Begin where the specimen darkens.
The richest evidence often enters quietly, at the edge of what first appears obscure.
A trace can hold a whole system.
Follow every fine branch with care.
A single uninterrupted line can disclose the relation between distant parts of the field.
Let the ground remain visible.
Context is not residue: the amber tissue gives each darkened form its proper measure.
Record the irregularity, not just the rule.
The unexpected fork is often the detail that turns a diagram into a living account.