OF 
 
 TREES 
 
 ij 
 
 CHESTNUT 
 POPLAR & WILLOW 
 
VERB FOSTER'S WATER-COLOUR SERIES 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES 
 
 By J. NEEDHAM 
 
 FIR, LARCH, ELM, CHESTNUT, BIRCH, LIME, POPLAR, WILLOW 
 
 WITH A DESCRIPTION OF EACH TREE, AND 
 FULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR DRAWING AND PAINTING, BY AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER 
 
 London: 
 
 BLACKIE & SON, 
 
 GLASGOW AND DUBLIN 
 
 Limited 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/studiesoftreesieOOneed 
 
STUDIES OF TREES 
 
 IN PENCIL AND IN WATER COLORS. 
 
 THE SCOTCH FIR. 
 
 ELONGING to the extensive family of Pines, the Scotch Fir {Pinus sylvcstris) is 
 indigenous to Britain, and one of our most valued timber trees as well as orna- 
 ments of our mountain scenery. Trees of this family seem from their structure 
 
 and habits to be specially designed to occupy situations which are more than ordinarily 
 exposed to the violence of wind and weather. Accordingly we find the Scotch Fir or Pine 
 flourishing in the cold or more temperate regions of the North, and nowhere is it seen in greater 
 perfection than in the native Fir forests of the Highlands of Scotland. 
 
 There is no other tree that grows so freely and produces timber so valuable on poor 
 soils of very opposite qualities. It luxuriates on the dry and gravelly heath-covered moors, 
 its roots penetrate among the fissures and debris of rocks, and support the tree in the most 
 scanty resources of almost every formation. In early life the tree rises in a formal shape, 
 particularly in planted woods, where it indicates its age by the whorls of its branches or their 
 marks on the trunk. Some of the tallest pine-trees in Scotland measure upwards of lOO feet 
 in height, but in a wild state the tree is seldom found to exceed 70 feet. The tree in 
 its native wilds assumes a very different character from that which it has in planted woods, 
 presenting a massive trunk with ramifications irregular and beautiful. 
 
 The Fir is essentially an alpine tree. "Throughout the Highland districts," says Mr. 
 Grigor, "isolated groups of the tree arise here and there in broken and varied outline, 
 scattered around lakes and on the rocky knolls of an undulating surface, while single 
 specimens stand throughout the brown heath, investing the scene with an air of grandeur 
 and antiquity, of solemn and solitary beauty, which no tree but the Scottish Pine and Cedar 
 could confer. Such scenes are of a very striking character during the heat of summer and the 
 snows of winter. In the Highlands of Morayshire, along the roadside from Carr-bridge towards 
 Aviemore, for several miles magnificent specimens of the native tree stand, with massive 
 trunks, broad and umbrageous heads, displaying a ramification equal to that of the oak." 
 
 From remote antiquity the Pine has grown in the forests of Scotland, and it seems 
 to have been very general in Ireland, as a large portion of the peat-bogs of both countries 
 is full of remains of these trees. In Ireland especially a section of bog will often contain the 
 remains of many generations of Firs superimposed upon one another, the roots and base of 
 the trunks being perfectly preserved. They seem to have been snapped off at a height of two 
 or three feet, and the bog in many places is almost entirely composed of the residuum of the 
 upper parts of the trees, which have in process of time formed soil in which other Fir-trees 
 grew: such bogs are frequently from fifteen to twenty feet thick. The timber extracted 
 contains much of the natural resins, and forms excellent firewood. 
 
2 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 DRAWING THE SCOTCH FIR.— The Pencilled Illustrations. 
 
 THE drawing of this tree partakes necessarily of the rugged character which distin- 
 guishes almost all the members of the pine tribe. It is true that some varieties, 
 such as the Larch and the Cypress, possess a more delicate character, but yet the appearance 
 of their central vertical stem and the general aspect of their foliage are very similar, both in 
 coloring and in form. 
 
 The Scotch P'ir, being at the same time the boldest and most characteristic of the tribe, 
 is also the best known, and we shall therefore ask our pupils to devote some time to learning 
 the best means of portraying this tree, for if they once succeed in learning to draw it with 
 pencil and with brush, they need not despair of ultimately being able to depict any member 
 of the family of " Pinus," "Abies," " Cupressus," or " Cedrus," all of which have marked family 
 resemblances. 
 
 On pages 4 and 10 of First Series we have given lessons on the drawing of the foliage of 
 the Fir in pencil, and with sufficient practice our pupils should be able to copy the more 
 advanced studies of the whole tree. 
 
 Where they have room to spread, the branches are often widely extended, giving a broad 
 green crown of leafage, while the boughs that remain beneath approach the earth in graceful 
 downward curves. The upper branches retain their young, noft, scaly bark of a rich red-brown, 
 which catches the horizontal rays of the sun in morning or evening, causing them to glow like 
 fire. The lower stems and base of the trunk become time-stained with a cold ashy-brown tint, 
 which contrasts strikingly with the beautiful warm cinnamon color of the upper limbs of 
 the tree. 
 
 For expressing the charm of these trees (the fine contrast of cold green with the warm 
 upper branches), it is evident that nothing but color will suffice; but to paint them aright we 
 must needs learn to draw them first. 
 
 We will now proceed to copy the large drawing of three Scotch Firs on opposite page. 
 This is a study from nature in the wilds of the Argyllshire Highlands, and it expresses in the 
 fullest manner the nature and manner of development of the Scotch Fir in middle age. It 
 is so simply drawn that we should have no difficulty whatever in copying it. 
 
 The drawing of the foliage is merely an exemplification of a first lesson, and if the 
 " trick " of imitating it has been properly learned it should present no great difficulty. The 
 general cold tone of the foliage is given by not using a pencil of too soft lead, and by the 
 contrast afforded by the darkly rendered trunk in the background. The fringe of the distant 
 plantation will require to be drawn faintly to give the idea of atmosphere ; the bold escarp- 
 ment of rock in the middle distance must also be kept of general grey tint, and its markings 
 decidedly given, but with no deeper pencil than an H.B. Lights must be left in all the 
 shadow of the lower trunks to convey the idea of the rough bark. The foreground is a nice 
 lesson of simple but effective drawing, and its crisp touches can all be given with a " B." 
 pencil, mainly using the finer edge for that purpose. 
 
 The example on page 4 of the group of four Scotch Firs on a mountain side is a more 
 
* # 
 
 SCOTCH FTR.— Drawn ]>y ]. Needhaa; 
 
4 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 GROUP OF SCOTCH FIRS.— Drawn by J. NF.F.nTfAM. 
 
OLD TRUNKS OF SCOTCH FIR.— Drawn by J. Needham. 
 
6 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 advanced lesson. In it the upper foliage of the four trees is blended together in one mass, 
 so that it is impossible to distinguish to which tree the various masses may belong. In 
 this way the topmost foliage of a forest of old Scotch Firs will frequently be so matted and 
 interlaced that it is frequently very difificult to extricate a tree for the purposes of the wood- 
 man; in fact the whole trunk might be removed, and the tangled network of branches would 
 remain suspended. The almost parallel lines of shadow may seem rather monotonous, but in 
 this case they are quite true to nature. The side next the edge of the cliff being bare of trees, 
 one of the lower pendulous branches has been allowed to develop. 
 
 The bold study of old Scotch Fir-trunks on page 5 is one of the best pencil drawings in 
 the Studies, and we hope our pupils will take great pains to copy it carefully, at the same time 
 using the amount of vigour that is necessary in such a bold drawing. The main effect is 
 derived from the large trunk in dark shadow in the centre of the picture; it causes all the 
 others to stand out individually, and this is, in fact, the key-note of the whole composition. 
 
 Each trunk and branch, whether broken or fully developed, must be carefully sketched ; 
 all the markings of the stems and the interlacings of the vigorous roots must be duly brought 
 out. The soil is very thin over the rocky surface, and the sandy covering affords poor nutri- 
 ment, so the great roots have to wander a good way in search of the necessary moisture; 
 this, of course, keeps them very near the surface, and as they increase in magnitude causes 
 them to be seen above-ground. 
 
 There is not much foliage shown in this study, and what there is approaches more to the 
 nature of uniform tints, so as to throw the effect of light upon the stems, which are the main 
 interest of the picture. The detail of the branches should be drawn on top of these tints. 
 Care must be taken not to let the depth of shade of the central trunk be so deep as to hide 
 its transparency; it will be seen that there are lights left in it, and that the markings of 
 the deepest shadow are quite discernible through the darkest part of its shadowed surface. 
 
 PAINTING THE SCOTCH FIR.— The Colored Illustration. 
 I ^HE practice our student has had of so many varied studies of the Fir in pencil 
 
 J_ should reduce the drawing of this more ambitious illustration (Plate X.) to a rather 
 simple task. However a careful sketch will repay the labour spent on it, and every little light 
 and shade, and all the detail should be patiently outlined. The sketch having been softened 
 off with bread crumbs, the whole surface may have a faint wash applied to it (Yellow Ochre 
 and a very little Light Red). Paint in the clouds with the same colors, adding Cobalt and 
 a little Lamp Black, and have the paper slightly moist to impart the airy effect. The distant 
 landscape will require Cobalt, Black, and Brown Madder and some Yellow Ochre for the 
 warm under tints. The richly colored foreground will require Yellow Ochre underneath 
 and Light Red and Cobalt for the greys. The detail will be painted with Burnt Sienna and 
 Brown Madder and a little Olive Green. 
 
 The foliage of the tree is merely an extension of the lessons wc have given at pages 
 15 and 16 of First Series, and we have already told how to make the greens for them. 
 
PLATE X.-SCOTCH FIR-HIGHLAND SCENE.-Iiv J. Neediiam. 
 
8 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 The warmer side of the foliage has a very little Gamboge given to the green where richest 
 in tint, and the cooler color can be joined to it when still moist, where the colder shades 
 appear. Some of the shadows may have a little strong Neutral Tint or Lamp Black added 
 to the green to increase the neutrality of the deepest parts. A little Burnt Sienna, tinged 
 with Vandyke Brown and Brown Madder as required, gives the color for the upper branches 
 of the tree. The warm tint of the stems approaches a cold ashy color where it loses the 
 shelter of the branches, and this coldness increases as it approaches the ground. A little 
 Burnt Sienna will be added to the usual Vandyke Brown for the principal details of the trunk 
 and branches. The warm foreground contrasts well with the cool foliage of the tree, and is 
 painted simply, to have the appearance of a study from nature. It will be seen that most 
 of the effect of this tree depends on the correct rendering of the boughs, both in form and 
 in color, and in the due preservation of the lights that force their way between them, especially 
 at the lines of separation of the four or five separate strata, if we may use the term, which 
 clearly divide the foliage into parallel masses. 
 
 Great value is obtained in the effect by the application of the final touches of dark 
 color, judiciously used, so that the work may not become spotty. 
 
 The touches in the foreground, the sparse grass, and the tangled roots, must be done with 
 vigorous working, and as our young artist is not likely to do this right off, he is advised to 
 practise on a separate piece of paper till he can give the roots their proper character and 
 look of actual " holding on." He will then be able to put them in the finished drawing boldly 
 without hesitation in the touch, and thus show no trace of undecided attempts. 
 
 THE LARCH. 
 
 [HE Larch {Larix europoed) belongs to the only genus of the cone-bearing order of 
 trees which throws off its leaves in winter. It is not a native of Britain, having 
 been introduced into England in the early part of the seventeenth century, and 
 it is said to have been first planted in Scotland in 1725. The cultivation of the tree has, 
 however, been found a profitable investment, and has rapidly extended in Scotland. Its wood 
 resists decay in wet situations, and this has led to its extensive use for railway sleepers, piles 
 to be driven into the earth, hop-poles, telegraph-posts, hurdles, and fences, so that now there 
 is a great demand for the timber. 
 
 It seems in the middle ages to have been applied to more noble uses, as the panels 
 which Raphael, Botticelli, Perugino, and other great painters enriched with their genius, 
 were made of Larch-wood. It is very unwilling to burn, and this may have led to its being 
 employed for building purposes in the great Italian cities of the middle ages; the piles, 
 floors, and staircases of most of the buildings in Venice are composed of this wood. Not 
 
THE LARCH.— Drawn by J. Needham. 
 
lO 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 only did the Venetians use it in their houses, but in their naval architecture as well; under 
 water it seems to be wonderfully durable. 
 
 Where the Larch has been grown with plenty of room it may be described as an erect 
 tree of pyramidal form, clothed with long slender branches from its pointed summit almost 
 to the ground, the lower ones being more or less pendulous, as also is the spray throughout. 
 The leaves are bright green, growing in tufts; the cones, which are small, are numerous. 
 In their young state they are frequently of a bright rose color, and are very beautiful objects 
 in contrast to the tint of the slender leaves. In early spring the Larch becomes green 
 before other trees; its tint is very beautiful and difficult to imitate in drawing or painting. 
 
 In these countries it cannot be denied that a plantation of Larches, save for the beauty 
 of its spring tints, has a rather monotonous effect; the trees (when growing close together) 
 lose all the beauty of pyramidal form, and rise as almost bare poles to a great height. This, 
 however, does not appear in its native countries, such as the Alps, where the trees seed them- 
 selves, and therefore do not start growth all equally equipped for the struggle for existence 
 as they do in an artificial plantation. The strong plants in nature dominate over the weaker, 
 which are stifled in the struggle, and therefore specimens such as those shown in our illustra- 
 tions are often met with in Alpine countries. 
 
 DRAWING THE LARCH.— The Pencilled Illustration. 
 '' I ^HE drawing of the Larch is very different from that of the Scotch fir; the tree is almost as 
 
 formal and regular as the other is wild and varied in growth. It is difficult to express 
 
 the touch by words, the shading is, however, not difficult to apply to the correctly sketched 
 outline of the tree, and resembles that which has been learned for the fir, only that its general 
 direction has to tend mainly downward instead of upward. 
 
 In the Larch branches the woody portion or backbone is uppermost, the twigs on either 
 side inclining downwards, with the leaves hanging in the same direction. The ends of the 
 boughs slightly turn upwards in a very graceful manner, which gives a peculiar elegance to 
 well-developed specimens of the tree. 
 
 The student should carefully observe these branches, for often a beginner will throw them 
 out at equal points or sides of the tree, thus giving it a' formal appearance like the wooden 
 trees in a child's box of toys. But nature places them with beautiful variety a little above 
 or below each other on either side, and often they cross as if even to vary any chance 
 formality that might occur. We advise our pupil to sketch separately the upper part of the 
 drawing (page 9) with great care in outline first, adding the shadows afterwards, and then to 
 imitate some of the branches on the right side, and then some of those in deeper shadow on 
 the left, and, when this practice has been made perfect, to attempt the finished pencil drawing 
 of the whole tree. The very outlining is an excellent drawing lesson, and will teach more, in 
 its execution, of the wonderful contrast that this tree presents to other trees than all we 
 could say about it. 
 
PLATE XI. -THE LARCH-AI.PINE SCF.NE.-Uv J. Nkfdham. 
 
12 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 We did not consider it necessary to give special foliage lessons for pencilling the Larch. 
 After the practice our pupils have had, they should, by separately practising the individual 
 boughs of the drawing on page 9, be able to specially acquire the necessary touch. 
 
 PAINTING THE LARCH.— The Colored Illustration. 
 
 WE gave at the commencement of the Work (pages 15 and 16), lessons in painting the 
 foliage of the Larch, and examples showing the use of the brush for that purpose. 
 We recommend a steady practice of these exercises before this complete drawing is attempted. 
 
 The scene of our colored illustration of the Larch (Plate XL) is laid in the Alps. As 
 we have already said, it is there that one sees the Larch in full development. We have 
 here the snowy mountain-top covered with perpetual snow. This snowy point must be saved 
 out in our first warmly tinted wash; the sky portends a snow-storm, and will have to be painted 
 in on slightly moistened paper with the usual colors. The depth of purple shadows in the 
 valley will be given by Cobalt and Pink Madder for the distance, and Cobalt and Light Red 
 with a little Black on the nearer mountain, and also some Brown Madder. 
 
 Some Light Red will be wanted where the bare poles show against the hill on the right, 
 but this must be kept faint to give it distance. Every detail of the trees in the centre 
 must have been carefully outlined, which will much simplify the painting of the somewhat 
 formal downward branches. The upper part of the nearest tree shows darker against the sky 
 than the one behind it; then again the effect is reversed below, for the boughs of the nearest 
 tree here are in much higher light than the lower branches of the second tree. This contrast 
 must be borne in mind from laying on the first color to the last finishing touches. The 
 prevailing green of the lighter part of the trees is given with Olive Green and Cobalt, and 
 a very little Burnt Sienna, the darker parts having, if needed, a very little Indigo added. 
 The practice of the pencilling of the first drawing will be found very conducive to the success- 
 ful rendering of the foliage with the brush. The painting of this foliage is done with a smaller 
 brush than was used for the Fir, and the point must be kept fine to indicate the spiny leaflets. 
 Some of the higher yellowish tinges may need a very little Yellow Ochre. 
 
 The operation of painting in the deeper shadows in this tree had better follow that of 
 putting in the lighter portions. The trunk and the pole hanging over the ravine will 
 be Light Red slightly heightened with Burnt Sienna, and the detail given in a few places by 
 Vandyke Brown or Sepia. 
 
 The bit of bright verdure at the verge of the abyss should be as bright green as possible 
 with yellow underneath and pale blue worked on top of it. Also the rich spray nearer the 
 edge of the paper should be very vivid, and may have a little Indian Yellow underneath and 
 touches of Burnt Sienna lightly added on top. This part of rich color serves by contrast to 
 give the slightly ashy tint to the foliage of the Larch, and also gives the effect of coolness to 
 the- valley. The rocks must be carefully drawn and painted; their grey neutral shadows 
 should be put in first. Their lights must be carefully sailed, and toned down by faint washes 
 of Light Red and Yellow Ochre thrown over all (but fainter at the edges), as in the original. 
 
THE ELM. 
 
 HE English Elm {Ulinits campestris) is a tall elegant tree, possessing a density of 
 foliage and clustering habit of growth which give it a variety of light and shade 
 that the painter knows how to appreciate. It forms one of the principal glories 
 of our parks, many of whose commanding avenues arc composed of this stately tree. 
 Although it is not certain that the Elm is a native of our island, it is now one of the most 
 common timber trees in England, where it is said upwards of forty places take their names 
 from the tree, as Nine Elms, Barn Elms, &c. Around our palaces, castles, cathedrals, old 
 halls, the Elm is commonly met with of large dimensions and venerable age. 
 
 The tree was well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It appears to have been 
 valued for its leaves, which were given as fodder to cattle: it was also valued beyond every 
 other tree as a support to vines, and Virgil minutely describes the special rearing of the 
 trees for this purpose. The wedding of the Vine to the Elm is frequently mentioned 
 by the Roman poets as illustrative of the blessings of peace and of the tranquil and 
 healthful occupations of rural life. 
 
 The Elm is a great favourite for planting in the neighbourhood of dwellings where 
 a speedy shade is desired. It bears transplanting well, even at an advanced age, and is 
 of rapid growth. For avenues it is unrivalled, forming a delightful shade, and its branches 
 have the quality of crossing at a lofty elevation and at the exact angle which is most pleasing 
 to the eye. There are many celebrated avenues of these trees in England, at Windsor, 
 Strathfieldsaye (the seat of the Duke of Wellington), and other celebrated parks, upwards 
 of a mile in length. The lofty cloistered aisles of Gothic cathedrals are said to have been 
 suggested by avenues of the Elm. The tree, growing in a forest and in good soil, arrives at 
 perfection in a hundred and fifty years, but it will live for five or even six hundred years. 
 Large forest Elms are cut down with advantage when of an age between one hundred and one 
 hundred and thirty years, and then furnish a large quantity of building material. 
 
 One of the great beauties of the Elm for the use of the landscape-painter consists in the 
 ramifications of its trunk and branches being distinctly evident throughout all its masses 
 of foliage; and in order to fully understand this anatomy, so to speak, of the tree, it is 
 recommended to sketch the construction of the stem and branches in winter. The Elm 
 retains its foliage till late in the autumn; the leaves assume a rich yellow hue some time 
 before they fall from the tree, and contribute much of the warm golden tint which enriches 
 the autumnal aspect of our woods. The tree is a great favourite with English artists, and 
 many of our most celebrated book illustrators have taken advantage of its peculiar suitability 
 for the wood engraver's art. 
 
 When well developed it is a very lofty tree, having a straight columnar trunk, with hard 
 wood, a rugged bark, and zigzag slender branches; the characteristics of outward form are 
 easily seized upon by the artist, and the Elm is therefore a great favourite with F.nglish 
 
STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 painters. On the Continent the tree is much used for Hning avenues in public places, but 
 is often spoiled by being clipped and pruned until all the natuial beauties of its form are 
 destroyed. It is only in P3ngland, Ireland (and also in some parts of Scotland), that one will 
 see really handsome specimens of this beautiful tree, which has become one of the best 
 recognized features of our landscape scenery. 
 
 DRAWING THE ELM.— The Pencilled Illustrations. 
 
 WE have already fully described on pages 3 and 7 of First Series the method of express- 
 ing the effect of the foliage of the Elm by means of the black-lead pencil. Wc 
 now proceed to the more advanced lessons of drawing the whole tree. 
 
 On page 18 an extended example is given showing the upper trunk, branches, and 
 sprays of an Elm-tree. If the rudimentary lessons have been carefully studied and practised 
 no great difficulty should present itself here. The only novelty consists in the tint of shadow 
 which fills up the centre masses of the shaded side. This tint is produced by laying in 
 the horizontal zigzag touches first, and going over them subsequently with a softer pencil, 
 care being taken to let the first tint be seen through the later work, thus giving that broken 
 appearance of leafiness which is expressed so well in this example. The branches should be 
 drawn in last, but the lines stopped at intervals to show where they are eclipsed by the 
 masses of leaves. Although this drawing has a beautiful fresh leafy look, and seems as if it 
 had been done right off from nature, our pupil must not attempt it without first making a 
 careful, delicate, outline sketch with all the limits of shadow, lights, branches, and twigs faintly 
 marked. 
 
 On page 19 a bold study of an old Elm-trunk is given, in order to fully explain and pave 
 the way for doing the colored example of a somewhat similar tree, and we certainly recom- 
 mend the student to copy this pencil drawing before he attempts to do the colored picture. 
 The trunk of the Elm is not so rugged as that of the Oak, and does not therefore require 
 such a broadly pointed pencil. Here also, no matter how clever the student may be, he must 
 not be allowed to make a finished drawing right off without first making a careful outline 
 sketch. The Elm-trunk is very apt to be much seamed, fissured, and moss-grown in its 
 aged state. The rugged aspect which the stem thus acquires is well expressed in the example, 
 and is worthy of careful imitation. 
 
 The modus operandi is much the same as we have recommended for the Oak, an H.B. or 
 B. pencil being used for the under tints, the bolder markings being subsequently applied 
 by bold decided touches of a softer pencil. Care must be taken to keep the strongest shadows 
 away from the outline edge, in order that the necessary roundness may be imparted to the 
 trunk, and to preserve all the little points of light peering through the shadows, without which 
 the whole would be a dull inert mass of flatness. The little bits of distance and the stile 
 may be done rather more slightly than they are printed in the example, and with an H.B. 
 pencil. It is difficult to imitate by printing-ink the beautiful airy effect of pencilling. 
 
 The example of a full-grown Elm on page 15 offers no difficulty to one who has properly 
 
1 6 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 drawn the earlier lessons of the same tree. The practice is the same, but the manipulation is 
 sn.ialler, more refined and delicate, and the light has been thrown on the left side of the tree 
 to give variety to the subject. However, this lesson will require much time and care to be 
 spent upon it, and the more careful the sketch the better the result that will follow. A good 
 deal of the effect in this drawing proceeds from the careful delineation of the branches and 
 foliage seen in shadow. The lights will require the most careful treatment, and the play of 
 varying shadows on the under branches is worthy of most careful study and patient imitation. 
 It may require indeed to be done several times anew before perfection is reached. 
 
 PAINTING THE ELM.— The Colored Illustrations. 
 
 BEFORE proceeding to paint the trunk or foliage of the Elm the pupil should have 
 fully studied and practised the preliminary lessons not only in pencil but with the 
 brush. The drawing of the Elm-trunk on page 19 should likewise be satisfactorily copied 
 before the picture of the same tree is attempted, to give a knowledge of the detail of the bark. 
 
 The colored study of the Elm-TRUNK (Plate XII.) may now be proceeded with. It is 
 unnecessary to add that it will require to be very carefully sketched at the outset, every 
 detail noted, and the position of the strong shadows and high lights exactly indicated. Before 
 commencing to color, we may remark that this sketch is an example of a study from nature 
 which has not been touched since it was painted out of doors. It is very simply rendered, 
 and if the pupil can imitate it in this respect he will find that his copy will have an air of 
 freshness which would be lost if too much time be spent upon it. He should, therefore, 
 consider it well beforehand, and have fully in mind what is to be done before coloring. 
 Give the sketch a wash of faint Yellow Ochre and Light Red, all over the paper. 
 The sky tints (Cobalt and Black for the greys and Cobalt alone for the blues) should be 
 carried across the upper branches of the trees and the shadow side of the trunk. It will be 
 observed that the neutral greys of the deepest shadows on the trunk, road, and middle distance 
 are deeper than that required for the clouds; these parts will therefore require a second 
 application of neutral tint, and, indeed, a third of greater depth still. The ground is painted 
 with Raw Umber, and a little Chinese White for the light parts. A green, made of Yellow 
 Ochre, Black, and a little Indigo, should be washed over the light parts of the trunk; the 
 remaining colors wanted for it being Sepia, Indian Red, and Olive Green. 
 
 Yellow Ochre, Olive Green, Cobalt, and Brown Madder will give the colors for the back- 
 ground with a little Indigo and Gamboge added, to give the color for the strongly tinted 
 sprays of foliage springing from the trunk itself The greenish hue of parts of the trunk may 
 still need a slight touch here and there of Olive Green, through which the neutral grey must 
 be allowed to appear where it is seen in the original. The blue sky in the centre of the 
 picture may look rather pale when the ruddy foliage is painted in across it, and will pro- 
 bably require some heightening with Cobalt. The yellow touches on the bank and foreground 
 may be heightened with a little Raw Sienna. The ruggedly furrowed bark of this old trunk 
 is peculiarly characteristic of the Elm, and we hope it will be copied with great care. The 
 
UrPER BOUflTTS AND STRAYS OF THE ET.M.— nrnwn by J. Nkkdii am. 
 
OLD EOr-TRUNK.— Drnwn hy J- Nr.EmrAM. 
 
20 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 little bit of cold light at the roots of the tree where the bark is broken, and the warm lights 
 on the trunk generally, will require to be preserved. 
 
 As we observed at the commencement of this lesson, it will be well to do the whole 
 work with as few times going over as possible, because crispness and clearness of coloring arc 
 only gained by this method. Should the first attempts at painting not seem very hopeful for 
 the ultimate result, it may be better to sponge out all the coloring and commence dc novo, 
 that the bold sketchy effect of the original may be obtained and preserved throughout. 
 
 The Group of Elms bv the edge of the Thames (Plate XIII.) is a more ambitious 
 picture. We hope that our pupils have successfully painted the early studies of the Elm 
 foliage on pages 13 and 14 of First Series, and therefore feel confidence in approaching this 
 lesson. Here, again, the importance of an exceedingly accurate outline sketch will be evident. 
 The coloring of the sky calls for no special remark: it is mainly produced by painting in (upon 
 moist paper) the requisite neutral greys and blues, a very little warmth having been imparted 
 by the preliminary wash of Yellow Ochre. Cobalt will supply the bluish coldness, and the little 
 bits of distant landscape may have a very little Pink Madder added to give their purplish hue. 
 
 The foreground and the edge of the river have a second wash of Yellow Ochre under- 
 neath, with some Light Red to give the fleshy tint of the bank. A little Raw Sienna will 
 supply the color of the hay in the boat, which, however, must be sparingly used and tempered 
 by the neutral grey underneath. Cobalt, Light Red, and a little Yellow Ochre will give 
 the neutral tint necessary to express the dull hue of the water, which is tempered by the 
 reflection of the cloud above and the sombre green of the mass of trees overhanging it. 
 The sky washes will have been carried over the distant tree on the right. A mixture of 
 Yellow Ochre and Cobalt will supply the greens for the distance, a very little Lamp Black 
 being added for the later markings of the foliage and where the greens possess a greyer hue. 
 
 A little Sepia and Light Red will supply the warm greys of the cottage and the bit of 
 landscape near it; the roof will need a little Light Red for the tiles. The distant trees on the 
 right may require their deeper parts to be strengthened by a little neutral tint slightly warmed 
 with Sepia. Care must be taken to "save out" the white cow and the figure in the boat. 
 
 The large group of trees may now be painted. The coloring is richest in the centre and 
 towards the base, and here great pains must be taken to preserve the character of the foliage 
 where the dark shadows meet the lightest boughs. The murky green of the foliage to right 
 and left is characteristic of this tree, and is to be produced by Olive Green tinged with 
 Indigo, heightened with a little Gamboge (and perhaps deepened with a little Black), the 
 proportions being varied as required. Some parts of the central tree will require the addition 
 of a very little Burnt Sienna to give them their slightly ruddy tint. When the Burnt Sienna 
 is in the brush some of the rich color in the grass may be heightened by it. 
 
 The general detail of the branches will be given by Vandyke Brown or Sepia; where 
 the light strikes the bases of the trunks it will be expressed by Sepia and Light Red, both 
 sparingly used. In the various manipulations of the greens great care must be taken to "save 
 out" as many lights as possible; even more apertures tlian enough may be left at first, more 
 of the background and of the sky seen through than in the original, for it is much easier to 
 
22 
 
 STUDIES OF TREIiS. 
 
 close them up (if the drawing should seem too thin and open in this respect at the last) than 
 to take out lights that have been omitted in the early stages of the work. 
 
 A great deal will depend on the delicate rendering of the broken, horizontal lines of 
 light and shadow in the water. In this case also it is better to leave more light than 
 will be ultimately required, and all the work on this part of the drawing must be very 
 accurately done with a finely-pointed brush, taking care to steadily draw the horizontal 
 touches on the water, and preserve them sharply through the other colors. 
 
 THE CHESTNUT. 
 
 HE Sweet or Spanish Chestnut {Castanea vescd) is believed to have been brought by 
 the Greeks from Asia Minor into Europe about 500 B.C., and to have been 
 introduced by the Romans into Britain for the sake of its fruit. It is generally 
 known as the Spanish Chestnut, to distinguish it from the Horse Chestnut, and is a tree well 
 suited for an artist's work. The Horse Chestnut, although undoubtedly an object of great 
 beauty when decorated with its magnificent blossoms, is yet so stiff and formal as to be 
 generally avoided by artists. The name Spanish does not necessarily imply that the tree 
 was brought from that country, but is used because the best nuts were and still are brought 
 from Spain ; in the same way that the best hazel-nuts come from that country and 
 are called Spanish nuts, although no one for a moment would suppose that the hazel is a 
 foreign tree. 
 
 The Chestnut is perhaps the most magnificent tree which reaches perfection in Europe. 
 It has been a great favourite with the painters of Italy, in which country the tree is to be seen 
 in all its grandeur; but it has not received the attention it deserves from artists in this country. 
 We have therefore thought it wise to devote several pages to it, and to give several illustra- 
 tions of its drawing. It is well distinguished from all other trees by its large, sharply-serrated 
 leaves, which are smooth and glossy, and by its long tendril-like spikes of flowers; while in 
 autumn it is mostly furnished with plenteous bunches of nuts thickly beset with complicated 
 sharp prickles. Gilpin compares it to the oak, but remarks that its ramification is more 
 straggling, more easy in its lines, and its foliage more open and loose. 
 
 The Chestnut is the tree that first attracted the Italian painters when they began to 
 pay attention to natural landscape, giving up the conventionalities which entrammelled their 
 predecessors. In the mountains of Calabria, where Salvator Rosa painted, the Chestnut 
 flourished; and this is the tree which graces his superb landscapes. There he studied it in 
 all its forms, breaking and disposing it in a thousand beautiful shapes as the exigencies of 
 his composition required. We find it, indeed, nearly always forming a prominent feature 
 in his bold and rugged landscapes, many of his most striking scenes being drawn from 
 the wild haunts and natural fastnesses of that romantic country wherein he passed so many 
 
FULL-G ROWN C II ICSl'N UT. 
 
 23 
 
 FULL-GROWN CHESTNUT.— Drawn by J. Nkediiam. 
 
24 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 of his youthful days. Gilpin supposes that this great painter's fondness for the Chestnut is 
 owing to its liability to be shattered by storms. 
 
 An old Chestnut standing by itself has a fine efifect, and a group of young trees 
 produces a fine contrast to the foliage of every other tree. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder speaks 
 with enthusiasm of the Italian Chestnut groves. He "roamed for miles through the high- 
 roofed leafy shades of the endless Chestnut forests which hung everywhere on the sides and 
 roots of the Apennines, where the impervious canopy was supported by the columnar trunks 
 of the enormous trees; and there and in many parts of the Alps the peasants depend greatly 
 on the Chestnuts, for the bread they live on is very much, if not altogether, composed of the 
 farina obtained from the nuts. We remember participating in one of the most interesting 
 scenes we ever beheld whilst penetrating that extensive Chestnut forest which covers the body 
 of the Valombrosan Apennine for nearly five miles upwards. It was a holiday, and a crowd 
 of peasants of both sexes, dressed in the gay and picturesque attire of the neighbourhood of 
 the Arno, were sporting and dancing on a piece of naturally level and well-cropped turf, 
 which spread itself beneath these gigantic trees, whilst the inmost recesses of the forest were 
 ever and anon made to resound to their mirth and their music. Some were beating down 
 the chestnuts with sticks, others for their own refreshment were picking out the contents 
 from the palisadoed castles in which the kernels lie entrenched, and when newly gathered from 
 the tree nothing can be more sweet or pleasing to the palate; whilst others, and particularly 
 the girls, were carrying on an amusing warfare of love by pelting one another with the fruit. 
 It seemed to us as if the golden age had been restored, and that, abandoning all the luxuries 
 of civilized life, mankind had voluntarily returned to their pristine simplicity of fare, when the 
 innocency of their lives corresponded with that of their rustic nutriment." 
 
 The Chestnut-tree retains its leaves until late in the autumn, when they become of a 
 beautiful golden hue. Owing to the tufted and weighty character of its foliage, and the brittle- 
 ness of the timber, the tree is liable to be injured by autumnal storms, and this accounts for 
 the frequently shattered condition of old trees, which may be considered their most picturesque 
 element. 
 
 One of the oldest Chestnut-trees in the world stands on Mount Etna. M. Houel states 
 that he visited it and found it in a state of decay. It had lost the greater part of its branches, 
 and its trunk was quite hollow. A hou.se was erected in the interior, with some country people 
 living in it, with an oven in which they dried chestnuts, filberts, and other fruits which they 
 wished to preserve for winter use; using for fuel, when they could find no other, pieces cut 
 with a hatchet from the interior of the tree. Kircher, about the year 1670, affirms that an 
 entire flock of sheep might be enclosed in the Etna Chestnut-tree as in a fold. The oldest 
 Chestnut-tree in England is supposed to be that ot Tortworth in Gloucestershire. Evelyn 
 states it to have been remarkable for its magnitude in the reign of King Stephen; it was then 
 called the Great Chestnut of Tortworth. Strutt gives its measurement at 5 feet from the 
 ground to be 52 feet in circumference, and its cubical contents to be 1965 feet. A remarkable 
 Chestnut-tree stands in the lawn of Castle-Leod, Strathpeffer, Ross-shire. It is 60 feet high, 
 and measures 20 feet in circumference at 3 feet from the ground. 
 
DRAWING THE CHESTNU I'. 
 
 25 
 
 DRAWING THE CHESTNUT.— Tin-: Pencilled Illustrations. 
 S we have said, the Chestnut foHage requires to be treated very much hke that of the 
 
 J~\_ Ash. We have given a page of examples and full instructions for its drawing at the 
 commencement of the work. We now proceed to describe the illustrations in pencil. 
 
 We have considered it necessary to give a number of examples of the pencilling of this 
 tree, and only one illustration in colors, as much more depends on the correct expression of 
 both leafage and bark by lines. With the experience our pupils have had in portraying 
 the foliage of other trees they should find no difficulty in reproducing the pencilled examples 
 in the proper colors of nature. 
 
 On pages 26 and 27 we give two contrasting examples of the Chestnut in youth and age. 
 In the younger specimen the foliage gives a different kind of practice, as the lower parts of 
 the trees, where the foliage is rather sparsely distributed, are mainly represented in the plate. 
 This illustration is principally a study of the trunk and branches, and is worthy of very careful 
 sketching. It will be found to be mainly shaded by lines running in the same direction as 
 the stem and boughs. The little bits of light must be carefully left and the darker touches 
 sharply defined, especially where they come against the high lights. The more distant tree 
 may be shaded with an H.B. pencil, and if it be more faint in tone than in the original the 
 effect will be all the better. The bit of coppice wants nice rendering, and must be made to 
 tell out against the white touches of grass in the foreground, while care is taken to save out 
 all the little bits of light in the brushwood itself. 
 
 The illustration of the Old Chestnut-TRUNK on page 27 should be a simple lesson for 
 those who have already copied those of the oak and elm. But the bark will be seen to differ 
 from both of those trees; the touches are more curved as the lines of fissure and shadow 
 are more interwoven and netted together. We wish our student to make a very careful copy 
 of this drawing and the preceding one before he attempts the painted example ; this practice 
 should familiarize him with the necessary effect which this tree requires, and which must be 
 rendered with the somewhat confident touch that experience only can give. 
 
 The Full-grown Chestnut shown on page 23 should not be a very difficult matter to 
 copy. In it we have a specimen of a richly clothed tree in its prime. In order to express 
 the general dark hue of the foliage there is more toning down by half-tint shading, but 
 all the more care will be required to preserve the high lights on the edges of the sprays and 
 tufts of leaves in the centre of the tree. These are heightened in effect where the line of the 
 central trunk peers out in the heart of the tree, and where it must be expressed by bold 
 black touches, through which again bits of clear light are seen at intervals. 
 
 The pupil is recommended to draw the left side of the tree first, and great care must be 
 taken to preserve the character of openness and looseness, as it were, of the foliage in 
 .shadow, especially against the sky, and to indicate by the careful leaving of the little bits of 
 light where the atmosphere is seen between the leaves. The strong shadow on the trunk must 
 contrast by its vertical lines with the tufted bough hanging over it, and be made to pick out 
 the sharply serrated foliage. 
 
 * * G 
 
STEM AND SPRAYS OF THE CII KSTNUT.- Drawn ].y J. Neediiam. 
 
* * 
 
 Ol.n CHESTNUT-TRUNK.— Drawn by J. NKi:i)ifA.M. 
 
28 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 PAINTING THE CHESTNUT.— The Colored Illustration. 
 
 A LARGER space of the preceding pages than usual has been devoted to the drawing 
 of the Chestnut. But if attention has been given to the lessons, and diligent and 
 truthful copies have been made of the four examples, we think the time will have been 
 well spent, as this is a very important tree for the painter's art. We may now proceed to 
 copy the colored illustration of the Chestnut (Plate XIV.) We have selected for our colored 
 example an old tree, but one that still maintains a healthy, green old age. We recom- 
 mend the pupil to make separate studies of the different parts, and to copy them over and 
 over again after the manner of the early lessons given with the other trees. The leaf of 
 the Chestnut is glossy, and the high lights of the sprays have to be shown very sharply 
 against the shadows to produce this somewhat glittering effect. The touches must be 
 bold, sharp, and angular; still care must be taken to vary their direction continually, so 
 as to express the large, bold, radiating tufts of leaves. 
 
 The warm pale green on the light side of the boughs (Olive Green, Gamboge, and Cobalt 
 in varying combinations) had better be washed over those parts, not a monotonous flat 
 wash, but in different tints, as in the original. Then the deeper color in shadow (Olive 
 Green and Indigo) can be applied in bold masses, and this followed by successive workings 
 of sharply-defined touches of a well-pointed brush, using a little more depth of tint where 
 required. Care must be taken to have every tuft correctly sketched, and in delineating the 
 shadow side of the tree, to give the beautiful variety of touch of many-tinted greens, all of 
 which can be produced by varying the relative amount of the pigments enumerated above. 
 The trunk will have an under-wash of Light Red and Vandyke Brown, with, for the shade, 
 the addition of Sepia. When dry, wash all over with a slight wash of Olive Green ; the 
 stronger markings of the bark will be imitated by Sepia, with a very little Vandyke Brown. 
 
 The bit of landscape requires no particular advice; it will have been imitated easily by 
 our now experienced pupil, and the whole of it has been left simple to express the amount 
 of work required in a sketch from nature. The foreground of cool sandy soil (Raw Umber 
 and White) contrasts well with the warmth of the trunk. The tree in middle distance 
 will require the cold neutral green (Burnt Sienna and Cobalt) to express its being in distant 
 shadow, and will thus allow the warm spray of the bough between us and it to be brought 
 into rich effect. 
 
 The sunlight is shining where the boughs droop towards the trunk, and here, there- 
 fore, the shadows assume deep warm tones, with the light seen through the tufts of leaves 
 in sharp points; this we hope will be carefully copied from the example. If the lights 
 here cannot be " left," they can be taken out by the use of water, blotting-paper, and wash- 
 leather, as previously explained. The figure must be neatly put in ; the red dress and blue 
 hood form useful contrasts to the colors surrounding, and serve to show the size of the huge 
 trunk. 
 
PLATE XIV. -OLD CHESTNUT.-By J. Needham. 
 
THE BIRCH. 
 
 HK fragrant graceful birch, the "Lady of the Woods," as Coleridge calls it, forms 
 one of the chief ornaments of our mountain scenery, where it is sometimes found 
 flourishing at a height of 3500 feet. As the Oak stands pre-eminent for majesty 
 and strength, so the Birch is unrivalled for its light airy elegance of form. " In one respect," 
 says Mr. Johns, " it even claims precedence over the monarch of the forest — and that one 
 which its slender and delicate form would least lead us to expect — it stands in need of no 
 protection from other trees in any stage of its growth, and loves the bleak mountain side 
 and other exposed situations from which the sturdy oak shrinks. But the style of beauty in 
 which each of these trees excels is so widely different in kind that neither of them can 
 properly interfere with the other." 
 
 The Birch is a hardy tree, a native of the colder regions of Europe, and is said to be the 
 most common tree in Russia. It is often found on rocky situations in the most remote parts 
 of Scotland, where no other tree is to be met with. It also stands in glens and ravines, 
 adorning the margins of lakes and rivers, where the silvery whiteness of its bark and the light 
 and airy habit of its spray form scenes beautiful to the tourist and especially interesting to the 
 artist. In addition to beauty of form the tree also possesses a delightful fragrance, which 
 it gives out at all times when in leaf, more particularly in spring when the leaves first expand, 
 or after rain or heavy dew. 
 
 The tree was known to the ancients; its branches being used for making baskets and 
 hoops. The rods or fasces borne by the lictor before the Roman magistrate, as a symbol of 
 power and punishment, were usually of birch, so that high classic authority can be quoted for 
 the use of the birch rod in quickening the idle school-boy of modern times. 
 
 Not long ago, in many parts of the Highlands, the Birch may be said to have been the 
 universal wood, and used for every purpose. The people made their beds, tables, chairs, 
 dishes, and spoons of it, and even manufactured ropes and horse harness by heating and 
 twisting the spray, whilst the brushwood was used for forming fences. 
 
 The Common Birch {Betida alba) in its wild state attains a height of from 30 to 40 feet, 
 and seldom increases in size after seventy years. The wood is of a light color shaded with 
 red, and is not of great durability except where grown at a high elevation. It is chiefly 
 employed in the making of fish-casks and bobbins, and is much esteemed for smoking hams 
 and herrings in consequence of the fine flavour which it imparts. The tree occasionally pro- 
 duces knots of timber beautifully veined and marbled, and capable of a high polish. The bark 
 is among the most incorruptible of vegetable substances. It is in demand for tanning and 
 preserving nets and cordage ; for the latter purpose it is preferred by fishermen, as it gives a 
 softness and elasticity to the nets which cause fish to enter the meshes more readily than 
 when they are preserved by any other material. The tree is liable to a disease which shows 
 itself by producing on the upper branches large tufts of twigs which at a distance resemble 
 
FULT.-GROWN BTRCH.— Drawn by J. NEEniiAM. 
 
32 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 crows' nests. A kind of wine is procured from the Birch by tapping the trunk in the end of 
 spring or beginning of summer, when the sap runs most copiously. In Russia an oil is also 
 extracted from the tree, which is used in the preparation of Russian leather. Books bound in 
 this leather are not liable to become mouldy. 
 
 The tree is remarkable for the color of its bark, which is sometimes of a dazzling white, 
 sometimes of a rich brown marked with yellow and silvery touches, which contrast well with 
 the dark green hue of the leaves. The younger twigs are of a uniform purple brown. The 
 brilliant white glistening stems of these trees have a beautiful effect when seen against the 
 dark background of other trunks and masses of dark foliage, and are of the greatest possible 
 assistance to the sketcher of woodland or mountain scenery. 
 
 On hillsides and in the glens of Scotland the beauty of the Birch is most enchanting; its 
 graceful form, color, and delicacy of leaf being in strong contrast with the stern rugged sur- 
 roundings. Its lightness and elegance are due to the slenderness of the trunk and branches, 
 compared with the height of the tree and the smallness of the leaves. 
 
 The Weeping Birch {Betula pendidci), a variety met with in the Highlands, differs from 
 the common species by having the shoots pendulous, and the leaves smaller and more delicate. 
 This is by some considered a more elegant tree than the common Birch, and on this account 
 it is frequently planted in parks and gardens. When young it may be readily distinguished 
 by the touch, its bark being covered over with rough exudations, while that of the common 
 tree is soft and velvety. 
 
 HE drawing of this beautiful tree may prove somewhat difficult to our pupil, but after 
 
 X the practice he has already had, we anticipate that, with due care and perseverance, 
 he will be able to overtake the task. The foliage of the Birch resembles in some respects 
 that of the elm, but it is much more minute, and does not possess the same murky color. Its 
 leafage being more scanty it does not take the same masses of deep shadow. The leaves are 
 pendulous, and their little stalks are so delicate that they are easily set in motion by 
 a breath of wind. This imparts to the tree a delicate aspect, which has to be carefully 
 rendered by a refined treatment of the touch. As we have already said, the tree is one 
 of the hardiest in this island, growing high up on the sterile Welsh mountain sides and in 
 the bleak Highlands where no other tree flourishes. We must not, therefore, allow our 
 copies to appear too effeminate; and it will be seen that our portraits of the "Lady of 
 the Woods " have, with all their lady-like refinement, still a look of robust healthy vigour, 
 which must be reproduced in the copies. A drawing of the small-leafed Highland variety of 
 the birch is given on page 33 ; but we advise our pupil to confine his first efforts on this tree 
 to the specimen of the larger variety, of which we give a full-paged example (page 31). Let 
 him select the upper portion of this tree, and make small bits of practice, first of the left 
 side, then of the right. He had better devote an entire sheet of paper to this practice of the 
 touch, which is done with the pointed side of an H.B. pencil, lightly used and held angularly. 
 
 DRAWING THE BIRCH.— The Pencilled Illustrations. 
 
DRAWI 
 
 The mass of sprays in shadow on 
 the left and the darker part below should 
 now be separately practised, great care 
 being taken to preserve the drooping 
 character of the foliage (which almost 
 hangs as much as that of the weeping 
 willow; but the touch of the birch is 
 angular, while in the willow it is nearly 
 vertical). Further practice should be 
 made of the light-lit masses on the right- 
 hand side of the tree, and again of the 
 centre of the tree, where the stem shines 
 out silvery at one part and in deep purple- 
 brown at another. The trunk of the 
 Birch frequently becomes of a silvery- 
 white color as the tree increases in age, 
 while the upper branches and twigs 
 retain the rich purple-brown hue of their 
 youth. The bark is arranged something 
 like that of the beech, in a smooth hori- 
 zontal manner, but it is much more vivid 
 in color and more glossy in surface, while 
 the markings are generally in the rich 
 brown described above. Sometimes the 
 stems retain their brownish tint, and in 
 such cases the foliage is also of a deeper 
 hue than those trees whose trunks are 
 almost entirely of the silvery character. 
 
 In fact there are brunettes as well 
 as blondes among these beauties of the 
 forest. The tree which we are now 
 engaged in copying is one of those forms 
 where the brown bark has not peeled off 
 in many places, and thus we have more 
 of the dark horizontal shading, which 
 is very useful for aiding the effect of the 
 drawing. The pupil should practise the 
 touch for the stem by drawing its various 
 parts on separate paper. 
 
 We especially desire our young artist 
 to copy this tree in pencil drawing with 
 
 THE BIRCH. 33 
 
 SILVER BIRCH. 
 
34 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 great care, as we would like him, when he has learned how to color the other example, to try 
 to copy this drawing in its proper natural colors as well. It will be desirable to keep the 
 whole in a generally light tone, not to exaggerate the shadows in the least, and to use the 
 B.B. pencil, if at all, only for the two or three points of very deep tint, which can be detected 
 by viewing the example (held at a little distance) with half-shut eyes. 
 
 The example of the Silver Birch on page 33 forms a graceful little study for our now 
 advanced pupil to copy. If the H.B. pencil be too soft, an H. may be used for the very 
 delicate downward zigzag touch here employed to denote the minute leafage of this tree. 
 The sprays are more pendulous than in the larger specimen of the tree, and are generally 
 deeper in colour, which gives the necessity for more lines and less of the white paper left. 
 We would wish our student to practise this, the most minute pencil touch we have yet 
 attempted, on separate paper till he has acquired the power of exactly imitating the example; 
 he will then be able, we hope, to make right off a faithful copy of the original. The example 
 in this case has been drawn with ink, not with a pen, but with a very fine brush. If our young 
 artist have the necessary delicacy of hand, by all means let him copy it in this manner; it will 
 improve his power of handling the brush more than any other kind of practice. It should 
 be done with Indian ink, not with writing ink. But on no account must this example be 
 copied with a pen. If the pupil cannot do it with a fine brush, he must imitate it as best he 
 can in black-lead pencil. 
 
 HE colored illustration of the GROUP OF BiRCHES by the side of a little mountain 
 
 stream in North Wales (Plate XV.) should commend itself to our student's interest 
 by the beauty of its delicate drawing, coloring, and general picturesque effect. In this illus- 
 tration the trees are neither so rich in their masses of foliage as in the large pencil draAving, 
 nor so minute in their delicate detail as in the smaller example. After having copied both 
 drawings carefully in pencil, however, this example in colors should be approached with some 
 confidence. A very minute and graceful outline sketch should first be made, which is well 
 worth four or five hours' work'. The whole paper may be toned down by a faint wash of 
 Yellow Ochre with a little Light Red, saving out only the cold white stem of the fore- 
 most tree. The sky and distance, with the shadows of the foreground, may be painted in 
 on the moistened surface with neutral grey, and when this has dried, add the deeper tints 
 of warm tone or cold hue as in the original. 
 
 A little faint Cobalt with a very small quantity of Pink Madder and a little Black will 
 supply the pale purplish greys of the deeper clouds and distant landscape, with Cobalt and 
 Brown Madder for the middle distance. The deeper shadows of the more distant foliage can 
 also be indicated with the neutral grey used for the clouds, and then the first warm under- 
 wash of the centre tree can be given with Yellow Ochre and a little Burnt Sienna where 
 it approaches that color. The cooler greens can be painted with Yellow Ochre and Olive 
 Green, with a little Burnt Sienna where required, adding Cobalt to cool the more distant parts. 
 
 PAINTING THE BIRCH.— The Colored Illustration. 
 
PLATE XV.- GROUP OF HIRCHES. -Bv J. Nekdham. 
 
36 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 These should all be faintly applied at first; an examination of the original will show the 
 depth of color that was first applied there, both in the case of the warm and the cool foliage. 
 
 The successive painting of the masses of stronger color can be gradually proceeded with. 
 One part of the work may be carried on while another is drying, and the landscape can be 
 gradually receiving its tints in this way. A faint wash of Light Red can be given where the 
 withered heather blossoms warm the middle distance, and this will require heightening in 
 parts with a very little Madder. Yellow Ochre underlies the markings of the hill on the 
 left, and (tinged with a very little Olive Green) the bank of the river and foot of the tree 
 where lies the warm shadow. The foreground is painted with Sepia, and Cobalt for the 
 cool greys of the stones. The pale grey markings (Lamp Black and Light Red) on the 
 light trunks must be carefully imitated with horizontal touches of a finely pointed brush. A 
 slight wash of Light Red, and where required a little Sepia, will produce the under color of the 
 more distant trunks. Vandyke Brown will give the color of the branches seen through the 
 foliage, but this must not be of full strength at first, the heavy touches being reserved for the last. 
 
 Attention will now be given to finishing the foliage. The detail of the centre tree being 
 reserved to the last, the varying tints of the leafage on the left may now be worked up. The 
 colors required have been already mentioned, and we suppose that the foliage has been 
 gradually brought up and is now ready for finishing. Part of the deep shadowed boughs 
 above the figure may now be completed, great care being taken to define the sharp edges 
 of the pendulous warmly tinted sprays of the central tree. Then the tree on the right should 
 be painted in, bringingt up its strength by degrees, and its green being warmed slightly by 
 a small addition of Brown Pink. Great care will be required here to save out the lights 
 where the sky is seen through, and to preserve the character of the foliage at the extreme 
 edges. It may be here remarked that two of the stems of this group of trees are of that 
 variety of Birch of rather dark complexion throughout, which retains the rich brown bark. 
 These trees will carry more of the Vandyke Brown (tinged with a little Olive Green), and 
 they thus serve as foils to the glistening silver bark of the other trunks. The figure of the 
 man fishing may now be put in; a little Brown Madder and Vandyke will give the 
 deepest markings for this and the rich brown bank on the right. The grassy edge of the 
 stream will not have been forgotten ; it and the pale touches of green in the foreground serve 
 to carry the tints of the foliage into the front of the picture. The detail of the foreground 
 must be rendered as faithfully as possible; any slovenly work here will be fatal to the picture. 
 
 Our pupils will observe some delicate touches at the extremities and edges of the lower 
 foliage of the central tree; these may now be supplied with body color (liquid Chinese White 
 tinged with a little Yellow Ochre or Naples Yellow). These aids to effect must be sparingly 
 used, and the little delicate touches applied with discrimination, the brush being tested else- 
 where before being used on the picture. 
 
 As has already been stated, we would like our pupils, now that they have learned to 
 copy the colored example, to endeavour to make colored copies of the pencil drawings 
 of the same tree, both the large Lowland variety and ihe more delicate drawing of its High- 
 land relative. 
 
THE LIME OR LINDEN TREE. 
 
 LINY tells us that this tree in his day was held in great repute for a thousand uses. 
 It was used, among other purposes, for shields, as it was said to deaden the blow 
 of a weapon better than any other wood. In medicine its supposed virtues were 
 
 very great; the leaves and bark had a healing power, and decoctions of various parts beautified 
 the skin and promoted the growth of the hair. 
 
 The common or European Lime-tree {Tilia enropced) is a large tree, characterized by its 
 pyramidal shape, by the multiplicity of its long, slender, upright branches, which start from 
 the main stem not many feet from the base, and by the unbroken surface presented by its 
 abundant foliage. These characters give to half-grown trees, in which they are most con- 
 spicuous, a stiff and formal appearance, especially if they happen to be planted in rows. In 
 older specimens the weight of the lower branches frequently bends them down to the ground 
 so as entirely to conceal the trunk ; the middle part of the tree is thus thrown open and 
 the pyramidal outline destroyed ; the summit too becomes somewhat more tufted. 
 
 The leaf is bright green, pointed, and heart-shaped, smooth above and either uniformly 
 downy beneath, or bearing small tufts of down in the angles of the veins. The tree bears 
 quantities of small flowers which are deliciously fragrant, especially towards evening; they are 
 frequented by myriads of bees, and honey from the Lime is considered superior to all other 
 kinds for its delicacy of flavour; even after the flowers have faded and fallen to the ground 
 the odour is perceptible, as the withered stamens remain for a long time and retain their 
 fragrance to the last. Towards the end of September the leaves turn to a bright yellow, 
 and in the course of the following month fall off, meantime having contributed much to gild 
 the fading landscape. 
 
 The tree is a native of the north of Europe, and is also found wild on the Alps of 
 Switzerland. It is stated to be indigenous to England, but it does not shed its seeds and 
 spring up in uncultivated ground as indigenous plants generally do. The tree is unsuitable 
 for bleak situations or poor dry soils ; its chief use being for shading avenues and as a park or 
 lawn ornament. Though destitute of the wild ramifications and picturesque character of the 
 Oak or Scotch Elm, it forms a vigorous well balanced tree, with a great number of lateral 
 branches of an easy and graceful habit, and generally accords well with the meadow and 
 cultivated grounds where it is usually grown. 
 
 Avenues of Lime-trees became very fashionable in the time of Louis XIV., and accord- 
 ingly the approaches to noble residences in France, as well as in England, were at that date 
 bordered with these trees. Many of these avenues still remain; the famed Unter den Linden 
 of Berlin was thus planted, and although the modern appliances of civilization — gas-pipes, 
 telegraph-wires, and sewer-pipes (all of which are inimical to this tree) — have much injured 
 them, they still remain interesting historical memorials. 
 
 The Dutch plant Limes along their widest streets and by the sides of their canals, and 
 
 H 
 
38 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 the whole country is perfumed by them during the months of July and August. Evelyn 
 in his " Sylva " recommends the Lime as " of all other the most proper and beautiful for 
 walks, as producing an upright body, smooth and even bark, ample leaf, sweet blossom, the 
 delight of bees, and a goodly shade at the distance of eighteen or twenty-five feet." The 
 timber is better adapted than any other for the purposes of the carver; it will take any form 
 whatever, it admits of the greatest sharpness in the minute details, and is cut with the greatest 
 ease. It is also used as sounding-boards for pianos and other musical instruments. 
 
 Its ihner bark is most valuable for the formation of mats, which are in almost universal 
 use from their strength, cleanness, and great durability. They are of immense use to the 
 gardener, as they do not easily rot from being exposed to moisture, and are found to 
 effectually exclude frost. 
 
 In selecting Lime-trees for planting, the variety with red twigs and large leaves should 
 be preferred. In our long winter, before the leaves make their appearance, the rich ruddy 
 tint of the twigs and buds is a great advantage. This variety also seems to have a more 
 vigorous growth and less awkward form than the common species. 
 
 DRAWING THE LIME.— The Pencilled Illustration. 
 
 IT is impossible to mistake a Lime, in full foliage, for any other tree, as it has a refined 
 even cultivated appearance, and a rich delicate color, all its own. In leaf it is somewhat 
 the color of the beech, but it is softer and more liable to droop its sprays, especially when 
 full-grown; it thus hides its branches from view, presenting in summer a beautiful leafiness 
 of golden green. The touch required for the foliage resembles in some respects that used 
 for the elm or ash, but as the tree is much more soft and leafy its shadows are not so 
 intense, and its masses are more blended together. 
 
 We recommend our pupils to carefully copy first the light boughs of the example, then 
 the shaded ones on separate paper, and finally, to attempt the finished drawing of the whole 
 tree. Much of the detailed shading of the Lime is necessarily done with the pointed side of 
 the pencil ; there is so much luminous effect about the tree that very little dark shading is 
 permissible, and that only where the trunk makes its appearance at intervals, and at a few 
 other places where the great boughs overhang one another. Once the outline sketch of the 
 whole tree has been made, the flat tinting of the pale undershading must be slightly given. 
 This is produced with the flat side of the chisel-cut H.B. pencil. Care must be used to leave as 
 much as possible of the grain of the paper, as the peculiar pale (and at the same time luminous) 
 yellowish green of the foliage can only be expressed, in pencilling, by this manner of treat- 
 ment. Then, on top of this tinting, let the detail of the boughs be applied. Great care must 
 be taken to keep the zigzag, downward shading sufficiently open to express the leafiness of 
 this beautiful tree, and to finally add the few touches of deepest shadow with neat precision. 
 
 The contrast of the naked larch pole in the background serves to render the rich 
 appearance of the Lime all the more beautifully clad by comparison. This is a scene in 
 an English park, and the rich turfy foreground is a new kind of lesson for our pupils. 
 
FULL-GROWN LIME.— Drawn by J. Needham. 
 
40 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 PAINTING THE LIME.— The Colored Illustration. 
 
 THE colored illustration of the Grove OF LiMES (Plate XVI.) forms a great contrast 
 to almost all the trees we have yet painted. We will take it for granted that 
 the sketching has been most carefully done. Give all a preparatory wash of Yellow Ochre. 
 The sky is painted with Cobalt and Light Red; with a little Black added for the shade 
 (floated in when the paper is moist), and such of the simple landscape and foreground 
 that our view possesses presents no difficulty. 
 
 The prevailing tint of the Lime, even on the shadow side, is a lighter green than the 
 brightest part of the foliage of most others; this green is composed of Olive Green and Cobalt. 
 The lighter boughs are painted with Cobalt, Olive Green, and Gamboge, with a little Burnt 
 Sienna. The under tint of rich yellow for the sunlit side will be first given by a wash of 
 Gamboge with the slightest tint of Olive Green. Some of the higher lights will be seen to 
 be left almost bare of deep color, and there the warm wash of Yellow Ochre that was given 
 first of all to the lower part of the picture may give it almost sufficient color. It is evening, 
 and the warm light tints the old church, and is seen reflected on the walls of the building 
 under the trees ; the greys are given by Light Red and Cobalt ; some Light Red and Burnt 
 Sienna will have supplied the warm colors and also reddened each side of the foreground. 
 The road is painted with Raw Umber and White; the shadows on the road and under 
 the trees with Cobalt, Light Red, and Vandyke Brown. 
 
 The touch for the shades of the foliage is very much the same as that recommended for 
 the elm, but in no part is the color so deep in tone; the only place where any extra working 
 of strong color is required is where the horizontal masses of boughs separate to disclose 
 the strongly marked limbs of the tree; these and the shadows on the upper part of the trunks 
 are put in with Sepia and Light Red not too strongly used. 
 
 Great care must be taken to keep all the workings of the dark green shades as soft and 
 delicate as possible so as to maintain the effect of the fleecy softness of the Lime; if these 
 touches be too strong or too spotty the trees will have the appearance of elms. It may be 
 that some of the green boughs and some of the yellow ones may seem more vivid and crude 
 than in the example; a very slight wash of Brown Pink will subdue this, but it must be 
 very delicately applied not to wash out the sharpness of the detail that may have already 
 been applied. 
 
 The naked saplings on the bank at the left are introduced for contrast with the warmly 
 clothed tree, and must be neatly touched in with body color should they have been lost in 
 laying on the deep grey washes of the background. The figures must be carefully copied; 
 the high lights are touched in with white and the little bits of Vermilion serve the effect of 
 the greens by their complementary colors and also prevent the lower part of the picture from 
 seeming too warm in tint. 
 
THE POPLAR. 
 
 HE Poplars are mostly trees of large size and rapid growth, natives of Europe, parts 
 of Asia, the west of Africa, and North America. Four species are supposed to be 
 indigenous to Great Britain, namely, the White, Grey, and Black Poplars, and the 
 Trembling Poplar or Aspen. 
 
 But the Lombardy Poplar {Popuhis fastigiata) is probably better known to us than any 
 of the native kinds. It is a tall tree, readily distinguished from every other species by its 
 upright growth. The lateral branches being closely gathered round the stem, the tree becomes 
 of a taper shape, forming that habit of growth among deciduous trees which the upright 
 cypress has among evergreens. The tree was introduced into Britain from the banks of the 
 Po in the eighteenth century, and it soon became common. 
 
 The Poplar offers the greatest possible contrast to the oak; while the one consists mainly 
 of lines approaching the horizontal, the other approaches the perpendicular form as much as 
 possible. The Oak seems designed to give as much umbrageous shade as a tree could well 
 afford, while the Poplar's shadow is as remarkable for the opposite quality. The contrast 
 extends even to their places of growth, for while the hillside or undulating park is the favourite 
 abode of the Beech and Oak, the Poplar for the most part prefers flat moist situations, an 
 alluvial far-reaching plain, or the banks of a winding river. The foliage of the Oak, Beech, 
 and other spreading trees is thick, rich, and heavy, unless examined in detail; that of the 
 Poplar is scanty, and remarkable for being nearly always in motion, a peculiarity to be 
 attributed to the slenderness and peculiar formation of its leaf-stalks. 
 
 Although common enough in England, Poplars are seen to best advantage in the plains of 
 France or Italy, where they form long mihtary-looking lines stretching along the roads as far 
 as the eye can reach. In hot countries such as these however, one would suppose, they might 
 be replaced with advantage by some tree which would afford shelter to the weary traveller. 
 The wood of this tree is soft and light, of little worth in the arts or manufactures, but it 
 possesses the curious property of being difficult to ignite. 
 
 However, the picturesque element of the tree is the one which most concerns us at present, 
 and there certainly is nothing more valuable to the landscape-painter than the elegant form 
 of the Poplar, forming a finely contrasting perpendicular line in a flat champaign country, 
 while the deep tint of its rich green, and well-marked almost vertical masses of foliage, gives 
 relief and pleasure to the eye. In England it is not usual to plant these trees in monotonous 
 lines, and therefore a few Poplars are always welcomed by us as improving the landscape. 
 
 The Poplar has been selected to represent the Tree of Liberty, but being rather short- 
 lived it seems specially ill-adapted for the purpose. It would seem that its Latin appellation 
 pepuliis was misunderstood by the French during the Revolution, and confounded with 
 populus, people; so that the tree was glorified by them into a position for which it does not 
 seem in any way fitted. 
 
LOMBARDY POPLARS.— Drawn by J. Needham. 
 
44 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 DRAWING THE LOMBARDY POPLAR.— The Pencilled Illustration. 
 
 LIKE the tree itself, the drawing is as dififerent as possible from all the trees we have yet 
 J done. In this tree the branches grow upwards, following the direction of the main stem, 
 and the light masses of foliage are also almost vertical. Little of the branches can be seen 
 in summer, except where they divide from one another or spring from the trunk. Were it not 
 for this the tree would be excessively monotonous ; but as depicted in the pencilled example, 
 and also in the colored illustration, it is fortunately sufficiently varied for the picturesque. 
 
 The pupil is advised to apply himself to make a careful copy of the study in black and 
 white, before he attempts the similar subject in color. It will be very necessary to make 
 a most careful outline sketch in the first instance; indeed, if a good sketch be made, and 
 all the little vertically inclined zigzags of the masses of foliage be carefully imitated, it will 
 be found when the sketching work is done that the pupil has almost learned the trick of 
 drawing the foliage of the Poplar. 
 
 Care must be taken that the second and third trees express their distance from the first. 
 The centre tree happens to be of a lighter tint of green, which can only be expressed in black 
 and white by a more delicate handling of the pencil and a less positive treatment of its 
 shadow side. The middle tint of these trees is expressed by the use of the flat side of an 
 H.B. pencil, cut chisel-shape; the shadows are given by the use of the pointed side of the 
 B. pencil, the deepest lines of detail being added last in a similar manner with the B.B. pencil. 
 
 The distance should be softer and fainter than in the printed example, and its level 
 tints will likewise be best done by the flat side of an F. or H.B. The Sycamore tree on 
 the right has been introduced for contrast, and will require delicate rendering with an H.B. 
 pencil. The horizontal shadows of the Poplars will require careful rendering; the figures 
 being darker than these shadows, give richness and contrast to this bit of the picture, and 
 balance the distant foliage and point of land on the opposite side of the drawing. The fore- 
 ground, it will be seen, is represented by the flat tinting of a B. or H.B. pencil, with some 
 sharp lines of detail on the top of it in the shadow of the figures and at the foot of the 
 principal tree. These final touches with the little bits of light impinging them, give sparkle 
 and light to the picture, and cannot be too carefully imitated. 
 
 Referring again to the foliage of the Poplar, it will be seen that not only are the outline, 
 shadows, and branches of a vertical tendency, but the lights of the foliage are also arranged 
 in upright lines, all combining to give the look of upward growth that the whole tree possesses. 
 
 PAINTING THE LOMBARDY POPLAR.— The Colored Illustration. 
 
 IT is generally said that the only use of the Poplar in landscape is to serve as a foil to 
 other trees. But here Mr. Needham has made a very pretty picture with little else than 
 the Poplar itself. The red-tiled houses at horizontal lines of level landscape are, however, 
 useful accessories to the picturesque, and the showery clouds angularly driving across the sky 
 
PLATE XVII.— LOMEARDY POPLARS-ENGLISH SCENE. -Bv J. Needham. 
 
46 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 give varying lines to the picture of four or five almost perpendicular trees. The cattle 
 also add to its interest. We need scarcely say that a most careful sketch must be made 
 of this picture, and especially of the masses of foliage of the trees, showing how they rise 
 upward from the trunk, and it would be well to delineate almost every touch of shadow with 
 the greatest accuracy. 
 
 There is nothing calling for particular notice besides the foliage; the drawing and 
 painting of the rest of the picture does not present any great difficulties. The sky had better 
 be painted after the surface of the paper has been moistened slightly, when the various greys 
 (composed of Light Red, Cobalt, and Black, and a very little Ochre) should be floated in, 
 and the Cobalt alone used for the blue sky and distance. The warm-tinted trees on the 
 right will require some Yellow Ochre, with a very slight addition of pale blue where the 
 greenish tint appears, the same several times repeated for the foreground. A faint wash of 
 Sepia, with Burnt Sienna and grey, mixed, here and there where required, should be given to 
 the wooden houses, and with varying strength upon their tiled roofs. The distant landscape 
 should be faintly but firmly painted with Yellow Ochre, Light Red, and Cobalt, with Black 
 added for the greys. The same will be repeated in the water, and the banks of the stream 
 and trees there warmed with a faint use of Yellow Ochre. 
 
 The foliage of the Poplars will now claim our attention. Indigo and Raw Sienna will 
 give the sombre blackish hue of the shaded side of the boughs; for the light boughs, Olive 
 Green, Gamboge, and French Ultramarine. Care must be taken to convey the character of 
 the small vertical lines of leaves where they come against the sky or against the edges of the 
 masses catching the light. The practice had in the pencil drawing of the same trees should be 
 a help to this. A fine brush will be necessary. 
 
 The trunk and branches will be best expressed with Sepia and Light Red, with a very 
 little Vandyke for the deepest touches; they may require after all a few faint touches of 
 Olive Green in some parts, and the same will be required for the shadows of the trees upon 
 the grass. The branches where they appear through the foliage will also be done with Sepia 
 or Vandyke Brown as required, and the same (with Olive Green underneath) for the hedge 
 on the right, one being blended into the other as in the original. We should have said 
 that the warmly-tinted grass in the foreground is painted with Gamboge, Cobalt, and Burnt 
 Sienna. 
 
 The cattle will require neat drawing, the one colored with Burnt Sienna and Light 
 Red, the other with Vandyke Brown deepened with a very little Indigo. The wooden houses 
 will require careful imitation ; the shadows will be done by the same grey that is used for 
 the clouds, with a warm tint of Yellow Ochre and Light Red carried over it. The tiled 
 roofs vary in age and consequently in tint; the nearest one has a little Raw Sienna, and 
 the others a varying quantity of Madder. The detail of the timber and tiles of these houses 
 must be done with a finely-pointed brush, and most carefully imitated ; any slovenliness here 
 would spoil the effect of the whole drawing. 
 
POLLARDED WILLOWS.— Drawn by J. Needham. 
 
THE WILLOW. 
 
 HE Willows are natives of the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, and 
 are generally found growing by the sides of water-courses. They form a most 
 extensive genus {Salix), more than two hundred species being described by 
 Loudon, of which seventy are said to be natives of Britain. Speaking generally, Willows may 
 be characterized as trees or shrubs varying in height from 60 feet to a few inches. Some of 
 these varieties have been in use from the earliest times for cordage, oziers for fine and coarse 
 basket-work, and rural implements of many kinds. 
 
 The foliage of the Willow has a pleasant, light, sea-green tint, and the tone of the bark 
 has a warm pleasant hue. In early spring the tree is covered with a quantity of flowers and 
 catkins. When the trees are in full flower they are covered with beautiful silky down in 
 the month of March, and whenever a bright, warm day comes the bees resort in swarms 
 to their favourite catkins for a spring breakfast. 
 
 The Willow ripens its seeds early enough to furnish many birds with a soft and warm 
 material for lining their nests, and this is all the more valuable from the fact that no other 
 downy seeds are as yet ripe, and that the rains of winter have beaten into the earth all 
 the thistle down that had not been dispersed by the preceding equinoctial gales. The 
 branches of the Willow with their beautiful silky florescence are used in many northern 
 countries to represent the palm for use on Palm Sunday. Many of the poets sing of the 
 beauties of the tree at this time of year. 
 
 In marshy countries, such as the fens of Lincolnshire, the tree is mostly "pollarded," that 
 is, its head or poll is cut off" to facilitate the growth of young branches year by year, which 
 are again cut, and thus the tree assumes an appearance that in any other situation would 
 be destructive to all our ideas of beauty. But as it is almost the only kind of tree to be 
 found in such districts, it is welcomed as an interesting object, and many paintings have 
 been made of exquisite pastoral scenes, with Pollarded Willows forming elegant and suitable 
 additions to the picture. 
 
 The idea of grief is associated most, if not entirely, with the Weeping or Babylonian 
 Willow; and it is difficult for us to forget the mournful aspect it has so long borne in our 
 minds. Were it possible to do so, we might recognize this beautiful tree — which contrasts 
 with every other, and is, more than any other, full of the most graceful lines — as a most 
 picturesque object. 
 
 The light airy spray of the Poplar rises perpendicularly, that of the Weeping Willow is 
 pendent, the shape of its leaf is conformable to the pensile character of the tree, and its 
 spiay, which is still lighter than that of the poplar, is more easily put in motion by a 
 breath of air. At Kew the Weeping Willow may be seen to perfection on the banks of the 
 Thames; it adds much to the beauty of the river scenery, hanging over the water, and 
 mirrored in the quiet pools. 
 
PLATE XVIII. —POLLARDED WILLOWS -By J. Nheuham. 
 
50 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 DRAWING THE WILLOW.— The Pencilled Illustrations. • 
 
 THE foliage of the Pollarded Willow is given by small crisp almost vertical touches, 
 or these connected into vertical zigzag lines. It has to be done very lightly and 
 delicately, with rather a finely-pointed pencil, to convey the effect of the long narrow leaves 
 of this tree, and at the same time to express their light-green color and the small amount 
 of shadow which they give. 
 
 The sprays and branches have generally an upward tendency, crossing one another at 
 very small angles, which, in fact, imitate the elongated form of the leaves of the tree. The 
 distant landscape and sedgy water-course is worthy of careful imitation, and great care will 
 be required to give it an airy effect by delicate drawing. Nothing but an H.B. pencil should 
 be used upon it, and the foliage of the Willow in the foreground should also be rendered 
 with the same. The mass of shadow at the shaggy head of the tree will require the use of a 
 B. pencil, the heavier shadows only being rendered with a B.B. pencil. 
 
 The leaves of the Willow are almost grey underneath, and from their general upright 
 direction a good deal of this ashy color enters into the general effect of the foliage. Great 
 care must be taken to preserve the little lines of light in the bits of bark adhering to the old 
 trunk. The sedgy verges of the water must be decidedly given by sharp nearly vertical 
 touches. 
 
 The drawing of the Weeping Willow m.ay task our young artist's powers at first. 
 But a faithful sketching of the foliage, and due regard being paid to the downward bent 
 of its curves till they reach their almost vertical direction, will cause the finishing work to 
 be much simplified. The contrasting effect of the Willow and the Poplar before alluded 
 to, as being remarkable in the trees themselves, holds good in the touch required for ex- 
 pressing their foliage. But although as great a contrast to the Poplar as it is possible to 
 conceive, yet there is a certain amount of similarity in the kind of touch that is required 
 for the foliage of the Weeping Willow. Although the one grows upwards and the other 
 has a drooping direction, yet the representation of the leaves by lines of dots (vertically 
 connected by zigzag lines) is rather similar. 
 
 The character of the foliage is best shown in the outer edges and where the strongest 
 shadows meet the highest lights in the middle of the tree. The foliage of this kind of Willow, 
 like the Common Willow in this one respect only, must also be drawn very lightly and 
 delicately, to convey the idea of its silvery green. The ashen color of the back of the leaves 
 requires that the boughs, where one sees under them, be not allowed to be too murky in their 
 shadows. 
 
 There is a beautiful lightness in the boughs, which seem ready to be agitated by the 
 slightest breath of wind, and to give this effect will be no easy matter for the beginner. It is 
 produced mainly by the skill of the artist in directing the little lines of shadow in parallel 
 curves till they gradually turn over and merge into general hues of almost perpendicular 
 direction. This gives a unity to the whole drawing, and one can scarcely see where the sprays 
 spring from the delicate boughs, or where the twigs blend into the pendulous foliage. 
 
WEEPING WTTXOW ON THE THAMES.— Drawn by J. Needham. 
 
52 
 
 STUDIES OF TREES. 
 
 PAINTING THE POLLARDED WILLOW.— The Colored Illustration. 
 
 THE sketch being carefully drawn, the whole can be washed over as usual with very faint 
 Yellow Ochre. 
 
 The distance generally should be then delicately painted in with a mixture of Cobalt and 
 Yellow Ochre and Sepia. The sky is painted with varying washes of Cobalt and Cobalt and 
 Black for the greys, with Yellow Ochre and Light Red to supply the warm tints on the left. 
 The greys of the landscape are done with the same colors as the clouds. 
 
 The only thing indeed that may be quite new to the pupil's practice with the brush in this 
 picture will be the treatment of the foliage. But the drawing in pencil which we have just 
 quitted should be a great aid to the delineation of the colored detail. 
 
 A middle-sized brush brought to a fine point should be used for the first and all the 
 successive workings of the foliage. 
 
 They will be found to consist of a series of elongated touches of the brush, almost 
 vertically applied, and great care must be taken to leave openings (also of a narrow elongated 
 form) between the touches of color. These oft-repeated little broken lines should each 
 resemble the form of a Willow leaf The green of the foliage of the Willow partakes of the 
 cold hue of a greyish-green. This color can be obtained by a mixture of Yellow Ochre, 
 Cobalt, and Black ; but for the high lights Yellow Ochre, Cobalt, and Olive Green will be 
 necessary. In the centre of the tree the darker green may require the addition of a little 
 Indigo where seen in deepest shadow. The deeper markings of the foliage will also require 
 touches of the deeper color. There is a warm under-hue in the trunk of these trees, which 
 should be expressed by a faint wash of Brown Madder; Sepia cooled with a little neutral 
 grey will give the markings of the bark, and Vandyke Brown cooled with a very little Cobalt 
 will supply the color for its deeper furrows. 
 
 The mass of sedgy plants at the base of the tree and the foreground will be painted 
 with richer greens, to contrast with the cooler tones of the foliage of the tree, and will require 
 some Olive Green and Gamboge, with the addition of a little Raw Sienna and Vandyke Brown 
 for the darker parts in shadow. 
 
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 4. Elm Trunk— Old Chestnut. 
 
 5. Scotch Fir, Highland Scene — The Larch, Alpine Scene. 
 
 6. Pollarded Willows— Beech in Early Autumn. 
 
 7. Old Beech Trunks — Scene in Sherwood Forest. 
 
 FIGURES.— By Sir Joshua Reynolds. 
 
 1. The Age of Innocence — Miss Penelope Boothby. 
 
 2. The Princess Amelia — Simplicity. 
 
 3. The Strawberry Girl — The Blue Boy. 
 
 4. The Infant Samuel — Heads of Angels. 
 
 ANIMALS.— By Sir E. Landseer, &c. 
 
 1. Alexander and Diogenes — A Distinguished Member of 
 
 the Humane Society. 
 
 2. The Monarch of tlie Glen — The Cavalier's Pets. _ 
 
 3. Suspense — Dignity and Impudence. 
 
 4. A Dog in the Manger — Horses coming home. 
 
 SECOND SERIES AT 9d. 
 
 (On Boards measuring 145^ x g% inches.) 
 
 FLOWERS. 
 
 By Ethel Nishet, Ada Hanbury, and other Artists. 
 
 1. Geranium — Single Dahlias. 
 
 2. Azaleas — Wild Rose. 
 
 3. Columbine — The Primula. 
 
 4. Pyrethruni — Daffodils. 
 
 5. Red Garden Rose — Cle natis and Virginian Creeper. 
 
 6. Poppies — Daisies. 
 
 7. Bell-Flowers — Yellow Rose, " Gloire de Dijon". 
 
 8. Dog Roses — The Pansy. 
 
 9. Christmas Rose — Bird's Nest 
 10. Sweet Peas — Cherries. 
 
 ANIMALS. 
 
 By S. T. Dadu, E. B. Stanley Montefiore, 
 and other Artists. 
 
 1. Geese — Ducks. 
 
 2. Head of Cart-horse — Head of Hunter. 
 
 3. Farmyard Scene (Cock, Hen, and Chickens) — Left in 
 
 Charge (Shepherd's Dog). 
 
 4. Cow and Calf — Head of Highland Steer. 
 
 5. Fox Terrier and Pug — Cat and Kittens. 
 
 6. Mare and Foal— Donkeys on Blackheath. 
 
Approved by the Science and Art Department, 5outh Kensington. 
 
 VERE FOSTER'S DRAWING-BOOK. 
 
 NEW EDITION . PRICE TWOPENCE EACH NUMBER. 
 Eacli Book coutaiin a Supply of Excellent Drawing Paper for Copyitii:;. 
 
 DETAILED LIST-WITH CONTENTS OF EACH NUMBER. 
 
 A I- 
 A2- 
 B I- 
 B 2- 
 C I- 
 C2- 
 D I- 
 
 D2- 
 
 E I- 
 E 2- 
 
 FREEHAND SERIES (20 Numbers) 
 
 -Elementary, Easy Objects. 
 -Simple Objects. — Straight Lines. 
 -Straight Line Objects. — Flat. 
 -Straight Line Objects. — Perspective. 
 -Curved Line Objects. —Flat. 
 -Curved Line Objects. — Perspective. 
 -Leaves from Nature. 
 -Foliage and Sprays. 
 -Plants from Nature. 
 -Simple Floral Fonns. 
 
 F I — Flowers from Natiu'c. 
 F 2 — Flowers and Fruit. 
 G I — Ornamenlal Leaves. 
 C 2 — Ornamental Foliage and Fruit. 
 H I — Ornamental Objects. — Simple. 
 H 2 — Ornamental Objects.— Advanced. 
 I I — Elementary Ornament. 
 I 2 — Floral Ornament, I'ateras, &c. 
 I 3 — Anthcmion and Ornamental Forms. 
 I 4 — Advanced Outline Ornament. 
 
 J I — Trees. — Oak, Fir, iS:c. 
 J 2 — Trees. — Beech, Elm, &c. 
 J 3 — Trees. — Ash, Chestnut, &c. 
 J 4 — Trees. — Larch, Lime, Willow, &.c. 
 K I — Landscape. — Sketching and Shading, 
 K 2— Sketches Boldly Shaded. 
 
 LANDSCAPE SERIES (12 Numbers). 
 
 K 3 — Landscape. — Fully Shaded Drawings. 
 K4 — Highly Finished Sketches, &c. 
 L I — Rustic Figures. By E. Duncan, R.W.S. 
 Mi — Marine Objects. — Boats, &c. 
 M2 — Fishing Boats, Coasters, &c. 
 M3 — Yachts, Vessels, Studies of Water, &c. 
 
 ANIMAL AND HUMAN FIGURE (16 Numbers) 
 
 O — Elementarj^ Animal Drawing. 
 
 O I — Quadrupeds and Birds. 
 
 O 2 — Poultry. — Various Breeds. 
 
 O 3— British Small Birds. 
 
 O 4— British Wild Animals. 
 
 O 5 — Horses. — Arab, Hunter, Dray, «S:c. 
 
 0 6 — Horses. — Racer, Pony, Mule, &c. 
 
 O 7 — Dogs. — Seventeen Species. 
 
 0 8 — Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, &c. 
 
 O 9 — Cattle, Lambs, Ass, Foal, &c. 
 O 10 — Foreign Wild Animals. 
 O II — Cats and Kittens. 
 
 Q I — Human Figure. — Elementary. 
 
 Q2 — Human Figure in Outline. 
 
 Q3 — Human Figure in Outline (Advanced). 
 
 Q4 — Human P~igure. — .Slightly Shaded. 
 
 R I — Practical Geometry. — Simple Problems, 
 R 2 — Practical Geometry. — Circle, Ellipse. 
 R 3 — Applied Geometry. 
 R 4 — Solid Geometry. 
 S I — Drawing to Scale. — Simple Lessons. 
 
 GEOMETRICAL SERIES (10 Numbers). 
 
 S 2 — Drawing to Scale. 
 
 More Advanced. 
 T I — Mechanical. — Initiatory Subjects. 
 T2 — Details of Tools, &c. 
 T3 — Working Drawings, Mechanics, &c. 
 T4 — Details of Machines, &c. 
 
 PERSPECTIVE-MODEL DRAWING-SHADING (14 Numbers). 
 
 V4 — Model and Object. — Advanced. 
 W —Shaded Models. 
 Xi — Shaded Ornament. — Easy Shading. 
 X2 — Shaded Ornament. — Simjjle Shading. 
 X 3 — .Shaded Ornament. — Advanced. 
 
 Y I — Architectural. — Plans and Sections. 
 
 Y 2— Architectural. — Elevations and Details. 
 (40 Pages of Drawing Paper.) 
 
 U I — Perspective.— Definitions, &c. 
 U 2 — ,, Picture Plane, Ground Plane. 
 U 3 — Circles, Pyramids, Objects. 
 
 U 4 — „ Squares, Cylinders, Oljjects. 
 
 V I — Model and Object Drawing. — Simple. 
 
 V 2 — Model and Object. — Advanced. 
 
 V 3 — Model and Object. — Advanced. 
 
 Z— Blank Book. 
 
 Also issued in EIGHTEEN PARTS at NINE PENCE EACH as a 
 
 COMPLETE COURSE OF DRAWING. 
 
 I. 
 
 Elementary. 
 
 5. Ornament. 
 
 9. Cats, Dogs, &c. 
 
 1 13. Geometry. 
 
 2. 
 
 Objects. 
 
 6. Trees. 
 
 10. Cattle, &c. 
 
 1 14. Mechanical. 
 
 3- 
 
 Plants. 
 
 7. Landscape. 
 
 1 1. Horses, &c. 
 
 15. Perspective. 
 
 4- 
 
 Ornamental Foliage. 
 
 8. Marine. 
 
 12. Human Figure. 
 
 16. Model Drawing. 
 
 
 17. Dr.wing to 
 
 Scale and Architectural. ! 18. 
 
 Shading. 
 
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Adopted by the Science and Art Departnnent, South Kensington. 
 
 POYNTER'S SOUTH KENSINGTON DRAWING-BOOK. 
 
 """P^HIS New Series of Drawing Copies has been issued under the direct superintendence of E. J. Poynter, 
 1. R.A., Curator and Director of the National Gallery. The examples have been selected for the most 
 part from objects in the South Kensington Museum, and the Drawings have been made under Mr. Poynter's 
 careful personal supervision by Pupils of the National Art Training School. 
 
 Each Book has Fine Cartridge Paper to draw on. 
 
 Four Books, 4d. Each. FREEHAND DRAWING FOR CHILDREN. One Vol., Cloth, 2s. 6d. 
 
 I, — Common Objects. | III. — Domestic Utensils and Appliances. 
 
 II. — Household Objects, Tools, Toys, &c. I IV. — Objects of Glass and Earthenware, Games, &c 
 
 Two Books, 4d. Each. ELEMENTARY FREEHAND DRAWING. One Volume, Cloth, 2s. 
 
 I. — Simple Geometrical Forms. | II. — Conventionalized Floral Forms. 
 
 Six Books, 4d. Each, FREEHAND DRAWING, ORNAMENT, FIRST GRADE. One Vol., Cloth, 3s. 
 
 IV. — Architectural Ornament — Flat. 
 
 V. — Objects of Glass and Earthenware- 
 Perspective. 
 
 I. — Simple Objects and Ornament — Flat. 
 
 II. — Various Objects — Flat. 
 
 III. — Objects and Architectural Ornament — Flat 
 and Perspective. 
 
 VI. — Common Objects — Perspective. 
 
 Six Books, 4d. Each. FREEHAND DRAWING, PLANTS, FIRST GRADE. One Vol., Cloth, 3s. 
 
 I. — Leaves and Flowers — Simplest. I III. — Flowers, Fruits, &c. | V. — Flowers. 
 
 II. — Leaves, Flowers, Fruits. I IV. — Flowers and Foliage. I VI. — Flowers. 
 
 Four Books, Is. Each. FREEHAND DRAWING, SECOND GRADE. One Volume, Cloth, 5s. 
 
 I. — Forms of Anthemion Ornament, &c. — Flat. 
 
 II. — Greek, Roman, and Venetian — Flat and 
 
 Perspective. 
 
 III. — Italian Renaissance — Flat. 
 
 IV. — Roman, Italian, Japanese, &.c.—Flat anu 
 Perspective. 
 
 THE SAME SUBJECTS CAN ALSO BE HAD ON CARDS. 
 
 Four Books, 6d. Each. ELEMENTARY HUMAN FIGURE. One Volume, Cloth, Ss. 
 
 I. — Michelangelo's "David" — Features. I III. — Hands, from Sculpture. 
 
 II. — Masks, from Antique Sculpture. I IV. — Feet, from Sculpture. 
 
 Three Books, 2s. Each. ADVANCED HUMAN FIGURE. One Vol., Cloth, 8s. 6d. 
 
 Book I. — Head of the Venus of Melos. 
 Book II. — Head of the Youthful Bacchus. 
 Book III. — Head of David by Michelangelo, 
 
 Four Books, 2s. Each. FIGURES FROM THE CARTOONS OF RAPHAEL. One Vol., IDs. 6d. 
 
 Twelve Studies of Draped Figures. Drawn Direct from the Originals in the South Kensington Museum. With Descriptive Text, 
 
 and Paper for Copying. 
 
 Four Books, Is. Each. ELEMENTARY PERSPECTIVE DRAWING. One Volume, Cloth, 5s. 
 
 By S. J. CARTLIDGE, F.R.Hist.S., Lecturer in the National Art Training School, South Kensington. 
 
 Four Parts, 12s. 6d. each. THE "LIBER STUDIORUM." In Portfolio, 52s. 6d. 
 
 A Selection from the "Liber Studiorum" of J. M. W. TURNER, R.A., for Art Students. Comprising Four Facsimile 
 Reproductions in Mezzotint; 51 Facsimile Reproductions of the Etchings, and 37 Text Reproductions of the Finished 
 Engravings. With Historical Introduction and Practical Notes. Detailed Prospectus on application. 
 
 LONDON: BLACKIE & SON, LIMITED; GLASGOW AND DUBLIN. 
 
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