . . . . . 14 Arbor Day Exercises ...... 71 Arrangement . . . . . . . . 5 7, 85 Bisecting ........ 42 Borders 57, 85, 86, 88, 89 Busy-work ........ 47 Christmas Presents . . . . . . 29, 30 Circle . . . . . . . . 30, 67 Classes, Number of . . . . . . . 27 Classic Mouldings ...... 85 Clay 16 Cuoe . . . . . . . . . 16, 21 Crosses ......... 62 Cylinder . . . . . . 16, 20 Design ........ 89, 91 Details of Form ....... 25 Dictation Exercises ..... 40, 52, 60, 69 Drawing, Necessi-y of Regular Lessons . . 13 Edges 28 Ends to be Secured ...... 92 Faces 27, 45 Flowers 49, 59, 72, 82, 83 i II INDEX. PAGE Geometric Figures . . . .- . . . I4 Applications of, in Objects . . . . 31, 82 Triangular ... . 41, 42, 49, 81 Square . , . 53, 59j ?9> g 2) 83 Oblong . . . . . .62, 63, 72, 81 Circular . .. 69,70,74,75,79,83 Applications of, in Design . .. . 57, 86, 89, 91 Historic Ornament s c s n j) y Illustrative Sketching . . . . 5, 22j 24> 36> 5O Language Work Illustrated . . . . . . g, 36 Latin Cross . . ' 6 3 Leaves -49, 59, 72, 81, 82 Lessons, Kinds of '.' cc " Number of . . . . . 13 " Order of, in Form . . . . . !g " " " in Geometric Figures . 39, 50, 59, 67 . " " " in Constructed Designs ... . 88 Lines . . . . . . , " Position of . . . Maltese Cross . ... Memory Drawing ...... Modeling , Modified Units Mouldings ....... Movement ...... Nature Studies, with Drawing . . ' Oblong INDEX. m PAGE Order of Lessons. (See Lessons.) Paper Cutting . . . 30, 49, 55, 69, 88, 90 Position ........ 34 Rosettes . . . . . . . 80 Reviews ........ 76 " of Forms . . . . . . . 22, 24 " of Details of Form . . A ';'. . . 66 Saint Andrew's Cross . . . . . 65 Sections or Classes of Pupils .... 27 Sphere . . 15, 16 Square . 32, 50 Surface . . . . . . . . 26 Surface Arrangements . . . . . 57, 86, 89 Tablets, Abuse of . . . . . . 38, 54 " Use of in Arrangement .... 57 Triangle ... .... 39 Trisecting ........ 70 Type Solids 14, 16, 23 Applications of, in Objects . . . 23, 24, 29, 76 Spherical . . . . . . . 17 Cylindrical ...... 20 Cubical . . . . . . . 21 Applications of, in Ornament ... 85 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 000 039 649 9