CHAPTER V

THE ARM AND HANDS-THE LEGS

MAKE a special study of the arm in all its views. Nothing gives a poor draughtsman away more easily than poor drawing of the arm ; for although in your ultimate practice you may not paint the nude, ability to draw the bare or partially clothed arm is part of the equipment of every figure or portrait painter, its form and undulations being felt under whatever covering it may have.

The fixing of the hands on the wrists presents exceptional difficulties. I shall therefore endeavour as briefly as possible to point out some means of overcoming them.

The anatomy of the arm should, of course, be mastered, but the rotary movements of this limb and of the hands, and the subtle changes that the slightest shifting of them gives rise to, make it impossible without the model to render the infinite variations of their lines and modelling.

Make it a rule never to draw one side of the arm without comparing it carefully with the other, so that the area contained within them coincides with the area under your eye in nature.

[56]A capable writer on art matters makes use of this sentence :-

"We have seen that if the linear draughtsman made his lines right in length and direction, the areas enclosed by them must of necessity be the correct areas ; although he may never have given them a thought." I certainly join issue with the writer in his afterthought. You may take it for granted that neither the length nor the direction of the outline will be quite correct if thought be not given to the mass enclosed at the time of drawing the outlines. There are but few flukes to be counted on in drawing, and if the mind is not assisted by every possible consideration the chances are that at some point the drawing will suffer.

The unobservant student too often makes the lower arm look like the neck of a bottle, making it taper too suddenly towards the hand-the subtle curvatures of the arm are overlooked.

I have made a few drawings of the arm, just to show the general tendencies of the upper and the lower parts of the limb. The points to consider are indicated by the marks against the outlines in three of the drawings, where the highest swellings of the lines are to be found, on the opposing sides. In Nature these highest swellings are rarely seen exactly opposite each other, and this variation accounts for the curvatures already alluded to.

In the placing of the hand on the wrist, mark [57] carefully the relative position of the protuberances on the one side and concavities on the other.

It would be well for you in your studies of the figure to take up the arm and hand, after having settled their proportions, during one complete sitting. They are rarely posed twice alike. Their capacity for movement is endless, and is responsible for most of the conscientious painter's grey hairs.

No wonder Van Dyck told his friends with some glee that he had at last found a model with a good hand who could pose it well. While working in England as Charles I.'s Court painter, he obviously used this model for most of his hands. The graceful sitter, as he found, gives no great trouble, but the " stick " is hopeless. The awkward sitter's hands are frequently hardly recognisable as hands. Still there is always something so individual about them that, when at all possible, you should let your hands be the hands of Esau, and not a substitute.

XVII.

XVIII.

XIX.

XX

THE LEGS

The instructions given for the drawing of the arms apply equally to the legs, the main points being a comparison of the relative swellings and undulations of the lines on either side of the limb, which are rarely exactly opposite each other.

In the front view, follow closely the bone forms, particularly the tibia, from the inside of the knee [58] to the inner ankle-bone. When the weight of the torso is thrown on either hip, see that the foot plumbs well under the head, and that the legs and feet are always firmly planted. For this your plumb-line will be found most useful.

In studying the foot you cannot do better than draw from a good cast. When working from nature you must draw all that you see, in spite of the imperfections of your model ; but when you wish to idealise you will find the antique your safest guide. You will note that the Greek sculptors elongated the middle toes so that they project beyond the great toe ; but do not look on antique sculptures as so many models from which to learn drawing and tone. They may serve such purposes in your early studentship, but far higher lessons are embodied in them-the perfection of human form, grace, and dignity, all that is most beautiful, simple, and inspiring.

My London readers would do well to study the Elgin marbles in the British Museum _{Footnote: Casts of these works are to be found in some of the chief art-galleries in the country.} , the seated figure of Demeter, the benevolent Mausolos, the Hermes, and many other figures and fragments, as well as the busts of Roman workmanship, and the shapely Greek vases with their decorative designs.