be rubbed with the finger at that part where the
cutting is to begin, so as to make the paper transparent and the black
line quite clear.

In order to keep the block from moving on the work-table, there should
be fixed one or two strips of wood screwed down, to act as stops in case
the block tends to slip, but the block should lie freely on the table,
so that it may be easily turned round during the cutting when necessary.
One should, however, learn to use the cutting knife in all directions,
and to move the block as little as possible.

The knife is held and guided by the right hand, but is pushed along by
the middle finger of the left hand placed at the back of the blade,
close down near the point. The left hand should be generally flat on the
work-table, palm down, and the nail of the middle finger must be kept
short. This position is shown (fig. 7) on p. 30.

The flat side of the knife should always be against the line to be cut.

Sometimes it is convenient to drive the knife from right to left, but in
this case the pressure is given by the right hand, and the left middle
finger is used to check and steady the knife, the finger being pressed
against the knife just above the cutting edge.

A good position for cutting a long straight line towards oneself on the
block is shown below (fig. 8). The left hand is on its side, and the
middle finger is hooked round and pulls the knife while the right hand
guides it.

In all cases the middle finger of the left hand pushes or steadies the
knife, or acts as a fulcrum.

[Illustration: FIG. 7.--Position of the hands in using the
knife.]

A beginner with the knife usually applies too much pressure or is apt
to put the left finger at a point too high up on the blade, where it
loses its control. The finger should be as close down to the wood as
possible, where its control is most effective. A small piece of
india-rubber tubing round the knife blade helps to protect the finger.

[Illustration: FIG. 8.--Another position of the hands in using
the knife.]

With practice the knife soon becomes an easy and a very precise tool,
capable of great expressiveness in drawing. Bear in mind that both sides
of a line are drawn by the knife. The special power of developing the
expressive form of line _on both sides_ is a resource tending to great
development of drawing in designs for wood-block prints. The line may be
of varying form, changing from silhouette to pure line as may best se