I'lE SELF-CORRECTING SYSTEM OF DRAWING. 503 
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and your mind will become fitted for learning the theories relating to their appearances, 
just as by similar practice of repetition and imitation you learn the true pronunciation 
of a foreign word or the true sound of a note in music. Whether one may become 
good by doing good actions generally, is a question we do not pretend to answer, but we 
do affirm that tracing and seeing from the first the real, solid forms before us as they 
appear when translated on to the transparent plane, is a great help toward being able 
to draw them on paper. So much for repetition. Next comes self-criticism, called also 
yutogonism, or combat against one’s self—putting into useful form the undeniable fact 
that (all ungenerous and carping criticism apart) we can judge more sanely of the truth 
and error of a work not our own than of a similar work on which we have expended to 
the full our own time and energy. 
To have our own work so presented to us that we can criticise it with the same inci- 
siveness that we bring to bear on that of another, is, in a word, to act out with a home- 
directed application the parable of the mote in our neighbor’s eye. This is what we are 
:nabled to do by the combination of Leonardo’s transparent plane with the pantographic 
principle discovered by Dillingen, demonstrated by means of an elastic thread and a 
movable indicator. The simple mechanical appliances of which we recommend the use 
are the separable parts of the typical philograph, which being simply a register of the 
human optical instrument, contains neither lens, prism, nor reflector. We use these 
instruments chiefly as tests of freely done diawings, and because it is not reasonable to 
expect the hand and eye which did a certain work to have the further accuracy neces- 
sary for immediately judging and testing that work ; and we maintain that the use of 
such helps, by enabling the beginner to attack much more difficult subjects than he 
sould do otherwise—namely, the drawing of irregular organic forms, etc.—prevents his 
being himself a machine, as he is apt to be when tied down to the constant repetition of 
:norganic geometrical forms which we have seen strongly advocated in the generally 
approved text-books of «“ form study.” With regard to the oblique line or axis (the 
oasis of that graphic alphabet by which we cultivate the habit of describing to ourself 
the portrait to be made, before putting down one stroke with brush or chalk), several 
things must be taken into consideration. Most people are ready to admit, on due reflec- 
sion, that the oblique line is the line of life and movement. Careful observation will show 
shat all organic movements are fcunded on the co-relation of angles, or that the move- 
ments of living bodies may be and are represented by oblique lines (giving the axis of 
sach part), forming angles more or less acute in proportion as the movements are more 
or less violent. Only where there is no movement, no sign of active life, are there no 
oblique, but merely vertical or horizontal lines to be noticed. Is not this sufficient 
reason, when we are bent on drawing forms representing life and action—any forms 
whatever other than architectural or geometrical—for setting aside the eternal plumb- 
ine and squaring methods, or at least for preferring before them the oblique or diagonal 
ine, otherwise called the axis, and which we find to be the simplest expression of the 
characteristic direction or movement of every organic body or form? . . . Wethink 
50. Hence comes it that the first of our mechanical aids are made chiefly on the plan 
of utilizing the transparent vertical plane. 
From what has been said I assume it is evident that whilst in the case of the beginner 
practice is intentionally put before and above theory, the general tendency of the 
nethod is far more to call forth and develop the individual thought and effort of each 
worker than to lessen these, although this objection is generally made at the first 
suggestion of mechanical means. Finally, with regard to the oft-evoked artistic indi- 
viduality of the student, although, as I venture to remind my hearers, it was of a 
method intended to help forward the study of drawing as an educational subject that 
[ undertook to speak, I can only ask whether a reasonable study of the perspective, not 
only of lines and planes but chiefly of organic and living forms, can possibly interfere