Page:Drawing for Beginners.djvu/118

 Look for the opposite thigh and mark any projection, for that will give you the angle of both flanks.

Sketch the lower part of the face, jot down the position of the right leg upon which rests the head, and get the angle of the hind-leg tucked up and meeting the chin.

Next look for more detail. The shape of the ears, the angle of the eyes, the position of the tiny pink nose&mdash;once those three things are settled we can study the marking on the fur. And here I must strike a note of warning. The marking is very misleading, as are the great lumps of loose fur, and the fluffy, silky down.

First get your facts, and here the word 'facts' means the big bone shapes&mdash;the shape of the skull, the shape of the body, the legs, and the tail.

Then we shall know we are clothing a frame of reasonable form.

Having arrived at this stage, then comes the chance to note the way in which the fur follows these big bone shapes. First draw the direction of the fur as it covers over bone and muscle&mdash;then the marks, stripes, dots, and so forth, the smooth silky down that covers the ears, the soft fluffiness under the limbs and about the muzzle, and the thick protective length of the fur on the back.

The marking on the fine fur will be more delicate than the markings on the thigh and back. Use your pencil with a firm light touch.

By the way of a final observation, see if any valuable shadows have been omitted where the firm body presses on the ground, possibly beneath the tail, or under the chin and paw.

A short-coated pussy with black fur is easier to draw than a striped and tabby cat. The fur being short and unmarked will not conceal and confuse the structure to the same extent; moreover, the light will strike on the glossy coat and define the big bony shapes more sharply, the flanks, thigh, shoulder, head, and paws.

Whether we sketch Pussy asleep or awake, reclining on a wall, or playing with a leaf, we cannot fail to notice his