‘So I will,’ she giggled. I’d unwittingly cheered her up.
‘When you look at the same painting for a long time it’s very interesting how you begin to see it differently. All the intricacies start to etch themselves in your memory and the longer you look the firmer the image will stick in your mind. This helps enormously when it comes to drawing.’
‘But where do I start?’ She gazed at the portrait.
‘First, draw a vertical rectangle inside the edges of your paper, roughly the same dimensions as the painting.’
‘How?’
‘Come.’ I beckoned her up. ‘Stand directly in front of the picture, and hold your pencil out horizontally at arm’s length. Now close one eye.’
‘Which eye?’
‘Keep your dominant eye open. Line up the end of your pencil with the bottom left-hand corner of the picture. Measure the width of the painting and mark it on your pencil with your thumb. This gives you the starting scale.’
Felicity’s arm was wavering. I raised my hand to keep it steady.
‘You can relax a bit.’ I pushed at her elbow. ‘It must be straight but it doesn’t have to be rigid.’
‘Susie, I’m terribly sorry but I don’t understand.’
I let go of her arm and it dropped to her side.
‘Oh Felicity.’ I gave a sympathetic sigh. ‘Would you like me to show you?’
‘Yes, that would be best. I’m sorry I’m so thick.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ I smiled. ‘Now you hold the pad up and I’ll draw.’
This was fun and worked rather well. Felicity at least looked as if she understood, her head nodding throughout my explanation. ‘The width of the picture is two thirds the length of my pencil. So, keeping my thumb in place I’m now turning the pencil vertically, and counting how many times the width fits into the height. It will be a bit distorted because you’re looking up at it but you can make allowances for that.’
‘That is clever.’
‘Yes, and now we know the height is two times the width we can draw a proportionally accurate rectangle on the paper.’
‘Goodie. It’s much clearer now. But why didn’t you just draw a rectangle?’
‘You mean without measuring?’
She nodded. Harrumph, nothing I’d said had gone in. I’m going to have to try to put it another way…
‘If you mimic the proportions of the painting you can then, using your pencil, measure where objects are within the frame. Mark them off with your thumb and translate them onto your paper. This will give you a proportionally accurate drawing.’
‘I get it,’ Felicity smiled. ‘May I use your rectangle?’
‘Yes.’ I agreed because although it would be good practice for her to draw her own, there’s enough to contend with right now.
When I said I was going to leave, she begged me to stay.
‘Just for a teeny-weeny bit? Help me with the next step?’
‘Well this first step is very similar to the one we used when drawing the cows. Look at the portrait and choose your favourite thing.’
‘Her pearl choker.’
‘Good. Now stand still in front of the painting with your arm out again and re-find the width on your pencil with your thumb. Using this length, measure as accurately as possible the position of the choker in relation to the outside edges of the painting, and when you have, make a mark in the right position within your rectangle.’
Much to my surprise Felicity demonstrated she had understood exactly what I was saying. Wow.
‘Next?’ she smiled.
‘Using the pearl choker as your anchor, look really hard at the painting and see what and where things intercept it. Then draw them on your paper. After this look what and where things intercept these things and so on until you reach the edges of the painting. Got it? I think you’ll be all right on your own now, don’t you?’
‘I do hope so.’
‘Well, if you’re really desperate shout and I’ll come back, but for the time being I must go and find Jane, Shane and Louis.’
Jane and Shane were upstairs arguing on the landing.
‘You haven’t started yet?’ I said, full of disappointment.
‘No Miss, she’s refusing to let me in her room and I want to draw that portrait.’
‘You can’t invade our personal space,’ said Jane.
Shane stood his ground wearing a grin on his face.
‘Maybe you could work together in your room, Jane?’
I was trying to resolve things but she wouldn’t budge.
‘You’re going to let him sit amongst Felicity’s and my things?’
‘Only if you’re in there too.’
‘No, and he doesn’t have to draw in there.’
‘I don’t have to, you’re right,’ said Shane rather maturely for him, I thought. ‘But I’d like to.’
‘Please,’ I added.
‘Please,’ said Shane and miraculously Jane stepped away from the door.
‘You’ll leave the door open, won’t you?’ I asked.
‘No reason not to.’
I turned to Jane. ‘Would you like me to find you a painting to draw?’
‘I’m perfectly capable of doing that and as a matter of fact I’ve already decided. I’m going to tuck myself away down the children’s corridor.’
‘Really?’ I think she must have an ulterior motive. Why would she ever want to hang about down there?
‘Yes, do you have a problem with that?’
‘No, not at all. But let me get you a chair from my room.’
I went down the corridor one step ahead of her and as soon as I was in my room she stepped in after me and slammed the door.
‘Susie, I have to talk to you. This can’t wait any longer.’ Her breath was short, her tone direct.
‘Of course,’ I gently rested my bottom on the window ledge, hoping to appear calmer than I felt inside.
‘My husband Neville is seventeen years older than me; work that out and you’ll realise he’s a pensioner. He’s set to be pushed out of his job sooner rather than later. Our eldest daughter is desperate for a baby and unable to afford private IVF and our youngest daughter wants to be a vet but can’t afford tuition fees.’
Jane fell silent and as her shoulders slumped the pomp, pride and self-importance she’d carried about with her all week drained out. Standing with
