One of the pleasures of doing research, is to find pearls such as the book How to Draw Animals and Birds for Profit or Pleasure*, by A. W. Browne. A cult author amongst the draughtsman community, in this tome he teaches his audience the etiquette of drawing these specimens. He goes as far as to say that, »an artist cannot seriously consider himself fully proficient in his calling if he has not a fairly comprehensive knowledge of the art of drawing animals and birds.« Such an eloquent thought needs to be shared throughout images, of course. Thus, do yourself a favor and learn the noble art of drawing animals and birds, accordingly to Mr Bowne!
»The most interesting animal to draw is undoubtedly the horse. This beautiful beast gives unlimited scope to the artist in the making of an interesting picture. We have only to look around us to find models of every class of horse, ranging from the common cart horse to the thoroughbred animal racing.«
»The eye is the feature that counts most in the expression of the animal. This must be drawn, and carefully placed, to give the sketch a suggestion of life.«
»The ear – you have probably noticed how this feature plays a large part in the expression of the head.«
»The nose and mouth call for special study, as an incorrect portrayal of these details will ruin the appearance of the head.«
»The neck tapers in a gentle curve from the head and joins the body almost imperceptibly…«
»The legs of the horse are of particular interest, as these suggest the grace and symmetry characteristic of this animal.«
»The prominent surface muscles is of particular interest as this is a great help in the portrayal of the movements.«
»One excellent method of perfecting your drawing of the horse is to make carefully detailed studies of the various studies of the various features, taking them as the occasion offers.«
»A most interesting illustration is the drawing of the skeleton of the horse. It will be seen from this how each bone works, and the outline will suggest the various movements. Whether the animal is galloping or standing still, the skeleton will be a useful guide to building your construction.«
*Browne, A. W: How to Draw Animals and Birds for Profit or Pleasure. London. W. Foulsham & Co, Ltd.