You Are To Draw Not Reality, But

I Don't Like Persuaded Sitters. I Never Could Paint A Cat If The Cat Had Any Scruples, Religious, Superstitious, Or Otherwise, About Sitting.

I Tell You It's No Joke To Paint A Portrait. I Wonder That I Am Not More Timid When I Begin. I Feel Almost Certain That I Can Do It. It Seems Very Simple. I Don't Think Of The Time That Is Sure To Come When I Almost Despair, When The Whole Thing Seems Hopeless.

Don't Talk Of What You Are 'going To Do!' Do It!

It's No Easy Matter To Paint A Background. I Venture To Say That The Old Painters Had More Difficulty With Their Grounds Than With Their Figures. You Know The Story Of Vandyke Brought To Rubens With This Recommendation: 'he Already Knows How To Paint A Background.' 'that Is More Than I Can Do!' Was The Reply.

Inspiration Is Nothing Without Work.