The Technique of Pencil Drawing Quotes

“Drawing stands for honesty in art,”
― Borough Johnson, The Technique of Pencil Drawing

“Simplicity, balance, character, direction and relation of the limbs to each other, with their proportions and general symmetry of the whole, must be apprehended in a flash and put down in long lines, without lingering on less important details of form, for there is little time to hesitate in making a ten-minutes sketch. The quicker we draw, the better, so long as we can keep up the tension of our eyes, brain and hand all working together at the same time. The moment one of these three faculties gets out of gear or tired, the vitality of the drawing is lost. An intelligent model in a good pose inspires us enormously to produce an artistic and living drawing. A drawing done in a few minutes, in a red-hot fever of excitement and with concentrated observation, following the contour of the form from start to finish, is far more living than the often elaborated drawings of a cataleptic, relaxed figure, dumped upon the traditional throne, so often seen in art schools ; for the essence of life figure drawing lies in the outline. There is no short cut, no royal road to excellence : the only way is by persistent study and cultivation of visual memory.”
― Borough Johnson, The Technique of Pencil Drawing

“...never forgetting that to arrive at freedom we must progress slowly through the mill of grinding, close study, and, to the serious student, many bitter disappointments.”
― Borough Johnson, The Technique of Pencil Drawing

“Where the real trouble comes in is where to make a start and where to leave off. Everything depends upon a good beginning. When planning our general composition we must feel our way with long lines, seeing first only the big and fundamental things and arriving at the necessary detail last, never forgetting the darkest accents in the subject, which should be among the first objects to note. Our touch should be free and suggestive, and this can come only from knowledge and the correct pressure of the pencil, held as I have explained. Every subject is good if we render our impressions of it clearly and strongly. The slightest sketch can be strong if it suggests the artist’s emotions to others, and the strongest drawing weak if it leaves them cold.”
― Borough Johnson, The Technique of Pencil Drawing

“It will be noticed that practically every tone is a separate shape, put down with the right pressure, and, if possible, not gone over twice, or else the lead becomes shiny and will not mark in the darks ; and if the shading is worried the quality and spontaneity of the handling will be lost. Before attempting this method of shading, one should practise the scale for the necessary pressure of the lead or touch required to mark the different intensities of shades and shapes.”
― Borough Johnson, The Technique of Pencil Drawing