Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear Through Eye and Ear | Page 5

pencil outlines with your chalk. Isn't it simple?
THE FOURTH STEP--All of the preparations up to this time have been
done in the quietude of your own room. You are now ready to place
your drawing board before your audience. After a smile of greeting you
begin your talk. "Let us," you say, "talk for a little while about our
thoughts," and then you proceed until you reach the reference to the
sour-faced man. "Here, for instance," you continue, "is a man with a
face something like this:" and you begin your drawing, starting
anywhere you choose. Take your time, and when you have finished the
sour face, the audience will show its appreciation with a heartily
responsive smile. This completes Fig. 7. Proceed then with the talk
until you reach the reference to the man with the sunny face. "Here
comes a man who looks something like this:" Draw the second face,
and you will have completed Fig. 8 and reached the climax of the
drawing. As you make the application of the lesson, you will feel that
your effort has already repaid you for the work you have undertaken,
and each succeeding attempt will make the work easier until it becomes
a pleasing habit.
[Illustration: Fig. 5]
In Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are shown a section of each of the faces of the talk
just referred to. Here they are enlarged four times. A-A shows the
preliminary pencil lines forming the one-inch squares, B-B indicates
the pencil outlines of the faces, and C-C illustrates the tracing of the
pencil lines with the chalk. In this instance black chalk only is required.
[Illustration: Fig. 6]
~~Outlining the Right Picture.~~
In some of the talks in the book, the dotted squares cover the upper
picture; in others, they are drawn over the lower picture. In either case,
the one containing the squares is the one to be outlined on your

drawing paper.
~~Not an Artist, But a Teacher.~~
There should be no hesitation on your part to trace with chalk the
pencil lines which you have placed on your drawing paper. Remember,
always, that you are posing as a humble teacher of God's Word and not
as an artist. Your pencil outline holds the same relation to your chalk
talk that the minister's notes hold to his sermon. Both are prepared in
advance to enable the speaker to best present his message. Do not try to
conceal your method. There is nothing about it of which you need be
ashamed.
~~Finishing Part of the Drawing in Advance.~~
Now that the process has been explained in detail, a thorough
understanding of the suggestion under the heading, "Important to
Beginners," seems most essential as a still easier way to do the work.
Finishing part of the work in advance still leaves the speaker something
to do, and the audience will always be interested in finding out what
that "something" is to be.
~~The Value of Individuality.~~
It is well for the beginner to cultivate an individual style of speaking.
Substitute your own methods of expression in place of the language of
the book. The more you do it, the larger will be the feeling that the
message is a personal one from you to your hearers. Whenever you can
do so, substitute a "home" illustration for the one in the book. As you
become more accustomed to the work you will doubtless use pictures
and subjects entirely outside of the book. Remember that any outline
picture may be enlarged after the method here shown. Cut your picture
into squares with drawn lines, and enlarge it in the same manner. Many
Bible scenes may be shown in this way.
~~International or Graded Lessons.~~
The book has been provided with two indexes. One directs you to

fitting talks for special days. The other serves as a guide to talks and
illustrations suitable to the application of any lesson. Determine the
central thought of the lesson and consult the Subject Index. It will help
you choose a talk appropriate for the day. The talk may need a little
revision to enable you to give it the proper application, but the main
thought will be readily apparent.
~~Talks for Special Days.~~
The index for suitable talks for special days includes some which are
not yet generally observed but which are of growing importance.
Introducing some of these into your school or church as novelties, they
may become as permanent as Easter, Children's Day, Rally Day and
others.
~~Talk vs. Chalk.~~
No matter how little preparation you may need for your talk, remember
that the words you speak are of greatest importance. It is to your words
that you must give careful study, or your audience may lose the force of
your thought while centering their attention upon