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40 80 Escpression. In Historic or fancy Compositions, requiring the expression of passion or strong emotion, it will be found advantageous, where the occasion will suit or permit it, to choose a style of features calculated to mark the desired expression, without depending much upon the violence of muscular action; for instance, some eyebrows are naturally elevated at the extremity nearest the nose, + depressed towards the outer corners of the eyes; such eyebrows, [[??]] with but little additional marking or force, will express grief, or sadness. In like manner a gay countenance requires that the eyebrows should be elevated towards the temples - this is conspicuous in the merry urchins or [[Corregio?]] + Sir Joshua Reynolds. A good mimic may force his features into the expression of every passion or emotion; but there may be found persons, in whose natural and unimpassioned moment, the conformation which belongs to every passion are to be seen. This study is of essential use in Portraiture, to enable the Artist to decide what to adopt, to reject, or to modify in the habitudes of expression that may incidentally appear or permanently belong to his Sitter. 81 Magnifying Lens. In every operation it is wise to employ the easiest + most effective means. In copying from Nature, or from a Picture, the object to be imitated is necessarily more distant from the eye than the picture on which the Artist is paining - it [[crossed out]] unavoidably [[//crossed out]] consequently makes a smaller image on the retina of his eye, + its minute parts are, therefore, not distinctly seen. The person or picture, to be copied + the Picture on the Easel should, if possible, appear exactly or nearly of the same size. This is accomplished by means of a large but weak magnifying Lens, (7.8 or 9 inches diameter, & 48 inches focus), fixed on a stand to slide up + down, for the facility of adjustment, and placed at a suitable distance between the Painter and his Sitter or picture. This device has the further advantage, especially in the Case of copying your own study from the life, that it divests the study, in a great degree, or its appearance as a picture, making it look more like a real head, + therefore more agreeable to be imitated.