Page 13 [13]
OCR
PREFACE N presenting the following essay to the public, the author disclaims at the outset all pretension to teach anyone how to paint. His aim has been to give his readers an elementary acquaintance from the scientific side with the subject of the reflexions and colours seen in water, and he believes that an artist who will approach it from this standpoint will find a study of the questions discussed in these pages to be both of interest and service. In this, as in other cases, a true enjoyment of nature will not be marred, but rather increased, by a closer examination of her methods. The book being intended primarily for the use of the artist or art student, there is no attempt to make the account of the subject scientifically complete, even in the ground which these pages cover. The principles involved are of a very elementary nature, and not likely to discourage the most diffident. While an endeavour has been made not to sacrifice accuracy to simplicity of treatment, all technicalities have been excluded as far as possible, though occaV
