This instrument for enlarging or reducing a picture was invented about the year 1603. It consists of four metallic or wooden bars or rules, which are perforated by a series of holes (numbered from 1 to 20), and connected together by means of an adjustable thumb screw. The instrument is provided with a tracing and a marking point, and a screw or point which is forced into the drawing board to hold the instrument in position. A good pantograph will cost about two dollars; those of a cheaper grade are entirely worthless for practical use, while a good one will last a life time. A little experience will enable any one to learn the use of the numbers.

To employ the instrument select the number on the bars corresponding to the number of times the subject is to be enlarged, and connect the adjustable ends of the bars so that they intersect at this number; secure the pantograph to the drawing board at the left hand side; place a piece of manilla paper at the other end of the board and secure it with thumb tacks, taking care to smooth all the wrinkles out. Next adjust the marking point in the centre of the paper; and secure the photograph to the board so that its centre shall be directly under the tracing point, which should always touch it. If it does not do so at first, place a little weight on the instrument over this point heavy enough to bring it in contact with the photograph. Now guide the instrument, by taking hold of the tracing point while at the same time you watch the marking point. In this manner go over the entire photograph, putting in all the details necessary, after which you can transfer this outline to the crayon paper by means of the tracing paper according to the former method given for transferring an outline.

These are all the best methods of producing an outline. In each of them you fasten the charcoal lines with the No. 2 crayon points, and then, having brushed off the charcoal, proceed to put in the background for your portrait. This you do by any one of the methods given in the following pages.