Page:Drawing for Beginners.djvu/211

 a candle or some other light at such an angle that the shadow of the profile was thrown on a sheet of paper pinned on a wall; then by tracing the outline of the shadow with a soft pencil, or piece of charcoal, you secured an outline sketch. The size of the picture is its disadvantage. Who wants a life-sized outline of even their dearest and their best?

But in a sizeable, careful little outline drawing of a friend's features filled with black ink or paint we have an old-fashioned method of portraiture&mdash;the silhouette.

Silhouette drawing is not such a difficult art as it might at first appear. It is, moreover, an excellent stepping-stone to the broad highway of portraiture. And it has two very popular advantages: it is quickly done, and it is pleasing when done.

Armed with a smooth card or a firm-surfaced paper, a pencil, a fine brush or pen, ivory black paint or black drawing ink, we have all that is necessary.

Ask your model to move his head aside till he presents his profile, then take up your pencil and lightly sketch head, face, features, neck and hair.