hes at everything, stands quite as good a chance of becoming
original, as the most careful copyist ever will; after the very first
attempts, too much precision stands sadly in the way of boldness,
freedom and dexterity. After being enabled to draw with some degree of
accuracy, _mannerism_ will invariably be the result of the extreme care
so universally recommended by most writers on the subject; and hence
that excess of it we daily observe; for it requires but a very
common-place observer, on entering an exhibition, to point to a picture
and name the painter at the same moment: presuming he had ever seen a
work by the same artist before.

Reynolds says of copying, 'I consider general copying as a delusive kind
of industry; the student falls into the dangerous habit of imitating,
without selecting, and of labouring without any determinate object; as
it requires no effort of the mind, he sleeps over his work, and those
powers of invention and composition which ought particularly to be
called out, and put in action, lie torpid and lose their energy for want
of exercise. How incapable those are of producing anything of their own
who have spent much of their time in making finished copies, is well
known to all who are conversant with our art.'

ON THE LIGHT AND SHADE OF COLOUR: AND REFLEXES.

COLOUR is called in aid of Light and Shade, to dress and ornament it;
but not to distort and disfigure it.

Extending either the light or shadow by means of _colour_, is perhaps
one of the best ways of combining both.

Breadth of light and shade may involve _many_ colours in its
arrangement, so they are divided into imposing masses; variety of colour
is often necessary to explain the localities of a work; and, that they
may not appear confused, light colours should be sociable with light
colours; and dark ones with others of equal density: their repetitions
invading each other throughout the chain.

Great _intimacy_ of union, in the colour of the lights, will likewise
produce breadth; so as to make a large and connected mass appear, at a
little distance, as one graduated light.

Colours may stand either for colours or shadows; so that they be of
sufficient density, and sufficiently opposed to light ones.

But, if you do not depend on the colour of the picture for effect of
light and shade, _much less_ intensity of colours will be sufficient.

The _strongest_ colours are sometimes most successfully employed in
uniting t