IN VIEW of the popularity that the pencil has long enjoyed as a medium of artistic expression, it seems rather strange that so little has been written relating exclusively to it. For it is certainly true, whatever the reasons may he for this apparent neglect on the part of our writers,-reasons on which it is idle and irrelevant to speculate here, -that though there is a wealth of material dealing with kindred subjects, contributions hearing directly on the uses of this universal medium are few and meagre indeed.
This dearth of material became clearly apparent to the author when he was called upon, some ten years ago, to teach pencil sketching and technique in the art and architectural classes at Pratt Institute, for at that time a book was sought which might be employed as a text and reference work for his students. As nothing seemed available complete enough to satisfactorily meet all the requirements, a series of lectures was prepared by the author, based on his own training in art and architecture, which, after having been revised and amplified from time to time to meet the needs of the various classes under his instruction, forms the basis of this present volume.
Some of these lectures were arranged for pupils seeking a general art education ; others were especially for architectural students, while a few, taking up the representation of furniture, draperies and the like, were used for the classes in interior decoration. As records were kept in all of these classes from year to year of the difficulties most frequently encountered and of points which seemed to require the most thorough explanation; also of the mistakes most commonly made by the pupils, it was possible to so revise the lectures as to anticipate and cover in advance many of the questions and problems which might otherwise have given trouble. An effort was made to guide the student step-by-step through the work, explaining each part with the greatest care.
