•2^ 
 
'V- 
 
T H E 
 
 ARTIST'S VADE MECUM; 
 
 BEING THE 
 
 Whole ART of DRAWING 
 
 Taught in a New Work 
 
 Elegantly engraved on One Hundred Folio Copper Plates ; 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 Great Variety of Examples in every Branch of that noble Art : 
 
 A S 
 
 Parts of the Face, Heads, Hands, Feet, Academy, Antiques ; 
 
 AND 
 
 Groupes of Figures, Beafts, Birds, Infects, Flowers, Fruit, Shells, Ornaments, Build- 
 ings, Landfcapes, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 Collected from the Works of the greateft Matters. 
 
 To which is prefixed, 
 
 An ESSAY on DRAWING: 
 
 WITH 
 
 Introductory Rules for the Ufe of LEARNERS: 
 
 IN WHICH 
 
 The Firft Principles of that ufeful and noble Art are explained in fuch 
 Manner that it may be attained in a mort Time without a Matter. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed and Publifhed according to Act of Parliament : 
 And Sold by R. SAYER, at the Golden-Buck, in Fleet-Street. MDCCLXII. 
 
0 N THE 
 
 Art of Drawing, $fc r 
 
 T^V RAWING is the Art of reprefenting by Lines and Shades, 
 a the Figure of any thing feen in Nature, or whatever form 
 we conceive in Idea; it is the nobleft Operation of human 
 Ingenuity, and may certainly be reckoned among the Qualifica- 
 tions, which are the Characteriftic of a Gentleman. The Study 
 of it ought to be encouraged in every Youth, whatever Station of 
 Life he may be placed in ; for hefldes it's great Ufe to all Perfons 
 concerned in the way of Art, it muft be extremely agreeable to 
 a Gentleman to Sketch a fine Building, beautiful Profpect, Piece 
 of Art, or uncommon Appearance in Nature. Befides Drawing 
 enables us to fee things, in a plainer and clearer Manner, and 
 remember their Form, Shape, and other Circumftances much 
 better than can poffibly be done without a Knowledge in this 
 Art. In all Ages it has been carefully cultivated by the moft; 
 polite Nations ; and the great Men who have excelled in it, have 
 been honoured by the Protection of thofe Kings and Prin- 
 ces who had a Tafte for the Liberal Arts. It fets before us the 
 moft magnificent Buildings, the moft delightful Gardens, the 
 Beauties of Art, or the Productions of Nature, in fo ftrong and 
 juft a Light, that one might imagine one's felf on the Spot ; 
 and this in a Language underftood by all Mankind. 
 
 The Implements for Drawing, are fmooth-grained Charcoal, 
 Black-Lead Pencils, red, black, and white Chalk, a Porte-Crayon, 
 Hair Pencils, Crow -Quill Pens, Indian Ink, a Ruler, and a Pair of 
 CompafTes. — Charcoal is proper to iketch with, as any Strokes 
 made with it may be brufhed out with a Feather if wrong, and 
 the Black Lead Pencil gives the correct Out-Line ; Red Chalk is 
 proper to draw large or Academy Figures with, and Blaek Chalk, 
 the fame, efpecially on colour'd Paper, where the Lights put in 
 
 A 2 with 
 
4 
 
 On the Art of DRAWI N G. 
 
 with white Chalk has a beautiful Effect:. — It is befl to begin 
 drawing from fome of the leaft .complex Examples as they are 
 placed in this Collection. Every thing mould be drawn at firft 
 with Strokes juft viiible, and afterwards corrected by altering, 
 what is amifs made as like the Original as poffible. In this 
 Manner a Learner mould draw the feveral Features, in different 
 Portions well, before he attempts an Entire Head or Face: for 
 he cannot do the whole together, until he is Mafter of the Parts. 
 This done, draw Faces and Heads, from fome in Out- lines only, 
 {ketch the Out-line and finifh from the fame fhaded. Before I 
 proceed in this Particular, I will here give the moll approved Pro- 
 portions of a Face and Head, and the better to underftand it y 
 fhall defcribe one viewed in front ; in which Pofition it's Out- 
 line makes nearly the Shape of an Egg divided by Lines, as in the 
 Examples. The upper Divifion for the Hair, then to the Top* 
 and next to the Bottom of the Nofe, the lower one to the Chin*. 
 This laft Part is fubdivided equally into three ; the uppermoft i3 
 the Diftance between the Nofe and Mouth. The Breadth is di- 
 vided into five equal Parts, of which one is the Eye, another 
 the Diftance between the Eyes, from the Outfide of the Eye to 
 the Side of the Face is another Part, the Mouth is a little more 
 than one, the Nofe a little lefs. The Eye, in front, is divided into 
 three, one of which is the Pupil or Sight ; the Ear is the Length 
 of the Nofe. 
 
 One of the greateft Beauties in drawing a Face, and which 
 is abfolutely neceffary to it, is to place the features truly in their 
 Places ; that is, the Middle of the Forehead, the Nofe and the 
 Mouth, exactly under one another in a Line, and the Eyes on a 
 Line, properly crorling that on which the Forehead, Nofe, and 
 Mouth are placed: If you would fee how thefe Lines curve in 
 the feveral Attitudes the Head may be put into, there is a very 
 ingenious Method of doing it, by getting a Piece of Box or other 
 fmooth -grained Wood, turned in the Shape of an Egg, make a 
 ftreight Line on this Piece of Wood from the Middle of the Top 
 to the Middle of the Bottom ; then make crofs Strokes on it at 
 
 the 
 
On the Art DRAWING, 5 
 
 the proper Diftances (as before directed in fpeaking of the Pro- 
 portions of the Head,) for the Eyes, Nofe, &C. and by fetting this 
 Piece of Wood in Variety of different Attitudes, you will fee 
 how the Lines curve on thofe Occafions, and according to thofe 
 Curves you muffc place and turn the feveral Features. By this 
 means, I think you will eafily underftand this Rule for placing 
 the Features properly, which is one of the moft difficult Points, 
 and at the fame Time fo abfolutely neceftary, that it is impofii- 
 ble to do any Head well without it : And next proceed to Hands, 
 Feet, &e. and for due Proportions of which, fee the Examples r 
 After you draw thefe Parts well and with Eafe, try an entire 
 Figure, of which I mall here give you the moft approved Mea- 
 fures and Proportions. — The Antients commonly allowed Eight 
 Heads to their figures, but we ordinarily divide the figures into- 
 Ten Faces ; that is to fay, from the Crown of the Head to the 
 Sole of the Foot y viz. from the Crown to the Forehead, one 
 Third of a Face. The Face begins at the Root of the loweft 
 Hairs upon the Forehead, and ends at the Bottom of the Chin. — 
 The Face is divided into three proportionable Parts; the firft 
 contains the Forehead, the fecond the Nofe, and the third the 
 Mouth and the Chin ; thence to the Pit betwixt the Collar- bones, 
 two Lengths of a Nofe ; to the Bottom of the Breafts, one 
 Face ; to the Navel, cme Face ; to the Genitories, one Face ; 
 to the upper Part of the Knee, two Faces; the Knee contains 
 half a Face; to the Ankle, two Faces, to the Sole of the Foot 
 half a Face. A Man's Arms ftretched out, is, from the longeft 
 finger of his right Hand to that of his left, as broad as he is 
 long; from one Side of the Breafts to the other, two Faces; 
 The Bone of the Arm, called Humerus ^ is two Faces; from 
 Shoulder to Elbow, thence to the Root of the Little-finger, the 
 Bone called Cubitus^ with Part of the Hand, contains two Faces ; 
 from the Box of the Shoulder-blade, to the Pit betwixt the Col- 
 lar-bones, one Face; the Sole of the Foot is the Sixth Part of 
 the figure ; the Hand is the Length of a Face ; the Thumb a 
 Nofe> &c. Thofe meafures are general, but liable to Exceptions, 
 
 varying 
 
$ On the Art (9/ DRAWING. 
 
 •varying from the Quality of Perfons and Movement of the Muf- 
 cles. Be careful to make a juft Symmetry and harmonious Cor- 
 respondence in the whole figure, not one Leg or Arm bigger 
 -or longer than the other, not the fhrivelled face of old Age with 
 the plump Lips of Youth, the Body of a Bacchus with the 
 Limbs of an Apollo ; or the Shoulders of an Hercules with the 
 Waift of a Fribble. It is proper here to take Notice of how 
 -great Advantage to a Perfon who would draw a Human fi- 
 gure well, it is to underftand fomething of the Anatomy of 
 it ; I mean fo much of it as relates to the Bones and the 
 Mufcles ; and, as appears externally : More than this would, 
 he to him mere Matter of Curiofity ; but thus much is worth 
 the Pains of every one to become Mafter of, who is ambi- 
 tious of knowing the foundation of the Art ; for it will be a 
 Means of giving Grace, Strength, and Beauty to his Figures, 
 and he will be able to exprefs the proper Parts of the Limbs, 
 which principally operate in every Action ; not blindly, and by 
 Chance, but with Truth and Certainty ; which is efteemed by 
 every one, who is beft able to judge, one of the greateft Beau- 
 ties in a Figure : There is a proper Work for this Purpofe, en- 
 titled, A Compendious Ireatife of Anatomy, adapted to the Arts 
 of Painting and Defgn ; in which fo much only as is neceffary 
 to the Painter, with a concife Explanation of it, is collected to- 
 gether from the more minute Parts, which are neceffary to the 
 Surgeon or Anatomift ; fold by R. Sayer, at the Golden-Buck, 
 in Fleet-Street. 
 
 In Drapery, cloath your Figure properly and elegantly, and 
 neither with fome Moderns, by maffy folds, lofe Sight of your 
 original Intention, nor by fervilely copying the Ancients, imi- 
 tate wet Linen ; and it will be a great Help to proportion, if 
 whatever is intended for Cloathing be fketched naked ; of which 
 preferve as much as poffible, yet carefully avoiding the above 
 Extremes. 
 
 Next in Courfe, tho' firfl: in Art, is the Expreffion of the fe- 
 > eral Paffions of the Soul, which is the moll difficult and beau- 
 tiful 
 
On the AST of DRA W I N <Si f 
 
 tfiful Parts of this Art. M. Le Brun> who has treated this Sub- 
 ject with great Succefs, fays, that Paflion is a Motion of the 
 Soul, which makes it follow what it thinks good, and fly from 
 that which it thinks hurtful ; and what caufes any Paflion in the 
 Soul, produces particular Actions in the Body ; in the Face it 
 more particularly fhews what it feels, which for that Reafon is called' 
 the Mirror of the Soul : The moft capital Subjects' extant- of this 
 Kind are M. Le Bruris Expr efforts of the Pajfons of the Soul y 
 where the principal Paflions are beautifully exprelTed by that 
 great Mafter, in Heads almoft as large as the Life, with an Ab* 
 ftrad of his Difcourfe on each of them : Thefe Heads, beiides^ 
 their Ufefulnefs in this Particular, are likewife fome of the beft ; 
 Examples to draw after, either in red or black Chalk, that are 
 to be met with : Sold by R. Say-er, at the Golden Buci^ in Fleet ~ 
 Street. 
 
 The Gut-line conquered, our Advice, touching Eight and< : 
 Shadow, might almoft be fpared ; fo fhall only fay, in the^ 
 Examples before you, cover not the Light too much at firft, for 
 that will throw a Gloom over your Drawing, and cannot eafily 
 be effaced : On the contrary, if your Lights are too open, you 
 may advance on them with Shade at Pleafure. In Gompofition 
 fo difpofe your Objects, that both Light and Shade may fall in 1 
 Mafs, and be careful that your Principal be placed to Advan- 
 tage when you copy Nature (the nobleft School for Art): Ob*- 
 ferve the Operation of Light, which confidered and obferved- 
 from its Fountain, will alone inftruct,. being unerring in it's Pro- 
 grefs,, and rendering the Beings moft confpicuous neareft to oud 
 View.- 
 
 Thus far relates to the human Figure and it's immediate Ap*- 
 pendages, which are the moft difficult and important Subjects of 
 this Art. There are, however, other Parts which merit the Re- 
 gard of the Learner. The drawing Flowers, Fruits, Birds, > 
 Beafts, and the like, might be the Subject of fome of your fir ft* 
 Attempts, not only as it is a more pleafing Employment, but as 
 it is an eafier Talk than the Drawing of Faces, Hands, Feet, and ! 
 
 other* 
 
On the Art of DRAWING. 
 
 other Parts of the human Body, which require not only more 
 Care, but greater Exa&nefs and more Judgment. There are but 
 few particular Rules for your inftru&ion on this Head ; you 
 have Variety of Examples in this Collection, which copy with 
 great Care and Exa&nefs, and be fure to make a correct Out- 
 line before you begin to made. Drawing of Landfcapes, Build- 
 ings, &c. for a Gentleman, is the moft entertaining and ufeful 
 in the whole Art : To be able on the Spot (as is before obferved) 
 to take the Sketch of a fine Building, or beautiful Profpecl of 
 any curious Production of Art, or uncommon Appearance in 
 Nature, or whatever elfe may prefent itfelf to view on our Jour- 
 nies or Travels, in our own or foreign Countries, may be thus 
 brought home and preferved for our future Ufe, either in Buii- 
 nefs or Converfation ; and is the beft Method of bringbg to 
 Mind again thofe Beauties that have once charmed us. Trees or 
 Houfes, though of the fame Size, will appear otherwife, accord- 
 ing to their Nearnefs or Diftance ; thofe at a Diftance appearing 
 lefs than thofe on the fore Ground, and thofe that are farther 
 off yet lefs. This Proportion you muft be careful to reprefent 
 accordingly, becaufe it is that which principally gives the Ap- 
 pearance of Diftance, and is one of the greateft Beauties in a 
 View or Landfcape, as may be feen by the Examples annexed, 
 and are beft inculcated by the Appearance of Objects according 
 to their Situation in Nature. 
 
 The foregoing Rules are neceffary to be known, and will rea- 
 dily advance a Student ; therefore he who intends the imitative 
 Arts for his Profeftion, fhould well attend to them. — But the 
 Gentleman who means no further from his Purfuit than an Ac- 
 complifhment, may be lefs folicitous in the Difcipline of Rule ; 
 fince though he become no great Proficient, a Tafte only will 
 enable him to judge properly of the Works of fuch eminent Maf- 
 ters who have or may hereafter improve the Graphic Arts. 
 
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