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The Project Gutenberg EBook of CrayonPortraiture, by Jerome A. Barhy dt

This eBook is for the use of any oneany where at no cost and with almost norestrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,giv e it away or re-use it under the terms ofthe Project Gutenberg License included

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Title: Crayon Portraiture Complete

Instructions for Making Crayon Portraitson Crayon Paper and on Platinum, Silv erand Bromide Enlargements

uthor: Jerome A. Barhy dt

Release Date: October 13, 2009 [EBook#30248]

Language: English


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Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERGEBOOK CRAYON PORTRAITURE ***

Produced by Chris Curnow, Diane Monico,

and the Online Distributed ProofreadingTeam at http://www.pgdp.net (This filewas produced from images generouslymade available by The Internet Archiv e)

Crayon Portraiture.

[Illustration: FREE-HAND CRAYON MADEON STEINBACH CRAYON PAPERSTIPPLE

EFFECT IN FACE, BROKEN LINE EFFECTIN BACKGROUND. BY J. A. BARHYDT.]


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CRAYON

PORTRAITURECOMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKINGCRAYON PORTRAITS ON CRAYON PAPER

ND ON PLATINUM, SILVER ANDBROMIDE ENLARGEMENTS

LSO DIRECTIONS FOR THE USE OFTRANSPARENT LIQUID WATER COLORS

ND FOR MAKING FRENCH CRYSTALS


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BY

J. A. BARHYDT

UTHOR OF ARTICLE ON CRAYONPORTRAITURE INAppletons AnnualCyclopedia, 1890.

Illustrated

evised and Enlarged Edition

NEW YORK THE BAKER & TAYLOR CO. 33-37 E. 17TH STREET, UNION SQUARENORTH

COPYRIGHT, 1886 AND 1892

BY J. A. BARHYDT


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ROBERT DRUMMOND, PRINTER, NEWORK

PREFACE.

In issuing this second treatise on CrayonPortraiture, Liquid Water Colors andFrench Crystals, for the use ofphotographers and amateur artists, I do sowith the hope and assurance that all the

requirements in the way of instruction formaking crayon portraits on photographicenlargements and for finishingphotographs in color will be fully met. Tothese I have added complete instructionsfor free-hand crayons.

This book embodies the results of a studioexperience of twenty -four years spent inpractical work, in teaching, and in


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overcoming the every day difficultiesencountered, not alone in my own work,

but in that of my pupils as well. Hence thebook has been prepared with specialreference to the needs of the student. Itpresents a brief course of precepts, andrequires on the part of the pupil onlyperseverance in order that he may achieve

excellence. The mechanical principles arefew, and have been laid down in a fewwords; and, as nearly all students havefelt, in the earlier period of their art work,the necessity of some general rules to guidethem in the composition and arrangementof color, I have given, without enteringinto any profound discussion of the subject,a few of its practical precepts, which, it ishoped, will prove helpful.

While this book does not treat of art in avery broad way, y et I am convinced thatthose who follow its teachings will, throughthe work they accomplish, be soon led to ahigher appreciation of art. Although this


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kind of work does not create, y et who willsay that it will not have accomplished

much if it shall prove to be the first stepthat shall lead some student to devote hisor her life to the sacred calling of art?

It has been said that artists rarely, if ever,write on art, because they have the

impression that the public is too ill-informed to understand themthat is, tounderstand their ordinarily somewhattechnical method of expression. If,therefore, in the following pages I maysometimes seem to take more space and

time for an explanation than appearsnecessary , I hope the student will overlookit, as I seek to be thoroughly understood.

My hope with reference to this work is thatit may prove of actual v alue to the earnest

student in helping him reach theexcellence which is the common aim of alltrue artists.


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J. A. BARHYDT.

CONTENTS.

PAGE.


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Preface ix

Crayon Portraiture 15

Photographic Enlargements 19

Cray on Materials 22

The Specific Use of Crayon Materials 25

The Strainer 30

Mounting Cray on Paper and Platinum andSilver Enlargements 32

Mounting Bromide Enlargements 37

OutlinesNegative Outline 39

Magic Lantern Outline 42

Transfer Outline 46

The Metroscope 47


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The Pantograph 49

Crayon EffectsThe Four Methods ofmaking Backgrounds 51

Free-hand Crayons and those made fromPhotographic Enlargements 53

Filling in the Free-hand Cray on 55Line Effect 57

Stipple Effect 59

BackgroundsGeneral Principles 62

First Method of making the BackgroundStump Effect 65

Second Method of making the Background66

Third Method of making the BackgroundLine Effect 67


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Fourth Method of making the BackgroundStipple Effect 70

FaceLine Effect 72

DressLine Effect 76

Bromide Cray ons 78

Finishing Bromide Enlargements 82

Monochromes 88

alues 89

The Studio 93

Framing 95

Passepartout Mounting 97

TRANSPARENT LIQUID WATER COLORSFOR COLORING PHOTOGRAPHS.MATERIALS REQUIRED IN THEIR USE 101


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Theory of Color 103

Colors 106

ellow 106

Blue 107

Rose 108

iolet 109

Magenta 109

Flesh 110

Brown 110

Black 111

Gold 111

Instructions for using Liquid Water Colors112

Drapery 114


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Landscape 116

The Principle 117

FRENCH CRYSTALS 123

Materials 124

The Method 125

Mounting French Crystals 126

Finishing Photographs in India Ink 1 28

Conclusion 130

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE.


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Free-hand Crayon made on SteinbachCrayon Paper with a Magic Lantern

Outline, showing Stipple Effect in Face andDrapery and Broken Line Effect inBackgroundFrontispiece

Negative OutlineDark Chamber 40

McAllisters Magic Lantern, No 653, withWonder Camera Attachment 42

Magic Lantern Outline 43

Lines to produce Stipple Effect 60

BackgroundLine Effect 67

Line Effect for Face 72

Line Effect for Dress 76

Cray on executed over BromideEnlargement made from OriginalNegative, showing Stipple Effectthroughout 80


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[Illustration]

CRAYON PORTRAITURE.

To many who know nothing about the artof crayon portraiture, the mastery of it notonly seems very difficult, but almostunattainable. In fact, any work of art ofwhatever description, which in itsexecution is beyond the knowledge or

comprehension of the spectator, is to him athing of almost supernatural character. Ofcourse, this is more decided when thesubject portray ed carries our thoughtsbeyond the realms of v isible things.

But the making of crayon portraits is notwithin the reach alone of the trained artistwho follows it as a profession. I claim thatany one who can learn to write can learn


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to draw, and that any one who can learn todraw can learn to make crayon portraits.

Making them over a photograph, that is,an enlargement, is a comparativ ely simplematter, as it does not require as muchknowledge of drawing as do free-handcray ons. But you must not suppose that,because the photographic enlargement

gives you the drawing in line and anindistinct impression of the form in lightand shade, you are not required to draw atall in making a cray on portrait over suchan enlargement. Some knowledge ofdrawing is necessary , though not a perfectknowledge.

Many people err in supposing that only theexceptionally skilled can produce thehuman features in life-like form upon thecrayon paper. While recognizing greatdifferences in natural aptitude for drawingin different persons, just as those who usethe pen differ widely in their skill, somebeing able to write with almost mechanical


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perfection of form, I still hold that any onewho is able to draw at all can succeed in

producing creditable crayon portraits; andthe lack of great skill as a draughtsman,should neither discourage a student nordebar him from undertaking to makecrayon portraits (over enlargements, atleast), either as an amateur or

professional. To make a cray on from lifeundoubtably requires considerable talentand some education as an artist; butphotography, in recent times, has madesuch advances from the old fashioneddaguerreoty pe to the dry plate process andinstantaneous exposure, and suchdevelopments have recently been made inthe field of enlargements and inphotographic papers, that it is now possiblefor any one, who will carefully follow the

plain instructions given in the followingpages, to make a good crayon portrait bythe aid of the different kinds ofenlargements. These place in his hands a


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perfect reproduction of what he wishes tomake; and care and close attention to

details will insure the rest.

The student, however, must hav e courage.I tell my pupils not to be afraid to workfreely ; that if they spoil their work beyondtheir ability to redeem it, I can alway s fix

it up and restore it for them; and that theyshould go ahead confidently . The readermay say that he has no teacher to helphim out of his difficulty ; but he mustremember that he has the photographicenlargement as a sure guide, and that

whenever he fears he is losing the outline,he can see at once what he is doing, byholding the enlargement against the lightwith its back towards him. My experienceas a teacher has shown me that pupils, as arule, are timid, especially that class whichworks mostly on enlargements, resultingfrom the fear of losing the outline and fromlack of a thorough knowledge of drawing. Iespecially urge the necessity for boldness


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and freedom in execution. As an expert inchirography can read character in

handwriting, so the artists public willudge him from his work. If he is, in fact,

weak and timid, these traits will findexpression in what he puts on paper. Letcourage, then, be an important part of

our equipment, if you would succeed in

doing good crayon work.

PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGEMENTS.

There are three kinds of photographicenlargements used as a basis for crayonportraits, and, with a little experience, thestudent can determine for himself which

kind will prove the most satisfactory .

Free-hand crayons are made on Steinbachand other cray on papers, without any


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photograph as a basis. Silver enlargementsare made on paper coated with a solution of

chloride of silv er, which the action of thelight reduces to salts of silv er. This is theoldest form of photography, and has beenused since its introduction by Scheele in1778. Silver enlargements are made bythe aid of the sun (and are then called solar

enlargements) or they can be made withthe electric light.

Platinum enlargements are a recentadvance in photographic printing withiron salts, the process which has been

worked out and patented by W. Willis, Jr.,being a development of such printing. Itsprinciple is that a solution of ferrousoxalate in neutral potassium oxalate iseffective as a developer. A paper is coatedwith a solution of ferric oxalate andplatinum salts and then exposed behind anegative. It is then floated in a hot solutionof neutral potassium oxalate, when theimage is formed.


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This process was first introduced by Mr.Willis in 1874, and he has since made

improvements. He claims that theplatinotype paper does not contain anyanimal sizing. The early experimentsconvinced him that the paper upon whichthe image was to be printed would provean important factor, as all photographic

paper contained animal sizing, which wasfound to be antagonistic to platinum salts.The action of platinum salts upon a papercontaining animal sizing gav e it a tintwhich no amount of acid washing couldremove. For the past nine years Mr. Willishas had manufactured for his special use aSteinbach paper, free from the animalsizing, and he also uses a cold developer,thereby causing the paper to retain itsoriginal elasticity .

The chief points of difference betweenbromide enlargements and silv er orplatinum enlargements are that, in theformer, we have the sensitive compound of


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silv er suspended in a vehicle of gelatin,and, in the latter, a thin coating of an

aqueous solution of the sensitive salts. Inthe former process, the image is not shownuntil the paper has been developed in thebath, while in the latter, the image isshown upon the paper when it is exposed tothe light; so that, in the latter, the image

or picture has only to be fixed or madepermanent, while in the former, it isdeveloped, then fixed. The gelatin bromidepaper is coated with a solution of gelatin,bromide of potassium and nitrate of silv er,developed with a solution of oxalate ofpotash, protosulphate of iron, sulphuricacid and bromide of potassium and water,and fixed with hy posulphate of soda. It ismanufactured in America by E. and H. T.

nthony & Co. and by the Eastman Dry

Plate Company .

CRAYON MATERIALS.


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The following materials will be foundnecessary for crayon work:

A good photographic enlargement, Easel,Mahl stick, Three inch magnify ing glass,Square black Conte cray on, Nos. 1 , 2 and

3, Charcoal holder for the same,Hardmuths black chalk points, Nos. 1, 2,3, 4 and 5, Holder for the same, Box Faberscrayon points, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, Holder forthe above crayons, Conte crayon, in wood,Nos. 0 and 1, 6 B. Fabers holder for

Siberian lead pencil points, 4 H. Fabersholder with Siberian lead pencil point,

elour cray on, Peerless cray on sauce,Black Conte crayon sauce, in foil, Whitecrayon, in wood, Bunch of tortillon stumps,Large grey paper stumps, Small grey

paper stumps, The Peerless stump, Largerubber eraser, 4 inches by 3-4 inchessquare, bevelled end, Two smallnigrivorine erasers, Holder for nigrivorine


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erasers, Piece of chamois skin, Cottonbatting of the best quality , A sheet of fine

emery paper, A sharp pen knife, Onepound of pulverized pumice stone, Mortarand pestle, A large black apron, Paste-board box about ten inches square and twoinches deep, Back-boards for mountingcray on paper and photographic

enlargements, Pliers, Paste brush, threeinches wide, to be used for starch paste orfor water.

Experience has taught me that we cannotbe too particular in giv ing directions as to

the materials for our work, and therefore Ihave carefully included in the above listeverything necessary to thoroughly equipthe student. While the magnifying glassmentioned above is not an actualnecessity, still a good one will be foundvery useful, as it will often show details inthe photograph which would not bediscovered by the naked eye. My malereaders may at first object to so feminine


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an article as an apron, but it will be foundthoroughly useful, and I am sure they will

never consent to abandon it after theyhave once become accustomed to wearingit.

THE SPECIFIC USE OF CRAYONMATERIALS.

I will now explain the specific use and

nature of these materials, reserv ing thevarious kinds of photographicenlargements and their special qualitiesand advantages, for treatment under theirdifferent manipulations.

The easel should be set so that the lightstrikes the picture at an angle of 90 deg.,and, when working from a side light, it willvery often be necessary to darken the


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lower part of the window to accomplish thisresult.

The mahl stick is held in the left hand, andis used as a rest for the right arm inworking. Though a trifle awkward anddifficult at first, its use must, nevertheless,be learned, as the hand will not be steady

without it, especially in portrait work.

The square black Conte crayons are forfilling in where there are large dark places.The No. 1 is used with the black Contecrayon sauce in making the cray on sauce

(to be applied with the ends of the fingers)to produce a broad effect and to make thestipple effect on the paper after it has beenrubbed with pumice stone.

The cray on points, Nos. 1 , 2 and 3, are

used in making outlines and also in puttingin the lines to produce the line effect. Ingeneral, they are to be used in free-handcrayons and on silver and platinum


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enlargements.

The Hardmuth black chalk points aresimilar to the crayon points, and, ifpreferred, should be used according to thedirections giv en for the crayon points.

The Hardmuth points are made in five

numbers and will, therefore, produce moreshades of black than the cray on points.They are also twice as long as the latter,without costing any more.

The Conte crayons, in wood, are used for

finishing the cray on, especially the No. 0,its hardness adapting it to that purpose.

The 6 B. Fabers holder, for lead pencilpoints, is for holding the Fabers Contecray on No. 0 after it has become short, the

wood being carefully removed before thecray on is placed in the holder.

The 4 H. holder, with Siberian lead pencil


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passed through a very fine screen, thereare no small hard particles in the

preparation, and its use is recommended.

Black Conte crayon sauce, in foil, is used inmaking the cray on sauce to be appliedwith the fingers.

White cray on, in wood, is for touching upthe high lights of white drapery , andespecially for the high lights on white lace;it is to be used very sparingly .

Tortillon stumps are used in making the

face, when it is desired to produce thestump effect, and also in making the hair.

The large grey paper stump serves to makethe broad effect of shade in the stump effectin the hair and dress.

The Peerless stump is used to produce thesame effect as the large grey paper stump.It will be found far better than the paper


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stump for work on the bromide paper, as itis made of softer material and causes the

cray on to adhere to the paper morereadily.

The large rubber eraser is to put in thebroad effects of light in the background anddress. The small nigrivorine erasers are

used when it is necessary to remove thecrayon, in order to produce small decidedlightsprincipally in making free-handcrayons and to produce the line effects overa platinum and silver enlargement. Whilethe stumps are used for putting on the

crayon, the erasers are used to remove it.The chamois is also used for removing thecrayon, to produce broad effects of light.

The cotton is for apply ing the crayon sauceto the paper and for rubbing the crayon at

different stages in the completion of thepicture. The cray on cannot be removedwith the eraser unless it has first beenrubbed with the cotton; and this must be


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eraser, with a rounding point, a long edgeon one side of the blade and a short one on

the other side, extending about an inchfrom the point.

The mortar and pestle are for pounding orgrinding the Conte cray on No. 1 and thecrayon sauce, in making the special

cray on sauce mentioned above.

The paste-board box is intended to hold thisspecial cray on sauce or the Peerless sauce.

The back-boards are one inch thick, made

to fit the back of the strainer (described inthe next chapter), and are used inmounting. It will be necessary to havethree different sizes, the most useful being1115, 1519 and 1924 inches, to fit,respectively, strainers measuring 1620,

2024, 2429 and 2530 inches.

The pliers should be either what is knownas shoe-makers pliers (which are the


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cheapest) or the canv as pliers, used instretching that material; they are needed

to stretch the cloth on the strainer.

The pulverized pumice stone is used inpreparing the surface of crayon paper andbromide enlargements, to produce thestipple effect.

THE STRAINER.

The strainer, on which crayon paper orany kind of photographic enlargement is tobe mounted, should be the same size as theintended picture. The frame is made of fourstrips of pine wood, two inches wide, one

inch thick on the outside, and threequarter inch on the inside, making aquarter inch bevel on the inside edge of theface; these are nailed together and glued.


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To this, tack a piece of bleached muslin,free from knots and rough places, which

has been cut two inches larger each waythan the frame. Use six ounce Swedeupholsterers tacks, placing one in thecentre of the outside edge of one side andanother directly opposite, stretching themuslin as firmly as possible with the

fingers. Then place a third tack in thecentre of the outside edge of the top, and afourth in the centre of the bottom of theframe, stretching as before. In finishing,use the pliers in addition to the fingers, andremember that you must alway s stretchfrom the centre towards the corner or youwill have wrinkles in the muslin. As thisprocess should be thoroughly understood, Iwill giv e minute directions for completingthe operation. Hav ing already placed the

four tacks as above, stand the strainer onits bottom edge on the floor, with the backtowards you, and put in the fifth tack twoinches to the right of the third, that is, the


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enlargement on account of defectiv emounting, you will work more confidently .

fter y ou hav e tried three times toremount, and the paper still insists in notsticking, y ou must take a new strainer, astoo many wettings will have spoilt thecloth and wood. Sometimes there seems tobe a difference in the stretching qualities of

the enlargement and cloth, which makes itimpossible to produce a perfect cohesion.When, therefore, it has been remountedthree times and does not come out perfect,

our best course is to mount a piece ofcrayon paper on a new strainer, and afterit is thoroughly dry to then mount theenlargement on that. This you do in themanner described for mounting in the firstinstance, directly on the strainer, exceptthat you do not coat with paste the crayon

paper already mounted.It sometimes happens, that after the paperhas been mounted and dried, it isdiscovered that lumps in the paste have


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caused defects to appear on the face of thepaper in the shape of raised surfaces that

unfit it for the intended purpose. These canbe entirely removed by wetting the back ofthe strainer with some clean waterimmediately behind where the lumps ofpaste are, and with a knife scraping thecloth a little at these places; the surplus

paste will work itself out through the cloth.

The starch paste used in mounting shouldnot be made very thick; on the contrary , itshould be as thin as is consistent with stillretaining all its adhesive qualities. Should

ou fear that it is too thick or lumpy,strain it through a piece of cheese cloth. Ina former edition of this book I advisedadding to the paste a little white gluedissolv ed in warm water, but I do not nowconsider this necessary for cray on paper orphotographic enlargements, and do notrecommend its use except for mountingpaper of unusual thickness.


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The foregoing directions for mountingapply to platinum or silver enlargements,

crayon or other kinds of paper, but not tobromide enlargements. The bromide paperrequires a different method of handling onaccount of the gelatin surface, which whenwet is destroyed by contact with any drysubstance, as the latter removes the

gelatin.

For determining the proper position ofphotographic enlargements (bust pictures)on the strainer, the following scale will beuseful as a general guide. When the size of

the strainer is 1620, 2024, 2226, or2530 inches, the distances from its top tothe top of the head of the portrait should berespectively 3-1/2, 4, 4-1/2 and 5-1/2inches.

MOUNTING BROMIDE ENLARGEMENTS.


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The first requisite for this is a water-tighttray , large enough to hold theenlargements. A hard rubber tray can bepurchased, or a wooden one that willanswer the purpose may be made. I use oneof my own construction that is cheap and

serv iceable. It is simply a wooden box,2732 inches and 4 inches deep, made of1/2 inch grooved material and lined withblack oil cloth, not cut at the corners, butfolded in. In this, when about half full ofwater, lay the enlargement face up, and

let it remain in the water fifteen minutes.It should then be laid face down on the wetcloth (which should be all ready) asdescribed in the preceding chapter, formounting cray on paper. Care must beexercised to have the cloth wet all over, forif there should be any dry spots in it theywould ruin the gelatin surface. With acloth or squeegee remove the water fromthe back of the enlargement and also from


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the cloth around its edges, for if there is toomuch water on the edge of the cloth it will

work up into the paste and prevent it fromsticking when mounted. Now paste theenlargement and strainer according to thedirections given for mounting crayonpaper, place the enlargement on thestrainer and rub it down by using the

fingers wet in a little water, or thesqueegee can be used; and then trim offeven with the outside of the strainer. Avoidrubbing too hard along the edges, as by sodoing you will press out all the paste and itwill not stick.

ou can remount a bromide enlargementas often as necessary in case it does notcome out perfect, only bear in mind that

ou must not allow anything dry to touchthe surface when wet. But I should notadvise you to try more than three timesdirectly on the strainer. It would be betterto mount a piece of cray on paper on a newstrainer, and after it is dry to remount the


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is to be enlarged, and construct for a roomthat is entirely dark, with the exception of

one window, a dark inside shutter, with anopening in it the size of the negative youintend to use. Place a cleat on each side andat the bottom of this opening, so that thenegative may be made to slide in front ofit. Having removed the ground glass from

our camera box, fasten the latter againstthe shutter so that the opening comes inthe centre of the box. You can fasten it withfour hooks and eyes, or arrange cleats onthe shutter and pieces on the box, so that itwill slide into place. Be sure and have thebox come tight against the shutter so thatthe light will be entirely excluded. Placethe negative over the small opening in theshutter and adjust the camera box; thenstand the easel with the crayon strainer on

it at the proper distance to give therequired size of the enlargement and focusthe image sharp on the crayon paper. Thestrainer must stand at the same angle as


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the shutter; that is, if the shutter isperpendicular then the strainer must

stand perpendicular also. Then go over theoutline and shadow lines with thecharcoal, after which open the shutter andexamine the outline and see if it is right. As

ou are working in the dark you are apt tooverlook some lines. If you have done so

ou can close the shutter again and makethem. If it proves to be all right go over itwith the crayon point No. 2.

MAGIC LANTERN OUTLINE.

[Illustration: McALLISTER MAGICLANTERN, No. 653, WITH WONDER

CAMERA ATTACHMENT.

From the Annual Encyclopedia. Copyrighted,1891, by D. Appleton & Co.]


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One end of the stick should rest on the floor,care being taken that it stand perfectly

perpendicular, a square being used ifnecessary to secure this result. The stickwill have a length of 42 inches above thetable, which will be ample for the use of a25 by 30 strainer. Place the strainer, withthe crayon paper mounted on it, facing

outward on its bottom edge on the tableand nail it fast to the stick with two brads,letting it stand at right angles with theedge of the table with its back towards thelantern, which is at the other end of thetable. The object of placing the strainerwith the back towards the lantern is thatthe image must show through the straineror the outline would be drawn reversed.Draw a charcoal mark on the back of thestrainer vertically through the centre, and

mark the proper distance from the top ofstrainer horizontally where the top of thehead should come. Now move the lanternuntil y ou have it the proper distance from


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29 36 7 showing the hands.

TRANSFER OUTLINE.

For this method an enlargement madefrom the photograph is required, but itneeds to be an enlargement of the headonlythat is, a 1 114 inch enlargement ofthe head will answer for a 2530 inchcrayon portrait, and serve as a guide to

work from in making the crayon.Transparent tracing paper (made of finetissue paper, oiled with clarified linseed oiland then dried,) is laid on the enlargedphotograph, and the outline gone over

with a soft lead pencil. The tracing paper isthen turned and its back is rubbed all overwith charcoal, when it is laid charcoal sidedown on the mounted crayon paper, and


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THE METROSCOPE

Comprises a series of squares accuratelyengrav ed upon the finest plate glass bymachinery. The two plates of glass (ofwhich one form of the instrumentconsists), are ruled for convenience with

squares differing in size. These are framedand held together by thumb screws,allowing sufficient space between them forinserting and securing a picture the size ofa cabinet photograph. The lines are thusbrought into such perfect contact with all

parts of the photograph so that they appearto be drawn on it. One feature of thisinstrument which renders the squaresystem v ery practical, consists of thedivision and sub-division of the squares bydotted lines and dash lines. The eyenaturally div ides a line or space intohalv es and quarters, and for this reasonthe dash lines hav e been designated forquartering the main lines, and the dotted


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of the tracing point while at the same timeou watch the marking point. In this

manner go over the entire photograph,putting in all the details necessary , afterwhich y ou can transfer this outline to thecrayon paper by means of the tracingpaper according to the former methodgiv en for transferring an outline.

These are all the best methods of producingan outline. In each of them you fasten thecharcoal lines with the No. 2 cray onpoints, and then, having brushed off thecharcoal, proceed to put in the background

for your portrait. This you do by any one ofthe methods given in the following pages.

FOUR METHODS OF MAKING THE

BACKGROUND.


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and also its color. I have never before,however, given to the public, nor even to

my pupils, the secret of this process. Whenthe pupil has mastered it so as to onceproduce the satisfactory effect of which it iscapable, he will find that it has all theadvantages I claim for it and is a secretwell worth knowing, in fact, what would be

termed one of the tricks of the profession,and a very valuable one. I must confess,however, that I discovered it by anaccident. I had been experimenting for

ears in making backgrounds in order toproduce an effect that was entirelysatisfactory to me, and had failed to reachust what I wanted. One day , however, I

was at work on a portrait that I was veryparticular with, but the background ofwhich proved quite unsatisfactory to me.

In despair I threw on a handful of pumicestone, intending to entirely remove thebackground by its aid, when, to mysurprise and delight, I found I was


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producing the very effect that I had beenseeking for years, namely , one rendering

the background of a different color fromthe face and giv ing it a clear, transparentappearance, so that the eye seemed topenetrate it, quite different from theopaque, almost dirty backgrounds,resulting from the use of other methods.

I will treat each of these methods inseparate chapters further on.

FREE-HAND CRAYONS AND THOSEMADE FROM PHOTOGRAPHICENLARGEMENTS.

The principal difference between theappearance of free-hand cray ons and thosethat are made over a photographicenlargement, is that in the former the


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except that the bromide is understood torequire special treatment.

The frontispiece was made from a free-hand crayon which was executed onSteinbach cray on paper with a magiclantern outline. This shows the stippleeffect in the face and drapery, and a

broken line effect in the background. Thestudent will notice the difference betweenthis illustration and that facing page 81,which was made from a bromide cray on.In the bromide crayon the shadows aredark and strong, while in this they are

lighter and more transparent.

FILLING IN THE FREE-HAND CRAYON.

Having your crayon outline already madeon the mounted strainer, lay the latter


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down on the table face up, and proceed toput in a pumice stone background with the

crayon sauce according to instructionshereafter given on page 70 for producingthat kind of background, making sure that

ou go entirely over the outline. Thenplace the strainer on the easel, and afterputting in the cloud effect take the chamois

block in your left hand, and, with atortillon stump in your right, put in theshadows in a strong, clear and decidedmanner. Commencing on the hair, put inthe broader shadows first, working thestump in the same direction that the linesof the hair go, and endeavor to giv e the softflow that the hair should have, avoidingmaking lines or any attempt to makeindividual hairs. The eyebrows shouldthen be put in in the same way as the hair,

care being taken to preserv e the form; thenthe eyes, beginning with the upper lids,putting in the lines between the eye andthe lid, and also the second line forming


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the lid. Do not line in the lower lid betweenthe eye and the lid, but put in the under

line of the lower lid. Next form the pupil,placing it in the centre of the iris, makingit v ery dark; then the iris, noticing inparticular that the upper lid throws ashadow on the top of the iris; then theshading of the nose and nostrils and

shadows under the nose. The mouth is thenext important feature, and, as there areno decided lines in it, you must put innone, but have the degrees of light andshade form the mouth. Begin with thecorners, and notice carefully that here liesnearly the whole expression of the lowerpart of the face; next treat the centralpoint of the lips and complete the mouth;then make the shadows around the mouthand chin, after which, put in the ears, and

then model up the face, making all theshadows broad and decided, leav ing thedetails for the finishing touches, but beingcareful in the modeling to retain all of the


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values. Next put in the clothes with thelarge stump, sweeping it gently across the

lights in different directions, allowing thelines to cross each other occasionally .Carefully preserv e the form in this, giv ingthe proper shape to the lapels of the coat orfolds in the dress, and to the arms. Avoiddetail and do not carry the clothes as far

down as you want them to show in thefinished picture. Lace work should nothave too much detail, but be madesomewhat indistinct; only show a few ofthe forms out sharp and defined, giv ing thepattern.

LINE EFFECT.

This can be produced in cray on portraitsmade over a photographic enlargement, orin free-hand cray ons after the filling in


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ust described has been done. The lines aredrawn to cross one another so as to leave

diamond shaped spaces. One of theimportant things in this style of finishingis the line of direction, by which is meantthe lines or grains that represent the objectto be drawn. We say that wood is cross-grained, meaning that the grains or fibers

of the wood run crosswise. If we were torepresent a straight board in cray ondrawing, we would draw straight linesrunning lengthwise of the board, unless itshould have some cross-grained places init, as that is the way the grain of the boardwould be. If we should take the same boardand bend it in the form of a circle, wewould in order to represent the board inthat position, draw lines running in acircle to correspond with the grain and

position of the board. The idea to beimpressed is, that when we want torepresent an object with cray on and thatobject is flat, we draw straight lines to


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represent its surface; and when the objectis round or partly so, we draw curved lines,

conforming them to the surface of theobject. Light and shade in nature haveeach their different qualities. Lightexpresses form while shade obscures it;consequently , in the light places of anobject we will see its grain or texture, and

that grain or texture will graduallybecome obscured as it enters the shadowuntil it is entirely lost in the deepestshadows. This grain will not show innature as decided where the strongestlights are as it will in the half shadows;and, therefore, in the cray onrepresentation the grain effect should showmore decided in the half shadows. If yourcrayon is not true in this respect, it willappear coarse and fail to please as a work of

art on account of its falsity to nature. Theline effect is produced throughout thewhole picture, in the background, face anddress.


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STIPPLE EFFECT

On a photographic enlargement or a free-hand crayon after the outline and masses oflight and shade have been made with thetortillon stump, as explained on page 55.

[Illustration: LINES TO PRODUCE THESTIPPLE EFFECT.


When putting in a background with thepumice stone as described in the fourthmethod on page 70, treat the whole surfaceof the paper with pumice stone in order toraise the grain of the paper, but go over theface lightly . Then place the strainer on

which the portrait is mounted on the easel,and put in the shadows with the tortillonstump, producing the lights with theeraser; finish with the No. 0 crayon. But


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instead of producing a diamond effect, asou did with the lines, you now want to

have a stipple effect, which is that of smallblack and white spots; the paper producingthe white spots, and the crayon the blackones. To produce this make the lines in theshadows and half-shadows, but not in thelight places, in the manner shown in the

illustration on the following page; insteadof crossing them to form diamonds, usingshort lines and varying their direction andintersection with reference to the ultimateeffect; then rub them with the end of thefinger. In finishing, gradually divide up allthe small light parts with the pencil andthe dark with the eraser: if it is necessaryat any time to rub the crayon, use the endof the finger instead of the cotton. Becareful not to get too much cray on on the

paper, that is, y ou must not force up orbe compelled to make the shadows too darkby the use of the crayon; they should bemade as dark as necessary with the stump


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before finishing. Should you find infinishing that they are not dark enough,

use the stump to make them darker, as thepencil is only intended to give the stippleeffect, and should be used in a very lightand delicate way. Continue the process offinishing according to the directionshereafter given for bromide enlargements.

The foregoing illustration is the first orground work for the stipple effect producedby the aid of the fingers. To obtain thiseffect without rubbing with the fingers,make small black dots, instead of the linesshown above, until the desired effect isproduced. The latter method results in acoarser stipple effect, but it requires amuch longer time and is more difficultthan the former.

BACKGROUNDSGENERAL PRINCIPLES.


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secondary importance, and should notintrude itself on the portrait in its effect of

lines or light and shade. Backgrounds forhalf or full length figures need especialstudy in their effect of lines, and one whointends to succeed in making themproperly should study linear compositionin Burnets essay on Composition,[A]

especially the following passages.Composition is the art of arrangingfigures or objects so as to adapt them to anyparticular subject. In composition fourrequisites are necessarythat the story bewell told, that it possess a good generalform, that it be so arranged as to becapable of receiving a proper effect of lightand shade, and that it be susceptible of anagreeable disposition of color. The form of acomposition is best suggested by the subject

or design, as the fitness of the adaptationought to appear to emanate from thecircumstances themselves; hence thevariety of compositions.


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true these refined principles cannot bealways palpable, like the more gross rules

of art, yet it does not follow but that themind may be put in such a train that itshall perceive, by a kind of scientific sense,that propriety which words, particularlywords of unpractised writers such as weare, can but v ery feebly suggest. (Sixth

Discourse).

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote A: Essays on Art, by JohnBurnet, New York, E. L. Wilson.]

FIRST METHOD OF MAKING THEBACKGROUNDSTUMP EFFECT.

To produce the stump effect, rub thechamois block in the box of crayon sauce,and then with the large grey paper stump


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Take a handful of cotton batting, rub it inthe box of crayon sauce, and then on a

piece of paper before apply ing it to thecray on paper to make the background,being careful to av oid rubbing harder insome places than others, as dark spots arelikely to be caused in that way . Commenceby rubbing in close to the face and work

out towards the edge of the paper. Let thedarkest part be closest to the face, shadingout in the form of a circle about six or eightinches from the face, according to thesubject, the upper line of the arc coming alittle above the head. Then make the castshadow and finish with the large rubbereraser, putting the lights, or cloud effect,as it is called, in the background. Whendoing this, place the strainer high enoughon the easel to bring the centre of the

picture on a level with y our eyes, thenstanding in front of it and about six feet off,decide upon y our plan of light and shade.

fter you hav e put in the first of the lights,


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step back to the former position, and see ifit giv es the proper effect. Continue this

method of working until the background isentirely completed.

THIRD METHOD OF MAKING THE

BACKGROUNDLINE EFFECT.

With the cotton and cray on sauce as in thepreceding method, put in the dark places

and cast shadow, but not as dark as youwant them when finished; then with thecrayon point No. 2 put in three sets of linesthus:

[Illustration: BACKGROUND. LINE

EFFECT.From the Annual Encyclopedia. Copyrighted,1891, by D. Appleton & Co.]


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clouds above and on either side of the head.Let there be a nice contrast between the

face and the background, having lightcome against dark and dark against light;that is, when one side of the face is darkand one side light, have the backgroundlight against the dark side, and darkagainst the light side; when light and

shade are about equal on both sides of theface, have the background about the sameshade on both sides, without too decided acast shadow. If you have a subject that hasgray hair, have the background darkerthan it would be otherwise. Thebackground should never be darker at anyplace than the shadows in the face, andclose to the face it must be a shade betweenthe light and half shadows. Never resort tothe practice of leav ing the background

white, as this will only giv e a hard, stiffappearance. Clean off the outside edges ofthe background with a clean piece of cottonand the pumice stone.


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FOURTH METHOD OF MAKING THEBACKGROUNDSTIPPLE EFFECT.

Lay a piece of manilla paper on the table

about twelve inches larger on each edgethan your strainer, placing the strainer onit face up; rub a handful of cotton battingfirst in the crayon sauce and then on themanilla paper to remove any foreignsubstance. Then apply the cotton with a

circular motion to the cray on paper tomake the background desired. Nextsprinkle the pulverized pumice stone overthe entire background, and go over thiswith the fingers in a circular movement,using them flat from the second joint to the

ends; then lift the strainer up, and, restingit on the edge, jar off all the pumice stone,and when this is done, lay it down againand rub it off with a clean piece of cotton.


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Now rub the fingers in the crayon sauce,keeping them flat so that it will adhere

evenly to them, and go over thebackground lightly as when rubbing in thepumice stone and you will produce a nicestipple effect. Finally , place the strainer onthe easel, and finish according to thedirections given for finishing crayons

made on bromide enlargements.

Of course it will need considerableexperience before you can succeed in doingthis perfectly , but patience andperseverance will ultimately accomplish

the desired end. There are two matters ofimportance to be borne in mind in makingthese backgroundsfirst, do not have anysmall, hard pieces of cray on on the cottonwhen you rub it on the paper, and second,use the fingers in as flat a position aspossible, for if y ou do not have them flatdown on the paper you are likely to makedark spots in the background.


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FACELINE EFFECT.

[Illustration: LINE EFFECT FOR FACE.


Commence on the hair with the crayonpoint No. 2, and put in all the shadows andhalf-shadows, carefully preserving thelines of direction, but avoid working overthe lights more than necessary; then withthe cray on point No. 1 strengthen all theshadows about the eyebrows, the eyes, themouth, the chin and the ears. Next put thelines in the face. The following illustration

shows the lines before they are rubbed. Itwill be well to remember that only two setsof lines are used in the face, as shown in theillustration, and the same number in the


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dress, while there are three sets required inthe background. The lines in the face

should be a little closer than those in thebackground, while those in the dress areabout the same as those in the background.

In the effect of the lines in the face lie thechief merit and beauty of this method of

crayon work. When properly drawn, thelines represent and give the grain of theflesh in a very beautiful broken effect.They are drawn so as to leave spacesshaped like diamonds, but in the finishingshould be so treated as to lose their

regularity , and to hav e the effect ofbroken diamonds. If you will examinethe back of the wrist joint when y our handis bent slightly backward, y ou will seemore clearly what is meant by the termbroken diamonds in the slight ridgeswhich show the grain of the flesh. Beginwith the forehead, using the crayon pointNo. 1, and put in one set of lines straightacross, but curving downwards as the


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forehead commences to round off towardsthe hair at the sides; then one more set of

lines in the direction that will produce thediamond spaces, continuing these two setsof lines throughout the face. These linesintersecting at the proper angles willindicate the grain of the flesh, if the line ofdirection be carefully followed.

Remembering that the face is not a flatsurface, make the lines darker in theshadows and lighter as they approach thelights. The high lights on the forehead, thenose, the highest point of the chin, andaround the mouth, should, however, hav eno lines over them.

Hav ing put in these lines take a smallhandful of cotton, and rub the hair andface over both the high lights and shadows,the motion following the line of direction;that is, being straight across the forehead,curving towards the hair at the sides, andcircular on the cheeks. Care should beexercised not to rub too hard, it being a


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common fault of the beginner to rub thepaper too much, and produce a dirty effect.

The lines should be merely rubbed untilthey are somewhat blurred and indistinct.Remember that the crayon portrait ismade on the surface of the paper, and notrubbed into it. After it has thus beentreated with the cotton, go over the

shadows with the crayon point No. 1, andrub again with the cotton.

The face of the crayon will now be aboutthree shades darker in the lights than itshould be when finished, and not quite

dark enough in the shadows. Finish it withthe No. 0 crayon and nigrivorine eraser,using the latter wherever a lighter effect isrequired; also break up the regularity ofthe diamond spaces, and whenever a lineshows too prominently subdue it with theeraser.

If you would succeed in making goodcrayon portraits, it will be necessary for


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ou to cultivate a light touch with thecrayon in finishing.

The eraser is one of the principalinstruments employed in making cray onportraits, and is used the same as if it werea cray on pencil, that is, on that principle,the difference being that y ou make white

lines with it instead of black ones. Keep theeraser to a sharp point in the followingmanner: take a piece of emery paper aboutthree inches square, and place it in the lefthand between the index and secondfingers, holding the fingers about half an

inch apart, and bending the paper to fitbetween them; then rub the eraser in thecrease thus formed, holding it at an acuteangle. Sometimes it is necessary to sharpenthe eraser with a knife or a pair of scissorsbefore rubbing it on the emery paper. Inworking with the eraser on the cray onpaper do not rub hard enough to removeall the cray on from the surface of thepaper, except in producing the high lights


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and the white of drapery . Notice inparticular in finishing the hair that where

it touches the forehead there are no lines,as the light and shade should blendtogether so nicely as to leave no decidedline between them.

DRESSLINE EFFECT.

[Illustration: LINE EFFECT FOR DRESS.


The above illustration represents the effectof the lines in the dress. In putting them inlet every fold, sleeve and lapel have lines ofits own, that is, lines differing in directionso as to discriminate it from the other partsof the clothing. These distinctive lines willlose themselves in the wrinkles, in


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shadows, and in the next fold, where thelines will have a different direction. The

illustration is very crude, as it shows thelines before they are rubbed with cotton;after that process they have quite adifferent appearance. In mens clothing thelines may be drawn a little farther apartthan in the treatment of the finer texture

of ladies garments. After y ou have put inthe lines with the crayon point No. 2, goover them with a piece of cotton previouslyrubbed in the crayon sauce, and thencomplete this part of the work by the use ofa dull eraser for the smaller lights, and thechamois for the broad lights.

The crayon is now in good condition forfinishing, which you will proceed to do bythe use of No. 0 Conte cray on and thenigrivorine eraser, softening the lightswith the former and the shadows with thelatter, until y ou have the whole portraitsubdued, and no decided lines of light andshade. Of course throughout these


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strong sizing to the surface of the paperinfact, so strong, that in some of the different

kinds of bromide paper the surface is verynearly as hard as glass, and, therefore, thecrayon cannot be used upon it with goodresults until it has received a specialtreatment, as the cray on would only makea black scratchy mark.

It has been said that the bromide paper andenlargement were entirely different fromthe platinum or silver enlargement andthe crayon paper. While there is not asmuch difference between the bromide and

other enlargements as there is between theformer and the crayon paper, there shouldbe this difference: the silv er or platinumenlargement should only be printed strongenough to giv e the form and the largerdetails in the negativ e, while the bromideenlargement must be as nearly a perfectphotograph as can be produced from thenegative.


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[Illustration: FROM CRAYON EXECUTEDOVER A BROMIDE ENLARGEMENT MADE

FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVESTIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT. BY J. A.BARHYDT.]

From the fact that, on account of thedifference in the surface of the paper, there

cannot be as much cray on put on thebromide enlargement as on the other kindsof paper, and that, therefore, it cannot bestrengthened to the same degree in theshadows without spoiling the nicetransparent effect that a bromide should

have there, it follows that the best bromidecray ons are those on which the leastcrayon is used to produce the desired effect.The bromide paper, on account of thegelatin surface, will not take the cray onfrom the stump as readily as the otherkinds of paper; but after the surface hasbeen treated with the pumice stone thisobjection is removed, and the paper can beworked on with the stump readily . I can


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say from my own experience, that forproducing a crayon over a photographic

enlargement with the stipple effect, it hasno equal in the beauty of finish andrapidity of execution.

The illustration facing this page was madefrom a cray on executed over a bromide

enlargement from the original negative.Better results can always be reached in abromide enlargement when it is thus madefrom the original negative. The studentwill notice in particular the stipple effect inthe reproduction.

FINISHING BROMIDE ENLARGEMENTS.

Examine the enlargement mounted on thestrainer, looking at it from the side, tolearn if there is any starch on the surface


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of the paper before commencing work on it.If there is any , carefully wash it off with a

sponge and some clean water, and then setthe enlargement aside until it hasthoroughly dried. Then lay it down on thetable with a piece of manilla paper underthe strainer about 12 inches longer on eachedge than the latter; take a handful of

cotton, first rubbing it thoroughly in thecrayon sauce, then on the manilla paper,and finally going over the surface of theenlargement with it in a circular motion.Then sprinkle pumice stone over theportrait, and using the ends of the fingersflat, rub it over the entire surface of thepaper. This treatment cuts through thegelatin surface and prepares it for thestipple effect. Now stand the strainer on itsedge and jar the pumice stone off, after

which lay it down on the table, and with apiece of clean cotton lightly brush off thesurface; then, hav ing rubbed the fingerends in the crayon sauce, go over the


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entire surface of the enlargement, holdingthem flat, and you will produce a fine

stipple effect.

If the shadows need to be darker, use a littlemore crayon on the fingers; also put thecast shadow in the background, apply ingthe crayon with the fingers.

Before proceeding further it will be well tonote that the cray on is entirely on thegelatin surface, and that the photographicimage is on this surface also, and not on thepaper itself; therefore, under the image

and the gelatin you have the pure whitepaper. I call attention to this in order that

ou may work with a bettercomprehension of the materials you areusing.

ou now hav e four surfaces. First, themuslin cloth of the strainer; second, thestarch; third, the white paper; fourth, thegelatin.


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Knowing that the gelatin has a hardsurface, y ou are prepared to learn that the

crayon will come off from the bromidemuch more easily than from the otherkinds of paper. These had but threesurfaces, while the bromide has a fourthavery hard onebetween the cray on andthe paper, and on account of its hardness it

will need different treatment in itsmanipulation. Therefore you use thefingers in apply ing the crayon sauce, and,when it is necessary to make a place light,

ou do so with the cotton, chamois oreraser. Should you find it necessary tomake a place white where it is dark, y oucan remove the photograph entirely , asthis is on the gelatin, scraping it off downto the white paper with a sharp knife.

Resuming the process of finishing, placethe enlargement on the easel and put inthe cloud effect with the large eraser, thenlay it on the table again, and clean it offabout four inches from the edge all around


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with pumice stone and a fresh piece ofcotton where you hav e rubbed with the

eraser, and blend the background into thisfour inch space. Return the enlargement tothe easel again, and with the broad eraserclean up the lights throughout, and withthe cotton and pumice stone blend theminto the shadows; then with the peerless

stump, cray on sauce and fingersstrengthen the larger shadows, using thenigrivorine eraser when necessary to cleanup the lights, and the tortillon stump forthe work in the smaller shadows, if it isrequired to make them darker. Now withthe No. 0 crayon finish the face bycompleting the stipple effect in the patchesof light and shade. You will hav e a goodguide in the background for finishing andgiv ing the stipple effect, as there you will

have this stipple effect quite perfect,especially in the light places. This finishingwith the No. 0 cray on is the nicest part ofthe work, and when doing it you must keep


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in mind that y ou are putting in the stippleeffect, and that alone; that is, the portrait

at this stage is supposed to be very nearlyright in light and shade and expression,and it should not be necessary tostrengthen it in the shadows by using theNo. 0 cray on. You are to cut up or div idethe portrait into small black and white

spots, but do not take out white spots withthe No. 0 crayon that are larger than thewhite spots desired in the stipple effect;these light places must be cut into smallerlight spots. If you should take out thesewhite spots (and this is an error y ou mustbe very careful to av oid), y ou wouldproduce an effect of large dark and whitespots that would be entirely wrong, thereal process being to div ide large white anddark spots into smaller ones of the same

color.This stipple effect should be worked all overthe face with the exception of the highestlights, and even these will v ery often need


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complete, examine it by holding it at rightangles to the light, to see if there are not

some marks of the crayon pencil that showtoo prominently . These can be subduedwith the ends of the fingers. Sometimes infinishing with the No. 0 crayon the paperwill seem to be gritty so that you canhardly work on it. The difficulty is that

some of the pumice stone has adhered tothe surface of the paper. This can bedisposed of by rubbing it with the fingers.It should be remembered that the pumicestone must be entirely removed from thewhole surface of the paper, as otherwise itwill settle in the cray on, and giv e a dirtygray effect. When, as sometimes happensin commencing the portrait, dark or whitespots or streaks show themselv es, do notpay any attention to them until you hav e

entirely finished the crayon, then if theyare dark, make them the proper shadewith the eraser, and if light, with thecrayon.


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MONOCHROMES.[B]

These are portraits in one color onporcelain, glass or any hard material that

has first been coated with gelatin and thenphotographed on. First treat the wholesurface with pumice stone as directed forthe bromide paper, afterwards go over itwith the crayon and cotton. Then put inthe cloud effect in the background, and

clean off the lights in the face, hair, andclothes with the eraser; next put in thehalf-shadows with the peerless stump; thenwith a solution of India ink darken thestronger shadows throughout the portraitin the eyes, nose, mouth and eyebrows,

and finally in the hair. Finish the face withthe No. 0 cray on and the 4 H. Fabers leadpencil according to directions given forfinishing bromide enlargements. The


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Faber pencil is used almost exclusivelythroughout the face. Very nice effects of

strong light can be made on porcelain byscraping through the gelatin surface withthe knife. This process is specially adaptedto making pictures of smaller size, say1012, or 1 11 4 inches, as it produces avery soft and delicate effect.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote B: For photographic process, seethe American Annual of Photography andPhotographic Times Almanac, 1888.]

ALUES.

The matter of values enters into theessential quality of every work of art, andespecially of a portrait. It is the truth oftheir rendering that will give a faithful


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likeness. By the term values is meant therelations of light and shade to each other.

This subject has been so admirably treatedby John Burnet in his essay entitledPractical Hints on Light and Shade,[C]that I give his observations on this point.

Before proceeding to inv estigate light and

shade in their v arious intricate relations,it may be proper to notice a few of the morepalpable and self-evident combinations;and for the better comprehending of whichI shall divide them into five parts, v iz.:Light, half-light, middle tint, half-dark

and dark. When a picture is chieflycomposed of light and half-light, the darkswill have more force and point, butwithout the help of strong color to giv e itsolidity it will be apt to look feeble, andwhen a picture is composed mainly of darkand half-dark the lights will be morebrilliant; but they will be apt to look spottyfor want of half-light to spread and connectthem, and the piece be in danger of


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becoming black and heav y. And when apicture is composed chiefly of middle tint,

the dark and light portions have a moreequal chance of coming into notice, but thegeneral effect is in danger of becomingcommon and insipid. Light and shade arecapable of producing many results, but thethree principal are relief, harmony and

breadth. By the first the artist is enabled togive his work the distinctness and solidityof nature; the second is the result of aunion and cement of one part withanother; and the third, a general breadth,is the necessary attendant on extent andmagnitude. A judicious management ofthese three properties is to be found in thebest pictures of the Italian, Venetian andFlemish Schools, and ought to employ themost attentive examination of the student,

for by giv ing too much relief he willproduce a dry hard effect, by too muchsoftness and blending of the parts,wooliness and insipidity , and in a desire to


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produce breadth of effect he may produceflatness.

The student should make a careful study ofthe values, as upon these will depend theentire effect of the portrait and its fidelityas a likeness; and the absence of thesequalities of rendering light and shade are

one of the marked features of the work ofamateurs, as they are apt to make theirshadows too dark and their lights too light.

ou should compare the portrait with thephotograph you are working from, andpreserv e the same contrasts between the

lights and shadows in order to producesatisfactory results. The best way ofexamining your work is by the use of amirror. To the student the mirror is hisbest critic. It is before this silent observ erthat he submits his work with thecertainty of receiving an honest criticism.

t every step of your progress look at yourwork in a good mirror, as here it is changedabout, the left side being the right side, and


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no error will escape detection. Sometimesou will see that what appeared true was

in reality false, what seemed graceful incontour was distorted; here an eye which

ou thought was looking at y ou quitestraight now mocks you from the glass inmanifest obliquity ; the mouth, which youthought had a pleasant expression, now

looks as disdainful as can be. And so allthrough y our work you will be startled;

ou will doubt the mirror. Doubt it not;our work is false. If you will be convinced

show it to some competent artist, and hewill confirm the judgment of the impartialmirror. Experience will soon teach y ou toput such reliance on its never capriciouscouncil that you will follow its suggestionsimplicitly, and, when your work is altered,the result will satisfy you invariably , that,

as the proverb says of two heads, so twoimages are better than one. When youhave come to this conclusion there is not abeauty of eighteen who will consult her


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glass (though it is true for a somewhatlighter purpose,) more eagerly , more

devoutly , more frequently , or finally , wehope, with more triumphant satisfactionthan will you.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote C: Essay s on Art by John Burnet,New York, Edward L. Wilson.]

STUDIO.

The amateur is not to consider the selectionof his studio or work-room of minorimportance; the perspectiv e, coloring, andthe effect of the portrait will all depend, ina great measure, upon the situation anddimensions of the studio. It may be said ina general way that the larger theapartment the better. To secure the effect


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which it is essential to produce, thereshould be space enough left behind the

artist to permit him to step back from six toten or twelve feet to accurately v iew andsee the effect of the portrait. I cannot urgetoo strongly upon the amateur theusefulness of frequently v iewing his workfrom a distance. I would gladly sav e him

the disappointment and chagrin which Ihav e myself experienced, when hav ingneglected this precaution, I have quitefinished a portrait only to find itthoroughly unsatisfactory when looked atfrom a greater distance than that at whichI had worked.

ou should choose a room with a northlight if possible; if that is not av ailable thenone with a south light, and the roomshould be as near the top of the house aspossible. Let the light be arranged so as tostrike the easel at an angle of 90 degrees,and if it is a side light darken the lower halof the window. Do not have the side walls


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white, they should be a neutral shade;reddish is the best. For work with water

colors or India ink you need a stand, and besure and set it so that the light will be at

our left when you work. Keep the studioas free from dust as possible, and when youhave finished working for the day wash

our brushes and place the corks in the

water color bottles, so as to exclude the dustfrom them. For cray on work also set theeasel so that the light is at the left hand.

word in regard to selecting materials. Ihave already spoken in regard to the

selection of photographs for coloring. As tobrushescamels hair will cost only abouta third as much as sable, and will answerevery purpose for beginners; the fine sableshould be procured after the pupil hasadvanced sufficiently . In choosing a brushfor water colors, dip it in a cup of water anddraw it over the edge of the cup; if it has alittle spring to it, and comes to a pointreadily without any of the hair straggling,


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it is all right; if not, reject it. Winsor andNewtons Chinese White is the best white

paint. For mixing the colors you can get aslant with eight div isions, or a nest ofsaucers. In selecting glass for mountingpictures choose that which is free fromblisters.

FRAMING.

The following directions in regard toframing will, I hope, be foundadvantageous. When framing with apassepartout mat, alway s use

For a 1620 portrait an 1822 frame,

1822 2024 2024 2226 2429 2530

I make a life-size portrait 2530 on a2429 strainer. The reason for using a


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larger frame than strainer is this: that itinvariably happens that the head of the

portrait will not come in exactly the properplace in the opening of the passepartout,and by hav ing the frame two inches largereach way you will be able to bring the headwherever desired in this opening. Whenplacing the picture in the frame, lay the

latter face down on a table and put in theglass, which should have been perfectlycleaned; lay in the passepartout and fastenit with small brads. Then lay the crayondown on the table face up and turn theframe over on it, and after you have it inthe proper place, draw the picture andframe partially over the edge of the table,and from underneath mark the back of thepassepartout where the edges of the picturecome; then turn the frame and picture

over so that it shall be face down. Now cuteight strips of old tin-type metal one-quarter of an inch wide and three incheslong, making holes at each end of them for


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the tacks, and with these strips fasten thepicture in its place by tacking one end of

each to the strainer and the other end tothe frame. Also cut a piece of heavymanilla paper the size of the frame, lay iton a board, dampen it with a sponge, applystarch paste around each side and the endsfor a space of six inches, and lay it over the

back of the picture and frame, pressing itdown on the latter; then set it away to dry .This will make a neat smooth back whichwill exclude moth and dust from theportrait.

PASSEPARTOUT MOUNTING.

The following method will be found useful,especially if you want to exhibit a cray onwithout the expense of framing it. Lay onthe mounting board a piece of heavy


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manilla paper somewhat larger than thepicture, then put the crayon on this face

up, next the passepartout, and last theclean glass. Mark the size of this on thepaper, and then, hav ing removed theglass, crayon and passepartout, cut thepaper enough larger than the marks toallow it to come up one inch all around

over the edges of the glass; next dampenthe paper, and apply the starch paste to itsedges about six inches all around, then laythe crayon, passepartout and glass backwhere they were on the paper, and bringthe latter up, lapping it over the face of theglass; cut the corners out so as to bringthem over properly ; rub the edges downthoroughly on the glass, and with a rulerand knife trim off the paper, allowing one-quarter of an inch margin; then set away

to dry . This will put the cray on in goodcondition to be exhibited, and willthoroughly protect it.


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Transparent Liquid Water Colors forColoring Photographs.

[Illustration]

TRANSPARENT LIQUID WATER COLORS

FOR COLORING PHOTOGRAPHS

aterials Required in Their Use.

A good photograph, an engrav ing or

photogravure mounted on card-boardCamels hair brushes, Nos. 3 and 5, Sheetof blotting-paper, Small sponge, Cleanwhite cloth, Cake of Chinese white, Winsorand Newtons water color, A divided slantor nest of small dishes for holding the colorwhen mixed, Box transparent liquid watercolors, Stick of India ink, Box pulv erizedpumice stone, Two tumblers for water.


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It has passed into a proverb that he is a badworkman who complains of his tools. It is

certain that good ones simplify work andgive better results. One of the mostimportant things for successful art-work isto have at hand the proper materials andgood instruments. In their selection do notfollow a penny wise and pound foolish

policy , but get the best you can; and theseou will often find not too good.

THEORY OF COLOR.

The principles connected with coloringshould be understood if one desires toproduce the most pleasing and harmonious

effects in painting. The three colors, red,ellow, and blue, with the white of thepaper, are equal in theory to all therequirements of art in its true relation to


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color. Red, yellow and blue are calledprimary colors; that is, we cannot produce

these colors from the combination of anyothers. Orange, purple and green arecalled secondary colors, and are producedby the combination of the primary colors.By the mixture of red and yellow we obtainorange, from red and blue, purple, from

ellow and blue, green. The tertiary colorsbroken green, gray and brownareproduced by the mixture of the secondarycolors. From orange and purple we obtainbrown, from orange and green, brokengreen, and from purple and green, gray .The three primary colors must always bepresent in a picture to produce harmony .Colors are div ided into what are calledwarm and cold colors, the yellow and redbeing termed warm, and the blue cold.

ellow and red produce light and warmth,and it is impossible to produce coolnesswithout the use of blue. In painting we usethe three terms, light, shade and color,


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because they best express the qualities ofcolor. Light is expressed by yellow, shade

by blue, and color by red. While red isparticularly designated as color, we mustnot forget the claims of yellow and blue, asthey, together with red, complete theprimary scale of colors. It is by placingthese different colors in juxtaposition that

we produce the proper qualities existing ineach of the other colors. It is impossible toproduce the effect of warmth by red and

ellow unless we use the blue in connectionwith them. It is this filling up, orcompleting the primary scale of colors,that gives the term complementary , sooften employed in speaking of colors. Thusred is said to be complementary to green,as green contains the other two colors ofthe primary scaleblue and yellow. Blue is

complementary to orange, as orangecontains red and yellow. Yellow iscomplementary to purple, as purplecontains blue and red. The principle of


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using the complementary color is of theutmost importance in painting, or the use

of color by any method, and it is on thisprinciple that the harmony of color isbased. When a painting is produced thathas the colors red, yellow and blueproperly balanced, a pleasing andharmonious effect is attained; but if these

colors are not used in their properrelations, there is a discord, and the work isnot satisfactory. These rules must be bornein mind by every student in coloring,whether he uses oil or water colors. One ofthe most common errors of amateurs is tooverlook the red in landscape. Thus treesare too green, and the grass is insufferablygreen: the complementary color, red, hasbeen left out.

By the following experiment you mayprove that when you see one color the eyeis in a perfect condition to see itscomplementary color. On a piece of whitepaper, three inches wide and five inches


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long, draw with a lead pencil an oblong,half an inch from the top, one inch wide,

and two and one-half inches long fromright to left, and a similar oblong one-halfan inch below the one already drawn.Then draw a six pointed star (or any othernot too large figure you desire) in thecentre of the upper oblong, and paint it

with vermilion water color. Now lookintently at the painted star for thirtyseconds, and then look at the plain oblongbelow, and you will observe that the latterwill gradually assume a very beautifulshade of green, the exact complementarycolor of the vermilion, with the figure inwhite upon itunless you should happen tobe color blind. If that is the case, theexperiment will demonstrate that fact.

COLORS.


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Transparent water colors are put up inboxes containing nine colors, and as you

reduce them in the proportion of one partof color to eight of water, a single box willlast a long time. They can be bought ofalmost any dealer in artists materials, andare designated as Florentine, Egyptian,Grecian, and by other names. Care should

be used in procuring those which are pureand fresh. The colors are yellow, blue, rose,v iolet, magenta, flesh, brown, gold andblack. The labels on the bottles giv edirections for mixing.

ELLOW.

ellow is one of the primary colors and oneof the most useful, as it enters into thecoloring of almost every picture.Transparent yellow is very brilliant, and


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BLUE.

This is another of the primary colors and avery essential one, it being the nearestallied to shade, and although not shadeitself, no shadows can be produced without

it. We will find it, therefore, mingling withall the shades of nature between the lightsand shadows. It would be in v ain for us tointroduce all our warm colors, if the cooltints that are produced by blue arewanting; for, without that, the work will

appear heav y, as it is the contrast betweenblue and the warm colors that produces abalance of color. Blue mixed with y ellowmakes a v ery brilliant green, with gold aduller green, with magenta a purple. Inlandscapes it is used in skies and the middle

distances, but not in the foreground, unlessmixed with y ellow. Blue can be mixed withrose or magenta for sunset skies. When thehorizon is represented a streak of blue or


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rose, or of blue and magenta, will give avery pleasing effect. In portraits if you

have a light background, a thin wash ofblue can be used over it. The same can alsobe used for blue eyes and for dresses whenthey are light in the picture, also in all thehalf-shadows of the dresses or draperieswithout regard to what their other color

may be.

ROSE.

This is the nearest approach to red that wehave in these colors, and as it fills out thescale it is an essential one. It is, in fact, avery delicate shade of rose. For landscape it

is used only in the skies, and then only alittle near the horizon for sunset effects. Forportraits it is used in the drapery formaking a very light shade of pink, and it


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can be used generally when you want tomake a v ery delicate effect. The

photographic print on which it is usedshould not be too dark.

IOLET.

This is a v ery strong and brilliant color,and therefore needs more than usual carein handling. In landscapes it is only used in

certain skies near the horizon, and butvery seldom even then. It is moreespecially designed for portraits, and thereparticularly in drapery to make verydecided effects of strong color; but it canonly be used when the dress or draperies

are dark in the photograph.

MAGENTA.


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This also is a powerful color and must beused carefully . It is not adapted tolandscapes, but in portraits is used fordresses and accessories. If the photographrequires a dark dress this color will make ita beautiful shade.

FLESH.

This color can be used a v ery little in theskies of landscapes when there is a sunseteffect to be represented. In portraits it isused to color the faces and hands. After it isdry , retouch the cheeks and lips with the

same color.

BROWN.


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This color is used in all the shadows. Inlandscapes, in some instances, it serves foruse in the middle distance and foreground;the light places should be retouched with

ellow or gold. It is also used for treetrunks, fences, and the like. In portraits it

serv es to color the hair and eyes, andappears in the dark shadows of the draperyand furniture. If the background is dark, anice effect is produced by tinting it a littlewith this color.

BLACK.

In transparent color this has more theeffect of a dark gray than a brilliant black,such as is produced with body colors. When

ou want a v ery dark black, it is better to


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use a little India ink with it. It is used inthe skies of landscapes when you wish a

gray effect, or to subdue a too strong bluecolor or red, and in foregrounds for rocks.In connection with yellow it will make asombre green for trees, mountains, etc.Inportraits it is used for the hair and eyes, inthe shadows around the mouth, and in

drapery in connection with the othercolors.

GOLD.

This is a combination of yellow and red,and in general can be used wherever eitherof these colors would answer. In landscapes

a little can be used in the skies, the middledistances, and lights on the ground in theforeground. In portraits it is used to colorthe drapery and jewelry .


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INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING LIQUIDWATER COLORS.

Fill the two tumblers with water, and hav e

all the other materials ready andconvenient to work with. If you hav eselected a burnished and mountedphotograph wet its surface with saliv a;unburnished photographs, photograv uresand engrav ings do not require this

treatment, but in coloring them it will benecessary to mix a weak solu

58862_30248-8 - unknown painting

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