£885 
 A65 
 
 f '
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 

 
 THEATRICAL SCENE 
 PAINTING ; 
 
 A THOROUGH AND COMPLETE WORK 
 
 ON HOW TO SKETCH, PAINT AND 
 
 INSTALL THEATRICAL SCENERY 
 
 ILL US TR A TED 
 
 APPLETON PUBLISHING CO. 
 
 OMAHA, NEBRASKA. 
 U. S. A. 
 
 44 3 8^
 
 Coi'VKIGiU, 1916 
 BY 
 
 APPLETON Pl'BLISHING COMPANY 
 
 Omaha, Neb.
 
 Pli 
 
 ^-^'^■^/f 
 
 ?i 
 
 OR Shvkrai. ^'kaks past there has been an e\er increasing 
 demand for Theatrical Scenery and artistic Window Hack- 
 grounds, and (jftentinies the sign painter or pictorial artist has 
 !'n opportunity to do scenic painting for the local theater or 
 moving picture show, but, as he has little or no previous experience along 
 these lines and no reference work to refer to, he generally turns down 
 the opportunity in favor of the man with the special training. To meet this 
 demand we have undertaken to place before the public a moderately priced 
 work on Theatrical Scene Painting, also suitable for Window Back- 
 grounds, that for all purposes will be found a great help to the beginner 
 as well as to the person with some knowledge of Scene Painting. 
 
 The Scenic Painter oftentimes is requested to furnish sample draw- 
 ings or sketches of the work to be performed, and to familiarize the 
 beginner with the most essential rules of correct drawing, which neces- 
 sarily must be known by all scenic artists, we have included, in this work, 
 se\eral chapters on pencil drawing, elementary perspecti\e, pencil 
 sketching, crayon drawing, water color painting, pen drawing and wash 
 drawing, in addition to the painting of scenery in oil, all of which are very 
 instructive and necessary, as no scenic painting, no matter how elab- 
 orately executed in colors, can correct the faulty drawing of the scene 
 depicted. 
 
 The demand for artistic scenic paintings for window backgrounds is 
 becoming greater every year. All progressive stores now use them for 
 holiday displays and for different seasons, and as in the other lines ol 
 advertising the art of displaying merchandise has made great progress, and 
 a well executed scenic background materially helps the merchant or store 
 keeper to dispose of his goods to the public. Another field, unknown to 
 scene painting up to a few years ago, is the mo\ing picture shows, which 
 are being erected even in the smallest towns. Nearly every one of these 
 shows require the services of a scenic painter, either for distemper work 
 in interior decoration, or to equip same with a set of scenery for vaudeville 
 performances. Still another field open to the scenic painter is the work in 
 the better class of private residences, public buildings, schools and 
 churches, which in late years have commenced to use, more and more 
 scenic decorations and distemper work. 
 
 1 o the young man with some artistic talent ^ve should strongly recom- 
 mend this profitable and lucratixe profession, as it has been illustrated in 
 many instances that a person who is possessed of some particular talent 
 only needs the opportunity to demonstrate his ability in order to succeed 
 and the knowledge of scenic painting often is the stepping stone to a great 
 artistic career.
 
 CHAPTER ONE 
 
 STRAIGHT OUTLINES 
 
 \\\'lX(i is tlu- hackljonc ni all scciiir iiainting. Learn to draw 
 well before you try to ])aint, design, illustrate or do any other ar- 
 tistic work. To be aljle to draw is to he able to give a correct 
 pictorial impression of things that you see. Drawing, therefore, 
 educates the eve and the hand and is to the scenic artist what scales and exer- 
 cises are to the musician — the necess:ir\- f(iundati(jn for all good techni(|ue. 
 
 The materials that are needed fur ])reliminary sketching consist of the 
 following articles, which can l)e had at any of the larger art stores or 
 painters' sujiply houses: 
 
 1 Drawing Board. 
 
 2 Dozen Sticks French Charcoal. 
 1 Soft Pencil Eraser (No. 40). 
 
 Art Gum. 
 1 Lead Pencil. Koh-i-Noor 2-H. 
 1 Lead Pencil. Koh-I-Noor 2B. 
 
 1 Dozen Sheets Good Drawing Paper, or 
 Cartridge Paper (Wall Paper). (Any 
 paper with a somewhat rough surface 
 may be used.) 
 
 6 Thumb Tacks. 
 
 1 Soft Cloth Rag. 
 
 For vour first attempt at sketching from objects, select something 
 with sim]de, straight outlines, a jdain bux. tor inst.mce (Fig. 1, Plate 1), 
 place it ill a good light, hang something dark behind it for a background; 
 put a few sheets of some paper on your drawing board, fasten a ipiarter 
 sheet of your drawing paper with thumb tacks on top of this, shar])en your 
 charcoal to a ])oint (a piece of sandpaper is good for this) and repeat this 
 when ])oint becomes broad and dull, in fact, always keep charcoal, pencils 
 and crayons well sharpened with g^ud long points; sit down about 6 to 8 
 feet away froiu object, having light coming from your left side; put drawing 
 board in your la]> and rest top of board against back of a chair, be sure that 
 you have an unol)structed view of your object; now look well at box and 
 try to remember general outlines of same. 
 
 Then draw with (juick, light strokes the main outlines of box. Sit well 
 back in chair, hold drawing board away from you and compare the outlines 
 and pro]K)rtions of your picture with those of box. You may then observe 
 that the box you have drawn is either too long, or short, or broad, or
 
 PLATE 1
 
 crooked, ur iithcrwise oul of pri ipnrtii in witli the ulijccl. Xuw try in oirrect 
 your errors. Wipe first drawiiiL; i)artly nut witli a soft clu-esr cli'tli rag, 
 redraw lines that were cdrreet ami alter tlidsi- tli;il were wroiiL;. tlu-u rum- 
 pare drawins^' attain with uhject and ])rc rii.n-<l tn further (.-nrrect until \<iu 
 have ,t;(it a true pietiu'e in nutline of lio.x. 'I'hen wipe ])artl\ nut, redraw 
 outlines niceh with pencil 2-11: j)lace new sheet of ]>ai)er mi iKiard, i^ive 
 box a ditVerent position and try another drawint;- (if it. Kepeat until you 
 have several drawinsifs of different views of box. 
 
 I'"or your next lessnn use two boxes ])laced at diti'ereiit aiij.;les in each 
 other ( I'"i^'. 2, I'late 1). I'roceed as before, m.-ikin;;- several eharcnal studies 
 of different ])ositions of boxes, finish with pencil. 
 
 For third lesson, ])lace a bottle in frmit of box and make a drawing 
 of the conibinatiiin I I'iii'. 3. illustration li. \\'lien sketching the curves at 
 top and bottom of bottle just indicate with straight lines in first sketches; 
 when these are corrected draw in cinwes. For further i)ractice place bottle 
 and box in six different ]jositions and draw si.x sketches as before. 
 
 DRAWING OF OBJECTS HAVING CURVED LINES. 
 
 The pu])il having made a considerable number of dr.iwings from objects 
 with straight outlines should now begin to sketch fmm objects having 
 curved outlines and try to master the intricacies of their forms ;ind shapes. 
 
 For our first .attempt we will lake .an ordinary (juart bottle and place 
 it against some jdaiii background and in a light that will show up the 
 outlines of the object strongly and clearly against the background, iiav- 
 ing hxed our pa])er and taken a jiosition, as ])reviousl\' explained, we will 
 now ])rocecd to make a rough charcoal sketch of the outlines of the bottle. 
 
 First draw a straight, vertical line dc>wii through middle of paper, 
 using a ruler; then hold out charcoal at arm's length, parallel with an 
 imaginarv straight line, running df)wn middle of object. Close one eye, 
 as when sighting a gun, and starting at toj) of bottle observe how many 
 times vou can di\ide piece of charcoal ]>rotruding above your finger, into 
 the length of bottle. I'ut down as inan\ etjual distances on the vertical 
 line oil \our paper, taking care to have them small enough, so as to leave a 
 generous margin at top and bottom of bottle; then measure, as before, 
 wiilth of bottle, being careful to hold charcoal horizont.ally. |)rotrn<ling from
 
 fingers, as before, and at arm's length and measure Imw many times this 
 length of charcoal divides into width of bottle, then set oft these divisions 
 on either side of vertical line, and if drawn correctly you now have height 
 and width of bottle in the right dimensions. Now draw two straight out- 
 lines, parallel with vertical line, for the sides of bottle. Then measure 
 width at top of neck, also length of this and draw outlines of same, first 
 as straight lines and then curved, as in model ; finally draw curved lines 
 from neck to sides of bottle, being careful that both sides are perfectly 
 alike. Try to obtain true ovals at top and bottom of bottTe. Sit back in 
 chair and give your outline sketch a final critical look, correcting any 
 errors in dimensions and outline : then wipe out charcoal lines partly, and 
 proceed to redraw outlines with a hard, well pointed lead pencil, correcting 
 all errors as you go along. Do not redraw helping lines, shown dotted in 
 Fig. 1, Illustration 2. Make all outlines of bottle turned to the light, with 
 a light touch and all outlines in the shatle with a heavy, broad tnuch. For 
 your next attempt lay down the bottle and make a sketch of it in this po- 
 sition. Make in all six diliferent sketches of bottle in different positions. 
 
 Having mastered the simple outlines of a plain Ijottle we shall now 
 select a simple vase of some kind for our next model. The same rules laid 
 down for drawing the Ixjttle will hold good in this problem. Fig. 2, Illus- 
 tration 2, will show that a few more helping or "blocking in" lines are 
 required than in the former drawing, l)ut they are obtained in exactly the 
 same way, as when drawling bottle. The particular vase selected need 
 not be an exact replica of the one illustrated in Fig. 2, but should be plain 
 and simple of outline. Make three drawings of vase in three different 
 positions and three more drawings of vase and bottle together in difterent 
 positions. 
 
 For your next problem select a plain cup and saucer lor a model, using 
 same methods of sketching as indicated above. Figure 3, Illustration 2, 
 will give an idea of the "blocking in" re<iuired before curved outlines are 
 drawn. Be sure of getting a good shape to the handle. Make a few more 
 drawings of cup and saucer in difl'ereiit j)ositions and several drawings of 
 bottle, vase, cup and saucetr grouped together in different positions. 
 
 FURNITURE DRAWING IN OUTLINE. 
 
 Before starting to sketch in nutline from models, you should spend 
 several hours drawing free-hand ovals. Make all kinds of ovals, some
 
 almost like a circle, others more compressed and oblong, but all of them 
 with true curved outlines without flat places or uneven bumps. Always 
 remember that an oval is a circle seen in perspective and that it must not 
 be egg-<haped. but both ends should have precisely the same curvature. 
 
 The outline sketches from simple objects made in former lessons should 
 have educated \out hand and eye to such an e.xtent that you now will 
 be able to make creditable sketches in outline from plain furniture. 
 
 I-^ir \our tirst attempt at this kind of work select as a model a plain 
 chair, preferably one of mission design. I'lace this chair about nine feet 
 away from you in a good light and against some plain, cpiiet background. 
 Fix your ])aper. as usual, and draw a vertical line where you want farthest 
 side of chair to come. On this line measure off height of back and mark 
 where seat will strike it, draw a horizontal line through this point and 
 measure off length of seat in true proportion to the rest. Now proceed to 
 draw nearest side of back, noting what angle the outlines have to your 
 pencil held out perfectly vertical in front of your eye and at arm's length. 
 Give outline of back in your drawing same angle to vertical line already 
 drawn; then notice how width of chair corresponds to height and when 
 this is found proceed to draw farthest side of back, parallel with nearest 
 one, but slightly shorter; then draw front legs in a similar way. If look- 
 ing carefully at the subject you will notice that all lines receding from 
 you, if extended, would meet in a point, directly in front of your eye. This 
 point is called the "perspective vanishing point" for all such lines and will 
 shift with your eye, which, therefore, should be kept, as nearly as possible, 
 in the same position while looking at model. 
 
 After having made one charcoal sketch, as correct in porportion as it 
 is possible for you to draw, wipe it partl\- out and finish it nicely, going over 
 all the lines with a well-pointed, medium hard lead pencil, correcting all 
 possible errors and lack of proper details as you go along. Use a heavy, 
 broad outline tor all shaded sides. For further ])ractice place same chair, or 
 choose others, not too complicated, in six dift'erent positions and make a 
 drawing of each different view. 
 
 For vour next model use a plain library or kitchen table. First draw a 
 vertical line where you want left front leg of table to come ; on this line 
 set off height, then at right angle with vertical line draw a horizontal line 
 for farthest edge of table top; then set off height of table on this line, 
 draw right front leg parallel with left one, measure off width of table and 
 draw a line for farther edge of table parallel with the nearer edge already 
 drawn. Then mark off your table ends, sides and lowest points of farthest 
 legs in their true perspective foreshortening, add all remaining details and
 
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 fmish charcoal sketch. Redraw with ])cncil, as l)efore, and for further 
 practice make a few nmre drawinsi^s of plain tai)les in different positions. 
 
 For yiiur ne.xt model select a simple, plain cjiiffonnier or wash stand 
 and make several drawings of it in difTerent positions, using- same methods 
 of sketching- as described above. In some of your sketches pull out drawers 
 more or less and draw cliiitonnier that wav. 
 
 COPYING AND ENLARGING. 
 
 There are several methods of enlarging drawings and cuts by mechan- 
 ical means and we shall briefly explain a few of these methods of mechanical 
 enlarging. 
 
 .\n instrument, often used by draughtsmen to correctly enlarge the 
 outlines of small drawing's or engravings is called a pantograph. This 
 instrument consists of four narrow strips of wood or, in the better grades. 
 of metal. These strips are furnished with thumbscrews that can be inserted 
 in an}- of the many holes in the strips, ;ind thus secure these at shorter or 
 greater distance from each other, according to the size of the enlarg-ement 
 desired. The pantograph is fastened to the table with a screw at "A" (Fig. 
 1. Plate .^). The object to be enlarged is secured with thumbtacks under 
 the i)oint at "C" The numljers are at holes on strips where screws "E" 
 and "F" should be ])laccd in order to obtain the desired enlargement of 
 small cut. Be sure that screws are placed at same number on all four strips. 
 Fasten a large sheet of jiaper under ])encil jioint at "D" ; grasp head of 
 screw "("" with left hand and that of screw "D" with right hand, then 
 start jjoint at "C", moving it slowly and carefidly over the lines of small 
 cut, at the same time guiding pencil over the large sheet of jjajjcr. If care- 
 fully done tlie residt will be a correctly drawn, enlarged outline of small 
 picture. ^Vlawys lie careful about having screws in pantograph tight, 
 so to avoid wobbling and side motion, and at the same time, not so tight, 
 as to hinder the free motion of the four strips. 
 
 A pantogra])h can be oi)tained at most art stores or painters supply 
 houses and it does not pay to buy the cheapest kind, as they do not work 
 very accurately. 
 
 After having obtained your pantograph you siiould select a sn-iall 
 l)icture of a simple design, place same under j)antograph and make an en- 
 larged outline drawing of it, as explained above : when complete go lightly
 
 over the outlines with a soft pencil eraser and rub them i)artly nut and 
 after this operation go over them atiain with a sharp, medium hard pencil 
 and correct all deviations from the true outline. Having thus, obtained 
 a nearly perfect enlarged drawing it would be a good plan to go, once more, 
 over the lines, trying still further to make them perfect, this time using 
 a pen and making the lines with li(|uid India ink (Higgins black drawing ink 
 preferred). Now rub pencil lines out, and lay aside: make several enlarge- 
 ments, in a similar way, as described above, but select a harder and more 
 intricate picture every time. 
 
 Another mechanical method of obtaining an enlarged outline of a small 
 picture consists of dividing the small picture in a certain number of scjuares 
 and then draw the same amount of squares, only larger, on a sheet of 
 paper and then sketch the outline, or rather as much of the outline, as 
 appears in one of the small squares, in the corresponding larger square, 
 thus obtaining a correct enlargement of the entire outline, when all the 
 larger squares have been fdled with their sectional part of the enlarged 
 outline. 
 
 For your first trial at this method select a small picture of a simple 
 design and outline and divide it up in small squares, say about one-eighth 
 of an inch ; then on a piece of smooth drawing paper la}- ciut the same 
 number of squares as found on small picture, but this time making each 
 square larger, say about one-half inch. Be sure to have all sqtiares true 
 and of equal size ; then number them, as indicated in Fig. 2, Plate 3, 
 and commence to draw outline in first large square in same proportion as 
 it appears in corresponding small square. Repeat this process in the other 
 scjuares, until a complete outline of small picture is secured ; then correct 
 all errors and go over outlines with pen and ink and, finally, rub out pencil 
 lines and .squares. Make several outline drawings, following this method 
 but select a more difficult ])icture to enlarge every time. 
 
 The fewer sijuares that }ou make on sm;ill picture the larger part of 
 the complete outline you will have to draw in each >if the enlarge<l squares 
 and the more difficult, but, also, more instructi\t' the problem will bocnme, 
 and for your last and hardest part select some plain pictures and divide 
 them into four squares in the enlargement. Make several enlarged outline 
 sketches from diO'erent sni;ill ])ictures, using the above described four 
 squares. 
 
 Before starting on next chapter devote a little of your spare time in 
 sketching objects and furniture from nature; this forms a splendid exercise 
 and greatly educates the eye to see correctly and llu- hand t(j dr;iw correctly
 
 what is seen. Make \our first attempts at simple composition, placing 
 several objects or pieces of furniture tofjether so they make pleasing and 
 artistic groups and make sketches of these groups, being particularly care- 
 ful to get the perspective foreshortenings of the lines and planes correctly 
 rendered in vour sketches. 
 
 / z
 
 CHAPTER TWO 
 
 SHADING. 
 
 A\'IXr, l)ec(iiiie familiii.r with tlic sketchiiiL;" of objects in (outline, 
 you are now j)r(.-pared tw take up tlie more difficult and intricate 
 study of liyht anil shade and ti_) still further educate the hand 
 and e_\e while learning to see values, as well as form and outline. 
 
 Let us take an ordinary hen's egg and ])lace it on a large sheet of 
 white paper against a background of white cardlioard or cloth. Have the 
 source of light come from the left and be sure that the object receives all 
 of its light from cme window only or from one artificial light, if you are 
 drawing after dark. In this wa}' all "cross lights" will be avi:)i(led and the 
 problem of light and shade made simpler and less intricate. The light strik- 
 ing an object at an angle of 45 degrees will lie found the most satisfactory. 
 Before we start to sketch the object let us look it over carefullw \\'e first 
 observe the general oval shape of the egg and then notice that the portion 
 oi the tgg farthest from the light is darker than that ])ortion nearest to 
 the light. W'e .also see a darkened part of the pajier to the right of the 
 egg. caused by the egg coming between the light ;incl the pa]ier. 
 
 The lighter portion of the egg we call "light." the darker "shade" and 
 the dark jjortion on the ]ia|)er "sha<low." I'urther .an.alysis (jf the "light" 
 will show us th.at this is sul)di\ided into ;i lighter and darker region: the 
 lighter we c.ill "high light" or "halftone." W'e also see th;it the "sh.ade" 
 is Composed of a lighter p;irt called "half shade" or "reflection" and a 
 d.arker called "fulisiiade." The "shadow" i> also dee]jest nearest the object, 
 which ]i;irt is called "full shade," and has a lighter part towards the edges, 
 which is called "half shadow." 
 
 If we now <lesii'e to determine the strength or "\;ilues" of the ilillerent 
 <haded regions we can compare tlii' blackest shadow with something 
 entirely black, as for instance, .a piei'e of black velvet held in the shade, 
 and we will observe that the full sh.adow of our object apjjears consider- 
 ably lighter than we lirst imagined. ,ind when we come to shade on our
 
 (IrawiiiL; we nui>t hear this in iiiiiuh so we can ilraw tlie ohject in the 
 right "key" ur tone and not get the shadows and shades too solid hlack or 
 the Hghts too chalk_v white, which would give the whole picture a hard 
 and unpleasant appearance. 
 
 We are now prepared to draw a shaded picture of the egg before us. 
 Place a sheet of good drawing ])a])er with a sninewhat roughene<l surface 
 on ynur drawing hoard and proceed tn sketcli in the object, as ])reviousl_\' 
 explained. Redraw outlines clear and distinct with a hard lead pencil, then 
 select a softer one, for instance, No. P>P> or BP)B, and prf)ceed to lay ni 
 an even gray shade for the background of the picture, holding the pencil 
 well slanting and using more the side tlian the end (if the ])iiint, which 
 should he rather blunt. Be sure to get the backgrnund as even and smooth 
 as possible. Xe.xt take another good look at the egg and study well the 
 distribution of light and shade on the curved surface, then give it a light, 
 snujoth shading all over, except in the higlilights ih.-ii .-hnidd be left wdiite : 
 then work in tiie darker part of the shade witli a heavier shading, leaving 
 the halftone near the white and the reflection near the shadow, as they 
 have already been shaded. Now draw the shadow that the egg throws 
 on pajjcr, and be sure to get this very dark in the middle and in under the 
 egg and lighter and softer out towards the edges, which shoidd blend softly 
 with the even, light gray shade that you should Lay all over the foreground 
 up to where it touches the background. 
 
 Place egg in five different positions and liave the light strike it in five 
 different ways and make five more sketches of the same object, proceeding, 
 each time, as described above. 
 
 For vour next ])r</bleni select a tomato, pcptato, apple or i>ther iruit or 
 vegetable and draw six shaded sketches of s;ime in different light and 
 positions. This time the background behind the object siiould not be pure 
 white but sluiuld have some tint to it and should be shaded a little heavier 
 than in tiie first six sketches. 
 
 i-"or the last problem use an ordinary. siin])le bottle for your object. 
 This time curve the cardboard, used as a background for l)ottle, into a half 
 circle. Vou will now observe that the side of the background that is nearest 
 to the source of light is the darkest and that this darkness gradually 
 blends into the lighter side. op])osite. ^■ou will also notice that high ligiits 
 on bottle are a great deal sharper and clearer detined tlian those on former 
 objects, tit.it there are several of tiiem, also a great many refiections and 
 half lights; this is found in all objects with ;' smooth, shiny surface and 
 makes the drawing of such objects a great deal harder than those of simple 
 objects first selected.
 
 Make two shaded sketches of bottle alone, using great care in getting 
 correct shading of curved background and high lights and reflections in 
 bottle. Next make two shaded sketches of bottle and egg together and 
 finally two drawings of bottle, egg and fruit together, changing position 
 and grouping each time. 
 
 SHADED DRAPERIES. 
 
 We shall now proceed one step further in our -Indies of shading and 
 this time turn our attention to the play o\ light, shade and reflections on 
 fabrics and cloth hung in folds and drapes. It is an easier task to draw 
 draperies that are subjected to a strong side light and thus will show 
 prominent highlights and strong, well defined shades and shadows, than 
 it is to draw and shade the delicate, soft tints that draperies show when 
 hung in dift'used or direct light. In making drawings, described in this 
 lesson, you should, therefore, ])lace the draperies that you are sketching so 
 that they receive the light from one side only. For your models select 
 pieces of goods not smaller than one yard square, larger are much to be 
 preferred. 
 
 For your first profik-ni select some woolen or cotton material of a 
 neutral shade, for instance, a plain, gr-i\' blanket. Hang this, either by 
 rings suspended un ;i wire or drajicd over a curtain jiole so that it falls in 
 straight, even folds. 
 
 Kow put a ])iecc of good <iuality drawing ])aper on your Imard. sit 
 down in front of drajjer}-, so far away from same that you can overlook ;ill 
 of your model in one glance, .and ])roceed to sketch in the outline ami 
 general direction> on the most conspicuous folds in same, making a draw- 
 ing not smaller th.m 7x9 or 8x10 inches and enclose same in a sc|uare frame, 
 formed of two par.allel lines, as indicated in illustrations. .After having 
 obtained the outlines of the folds \vi])e out cliarcoal lino jiartialK" and 
 proceed to put in the heaviest shades and sliadows of the folds, using a soft 
 lead pencil for this, and avoiding all hard and sharp outlines. I'roni the 
 shadows go to the half shrules, now using a lighter touch and ;i liner stroke 
 of the pencil and fnially draw the lightest tint^ that lead iij) to the high 
 lights, \vhich, also, should have a very faint sh.iding and not lie left sh<arp 
 and i)ure wiiite, uidess the piece of goods you are sketching is made of 
 silk or satin. In woolen and soft cotton goods all of the shades should
 
 blend nicely into each other, so as to render tiie suit textnre m1' the goods 
 correctly. Keep on making sketches from this model until vou obtain one 
 that is as nearly correct in every detail as it is possible for ynu to make. 
 
 For your ne.xt problem drajje blanket civer back of a chair, having some 
 of it fall on the floor, then draw and shade as directed before. 
 
 You will tind that the shadows and folds now are more uneven than 
 before and you must use great care in obtaining the correct drawing of 
 the folds in your preparatory charcoal sketch. For the ne.xt two sketches 
 drape blanket over front of chair, changing arrangement of folds each time. 
 For last two sketches from this model place blanket over front of an arm- 
 chair or rocker and press goods slightly dow-n over seat between arms. 
 You will now nbserve that many of the folds and shadows indicate the 
 form of the chair below blanket and it is now your job to draw the folds 
 and shade them so that the finished picture w-ill show plainly that the 
 blanket has been draped over an arm chair. Change position of chair in 
 each of these two sketches. 
 
 For your next model choose a jilain portiere or curtain (not a lace 
 curtain). Hang this up so the light strikes it from one side. Drape it 
 nicel}-. using a heavy cord with tassels to tie it up with. .Sketch and 
 siiade the draped curtain as before. Change position and fnlds of this 
 curtain si.x times, drawing each time a new shaded sketch. 
 
 For our last jirotjlem we will select some tigure<l material, as, for 
 instance, a Turkish ciaich cover. Drape this over the back nf a chair, 
 showing part of this in drawing and draw as before. Make six sketches 
 in all, each time dra])ing the couch cover in a difYerent wav on a different 
 jjiecc of furniture. 
 
 SHADED DRAWINGS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 
 
 The practice in shading that \<iu have oI)tained through studying the 
 problems given in the two previous lessons should have accustomed you to 
 observe the fine and delicate shades and halftones and the strong and vigor- 
 ous shadows thrown by objects exposed to light, coming from one direction, 
 and should ha\e cnableil _\ou to make a correct and well fmished pencil 
 sketch of this play of light and shade on a given object, and all this acipiired 
 knowledge of form and value will help you a great deal when you start to 
 make shaded sketches of leaves, plants and flo\vers. The methods used in 
 
 —19—
 
 making the drawings, descriheil in this lesson are the same as previnnsly 
 explained. First select your models, then place them in front of. or tied to 
 some even background, formed of a piece of cardboard or plain cloth. Then 
 obtain a good grade of drawing paper, make a preparatory sketch, not less 
 thun 5x7 inches (better if larger) using a pciinted piece of drawing charcoal, 
 wipe cnU partialh . and redraw outlines, using a hard, well-pnintod lead pencil. 
 Commence shading, using a very soft (BB or BBB) pencil, and beginning 
 with the heaviest shades and shadows, following up with the half lights and 
 ending with the highlights, which on light t)bjects will appear white and 
 should hi- left unshaded. 
 
 li \ 1 lU are jiracticing during the summer ynu will have no difhcult\' in 
 finding \(:)ur models in the garden or the fields; during the winter you will 
 have to make your choice from among the house plants nr nhtain the 
 rec[uired .^lowers at a florist's. 
 
 For our first problem we must select some leaves of simple outline, as 
 for instance, rose leaves, maple leaves, oak leaves or the like. Arrange a 
 small bunch of these leaves, left on their stems and branches, against a 
 white or light colored plain background, ^'ou iua_\" have to tie them U]) for 
 this i)urpose and you sluiuld sjiread them oiU well so you nowdiere leave .'iny 
 too dense clusters of leaves, as these are rather difficult to draw and shade 
 correctly. Now proceed to "block in" your drawing, using a pointed piece of 
 drawing charcoal for this preliminary work, and touching the paper very 
 lightly, so as to leave only a faint oiUline that will rub out easily without 
 dirtying the paper. Draw the main lines first, obtaining the correct angles 
 of the main branches, then block in ynur leaves, omitting all details, and 
 only sketching the main features of the untlines and the middle rib. .\fter 
 }ou have finished the first rough sketcii nf the whole cluster sit well back 
 in chair, hdlding vnur sketcli away from vdu ;in<l scrutinize tlie sketcii ;ind 
 the model and discover where the ])roportions antl outlines are wrong. 
 \\'ij)e t)Ut tlie ch;ircoal lines ])artly. and ])roceed tn correct in second sketch. 
 Keep this up, cnniparing with nindcl. ;ind redr.iw initil you have obtained a 
 fin.'i! sketch which is currect in |iri ijxirtic ms as well as untlines. 
 
 After the ])re])arati iry i'liarrc);il sketch has been ])erfecte(l, wi|ie ;ilmost 
 out :incl rcilr.aw .-ill untlines with a lead pencil, this time putting in .nil of 
 the lesser details. When the final dUlline sketcii is finished and satisfies 
 your judgment, ])rnceed tu lay in the darkest sliades ami shadows, using a 
 very soft (21) ur M'>) le;id pencil. From the deepest shades go to the lialf 
 tints, using a ligiiter touch, as you work u]) tn the highlights, wiiicli. if 
 tlie_\- are very strong and marked, should be left white. This shading of 
 the delicate and broken lints and reflections of ;i bunch of leaves is ;i ii.'irder
 
 task than yi m have unilcrtaken, so far, and it is pdssilik- that your first 
 attempt may nut be as successful as you had anticipated. Do not let this 
 discourage you. Start all over again and keep this up until at last you are 
 able to make a ])erfect drawing, satisfactory in every detail, and rearrange 
 leaves so the}- make a different cluster and proceed to draw another 
 picture ; then rearrange again and draw a third sketch from the same 
 leaves. Now obtain a bunch of some different leaves, having an outline 
 a little more difficult tu draw than those you just discarded. Make three 
 sketches of these leaves in different positions, then bunch yuur two kinds 
 of leaves together and make three difierent sketches ui this new bunch. 
 
 For the second problem select for your model a bunch of some large, 
 plain (lowers, as for instance, roses, daisies, peonies, dahlias, lillies or the 
 like, but do nut at first group mure than three of fuur c;if them in a launch. 
 Arrange them artistically against a light colured. plain background and 
 proceed to sketch, outline and shade as before, taking great care in making 
 your preparatory sketch so as to get a correct drawing of the flowers. If 
 the flowers are white or light colored the background shovikl be shaded 
 lightly where the light flowers come up against it. .Make three difierent 
 sketches of the first bunch of flowers, rearranging them ever)- time. Then 
 select a smaller flower, which is a little harder to draw, and make three 
 different sketches. 
 
 For the third j)r(jblem select a nice vase, bowl or crock and arrange the 
 fli_)wers in one of those, making three different sketches of flowers and 
 receptacle. Next select a house ])lant in flowerpot or jardiniere and make 
 three drawings, selecting a difierent plant each time. Keep up this study 
 of flowers and plants until you have obtained a set of perfect and well 
 executed drawings and you are not able to make further improvements 
 on them. 
 
 SHADED DRAWINGS OF TREES AND FOREGROUNDS. 
 
 The exjierience gained in making shaded pencil drawings of leaves, 
 ])lants and flowers will help you a great deal when you come to sketch 
 branches, trunks and trees from nature. This lesson is the first one that 
 takes you out in the u])en and, before you are through, we ])roi)ose to 
 open your eyes to see all the beauties of form and color that abound so 
 ])lentifully m the great outdoors. If you are practicing when tiie leaves
 
 are off the trees yuu will have a tine oj)portunity of studying the structural 
 formation of trees, their i)ranches, twigs and trunks and later on in the 
 early spring }(iu will he ahle to secure line studies of budding bushes and 
 blossoming fruit trees. In the summer and fall there will be plenty of good 
 models of trees with great masses of dense foliage. The evergreen you 
 can study to advantage all the year round, and these you must not neglect 
 as they form fine models to study from. 
 
 For out-door sketching you >h(iul(l provide yourself with a sketch 
 book, ha\ing leaves of a good grade white or cream colored, imruled paper, 
 and small enough to slip in a coat ])iicket. Take along a pen knife, a soft 
 pencil, a rubber and two lead pencils, a hard one for outlining and a very 
 soft one for shading, also a soft pencil eraser (sponge rubber) that should 
 only be used when absolutely necessary. 
 
 Begin your observations with studying trunks of large trees and 
 observe carefully the general <iutlines and dift'erent textures of the most 
 common species of our forest trees, as the sturdy oak, the ehn. the chest- 
 nut, the maple, the birch, the elder, etc. 
 
 l-'i ir your first model select a trunk of a large tree that grows rather 
 straight and does not have its branches too near the grovmd. Stand at a 
 distance of from 10 to 20 feet away from it an<i commence to make a very 
 light outline of its main features, blocking it in with straight outlines first, 
 and omitting all small details and fine curves in the preparatory sketch. 
 Do not draw branches, foliage or surroimding landscape in your first 
 sketch of trees, but confine yourself to obtain a good and correct drawing 
 of the trunk alone. You should, however, draw some nf the furegrnund 
 immediately surrdunding the trunk ;md also the toj) of the large roots, if 
 these show above ground, (itherwise the tree will look as if it filiated in 
 mid-air. 
 
 After having completed one shaded sketch of the trunk, walk to a 
 dift'erent ]dace and draw another view of the same trunk, shading the 
 sketches very carefulls and delining the light and shade on the trunk and 
 all the ridges and uneven s])ots on same with bdld. he.avy strokes of a 
 soft ])encil. 
 
 For }iiur next sketch draw the trunk nf another tree, this time includ- 
 ing some I if the branches in the sketch. Also try to find a trunk of a tree 
 fallen tn the grniind or lying over ;i brook; make sketches of this. alst> of 
 stumjj if thi-> is still standing. 
 
 For the next ])rciblein --elect a good sized tree, standing all alone ;ind 
 make a shaded sketch of entire tree, but be sure tn cibtain a correct outline
 
 of the crown of the tree ami draw the folia'4;e in masses, omittinj;- tnu many 
 details. Leave a well-defined distinction between the light and the shaded 
 parts in your sketch and draw foliage with Imld lines, nsint;' hruad sweeps 
 of a very blunt, |)tunted pencil. Now start shadini: in the places that appear 
 darkest in tree before you, then go to the lighter and finally to the high 
 lights, which should be shaded very lightly. Be sure to obtain a correct 
 representation of the different textures of the trunk, the branches and the 
 foliage. This may seem hard to liegin with. l)in will become much easier 
 as vou become more experienced in expressing just what you want, with 
 different strokes of your pencil. Also try to retain the individuality of the 
 tree that you are drawing, so your sketches, for instance, of cottonwood 
 do not look like those of oak or maple. .Make in all six different sketches 
 of six different trees, selecting evergreen, if ynu are practicing in the winter 
 time. After having gained sufficient experience in sketching single trees, 
 you may select picturescjue groups of several of them for your models. In 
 your latter sketches you can, also, indicate the surnmnding landscape in 
 fault outlines, but vou should confine your sh.'uling to the trees alone. 
 
 For \iiur last iircihlcm select some sim])le l^l)iects th.it will make a 
 good niodel of an easv foreground study, .-is. fur instance, an nld lence. a 
 wheelbarrow, a few large rock-., an old sh.inty, cir the like. Take a ramble 
 out in the woods nt the country with \<iur sketch Ixmk in the ])ncket and 
 vour eves f)pen td the beauties of nature, and yuu will tind scores of pic- 
 turesque objects, th,it will make fine UKidels tor foreground studies. Select 
 simjile olijects and do not try too complicated com])ositionv until you have 
 gained more experience in sketching from n.'iture. 
 
 In ni.iking shaded pencil sketches of foregrounds be sure th.at you con- 
 trast vour objects well, so as to obtain sufficient relief in your drawing, 
 having the dark objects ajjpear against a light liackground and vice versa. 
 Returning liome redraw carefull}' the best of your outdoor sketches to a 
 unif<irni size, not less than 5x7 inches. Do not add anything from your 
 imagination to \ciur sketches from n.iture. but redr.iw them correctly and 
 finish and shade thetn carefully, m) that they st.md out in l)old relief with 
 well defined lights and sh.ides. and not gr.ay and smudgy all over. 
 
 Before tr\ing to sketch trees and foregrounds directly from nature, it 
 
 will lie g 1 i.ractice to dr;iw ;i lot of copies of these objects, as can be 
 
 found in good cuts and iliu-tr.itious in the best magazines and periodicals. 
 You will then be familiar witli the •■techni(|ue" of other artists before trying 
 vourself to ilraw directlx from n;ilure.
 
 CHAPTER THREE 
 
 ELEMENTARY PERSPECTIVE. 
 
 ERSPECTIV"]*' lias ahva}s lieen c<iiisiilered a most uuintcrcstin.u- 
 and drv studx' : nevertheless it i*^ the true grammar of ah outlines, 
 and as such, intlispensablc to all serious-minded students of Theat- 
 rical Scene Painting. 
 
 In this 1 k are onlv given tin- most essential and easiest a])]ilied 
 
 elements of "linear and angular ]iersi)ecti\e." a|ii>licalile tn practical ])roh- 
 lems occurring dail\ in the shop or studio, and \ i m will lie sh,i\\n, in a 
 comprehensive \\a\-, the ]iriii)er adajitatioii of every lim-, in expressing with 
 truthfulness the parts and pro|)ortions of every object that recedes. 
 Witlmut applying this simple rule of elementary perspective, the most 
 l>eautifull\ wriaight and the most carefldly executed Scenic Painting, in 
 other res])ects. wouhl he little else than an assemhlage of ])ainfid and com- 
 ])licated errors. 
 
 The appearance of anv object de])ends on two comlitions. position and 
 distance. The jHisitiun of an object nr its dilTerenl angle to the eye alters 
 its .Lpjiearance. Take. f(jr instance, an ordinary liarrel hixjp. and hold it 
 in front of your eve. parallel t^ ymir bculy. and it .appears as a true circle, 
 but if \"U \iew it at an angle, the circle becomes an elli]ise : il you view 
 it edgeways \ c )U see it as a straight line. .Ml these are ])erspective views 
 of a circle, changed b\' "])osition" of the object to your eye. 
 
 P.irallel retreating lines converge. I'nr proof nf this stand in the 
 street and observe the buildings on either side. ,\s they retreat \ou will 
 nntice that the\ tend toward each other ; or stand on .i railroad track and 
 von will observe that the two iiarallel rails seem to run closer tu each 
 other the farther away from the oliserver thev are. 
 
 This convergence causes tiie farther side of an object to apjiear smaller 
 than the nearer side. Look down a row of eipially hi.gh telephone poles 
 and notice that the farther awa\ they are. the smaller they ai)i)ear to the 
 eye. Retreating lines, whether above or below the eye. tend towards the
 
 level of the eye. Parallel retreating lines meet at the level uf the eye. This 
 point is called the "vanishing point." 
 
 Fig. 2 shows a box (A) placed directly in front of the eye, only the 
 front side being seen. Placed to the right or left (B and C) at 90 degrees 
 it is seen in parallel perspective, also in D and E. At an angle of 45 degrees 
 (F, G, H, J) it is said to be in angidar perspective to the observer. 
 
 PART ONE. 
 
 To make a perspective diagram, draw first a horizontal line of indefinite 
 length (see 111.). This is called the "horizt)ntal line" and represents the 
 line of the eye. Objects which are above or l)eli)w the level of the eye are 
 drawn in a corresponding position with regard to this line. 
 
 Make a dot at or near the center of the line. This represents the 
 point directly opposite the eye and is called the "center of vision (C. \".) or 
 "vanishing point" (V. P.), as all lines which retreat at an angle of 90 
 degrees vanish or meet here. Draw a line from this jxiint at right angle 
 to the horizontal line. The end of this "principal visn.il ray" is the position 
 of the eye of the spectator and is called "station point" ( S. P.). With a 
 compass measure off the distance from C. V. to S. P. and set them oft on 
 line first drawn at M. P. 1 and AI. P. 2. These are called "measuring 
 points. 
 
 Now draw the front side of culte below the hiirizuntal line and to the 
 left of the principal vision ray (1, 2, 3, 4). In this position we are able 
 to see the top and one upright, retreating side. These retreat at an angle 
 of 90 degrees ; their directions are therefore towards the "center of vision" 
 (C. V.) which is their "vanishing point" (V. P.). Draw lines from the 
 two top corners (1-4) and lower, right corner (2) of cul)e to vanishing 
 point ( \'. P.). Now. the question arises, where shall we place the farther 
 vertical and horizontal lines in order to com])lete the perspective drawing 
 of the cube? 
 
 These can be found in tjie I'ollowinL; \\;iy : Extend ground line of cul)e 
 out to the right. On this line set oft' the width (6) of the cube (3-2). From 
 6 draw a line to measuring ])oiiU 1 (.M. I'. 1). Where tiiis strikes line 2. 
 running from 2 to \'. I'., the farthest side of cube will come. Now draw a 
 line from 7 to 8, parallel with side of cube and from 8 another line. ])arallel 
 with top, over to 9 and you will have ail liie outlines of the culje in their 
 true perspective relations. Make in all eight drawings of cubes, placing this 
 in eight dift'erent positions to tiie eye.
 
 -Q_ 
 
 FIGURE I. 
 
 ^S' 
 
 F 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 / 
 
 &. 
 
 ^' 
 
 eo' 
 
 c 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 / / 
 
 i^ 
 
 H 
 
 / 
 
 ^ 
 
 J 
 
 y^' 
 
 FIGURE 2.
 
 PART TWO. 
 
 Tn order to make a true, perspectixe drawing; ol a tliior willi stpiare 
 tiles. |)roceed as follows (see illustration): Draw horizontal line (11. L.). 
 ■^,11(1 center ami draw vertical line frcjui \'. I', to S. P. and lin<l M. 1'. 1 
 and M. V. 2 as previciusly ex])lained. Draw a ground line ((i. L.). .Set off 
 nearest edge of floor (1-2) one-half <in each side of 1'. \'. R. Divide this 
 edjje in efpial parts and draw lines from these points to \'. 1'. Then draw 
 diagonal lines frcini lower corners of floor (l-2j to M. P. 1 and M. P. 2. 
 These lines \\\\\ also form diagonals for the foreshortened sipiares, which 
 now can he drawn in. Every second of these ma}- he shaded. Make a 
 large drawing of a tile floor, seen in perspective. 
 
 PART THREE. 
 
 In order to draw two houses showing gables and sides in perspective, 
 proceed as follows: Draw horizontal line (H. L.). Find center and draw 
 vertical line through same I I'. \'. P.). Set off S. P. and M. P. 1 and M. P. 2. 
 Then draw grotnid line {G. L.). .\ow draw the near side of the lir>t house 
 (.\. P.. (' and D). Then draw lines from A and P> to \'. P. l-'ind the 
 fariher ujjright side (1 to 2) hy the s.ame method as taught in Part 1 of 
 perspective. Xow draw .a line from ('. to A and extend to where it meets 
 vertical line (.i). I'.xtend line running from 1 to 2 to where it strikes line 
 running from C to 3. which is jjoint 4. I'xtend a 11. L. from 4 to {', and 
 a line from 1) to ,i. Where line from (i. to \'. P. strikes line from 1) to ,i 
 is the ])(Hnt where will come top of roof (11). I'.xtend line C 1) to ( "i and 
 line 11 .\ to V. and draw a line from !■'. to \'. P. and where this line strikes 
 line nnming from C to ^ is top of gahle(.S). Then draw line from .^ to 2, 
 which gives the farther side of gahle. 
 
 House No. 2 is drawn in a similar way. Make four different perspective 
 lira wings of houses, lying on both sides of P. \'. S. Make all of your 
 drawings a great deal larger than the illustrations given in this book. 
 
 PART FOUR. 
 
 To draw a room in true ])erspective the following method must lie 
 followed: 1 is the front edge of floor, a given s(|uare. 2 is one sitle of 
 floor receding to vanishing ])oint ( \'. P.) which is. also the jioint of sight. 
 .? is the other side of flcjor. receding to same ])oiiit (hence the room is 
 viewed from a position exactly opposite to its middle). 4 is a scale to 
 obtain width of room taken, as ex])lained in Lesson 1, at its intersection
 
 with 3 is the farther corner of floor. 5 is a Hue from above intersecting and 
 parallel to the front edge of the floor; this gives tlie back line of floor. 6 
 is a scale taken like 4 to M. P. 2. 7 and 8 are front lines of walls, which 
 should be made parallel, of ec[ual height, and at 90 degrees (right angles) 
 to floor: at top point connect them with horizontal line (H. L.). Draw 
 lines from top corners to \'. 1'. Mrect two lines at 9 and 10 parallel with 
 7 and 8 and reaching 11 and 12, connect these lines with a line, parallel to 
 9 and 10 and you will then have all the outlines of the room in correct 
 perspective planes. If you desire to make perspective drawings of door 
 and window in the room, this can be done by applying rules, as laid down 
 in former lessons. Make six perspective drawings of room, changing the 
 position of \'. P. in each of them. 
 
 PART FIVE. 
 
 Figure 7 shows a circle drawn in i)erspective. Draw a horizontal 
 Hne (H. L.) principal visual ray (P. \". R.) at an angle of 90 degrees to this 
 and a ground line (G. L.j parallel wicli H. L. Fix the point where circle 
 is to come in contact with gruund line (plane of measure) as at A. Mark 
 off on G. L. the width of the diameter of the circle B. C. Draw the diag- 
 onals in a perspective square, made as taught in lesson 1. The ends of the 
 diameters (A, F, G, H) are the four points of contact of the circle in the 
 persjiective square. 
 
 For greater accuracy we must also find points where the curves 
 cross tlie diagonals. These are found by constructing the square, nr half 
 of it, in the plane of measures, and having found the points in this, trans- 
 ferring them to their corresponding places in the pers])ective plan. Con- 
 struct half of s(juare B, C, as one side. Draw the semi-dianicters and semi- 
 dii'gonals. Find the points on the diagon.als through which the circle 
 passes by measuring out on them, from tlie center, the length of the semi- 
 diameters, or by inscribing the half circle. This gives points D and E. 
 Transfer these to the ground line at 1 and K by vertical lines. From I and 
 K draw lines to the \'. P. and where these cross the diagonals of the per- 
 spective sfjuare, will be the puinls, corresponding to 1) and I".. Draw the 
 curved outline of the perspective circle freehand tlirough the points thus 
 obtained. Make 6 different drawings of circles in perspective in dift'crent 
 positions to V. P. and P. \'. R. 
 
 PART SIX. 
 
 Fig. 8 shows the metlnKl of dr;iwing a tumbler in perspective. To 
 make such a drawing correctly, proceed as follows: Draw the nearest 
 
 —30—
 
 M-P 
 
 \ 
 
 HI- 
 
 s .-■■' 
 
 Y.P. 
 CX 
 
 K 
 
 G.L. 
 
 1^ 
 
 \ IGURE 3. 
 
 M.l. 
 
 s. 
 
 MP- 2. 
 
 (f^^ 
 
 N. L. 
 
 C.Y. 
 
 H.U 
 
 ^y* 
 
 
 ' 1 
 
 \ \ 
 
 
 .-' i' 
 
 / 
 
 1 
 
 \ \ 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 "* - ^ ^ / 
 
 ' 
 
 \ \ 
 
 ,-' 
 
 / 
 
 ^-■s. /' ' 
 
 
 
 , 
 
 
 ■*» / ' 
 
 
 
 ^ , - 
 
 / 
 
 "■~-~ /' 
 
 
 
 \ ^ ^' 
 
 / 
 
 ^=^ — 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ' 'v 
 
 / 
 
 / /- — 
 
 -■' v- 
 
 \ 
 
 / 
 
 / / 
 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 / / 
 
   . \ 
 
 / 
 
 / /, 
 
 \ 
 
 / 
 
 / 'I — 
 
 
 V— A 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 \ — -A 
 
 / 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 • 
 
 ^ 
 
 / 
 / 
 
 -~ 
 
 
 0; 
 
 ,-" 
 
 
 --_ 
 
 
 
 ,-'' 
 
 
 ~ --- 
 
 
 
 ---' 
 
 
 FIGURE 4.
 
 .^'■ 
 
 3. 
 
 t / /.:'' 
 
 y^ 
 
 
 A' 
 
 K./? 
 
 .7V.4 . ^■•^^■ 
 
 &t 
 
 FIGURE 3. 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 -- 
 
 II 
 
 
 12' 
 
 4 
 
 ^ Wr^ 
 
 ~ ~~ ~, ^ 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 /'^ 
 
 ^1 • 
 
 -\-; 
 
 'J 
 
 .'-''' 
 
 
 V 
 
 ■'H-" 
 
 1 
 
 
 ---^ N. 
 
 i FIGURE 6. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 FIGURE 7. 
 
 yN-^- 
 
 M.L. 
 
 Y.R 
 
 
 G.lu 
 
 G- 
 
 FIGURE 8.
 
 cin-le ill tlu' plane of measures, touching the ( i. I.. Draw A. 11. fnnii the 
 center to the point of coiitac-t with the ( i. \ .. This is the radius of the 
 circle. Draw lines from .\ ]', to \'. I'., thus .\ will pass tlirout^di the center 
 ol all circles, which may he drawn heyond. and I' will ])ass tlirou<.;h their 
 point ol Contact with the ground. .Mak'e a scale from 1'.. the actual distance 
 of the farther circle from its position in the foreground. C. a line from the 
 end oi this scale to the Al. 1 '. I will, wiiere it crosses the retreating" line 
 frciin H at O, give the position of the fartlier circle, l^raw a vertical line 
 from () to 1). Willi 1) .as .a center and the distance to () as radius, draw 
 the circle. I-ines coimectini:; the circumferences of the twn circles will form 
 the sides of the tumhler. If t(.p ami holtoni of tumhler is seen in pers])ec- 
 tive ,an<l not parallel with the ])icture plane must he enclosed in square .and 
 drawn, as descrihed in firmer lesson on pers])ective circles or ovals, h'or 
 practice m.ake six ]ierspecti\-e dr.awings of tuniMers and cylinders in dif- 
 terent ])ositions. 
 
 The al)ove ;ire the most essential rules of elementary, jiarallel persjjec- 
 ti\e and \\ill impart to you sufficient knowledije of the sim])lest perspective 
 jirohlems that vou have to solve in your pra.ctical work in the sho]) or studio. 
 With these rules well m.astered .and fully understood and com]ilicd with. 
 ;ind a close reliance mi the ])ractical tr.aining cif the eye, hy actu.al study 
 Irom objects in i)ers])ecti ve, you will he en.ahled to draw correctlv what 
 \ 1 lU see before vou. 
 
 ^^38^
 
 CHAPTER FOUR 
 
 LANDSCAPES IN BLACK AND WHITE. 
 
 HILi'. skctcliing trees and making ft)regTimn(l studies vmi liave a 
 good chance to observe the general outhnes of the surroimding 
 landscape and to liecome familiar with the effects of light and 
 shade in the open air and ihesc observations will, doubtless, hel]) a 
 
 great deal wlien you commence to make shaded drawings of landscapes and 
 
 country sceiiery. 
 
 The first thing to be considered when going out to sketch frcjm nature 
 is to decide on how much should be included in \our picture and how 
 luuch to exclude. A great many things in nature nia\ look both beautiful 
 and grand, and still not he suitable for models for a well balanced Ijlack- 
 and-white drawing. The main thing to avoid in vour landscape studies 
 is spotted. salt-and-pe])])er eti'ects. with an eciiial amount of details strewn 
 all over the |:)icture and having no detinition between far distance, middle 
 distance and foreground. It i< better to seek a pronounced contrast of 
 light and shade .^o that all light objects show against a dark background 
 and vice versa. To illustrate for instance: Having a light, sunlit rock in 
 the foreground against the dark, cool shade of a dense wood in the middle 
 distance, or a black stump of a tree throwing a strong shadow and sur- 
 rounded by a lightly drawn middle distance in full sunlight. In selecting 
 a subject for a landscape sketch choose a simple one with some well-delined 
 object in the foreground. 
 
 .^ome rudimeiUary knowledge of linear perspective is necessary when 
 sketching landscapes. Do not include anv more ol the view before you 
 than you can see with one glance v.ithout moving your head or eyes. This 
 \iew is called the ]ir.iiit of sight. If through this point a straight line he 
 drawn across the picture, ])arallel to the top and bottom of picture, this 
 line i^ called the "horizontal line." It does not, .always, follow the horizon 
 of the landscape before you and it can be Laid high or low on the picture, all 
 according to \()ur position, but it should alwaxs be directl\' ojijxisite tii
 
 your eve. It is the vanishing' point tor all straight lines, receding from 
 yon; those below the horizontal line will tend upwards to it, and strike it 
 at a ])oint directly opposite your eye; those above it will incline down 
 toward it and meet in the "vanishing ]ioint," opposite your eye. It this be 
 constantly borne in mind, many common errors of perspective will be 
 avoided. .\ more detailed and scientific explanation of these phenomenons 
 will be found on a previous page dealing \\ith perspective drawing. 
 
 In sketching from nature we must, also, consider the rudinients of 
 color pers]iective, which show that color and form gets grayer and more 
 indistinct, the farther the ol)ject is from the observer: this is more notice- 
 able on gray, cloudy days than in bright sunlight, .\lways remember this 
 when making- an outdoor sketch, otherwise it will be hard, unpleasant and 
 devoid of atmosphere. The object in the near foreground slmuld be drawn 
 with bdld, heavy strokes of a very soft lead pencil, while in the middle 
 distance the landscape should be shailed with less vigor, the outlines should 
 be left softer and more indistinct and in the far distance all lesser details 
 should be omitted and the shadows should be shaded with a very light 
 touch of the ]iencil. 
 
 Your first studies should be nia<le froni the sky withdUt ;iny indication 
 of the landscape below, l^^irst try to obtain the even, graduated shading 
 of a clear sky, making the drawing darkest at zenith, growing gradually 
 lighter, as it approaches the horizon. Next make sketches of cloud effects 
 and finallv of sunset efifects. .Ml these studies should be dr.iwn in masses 
 and should slmw no outlines whatever. 
 
 For your tirst studies select a simple landscape, easy to draw; tor 
 instance, something on the order of the one illustrated in i'ig. 1. \ on 
 can use the vignetted style of finish for the studies that you should make 
 of this landscape, viewed from different points. Make these first sketches 
 under a clear sk\. h'or vcjur ne.xt sketches choose some forest interior 
 or wooded country. In your last sketches yon should try to obtain the 
 distinct et'fect of atmosiihere and illnmin.ition, choosing the early morning 
 or late evening hours when the sh.idow s are long and the distance h.izy and 
 indistinct. 
 
 INTERIORS. 
 
 Fr<jni the forests and fields to which the former lessons took us. we 
 now tin-n back to the house with oiu" sketihing tools which we in this
 
 PLATE 4. 
 
 FI6.1 
 
 l^l^S^^^ 
 
 
 
 M^smi^T^r^m-, 
 
 
 V .^^i^ 
 
 i 
 
 
 il 1
 
 lesson shall use in making correctly sketched and shaded drawings of the 
 interior of Cdiiinicin dwelling rooms. 
 
 For models select plain rnoms with siinpU' furniture and windows on 
 one side only. 
 
 Place yourself so as to get the light from either the right or left side 
 hut not from the front or back, as this kind of light will make the problem 
 of shading considerably more difhcidt. liefore starting to make drawings 
 of interiors it will be best for you U> faithfully copy the illustrations or 
 secure some illustrations of good magazines. You should strive to obtain 
 the same finished effect in your interior sketches from life as you observe 
 in these illustratii ms. 
 
 For _\(iur first interior sketch select as a model a piece of a plain 
 wall, showing a door and, p<issibly a picture or mirror hung on the wall 
 above a chair, dresser or other piece of furniture. 
 
 "Block in" the main objects, avoiding .all details, using, as usual, char- 
 coal outlines for this ]ireliminary sketch. Wipe out partly, correct wrong 
 l)roportions and put in more details, linish u\> with a hard lead pencil and 
 use a ruler on all straight lines. Finally shade up nicely, taking great care 
 to obtain all shadows, shades, half-tints ami high lights in their right 
 relations and density. If wall is ])apered indicate tlie pattern of the wall 
 paper in your finished drawing. 
 
 For your first sketch of wall and doirr remove ;ill of the furniture and 
 ni.ake the sketch of bare wall and door .ilone. He sure that you indicate the 
 shadows under mouldings ;ind panels in door correctly, and It lok well to 
 \our high lights and n-tlected lights on door .and shade them u]i correctlw 
 In shading wall you will observe that it has not an e\en gray shade all 
 over but is lighter on the part nearest the windijw and a trifle darker toward 
 ceiling and floor. 
 
 When connnent'ing xcur next sketi'h from tlu- same model move a 
 little further .iwax fr( pui the subject so your eye can take in part ot ceiling 
 •ind flour in one glance, and include these fragments in your ne.\t sketch. 
 I'"or the last sketch of this problem you shotdd hang ;i ]>icture or mirror on 
 the wall and place some plain furniture under it. lie very carelul in obtain- 
 ing a correct drawing of this and observe that your jierspective and fore- 
 shortening of ]ilanes is sketched in true to the objects before you. before 
 vou proceeil to sli.ide the drawing. 
 
 l'"or \our second |)roblem select the corner of a room for a model. Make 
 sketches of this, proceeding as before, .and i)lace more furniture in the 
 corner before \ou, ever\ time vou li.i\e comi)leted a sketch of the corner.
 
 Then move lartlier l)ack until \i)U can see all three sides of rdoni and i)ro- 
 ceed to make sketches of this \ie\v, seen from three different positions. 
 Rememl)er the simple laws of perspective ti'iven on former jiaLjes and 1)e 
 sure that all of the straight lines, receding from you, \\\\\ meet in the 
 same vanishing point, directly opposite your eye. 
 
 For your last problem select a more richly a])i)ointed interior with 
 elaborate furnishings. Make different sketches of this interior as seen 
 from diiYerent positions. Spend a good deal of time on this work, lieing 
 very careful to get all details drawn correctly and in their right relations, 
 perspective and dimensions. Obtain this correctness of drawing in your 
 preliminary sketches before you start to shade them up and remember 
 th;it no amount of shading will hide a wrongly drawn outline to the eye 
 of a trained critical observer. In shading tr)- to indicate the softness, illum- 
 ination and atmosphere of the room before you so that your tinished 
 drawing is full of light and shade and don't look hard, impleasant and 
 rough. Go in for strong contrast, placing light objects against dark back- 
 grounds and vice versa. 
 
 STREET SCENES. 
 
 We will n(jw go out of doors ;ig;iin and take u]) our sketching from 
 nature, as before, when we made shaded )iencil dr.iwings of trees, fore- 
 grounds and landscapes. This time we shall try the somewhat harder task 
 of sketching houses and street scenes. The drawing of interiors should 
 have made us familiar with the straight outlined objects and their per- 
 specti\e foreshortening. This knowledge will be of great service when 
 we begin to sketch a row of liouses, a street corner, a market place, a 
 church, a public s(|uare or ,i long street with high buildings wlicre the 
 greater pari of the dr.awing consists of straight outline objects and iil.mes 
 seen in perspective. 
 
 Before st.arting to draw houses .and street scenes from n.itun.' )-ou 
 should copv \er\' carefully ihr illustrations gi\en here .and ,ilso in illustrated 
 magazines and ])a|)ers lind a number of cuts th.it depict similar but some- 
 what more com])lic;ited scenes. Draw ;i goo(ll\ number of these and keep 
 this practice up until you lia\-c become familiar with the methods and 
 techni([ue of other .artists, then select some |)ostcards, showing houses ;ind 
 street scenes, i)hotographe<l from n.nture, and keep on making shaded pencil 
 drawings from these i)rotog"r;iphs until \ on are ;ilile to secure just ;is an
 
 artistic and well-finished effect as that obtained l>\- tlie artists whu drew 
 the oris^inals of the cuts yon have lieen copying. 
 
 For vour first pniMeni in sketchini;- street scenes from nature select 
 a single house, hins; at the rnadside. Draw this carefully and currectly. 
 selecting;' a view that shows twd sides of the house. lie particular alHiUl 
 the perspective and shade up strons^ly. leavinjj- a well-marked distinction 
 between light and shade, high lights and shadows. After having com- 
 pleted your first sketch satisfactorily, move to a different position and 
 draw another view of the same house. l\e]ieat this process several times 
 until \ ou ha\e obtained several dit'ferent and well-e.xecuted sketches cf 
 the h<iuse. 
 
 l'"or vour next ])rol)lem select one side of a street as a model. (.'he)ose 
 a street with few and simide dwellings or store buildings. Stand on 
 O])posite side of street when m.aking sketch, and _\ i lU will nutc tli.it 
 buildings gradualh' grow smaller and more indistinct as the\- recede farther 
 awav from \du ; put nmre iletail work and heaviest shading on building 
 nearest to you. and less and le-;s the farther the buildings lie n|) the 
 street; thus securing correct linear and aerial perspective at the same titue. 
 Make dift'erent sketches of this row of houses, shifting your position 
 every time so as to obtain several views of your model, with a ilifierent 
 ])rol)lem of ])ers])ective drawing each time. 
 
 l'"or your last problem select a more prominent business street witli 
 t.aller buildings and, possibly, a market place, a church or a public building 
 in the distance. Select a view from which \(iu can see both sides of street, 
 and make vnur sketches on a clear, sunny day, sci that one side of street 
 lies in cool shades while the opposite is bathed in strong sunlight. I'ut 
 most of the details in sunny side and make your shadows dark and strongly 
 marked, wliile in the shaded side of the street the buildings should be left 
 grav and with faint and indistinct shading. If you succeed in carrying out 
 this problem of illumination you will obtain sketches that will be full of 
 atmosi)here and sunshine, if your sketches drawn from nature are well 
 finished you will not need to re-draw them at home, but if your straight 
 lines are crooked, your bnil<lings lean t<i .and fro and your persjjective is 
 wrong, you had better make a new drawing at home, improving your 
 sketch from nature and correct all visible faults uf drawing and shading.
 
 CHAPTER FIVE 
 
 CRAYON DRAWING FROM OBJECTS. 
 
 IE crayon i)eiicil is Sdincwliat liarder tn use than the lead pencil. l)iit 
 the heautiful softness and richness of tone that can be attained hv 
 this medium puts it far ahead of the shiny and often hard and me- 
 tallic efifect that a fully shaded drawing, made with lead pencil, is 
 
 likely to attain when made by inexperienced hands. And then the crayon point 
 
 can be combined witji sti>ni]). which, when properly used, gives soft, delicate. 
 
 velvety tints and sliades tli.at cannot be obtained as easily by any other I)lack 
 
 and wjiite i)rocess. 
 
 The materials to be used in crayon drawing- are : 
 
 One or more Brass Crayon Holders. 
 
 Charcoal sticks. 
 
 One Conte Black Crayon Pencil \o. (hard). 
 
 One Conte I'.lack Crayon Pencil No. 2 (Medium). 
 
 One Conte Black Crayon Pencil Xo. .3 (soft). 
 
 Six Sticks Scjuare Conte Sepia (Bistre). 
 
 One Conte Crayon, white, in polished cedar. 
 
 One Crayon .Sharpener (sandpaper block). 
 
 One jiiece .Sponge Rubber or art gimi. 
 
 Drawing Board and tiuunbtacks. 
 
 Tinted and white charcoal paper. 
 
 Rough surface drawing ])a])er. 
 
 One each Nos. 3, 6, 8 yellow leather stomps. 
 
 One each of Xos. 3, 6. 8 gray paper stomps. 
 
 One dozen TcirtilldU stomj)s. 
 
 These materials are not exijensive and can be ha<l at all large art stores 
 or painters' sn])i)ly houses. 
 
 When selecting the models for your crayon drawings from objects 
 choose some of a nujre difticult and intricate design than those you have 
 been dr.iwing f n mi so far. .\rrange them on a tal)le or stand, against a
 
 suitable background and try to (Ma'm pleasing ^rtmbinations and effc-^ttUi 
 arrangements of the objects. 
 
 For one conibinaticm we should -suggest an old *orn book, showing 
 ])ai)er bookmarks protruding from the leaves. Open the book, place a 
 rosary with crucifix and a bluoming rose on top of it. Set a brass candle- 
 stick with a half-burned candle in it behind the book; in the foreground an 
 inkwell made out of steer's horn with a goose quill in it and an hour glass 
 placed next to it will make the composition still better, .\niither effectual 
 composition is formed by tipping over an nld market iiasket and having all 
 kinds of fruit and vegetables pouring uut of it. Be sure U< (dace vour 
 model in a good strong light coming from one side only, so that your 
 objects show up in good relief with clear lights and well defined shadows. 
 
 Place a few sheets of white drawing or charcoal paper on vour drawing 
 board and, after having arranged your model, as indicated above, place your 
 drawing board in an advantageous position and proceed to block in the 
 composition, using a well-])(iinted stock of charcoal for this work and 
 omitting all curves and smaller details in your preliminary sketch, which 
 should only indicate the main features of the composition, sketched down 
 in their right proportions with a few (|uick strokes of the charcoal. When 
 you are sure that your nutline sketch is correct as to dimensions and 
 relative proportions of the objects, wipe out charcoal lines partlv, and redraw 
 with a well pointed, hard crayon, this time paying more atention to details 
 and curves. Touch the paper very lightly with the crayon point, and make 
 a clean even outline which should not show after your drawing has been 
 shaded. 
 
 Now start to shade in the background, following the lights and shades 
 as they apjiear in the liackground, using a soft crayon for this work ,-iiid 
 make the shading a great deal lighter than it appears in nature. 
 
 Then take niie of your large paper or leather stomps .nul rub lightly, 
 but lirnil}, over the shaded jjart of your drawing until all blocliiness, un- 
 e\ennes-i and roughness is eliminated and the shaded part has a soft velvetv 
 api)earance. Where the backgnmnd tdUihes the dUtlines i>f tlie oi)jects it 
 will be advisable to use a smaller stomp, so as to cut in sh.iding with a clean 
 line arnuml the unshaded parts. 
 
 .'starting to shade the objects, you sliouhl l)egin with Ihe heaviest shades 
 and ])Ut them in first, then go to the middle tints anil leave highlights clear. 
 Hub liver yniu- drawing, as you did ii\er the backgnnmd, using a medium 
 and small size stomp. Where hall'ti'iies meet highlights the point slmuld 
 not be used, but just the stiMi']), charged with whatever craven dust there
 
 may be left on it ; in this way you can obtain a very fine graduation of tints 
 from the Hghtest halftones to brilliant white highlights. After the whole 
 drawing has been smoothed with the stomp it may have lost some of its 
 strength and vigor. This can be restored by going over the heaviest shades 
 and shadows with the ])oint and leave tliese marks unrubbed in finished 
 sketch. 
 
 As a study for your first crayon drawing use the old market basket, 
 spoken of before. Fill it with fruit and vegetables, put it on the model stand 
 in front of you and tip it over so that the contents fall partly out and spread 
 on the table. Arrange a plain backgronnil ]>ehin(l the model and proceed 
 to sketch it in, as described before. Be very careful to obtain a correct 
 outline sketch before you start to shade your drawing, as no amount of 
 shading will correct a faulty drawing. Place basket and contents in differ- 
 ent positions and make in all four or six studies from this model. 
 
 For the next models use iil)jccts such as candlesticks, old books, de- 
 canters, mugs, vases, jardinieres, china, etc. .Arrange several ])ieces of these 
 models in effective and artistic, pyramidal compositions and make, in all, 
 not less than twelve different sketches of these compositions. 
 
 Having made these drawings and now being familiar with the effects 
 that can be obtained with crayon, point and stomp, you should secure some 
 plants and flowers and make .'ibuut si.x studies of these, profiting by the 
 experience gained in \iiur ])rcvi(ius attempts ;it drawing flowers with lead 
 pencil. 
 
 As the scenic artist will have many occasions to paint draperies and 
 draped goods, it would be well for him to have a thorough knowledge of 
 the drawing of drai)e(l goods, and ynu should select some light goods, such 
 as silk or silkoline, velvet or velveteen, and hang this u]) in artistic folds 
 and drapings and then make different crayon studies of these draperies. 
 
 I'"i)r your last crayon drawings from objects use tinted charcoal paper, 
 pink, buff, cream, gray, or light green, or any other tint that can be ob- 
 tained. I'roceed as before, hut do not use the stomp: try to obtain a smooth, 
 finished eft'ect with the jxiint alone and put in the strongest highlights with 
 white chalk or cravon. 
 
 CRAYON DRAWINGS OF INTERIORS. 
 
 Before you start to make crayon drawings of your rooms you should 
 select a few illustrations from the current magazines, showing interiors
 
 drawn in crayon. Copy these to the best of your ability and ymi will thus 
 learn how other artists have oiitained certain eltocts. 
 
 You should ])rofit b\- this knowledge when you come to make interior 
 drawing's directly from nature. Before starting read over the directions 
 given in a previous lesson for the making of interior drawings with lead 
 pencil. The same general rules laid down in that lesson \\\\\ hnld good when 
 you come to employ the crayon point, only that \ou ntjw have an extra tool 
 at ycnu' service, the stomij. with which you can obtain softer and more 
 transparent shades than with the lead pencil. First get a correct outline 
 sketch of y<]ur niddel, then la}" in all the shades in a great deal lighter key 
 than in nature, using the stomj) only, dipping it in scrapings from ynur 
 crayon point when you desire dark shades and using it with very little 
 crayon dust on it when you want light tints, leaving the strongest high- 
 lights blank. Then strengthen all your shadows with the crayon point and 
 ])Ut in the smaller details with this; rub dvcr the study lightl_\- with a clean 
 stomp and finally strengthen the darkest shades and shadows with the 
 point, using a soft crayon for the shading and a hard one for the outlining. 
 If your highlights have been mussed up they i-an l)e cleaned with a small 
 soft eraser cut to a point like a stomp, smaller highlights can also l.)e cut 
 out with this handy tool. Choose a plain interior for \our hrst four sketches, 
 then a luore difficult one and finally one containing many details and much 
 furniture. Make the last sketches on tinted ])a]5er an<l bring out highlights 
 with white crayon or chalk. 
 
 CRAYON DRAWINGS OF LANDSCAPES. 
 
 Beautiful lanilscajjc sketches can be made with the crayon puini and 
 stomp. As before, you should select some jirinted illustrations reproduced 
 from well-known artists' crayon rlrawings and copy these faithfullv before 
 you attemjjt sketching from nature. 
 
 When starting to makt- sketches in crayon out of tloors, the rules for 
 landscape ])ainting given in a previous lesson should be studied anew aiwl 
 followed in making the cr.aynn sketch. The sky can in most cases be ])Ut 
 in entirely with the st(>ni]i, and beautiful and soft cluud elTects can be 
 built up with this handy tool. .Make sexeral landscape studies in craycjn, 
 going from easier to more difficult motifs for your sketches, biU be sure 
 that your ci impositions are well balanced and secure strong contrasts of
 
 light and shade in the foreground and softer blending in the middle and far 
 distance. Use tinted paper and white crayon for highlights for the last of 
 your landscape sketches. 
 
 CRAYON DRAWINGS OF FIGURES. 
 The Human Anatomy. 
 
 We now come to the solving of a more difficult jjrohlem than we, so 
 far, have encountered, namely, the drawing of the human figure. As you 
 can not pose as a trained scenic artist without some rudimentary knowledge 
 of the human anatoni}- and figure drawing, we shall here give you the 
 essentials of this work in a few brief remarks, followed by some practical 
 hints and directions for the executitjn of the simplest of these drawings. 
 
 In constructing a true represer.tation of the human frame we must first 
 consider the osseous (bony) structure, which is covered with sinews (i)eri- 
 sotium), muscles, layers of fat and adijiose membrane (<if the skin). 
 
 We shall first consider the bony structure (the skeleton). The skeleton 
 is a combination of st)me 200 bones, but here will onl\- be considered the 
 most important of these. The human structure is divided into the trunk 
 and the extremities. The former consists of the head, the ribs, the breast- 
 bone, the hijihones and the b.-ickbone, the latter are the arms and legs. The 
 bones of the head ctmsist of the cranium and the face. 
 
 When the backbone is viewed in profile it has a somewhat curved and 
 serpentine form. The bearing of the figure, more or less ujiright, is de- 
 pendent on the curvature of the sjiinal cijlumn. 
 
 .All the ribs (sec ligure of skeleton) present a form opposite to that of 
 the living figure it should be, nevertheless, well considered as the toundation 
 Ujxin which must be built the true t<inn of the ])rincipal part of the trunk. 
 
 The breastbone ])rotrndes forward and downward. In the female the 
 angle is greater than in the male, while the neck is more ui)right in a 
 woman than in a man. 
 
 The pelvis is larger and more capacious in the female than in the male. 
 
 The upper ,irm consists of one bone, the lower of two. 1 here are 
 numerous small bones in the carpus (the wrist), metocarpus (back and 
 palm of the hand), to which succeed the bimes of the fingers.
 
 The upper leg consists of one bone, the thigh bone, and below the knee- 
 cap of two bones. 
 
 The form of the head is indicated by the skull and the lower jaw. The 
 shape of the forehead is indicated by the frontal bone that differs with in- 
 dividuals and races ; that of the European, however, has been given as the 
 acknowledged standard of its height. 
 
 Before starting to draw any part of the human body, you should draw 
 the illustration of the skeleton, given herewith, and make one or more large 
 and absolute correct drawings of the same. Sketch in charcoal, redraw with 
 lead pencil and finish u]) the outline and shade with pen and ink. trving to 
 imitate the eft'ect of the cuts illustrating this lesson. 
 
 To enumerate all of the muscles of the body in this brief treatise would 
 occupy too much space and would not be necessary for our purpose. We 
 should urge the pupil, however, to stud\- carefully the illustrations given 
 herewith and to copy every one of them faithfullv several times until he 
 knows by heart the location and nutlines cf the most impcirtant muscles and 
 the correct ])ro])iirtions of the human body. 
 
 FIGURE DRAWING FROM LIFE. 
 
 Having obtained a fair knuwledge of the various proi)ortions of the 
 human bixly. you should procure frum 6 to 10 artistic illustrations of the 
 nude, male and female figure and copy them faithfully, thus enlarging your 
 knowledge of the human form. After having completed a number of these 
 studies you are now far enough advanced to be able to draw figures and 
 heads from life, but should nut attempt to do too much when starting this 
 verv diftlcuh but ciiually ini|)(irlaiit work. 
 
 Start with dr;i\ving parts of the body lirst. using some of your friends 
 as models. I-'irst make drawings of eyes, as seen in different positions. 
 Then draw an e(|ual number of noses, both in jirotile and seen from the 
 front, then as many drawings of mouths, ears and hair. After tli;it try a 
 face in prcifile ;ind fin;illy make sketches of the full face. Keep up sour 
 stu(l\- of the figure by making sketches lirst of the arms, then the legs, next 
 the trunk, and linally of the feet and hands and at last of the full figure in 
 different positions. Do not think that we ask }ou to do too much i^>f this 
 kind of work ; it is very important, and good figure painters have the ad- 
 vantage of the other fellow who can not draw figures Iroin lile.
 
 PLATE 5. 
 
 = "KliKgM JMIlKKaf^ = 
 
 COPyR/GHT- 
 
 TER CUTICLE REMOVED . tjHQWlN^ MUSCLES OF HE AD, KSeOs TKUNK ?^ LIM8S
 
 PORTRAIT WORK IN CRAYON ON ENLARGED PRINTS. 
 
 The Crayon point is es|;ecially \vr!l adapted to purtrait work, and 1:)y 
 the use of the sttimp or a jiiece of cotton dipped in crayon sauce, the soft 
 and delicate shading of the hnnian face can he (jhtained with great ra])idity. 
 
 For }'C>ur first atteni])t at tliis kind of work copy some lieads done in 
 cravon by some of our liest ilhistrators. then select some halftone repro- 
 ductions of photographs of heads and copy them in crayon. Next use a 
 photo of yourself or some friend, as the original: jjrocure an enlarged print 
 of this photo and retouch it all over with the crayt)n point and stomp and 
 you will be surprised to see what a beautiful and lifelike effect you easily 
 can obtain. 
 
 After worked up in crayon they should sell for froiu .S,?.0O Ic) $5.00 
 apiece. 
 
 Ciood figure drawing is one of the most difficult in the whole book, and 
 we should advise you to jiay a great deal of attention to it and spend con- 
 siderable time on it, and we can assure you that this will pay 30U well in 
 the future.
 
 ;
 
 CHAPTER SIX 
 
 PEN DRAWING. 
 
 HE foremost scenic painters are of the opinion that the "greatest 
 difficulty in the way of a beginner who attempts to learn to draw 
 iir paint, is to learn to see. It is obvious that we can not represent 
 the appearance of an object with exactness and precision if we are 
 not al)le to see it correctly. It is self-evident, therefore, that the most import- 
 ant part of learning- the scene painters' art should consist of training the eye 
 and the hand, and no better means t(j that end can be found in the practice of 
 drawing from copy olijects and nature with pen and ink. 
 
 The scenic painter will often have occasion to use pen drawings in 
 their profession and will frecjuently be called upon to make this class of 
 work for cuts and illustrations that, at the present day, can be made very 
 quickly and cheaply, and, as the artist who knows how to make pen draw- 
 ings for reproduction has a great .idvantage over the other fellow who has 
 not studied this kind of art work, we have included a short treatise on the 
 art of pen and ink drawing. The efticiency of execution and the splendid 
 training of eye and hand gained by this practice will rep.'iy many times for 
 the trnuble and time spent in this instructive study. 
 
 TECHNIQUE OF PEN DRAWING. 
 
 Of late years several infiutnces have tended to raise the importance of 
 pen and ink drawing as an independent art. Chief among these is the grad- 
 ual substitution of photo-chemical process for the hand work of the en- 
 
 There are two distinct methods of obtaining elTects with the pen, one 
 by few lines laid slowly, and the other by many lines drawn with rapidity.
 
 As most pen and ink drawings are now done with a view to reproduction 
 in the printing press, it shotild materially assist you to know how this is 
 brought about. The following is a sin'iplitied description of the ordinary 
 zinc etching process. A photographic negative is first taken of the draw- 
 ing, in which the aim is to secure perfectly clear glass wdiere the lines are, 
 and an opacjue black for the ^vhite paper. A polished plate of zinc is coated 
 with a thin film of gelatine to wdiich a small percentage of bichromate of 
 potassium has been added. This metal plate is then put into a photographic 
 jjrinting frame tmder the negative, just as if it was prepared pap)er, and 
 exposed to the light. After sufficient expostire. it is removed from the 
 printing frame and placed in warm water, when the unexposed parts of 
 the film dissolve away, leaving only lines of gelatine hardened and insoluble 
 where the light has penetrated. When dry it is submitted to the action of 
 a corrosive licjuid (oerchloride or iron), which attacks the metal where free 
 from gelatine and so eventually lowers tlie surface r)f all but the lines. 
 These lines remain st;mding to be printed from al<ing' with the raised type 
 of the letter press. 
 
 'J'he importance of making perfectly black lines and using clean white 
 ])aper can hardl}- lie exaggerated from the technical jjoint of \ie\v. 
 
 A i)en drawing may either be sketched in ])encil, to be removed after- 
 wards with a soft eraser, or made m iiencil on another piece of jKiper and 
 traced, using blue tracing paper. Tliere is a third method, that of making 
 a verv decided pencil drawing on one piece of paper and then choosing a 
 thin, semi-transparent paj)er on which to make the jien drawing. This 
 paper is laid over the drawing so that it may be seen through and serve as 
 a guide. In making a pen drawing from a printed copy, this can be secured 
 with ])ins or strips of gummed paper tn the back of the sheet that the pen 
 drawing is to be made on and then iudd up in front of a window pane or 
 glass plate in front of an artificial light and the outline of the ]irinted copy 
 can thus be seen through the white ])aper and be traced with the ])encil. 
 .\ ])en drawing can also be made over a jjliotograph, blue print or photo- 
 grai)hic enlargement tm Steinback pa]ier. .\fter the i)en drawing has been 
 made on the photograph, this can be bleached out by being sponged over 
 with the following: Saturated solution of iodine in .alcohol, one part; 
 cyanide of potassium in water, two parts; after which the drawing must 
 he washed well. Conunon blue print- can be bleached out by innnersion 
 in water containing a little common soda. 
 
 In m.aking corrections on ;i pen drawing a very sharp penknife shtiuld 
 be used. If Chinese White is used for corrections or to line up solid blacks, 
 care should be taken to keep touches sufficiently opaque. The best ink for
 
 pen nnd ink drawing is Iliggin's \\ aterpruot lUack Drawing Ink. A very 
 sm.iiith, hand-made white paper is the liest for pen drawings; a good grade 
 of Scotch hnen paper will di> very well. For commercial ])uri)ci.-es we rec- 
 t)mmend a two or three \)\y Wedding Bristol Board. Some scenic artists 
 prefer a clay coated jiajier. as this allows erasures with great ease and 
 solid l)lacks can be lighted up with the point of the knife. There are also 
 process papers, the so-called "Ross Hoards," thai lia\e a ruled or dotted 
 surface on a hca\-_\- clay l)ody which can lie scraped for highlights. 
 
 The best pen for very line lines is a (lilloit Crow Ouill. For all ordi- 
 narv work, a No. 303 (jillott is most serviceable, and for very coarse lines 
 an ordinary Spencerian writing \)en or even a stub pen can be used. For 
 ver\- large work and for jnitting in flat masses of black, a well-pointed 
 watercolor brush siiould be used. 
 
 in making designs to be reproduced by the jihoto-mechanical process 
 it is usual to draw them considerably larger than they are to be eventually 
 j)rinted. The best dimensions are to make 3'our drawings to a scale of 
 about twice the linear measurements rec[uired : in other w-ords, four times 
 the area. If. for instance, the size of the cut is to be six inches high, the 
 drawing for it should he made twelve inches high. 
 
 Straight lines can lie ruled in mechanical W(jrk, biu in all artistic work 
 it should l)e ruled in the pencil sketch only and gime over free hand in the 
 pen drawing. 
 
 There is an easy device for putting a tint over parts of the drawing. 
 It is obtained by charging a toothbrush with drawing ink. holding it face 
 downward o\er the design ;uk1 then draw a match or knitting needle along 
 the brushes so as to i)ro(luce a shower or spray of small black drops of ink 
 on the surface ex])osed. The parts that ,ire to be kept free from spatter- 
 work must be covered with jKiper and the |i;irt to he sprayed over cut out 
 with a sharj) knife like a stencil ])attern ; this kind of work can be used 
 in fl;it bai-kgrounds or to represent old stone walls, rocks and some kind of 
 coarse nappy goods. .\ liner but not so .artistic s])atter can be oljtained in 
 a similar way with the air brush, bm as this tool is pureK' mechanical we 
 shall not aim to describe it more fullv. 
 
 PREPARATORY EXERCISE. 
 
 .\n outfit for making pen and ink drawings should consist of the follow- 
 ing materials ;
 
 Sheets of white, smootli paper. 
 
 A hard lead pencil. 
 
 A soft pencil eraser. 
 
 A ruler with beveled edge (brass lined preferred). 
 
 Gillott's pens Nos. 290 and 303. 
 
 Ordinary writing pens, medium and coarse. 
 
 A small and medium camel hair brush or sable brush. 
 
 A bottle of Chinese White. 
 
 A bottle of Higgins' waterproof black drawing ink. 
 
 A few penholders, a sharp penknife. 
 
 Start your practice work by making straight, vertical and parallel lines 
 with slow stroke and with a pen of medium fineness (Fig. 1, Plate 6). In 
 I)en drawing there is no particularly preferred way to hold the pen or place 
 the paper. The general rule among pen artists is to hold the ])cn in such 
 a manner as to give the most freedom and ease td the hand. It is best to 
 have the light by which you work come from the left side. You will soon 
 find out that a stroke carried toward you is the easiest to make, and one 
 away from you is harder to manage. To start with, and while you are prac- 
 ticing, you should try strokes in all directidus witimut removing the paper; 
 later on, when you have obtained the necessary flexibility cif the fingers, 
 hand and wrist, you can turn the paper in any direction to make the stroke 
 the easiest. After having practiced the vertical lining, sldwly tr} tlie s.mie 
 thing over again, now making rapid strokes with the pen, but still cimtrol- 
 ling it so the lines remain straight and parallel. Next try tu dci the same 
 kind (if lining, starting the line irnm below and drawing it witii a stroke 
 away from you. Having finished your practice work of vertical lines, you 
 should ne.xt go through the same exercises with tlie horizontal lines, then 
 the slanting ones, next the "cross hatchetl" (Fig. 5), then the short liroken 
 lines, also the zig-zag lines, and finally the stipjilcd (l<its. All this prelini- 
 inarv practice will develop the nimbleness of your hand and st.iiicl you ;i 
 good turn when you commence to make shaded pen drawings. 
 
 COPYING FROM PRINTS. 
 
 In tjrder to learn how other ;irti-~ts h;ive obtained certain effects witli 
 pen and ink you luust obtain a ct)llection of printed reproductions of artistic 
 pen drawings and go to work and copy these, imitating the artist's manner
 
 PLATE 6. 
 
 IG. 1 r/6.2. rJG.3 FJG.± rjG.S FW.6 fjg.7 Fia.8 
 
 Fia.^ 
 
 Fia.to 
 
 Fja.ji 
 
 Tia.FiL 
 
 no. J 3 
 
 r/o. i^ 
 
 FIG. J 6
 
 and strcjkes. as closely as possible. This cnlk-clidii nf jirints or studies should 
 start with simple outline work, then show samples of work with solid back- 
 ground and hnally a few showing the more intricate and sketchy manner 
 of the accomplished modern illustrators, such as Charles Dana (iibson. How- 
 ard Chandler Christie. Montgomery Flagg, and others. 
 
 PEN DRAWING IN OUTLINE FROM OBJECTS. 
 
 Select some simple objects, such as cups, saucers, glasses, cutlery, fruit, 
 vegetables, etc. Place them on the model stand in a good strong light 
 against a suitable plain background and start to sketch in the objects on 
 vour drawing paper, using a hard. well-])ointed lead ])encil for this work 
 ami drawing in li.ght, delicate lines that easily can l)e erased after they 
 have been gone over with a pen. When you have done this and have 
 obtained as good an outline as you possibly can. paint in the black, cloud- 
 like background behind the object, as indicated in Figs. 9 to 12. 
 
 SILHOUETTES AND POSTERS IN PEN AND INK. 
 
 A silhouette is a shadow j^icture of some object or ligure made in solid 
 black on a white background. These silhouettes were used a great deal, as 
 famiK ]Hirlraits, in the Revolutionary and j-'.nipire ])eri()ds and are of great 
 decorative effect in interiors from those days or on ])ictorial and decorative 
 cards in Empire st} le. I'^or the first attemiH .at this kind of work trace some 
 figures or portraits on a sheet of smooth, wliite pajier. go over the outlines 
 with the ])en and lill in black with the brush. If _\-ou desire to follow up 
 this interesting and comjjaratively easy work, you m;iy place your objects 
 or models, if you wcjrk from life, in front of a window covered with white 
 transparent cloth (cheese cloth) so that the figure is seen as a l)old shadow 
 against the light ; then sketch in the outlines, redraw with i)en and lill out 
 in black with the iirush. In this way you will, with some ])ractice. be able 
 to make creditable jirofde shadow [lictures or silhouettes of your friends 
 and ac(|uaintances. 
 
 The so-called poster st_\le is originally derived irum the |)eculiar Jap- 
 anese manner of making drawings with a pointed brush. I his method is
 
 bold and decorative in appearance, showing solid blacks and pure, unshaded 
 whites. This peculiar way of making decorative pen drawing was originat- 
 ed and introduced in England by Aubrey Beardsley a little more than 
 twenty-five years ago, and is still in vngue. being much used for book 
 covers, pictorial advertisements and decorative posters and billboards. Figs. 
 13, 14-16 show samples of poster designs. 
 
 SHADED PEN DRAWINGS FROM OBJECTS. 
 
 Select different household articles or bric-a-brac for models. Place the 
 articles you want to draw in a good light coming from one side only, sketch 
 in with a hard lead pencil outline and shade with pen. For your next at- 
 tempts use a square box as a model. Draw it first in outline, then shade 
 in as many diflferent ways, as indicated in Fig. 1, Plate 7. For your next 
 pen drawing use an egg as a model. In shading it try to obtain the correct 
 smoothness and roundness of the surface. You can put in a plain back- 
 ground, formed of parallel lines, drawn in all directions, as shown in Fig. 3, 
 Plate 7. Make in all six or eight difterent drawings of eggs, single and in 
 groups, all in diiiferent positions and light. For your next set of studies 
 use an old shoe, boot or slipper for a model. Draw it with long, vigorous 
 strokes in six or eight difl:'erent positions against a plain background of 
 spatterwurk, as shown in Fig. 2, Plate 7. 
 
 For your final model for pen drawing you may select fruit, vegetables, 
 china or glass ware, old books and flowers, etc., and carry out your pen 
 work somewhat in the manner shown in Fig. 4, Plate 7, using different kinds 
 of strokes and lines to indicate different objects and te.xtures, and making 
 difterent, light or dark, plain or vignetted backgrounds behind the objects, 
 selecting the kind that will give the greatest contrasts and set oft' the 
 objects in bold relief.
 
 PLATE 7, 
 
 
 
 - ■" v"-" ' -■■.•- - .I7'"'>* vi   '14'- ■■.'"■ 
 
 juiyui
 
 CHAPTER SEVEN 
 
 WASH DRAWINGS. 
 
 ASH drawing is the generally used technical name for painting in 
 lilack and white for monochrome, done with washes in some trans- 
 parent fluid. It is used very much, at the jjresent time, for making 
 hio-h-trrade illustrations t<i he rci)r(iduced bv the halftone iirocess, 
 for card decorations and for making sketches of buildings, interior decorations 
 and originally designed theatrical scenery. This process is, therefore, of great 
 value to the student of illustrating and theatrical painting, etc., and we have 
 here given the most essential rules and directions for the making of artistic 
 wash drawings from copy, ol)jects, and life. 
 
 The study of wash drawing familiarizes the \m\n\ with all uf the tech- 
 nical methods of water color painting and is, in fact, water color painting 
 in monochrome (one color), and the person who has mastered the direc- 
 tions given in this chapter will find his acquired knowledge and skill in 
 handling the brush and li<pHd, transjxirent color, of the greatest help when 
 he comes to make paintings for the trade, which work rests on the same 
 fundamental principles as those written down in the following pages. Wash 
 drawings are reproduced l)y the so-called "halftone" process of photo-en- 
 graving, which in many respects is similar t.i the process of zinc etching 
 which was e.\])lained in the jirevious chapter. A screen crossed with tine 
 lines is placed in front of the camera when the negative is taken. This is 
 then printed on a highly polished zinc or copper plate, which renders an 
 engraving of great delicacy, showing all the fine graduations and halftones 
 of the original and having a printing surface of small diamond-shaped 
 cubes that leave a network all over the print. To obtain a clear print from 
 halftones these must be "made ready" by the pressman and printed on hard 
 surface paper with a good grade ink. 
 
 The great charm in ])ainting in washes lies in the beauty and truth- 
 fulness of i*.s aerial tones and great range of delicate tints. The production
 
 of this beautiful effect depends greatly upon the fact that the paper on 
 which we [laint, being "grannulous," that is, upon its surface presenting 
 many little hollows and projections which receive transparent washes of 
 color and thereby maintain an alternation of light in protuberances and half 
 tones in cavities. Such 1)eing the case, it is strictly imperative on the 
 scenic artist that he should never lose or destroy the grain by too much 
 work on the same spot, for on the spontaneity of the work will depend the 
 atmosphere and therefore the success of the work. Therefore work rapidly 
 and precisely and don't go over the washes too often while they are still 
 wet. In order to obtain sufficient freedom of the brush and be able to make 
 (|uick. precise washes, fill a large brush well with color and make a suc- 
 cession of full, large washes rapidly executed first in one, then in different 
 cHrections. Bv holding the brush at different angles across the paper dift'er- 
 ent outlines from a ragged, indistinct to a perfectly sharp outline of the 
 washes are obtained. The hand should be lightly rested, in such a manner 
 as to secure the perfect free action of the wrist and the fingers by which 
 the brushes are held. In working over small details the brush, after it is 
 filled with color, should be drawn over a piece of paper, especially provided 
 for this purpose, in order to bring the hairs to a fine ]joint. ^\'hen laving 
 fiat washes do not overcharge your liriish with color; if, however, there 
 should be. through mismanagement or other cause, left a floating drop of 
 color, it may be removed l)y absorbing it with the dry hairs of another 
 brush. 
 
 Before beginning wash work the paper shc.add be washctl o\er or damp- 
 ened with clean water, using a soft sponge. It is advisable that the paper 
 be not too wet or too dr\-. Do not try to draw with ]icncil or erase the 
 jiaper while it is wet. 
 
 Tlie washing of the surface assists the artist in niaking a pure even 
 wash of color and pre\cnts that greasy feeling and spotted appearance that 
 wash drawings made on unwashed paper often have. Always fasten your 
 pa])er with thumb tacks to a small drawing board before beginning to work 
 and see that ])a])er lies perfectly !lal and e\'en. Never begin ])ainting until 
 drawing is absolutely correct: then erase all ])encil marks with a soft 
 eraser until the_\' are only discernable. Use plenty of pure, soft water 
 when painting. Use a soft sponge to wi])e or wash oft' all su]>errtuous 
 color frciUi ])aper or to take out lights from dark tones. Blotting ])aper 
 is also very useful; soft cotton or linen rag will serve the same purpose. 
 .\ "wash" is the technical term for ordinary water tinted with color and 
 then l)y means of a brush sjiread over the surface to l)e painted. I)i]) the 
 brush in water and press this out on \(iur palette; repeat until you have
 
 Wash Drawing 
 
 a 
 
 jumi 
 
 Fia. I. 
 
 '^ ^r 
 
 rja. m. 
 
 Fiii. n. 
 
 Fia. m. 
 
 pja.v. 
 
 V? 
 
 
 r/a,\i 
 
 FIG. vs
 
 eiiDUgh for a wash, di]) hriish in color, medium (India ink or se])ia), and 
 mix it with the water until desired tint is olitained. 
 
 After having read this chapter throiiijh several times and thoroughly 
 understood the directions g-iven herein, you should start some simple pre- 
 liminary exercises and try different kinds of washes before attem])ting to 
 copy other artists' wash drawings. 
 
 The tools and materials used in wash drawings are few and inexpen- 
 sive. They can be obtained at any of the high-class art stores or painters' 
 siij)]jly houses, and consist of the following items: 
 
 Water color paper (medium rough surface). 
 
 Palette of white china, ]japier mache, celluloid or a white tile or saucer. 
 
 Sable or camel hair brushes (different sizes). 
 
 A bottle of Higgins' waterproof drawing ink. 
 
 A bottle of \\'insor & Xewton's licjuid sepia. 
 
 Hard lead ])encil. straight-edge, soft ])encil eraser. 
 
 A bt).ttle of Chinese white. 
 
 Drawing board, thumb tacks, stale bread, etc.. etc. 
 
 PREPARATORY EXERCISES. 
 
 Fa:ten a sheet <>\ water culor pajjer to )dur drawing board with thumb 
 tacks. Dip your brush in the wash and a])pl\- the color with a full brush, 
 working from to]) downward. Keep the brush full of the wash. Remove 
 the sui)erfluous color left at the bottom of \iiur design by drying the brusii 
 on the cloth, by touching this extra color with ynur dried brush it will im- 
 mediately absorb all superfluous color. I^et \'our wash stand for a few 
 mimitcs : it will then be sufficiently dry to allow another wash to be placed 
 over it, if so desired. There are different kinds of washes, which we now 
 shall describe. There is. first and easiest, the "plain wash." Draw a dia- 
 gram similar to Kig. 1. consisting of three scjtiares about 2x2 inches each. 
 Place a second wash over Nos. 2 and 3. and then a third over Xo. 3. Re- 
 peat these exercises several times, first making each of the washes very 
 lainl. with a great deal of water in the color: next time make them of me- 
 dium strength, and finally some stronger, so that the last wash in Xo. 3 
 a|)pears almost black. This practice will teach you tt) obtain even, plain 
 washes and how to get fine graduations from light gray to nearly black. 
 
 A "graded wash" (see Fig. 2) is one that varies from light to heavy 
 and from heavv to liHit. It is obtained as follows: Draw three rectangu-
 
 lar surfaces as indicated in Fig. 2. Beg'in at A with the full strength cif the 
 black wash, as it comes out of bt)ttle, with brush gradually add water lo 
 the wash after each stroke until clear water alone remains in the brush. 
 Now reverse the process at B, beginning at the top with clear water, 
 gradually adding color to the brush until a solid black is ubtainetl at the 
 lower end of surface. 
 
 In Fig. 3 is shown a double graded wash, starting with solid black and 
 getting lighter and then gradually black again. Try these exercises a great 
 many times until vou are able to make these washes smooth and evenly 
 graded. 
 
 .Vpplving a wash to dry paper is called a dry wash : applying it to wet 
 jjaper, a wet wash. Dry washes are distinct and do not run together; wet 
 washes are soft and Idurred at the edges. Both kinds of washes are useful 
 in wash drawings, according to the diii'erent textures that you wish to 
 obtain. Generally speaking, wet washes are used for skies, backgrounds, 
 large spaces, etc., and dry washes reserved for reti inching and details. 
 
 For your ne.xt lesson make a series of brush strokes similar t(i those 
 illustrated in Fig. 3. The first lines are drawn in three separate touches. 
 The others with one stroke of the l)rnsh, increasing in width. Copy the 
 four wash drawings. Figs. 4, 3, 6. 7. .\11 four should lie painted in four 
 washes. First wash the lightest tint, second the medium tints and shades, 
 third the shadows, and fourth the deepest accents and shadows. 
 
 .\fter haxing mastered these ])reliminar}- exercises and obtained com- 
 plete control of the tools employed, with a good knowledge of different 
 values of tints and washes, select a series of rei)roductions of other artists' 
 wash drawings and copy them faithfuU}'. After the completion of these 
 studies select some easy obj'ects like boxes, ])ottles, vegetables and the like, 
 place them in a good light and proceed as ])rcviously taught to make good 
 and true outline drawings of them on medium surfaced water ctdor pa])er. 
 N,ext shade them up in washes of hi'lia ink, being careful to get \iinr dif- 
 ferent washes clean, strong and brilli;int, and do not be satisfied with a 
 muddy and dirty-looking sketch, bu(t keep on trying until you have a clean, 
 bright, well-rounded aind good-modeled reproduction of tlie object in front 
 of vou. Next select some flowers and plants, grou]) them nicely in glasses, 
 vases or jardinieres, and m.'ike wash drawings of them. Complete a collec- 
 tion of about six different studies of these objects ;ind finally take your 
 colors and other materi.als with _\'ou and go out of doors and commence to 
 make wash drawings from nature, going always from easier to harder 
 
 — ^0—
 
 objects. Work for large masses and distinct distribution of light and sliade 
 and do not try to include too much in your pictures, of which some should 
 be vignetted, that is, having the main objects strongly shaded ;ind full of 
 details in the middle of the picture and then ha\e tiiis gradualK' tone out 
 to ])ure white against the edges, .\fter iiaving made a sufficient number of 
 studies in India ink you should obtain a bottle of light brown fir sepia ink, 
 and make sketches in a similar manner in these mediums.
 
 CHAPTER EIGHT 
 
 OIL PAINTING FROM OBJECTS. 
 
 fj^N the previous chapters, we have only concerned ourselves with 
 pictorial reproductions of nature in black and white, and being 
 now in possession of a fair knowledge of sketching and shading, 
 we shall turn to the more difiicult problem of depicting objects in 
 their natural colors. 
 
 Of all color mediums, oil paints are the easiest to use, as they are more 
 or loss opaque, and will allow quite a latitude in re])ainting and correcting" 
 errors. To make good sketches in oil colors it will be necessary to obtain 
 the following materials, which can be had at all leading artists' supply 
 houses : 
 
 One oil color sketch box, not less than 9x12 inches. 
 
 One wooden scjtiare palette to fit box. 
 
 Two screw-top palette cups. 
 
 One palette knife (4-inch Ijlade). 
 
 One sketching easel. 
 
 Three red sable brushes Nos. 2, 4, 8. 
 
 One sable rigger No. 3. 
 
 Four bristle brushes (l1at) Nos. .^, 7, 12. 
 
 Oil color pale oil. tur])cntinc. benzine. 
 
 Thumb tacks, canvas or acailcniy bciard. 
 
 A LIST OF USEFUL OIL COLORS. 
 
 Flake White (large tube). 
 
 Chrome, Lemon, Aledium, Deep, Orange Yellow. 
 Chrome Green, Light. Medium, Dark. 
 Antwerp or I'russian lUue. 
 
 Burnt Sienna. 
 Kaw Sienna. 
 Raw Umber. 
 \'an l)\kc Brciwn. 
 
 —72—
 
 Ivorv Black. 
 
 Aureolin. 
 
 Cadmium. 
 
 Golden Oclire. 
 
 Permanent Blue. 
 
 Cobalt Blue. 
 
 Yellow Ochre. 
 
 Vermillion. 
 
 Scarlet-Lake. 
 
 Sap Green. 
 
 Indian Red. 
 
 Emerald Green. 
 
 Liqht Red. 
 
 Prussian (ireen. 
 
 Mauxe-l'iirplc. 
 
 Zinnahar Green. 
 
 A LIST OF NECESSARY COLORS. 
 
 White. Black, ^\■lll)\vs, Reds. Browns, Blues, Purides. Greens. 
 
 With the e.\ce])tiiin ut white, hlnck and |)uri)le, two or three shades of 
 each of the other colors will he fonnd very convenient in most cases. If 
 you desire to prepare \our own sketching" canvas, then obtain a s^ood (|ual- 
 itv of six or eight ounce duck or drilling canvas; stretch this on a frame 
 and give it two or three coats of white lead mixed in oil and diluted with 
 sufficient turjientine sn that it makes a ])erlect Hat siu'face without a shine 
 when coated on canvas. When dry. this prepared canvas can be ruljbed 
 slightly -with sand paper so as to take all superflut)us roughness off, and 
 then cut into convenient sizes. 
 
 PAINTING IN OIL. 
 
 The foremost masters of scenic jiaintnig li.ixc held the opinion that the 
 .Tjreatest difliculty in the art is to learn to see. Be this as it may. it is ob- 
 vious that we cannot hope to represent the appearance of anything with 
 exactness that we are not able to see correctly. Further, it will be readily 
 understood that l)efore we can analyze the complex appearance of land- 
 scajies, the ever-changing color of the mnbile sea or the subtle forms and 
 tints of the human figure, we should be able to realize the appearance of a 
 simple object. Now that we have considered the best way of learning to 
 see correctly and are acquainted in some measure with the nature of our 
 materials, v,-e will set alxnil our lirst attemjjt .-it i)ainting.
 
 Before attempting- ])aintinr;- in oil of objects you should procure some 
 g-Qod studies in colors and copy these faithfully. It is obvitius that before 
 we can paint a difficult subject we must begin by mastering the simple ones. 
 We will, therefore, tr\ to paint an egg', placed upon a piece of white pajier. 
 
 Place a sheet of white paper liehind the egg' and be careful that the 
 light (inly strikes it fmni one directiim (preferably, fmni the ujiper left 
 hand curner). In a i)revious chajjter we told you all about the lights and 
 shades on simple subjects and gave you the technical name of the differ- 
 ent tints. We shall use the same terms in this lesson. Fasten a i)iece of 
 sketcliing' canvas 9x12 inches on your drawing board, jnit this on your easel 
 at a convenient height, sit or stand in front of it and sketch the out'lines 
 of egg with charcoal on your canvas: rub jiartly out, correct and redraw 
 with a hard lead pencil. We shall use raw umber and flake white to give 
 all the graduations of tints from deepest shadows to highest lights, as 
 foimd in the subject liefore us. 
 
 First mix sufficient umber on the palette, using either a large flat l)ris- 
 tle brush or the palette knife, with a little white until it has a darkness 
 that appears the exact value or tint of the deepest shadow under and to the 
 right of tlie egg. 
 
 Fill a flat iiristle brush with plenty of color and lay it on the canvas 
 the correct tint of the shadow. Tlien mix a tint .a trifle lighter for the deep- 
 est shade on the egg and lay this on in ;i similar manner, ahv.ays using 
 plenty of color. From the deej) sh.ade jiroceeil to the h;df shades. l;iy this 
 on this time using some more white in colors, then go to the halt tone, using 
 still more white, and hnallv p;iint the highlights with pure white : then fnid 
 a tint of uniber and white that matches the value of )-our background and 
 another that matches the white paper your egg rests on .and paint the rest 
 of your canvas over with these tints, rememliering that none of them must 
 be pure white, but should be subdued to the brilliancy of the highlight on 
 the egg. The tints should now be rubbed into e.acli other with .-i clean 
 brush. 
 
 Outline of egg should remain (|uite sharp .and be ,i true egg-shaped 
 oval. Tints on egg from highlights to deepest sha<le should be soft and 
 so modidated that thev scarcely show where they blend into I'ach other. 
 Outlines of shadcnv on talile should also be soft, .\fter having obtained a 
 nice ])leasing effect in \iiur painting, remove canvas from board, set awa_\' 
 to dry and then use two eggs for models jjlaced side by side in a similar 
 way as before, but in a difTerent light, and ])roceed to make an oil sketch as 
 before. For a third painting use a group of four eggs for models. For our
 
 next miidel let us take an iirdinary green apple or a green ciu-unihcr, pear 
 or tomato; place it on a white sheet with a white background ])ehind it as 
 when we painted the egg. First make a careful drawing of the fruit, tiien 
 study its coloring carefull}' liefore setting the colors on the ])alette. For a 
 green fruit such as menti(ined above you will need the following colors: 
 Flake white, chrome yellow, ochre, burnt sienna, liurnt unil)cr, permanent 
 or cobalt blue. Antwer]) or Prussian blue, emerald green. 
 
 First mix your paint for the dark shadows that the fruit throws on 
 table : notice that this is darkest near tlie oliject and softer and lighter 
 farther awa\-. You will need l)urnt umber, emerald green and yellow 
 ochre for the shadow and you will use them in a smaller or larger (|uantity 
 in all of the other colors. For the deepest shade on the fruit, about the 
 shade of the shadow should be used, only lighter and a trifle greener. 
 
 For the halftone, Antwerp blue mixed with chrome yellow and modified 
 with flake white will form a nice green, which should have a trifle of yellow 
 ochre added nearest the highlights. 
 
 The highlights can be painted with flake white tinted around the edges 
 with a little blue. The background and table can be painted witli a tint of 
 mixed burnt umber, _\ellow ochre and flake white. Finally blend the tints 
 into each other where this is needed and do not have the outlines of apple 
 too sharp. For your next study select two green fruits as models and after 
 having completed an oil sketch from them, take two yellow fruits, such as 
 lemons, oranges, bananas, grape fruit, yellow plums and so forth. an<l make 
 several studies from these models, using now a dark brown covering on 
 table and hung behind fruit for background. The nappy side of different 
 colored cotton fl:innel makes pretty good material for monochrome back- 
 grounils. 
 
 Your next jjrtiblem will Ik- to make oil sketches from objects with 
 smooth, shinv surfaces, such as bottles, glasses, chin.a, brass and silverware. 
 For your llrst model of this kind select a plain bottle. If you choose a 
 green one vou can put same color on \()ur ])alette as used when painting 
 green fruits, but you must look at bottle and notice that highlights are real 
 reflections of source of light in your room, be this a window or lamp. To 
 paint this you will need additional colors as the occasion may demand. Also 
 note that highlights are a great deal stronger and more marked than on 
 fruit and that shaded side is broken up with a whole lot of vari-colored re- 
 flections. This will make the painting of objects harder than those we have 
 just mastered, but if you try hard and often enough you will, at last, be able 
 to make satisfactory sketches of these kind of objects.
 
 LANDSCAPE SCENERY PAINTED IN OIL COLORS. 
 
 The sketching" in oil colors from objects and still life should have given 
 you sufficient practice in handling the new medium so that vou now can 
 take your sketching outfit out of doors and make creditalde studies from 
 nature in the open. 
 
 Before starting on your first sketch read this over time and again until 
 you almost know the words by heart, and are absolutely sure that vou have 
 fully understood all of the hints and directions given herein. Then, when 
 you finally do go out, leave your sketching outfit home the first time. This 
 may sound like a paradox, but it is nevertheless good advice. Just go out 
 with the intention of selecting" the view or views you intend t(;i paint. This 
 sounds so very easy, but it is not always so, especially for the beginner, 
 who knows very little about composition and just what kind of views will 
 make pleasing pictures easy to paint. On this hunting expedition for paint- 
 able scenes it would be a good idea to have a cardboard about 10x12 inches 
 with a square opening about 6x8 inches cut out. When selecting" a view 
 hold cardboard up in fr(.)nt of you and raise it up and down and shift it 
 from right to left until }ou ha\e obtained the best view of the scene before 
 you. You can at the same time get somewhat of an idea of how the scene 
 will look when properly painted by studying the Ijits of landscape seen 
 through the cut-out. 
 
 Select a plain scene with a few details hut with a large mass for your 
 first attempt at sketching from nature. There are four things necessary to 
 the making of a good outdoor sketch: COMPOSITION, \'.\I.UE, COLOR 
 and DRAWING. The composition of a picture is its design or arrangement. 
 Here are a few rules as to correct composition: "Do not place }-our sky 
 line in the middle of the picture. Let it be either above or below. Do not 
 place your princijial objects directly in the middle ot the picture nor againsi 
 the edge. Do not crowd your canv;is. Omit every detail th;it does not add 
 to the interest of your study. With these ideas in mind, draw" in your 
 subjects with as few lines as possible. Omit details and let y(jur lines indi- 
 cate the edges of masses of color, sky, earth, etc. Look well to \"our \>ra- 
 portions and remember that objects in t!ic distance are small compared with 
 those in the foreground. 
 
 In thus carefullv stud\ing your suliject you must have noticed certain 
 contrasts of light and dark masses. These are the \ahies of the picture :ind 
 are as imjHirtant as is its composition. You will find the sky {<< ha\e the
 
 lightest value, the ground the next lightest and the trees and upright objects 
 the third lightest and the shadows in the foreground the darkest value. 
 
 The careful noting of the values in your picture suggests tiie colors 
 that }-ou must use. Qioose light, bright colors for the sky, warmer, richer 
 tones for the foreground and cooler colors for the distance. By cool tones 
 are lueant those mixed with lilues or grays; by warm tones those mixed 
 with red and yellow. A clear sky has three bands or zones of color that 
 are softly blended into each other. Violet in some of its varied tones near 
 the horizon, above that green, and above that again l)lue. The clouds near 
 the horizon are yellowish or pirTkish and grow whiter as they ascend higher 
 towar(!s the zenith, but should never be ])ainted ])ure white, which makes 
 them cold and chalky. 
 
 Load your brush with plenty of color when painting clouds and put 
 them on the canvas loosely and flufty. with soft and ragged edges. Let us 
 look at the trees for a moment. Commonly speaking, they are called green, 
 but green is always modified with some other color, never black; if a deep 
 shadow appears solid black t<i your untrained eye, hold up a small piece 
 of l)lack velvet, tacked In a stick or board, against the shadow that appears 
 black to vou and you will now observe that it is several graduations lighter 
 than the dead black velvet, ^'onr can\as must be a record of what you saw 
 at the given lime; paint what you see. striving ever to see more and better. 
 Paint loosely with lots of color in the brush, avoid all hard edges, paint 
 (|uickly. omit all small details and paint in masses. Do not ])aint too dark. 
 Remember that everything out of doors is light. Do not have your study 
 too chalkv and ])ale. have it full of brilliaiU. harmonious coUirs. Do not 
 use thinners nnich in vour colors, use them as they come out of the tubes 
 and mix your tints well on the palette before you init them on the canvas. 
 Compare them with the colors in nature that you are trying to imitate and 
 be sure th;il vou are right in tone and value before painting them in place. 
 Use sketching canvas of rather rough texture for outdoor sketching in oil. 
 
 A FEW WORDS ABOUT YOUR COLORS. 
 
 Primary colors are such that cannot be made by mixing two or more 
 colors together. They arc red. Idue and yellow. 
 
 The colors oljtained from mixing an\ two of the ]>riniary colors are 
 called secondary colors. They are purple, green and orange. Red and blue 
 give ])uri)le : l)lue and \ ellow give green : red and yelhnv give orange.
 
 By mixing any o-f the secondary colors together we obtain what are 
 called the tertiary colors. They are citrine, olive, orange and rnsset. Orange 
 and green give citrine ; green and purple give olive ; orange and purple give 
 russet. By adding white to any of the colors you can obtain a tint of that 
 color: by adding a mixture of the three primary colors you can obtain a 
 shade of the color. 
 
 The most useful colors in landscajie painting are lemon, chrome, golden 
 ochre, cadium, vermillion, \'enetian red, Indian red, crinisun lake, rose mad- 
 der, burnt sienna, burnt umber, \'an Dyke brown. I'russian blue, cobalt blue. 
 permanent blue, emerald green, purple lake mauve. 
 
 ]*"or your lirst attempt at painting from nature select a plain view of 
 sky and earth, fur instance, a sweep of prairie or a naked hill against the 
 horizon; paint in large, bold masses. Make three sketches of this scene, 
 one on a cloudy day, one late in the afternoon on a simny day and one at 
 sunset time. W'ork <|uickly and loosely. 
 
 For your next sketch select a view with large masses of trees in the 
 middle distance and a plain foreground ; make three sketches of this study 
 as indicated above. 
 
 For your next ])r(jblem select a scene with one or more larger trees in 
 the foreground, paint in masses, obtaining the correct form and color but 
 omitting small details. Paint three different sketches of this study as before. 
 Finally select a view including houses, water or rocks and with interesting 
 objects in the foregrijund. 
 
 PAINTING IN OIL OF INTERIORS. 
 
 The |)ainting in oil colors of interiors should not jirove to be so ver\' 
 difiicult to the scenic artist who already knows how to m;ikc good and 
 artistic sketches in oil inmi (jbjects ami nature. \'ou must rcnicnd)er, how- 
 ever, that out of doors it was all air, light, sinishine and bright and brilliant 
 colors, while interiors are often dark and dim and the objects have some of 
 the i)lains brilli.intly illuminated and others submerged and li.ilf bidden in 
 shadows that always, no matter how deep and dark, >hould be painted trans- 
 ])arent and not look like solid blackness. 
 
 .Ml objects in an interior are also at a great deal closer range than in a 
 landscaije and it ijeconies, sometimes, difficult to a beginner to observe the 
 color changes that even the shortest distance lends to all objects, and many
 
 a pcrsim that cuuU ynunt sketchy and loosely when ijaintini; a landscajje, 
 have executed interior paintings that were liard of outline and devoid of 
 atmosphere. Before starting to paint interiors from nature obtain tnur or 
 six color prints or studies of interiors and cojjy these faithfully first. 
 
 The preliminary drawing for an interior sketch must be absolutely 
 correct and all objects given in their exact proportions and right fore- 
 shortening and linear perspective. No amount of clever ]iainting will hide 
 a faulty drawing in an interior, so therefore take lots of patience and care 
 ijl obtaining an absolutely correct drawing of the room that you intend to 
 paint iiefore you start to lay on your colors. The source of light should 
 be considered well and if there are windows on both sides of the room antl 
 illumination is very spotted and uneven, it may be a good scheme to 
 darken the windows on the side away from the sun. If direct sunlight 
 falls in the room it heightens the illumination a great deal and makes the 
 study a good deal more attractive and ])kturesque, but it also makes it a 
 great deal harder to jjaint and the beginner had l)etter content himself 
 with a soft, diffused light coming from either right ipr left side. The cor- 
 rect color jjerspective is very impcjrtant in a good interior sketch, but a 
 great deal harder to observe than in the cipen with its long distances. 
 
 Observe that the farther the object in the room is from your eye the 
 more subdued the coloring is and in rendering of such objects you should 
 use more white in v..ur tints and ji.-iint Incjsely with soft outlines and not 
 too many details, while the nearer the objects are to you the stronger the 
 coloring and the high lights should be imjjasted with a great deal of color 
 in your brush and have sharp, well-defined outlines in the lights, while 
 the shaded ])arts should be painted with less vigor and with softer out- 
 lines. .\ncitlier imi)nrtant thing to observe in intericir ]iainting is the dif- 
 ferent texture that the objects have. Vou should try i<> imitate this tex- 
 ture with the different strokes of your brush, so that, for instance, a fur 
 rug looks hairy and fuzzy, and the tnp of a mahogany tai)le looks slick 
 and shinv, and so on. U<i not i)Ut in too many minute details in your 
 sketch. Content yourself with bmad, heavy masses that give the most 
 artistic appearance. < M' course, there should he more details in the near 
 foreground, less in the middle distance and least in the far distance, ."^tart 
 your interior ])ainting with something very sim])le and plain for your first 
 model, for instance, a wash stand. l)ureau or simple table standing against 
 a plain w.ill. with possibly a simi)le mirror or black and white ])icture hung 
 over it. 
 
 Be very careful with your [ireparatory outline sketch, being abst)hitely 
 sure that it is correct in proportions and perspective before you start to
 
 paint ; then commence tu Ijlock in your painting", avoiding all details, before 
 ap])lving them on }our canvas so as to be sure that the}' correspond exactly 
 with those of the scene before you. Have some turpentine when changing 
 colors, cleaning the surplus color off on a small rag, and in another cup 
 some that must be kept perfectly clean to thin }our colors with when this 
 is required. Make it a rule to have }-our ccilors a little thiinier and cooler 
 in the shades and the background but thicker and warmer in the lights 
 and the foreground. Mix first a general tint for the wall, mix some of this 
 tint with white for lighter places on the wall and some with \'an Dyke 
 brown, dark blue or burnt unil)er. all according to the local color of the 
 wall, for the darker part of same. 
 
 \\ hen laying on the color of the wall use a vigorous stroke, running 
 the brush in dilierent directions, in order to l)reak up the surface well, but 
 be sttre not to get much, if any, of the liackground color smeared in over 
 and covering the outlines of your objects. When the wall is finished nicely 
 stand back and compare your painted wall with the real one and see if 
 it does not need strengthening in the shades or lightening of the light places, 
 or vice versa. Then start the painting (jf the furniture. Mix first the 
 general tint of the woodwork and also a darker one for the shaded places 
 and a lighter one for the planes that the light strikes. Paint in boldly 
 and vigorotisly, defining your lights and shades strongly. Next paint the 
 floor that better be bare in first sketch. Be sure that i)oards in flu. )r lie 
 b.ack in correct linear perspective. Set your sketch away for a day or so 
 and when first painting is perfectly dry. rub over the surface with a 
 little i)alc linseed cjil and start to ])Ut in the high lights and all fine and 
 sharp details, loading your brush well with color. A small bristle brush 
 or a pointed camel's hair brush for tlic finest details slinuld be used for 
 this work, but do n^t lill the whole picture with details tliat will give your 
 sketch an amateurish salt and pejjper look: only \>u{ \ery strongest high 
 lights and the most jirominent details in finishing the sketcli. If first 
 sketch when coiupleted does not satisfy you, make another. ])r(jfiting by 
 the ex])erience gained in m.aking the first. Do not stop until you have as 
 perfect a sketch as you possil)ly can make at the ])resent stage of your 
 art education. This is one of the secrets of sticcessful art work, to develop 
 your artistic conscience, so to say, until it does not allow you to leave 
 anvthing and call it finished before xou ;ire perfectly sure that you cannot 
 improve the work in hand any more, 'fhis means to make the best pre- 
 paratory outline sketch yott can, to paint in colors truest to nature and to 
 get your values and textures as correct as jjossible.
 
 For your next study place a few more pieces of furniture in the room 
 and include perhaps a door or a corner of the rnoni in )ciur sketcli. Try to 
 paint this sketch in the the two different illnniinations, for instance, on a 
 gray day and nn a bright one with the sunlight streaming in through tiie 
 winddw. and imte the difference in the culur effects. 
 
 l'"or your next model select a more i)retentit)us an<l richer furnished 
 room, including this time a window in the sketch, .and note carefully the 
 l)rilli;inc\- of the out-door scene seen through the window and the coiu- 
 ])arative darkness of all objects in the room seen against tlu- source of light. 
 
 For the ne.xt sketch select a reception hall, showing a stairway, as a 
 model. If you cannot ohtain these motifs for sketches in _\'our own house, 
 don't use that as an e.xcuse for not making them, hut visit your friends' and 
 acquaintances' houses until you find the correct model for your .■studies. 
 
 When ready to paint your fifth sketch ohtain iiermission to sketch the 
 interior of some large hall, church or theater in \ciur town. Make in all 
 three or four sketches of large rooms. This work will he nmre difficult 
 than anything you have yet attempted, hiU it will jiay sou well to execute 
 it with the greatest care possilile, a-- a very good knowledge of form and 
 value can l)e obtained from the study and careful execution of these prob- 
 lems, and bv the contiiuied ])ractice and close observation \ on will greatly 
 educate your eye and h.and and |)rep;ire Nour-^elf well to the f.ar harder task 
 of painting good pictures in water colors, which ;ire not nearly as easy to 
 handle as the more or less opacpie oil colors.
 
 CHAPTER NINE 
 
 WATER COLOR PAINTING FROM OBJECTS. 
 
 FTENTIMES the scenic artist receives a sample order for water 
 color sketches of scenery, and we have therefore included a short 
 treatise of this particular kind of work. It is more difficult to paint 
 good sketches in transparent water colors than it is using opacjue 
 oil colors as a medium, as the latter will stand more working and correcting 
 than water color. We must therefore caution you to pay close attention to the 
 rules and directions given here and do the work neatly and carefully when 
 you come to put same into practice, and dn nut forget that knowledge is 
 a grand element of decision in all things and no less so in scene painting 
 and we should neglect no means placed at our disposal of attaining that 
 element. 
 
 The great charm of water color painting lies in the beauty and truth- 
 fulness of its aeri.il tones and the greater or lesser transparency and bril- 
 liancy of the pigments. The implements and materials used in water color 
 ])ainting are few and simple. They are : A few china tiles, saucers or 
 palettes, a piece of soft sponge, an eraser or an old handkerchief (silk) and 
 a piece of chamois skin, a ])enknife, a drawing board, pajier, brushes and 
 colors. 
 
 The p.aper should be a good grade medium rcjiigli sm'l'ace ( \\'h;itm;in's 
 water color ]irelerred): they can be had at ,iny lirst-class art store or 
 painters' supplv house. The brushes are red sai)le. sm.ill ,ind well jiointed 
 for detail work, medium large for masses, and one or twci large Hat brushes 
 for working skies or dampening the paper when this is found necessary. 
 The flat brush can be camel hair; a flat Ijristle lirush can also be used to 
 advantage where a strong iieavy tint is desired. The best colors to use 
 for water color ])ainting are moist colors in half ])ans. A splendid kind 
 of these are manufactured by Winsor & Newton and can be h;id at all 
 leading dealers in artists' materials. Below we ha\e named some of the 
 most usefid and inexpensive water colors t(j be used: .\ntwcrp or Prussian
 
 blue, chrome oran<je, vermillion, burnt umber. Indian red, cadiuni, vcllovv 
 medium, light red, mauve, emerald green, light red, chrome yellow, indigo, 
 raw unil)er, sap green, Naples yellow, raw sienna, rose lake, jjermanent blue 
 or cobalt l)hR'. i'russian green, liurnt sienna, jiernianent blue, \"an Dyke 
 brown. Alizarin crimson, yellow ochre, gamboge, one tube or bottle Chinese 
 white. 
 
 Always use the face side of your waiter color paper to paint on. \nu 
 can rind this by holding your paper uj) between the light and the eye: if the 
 water mark can be read from left to riglit, you have got the face side of 
 the pajx-r toward you: if not. turn the p.iper around ;ind work on the other 
 side. If you work large sketches, it is better to damiien your paper first, 
 as it otherwise may "cockle" uj) for you and I)e trcniblesome. Small partial 
 lights can be scratched out with a in-nkiiife or eraser or by slightly wetting 
 the space witli ;i brush charged with clear water; when the spot is nearlv 
 dry rub smartly with a silk handkerchief drawn tightly over the finger. 
 India rubber can also be used for this pur]jose. Chinese white is verv ttseful 
 tor small lights in the foregrcjund. These lights mav be laid on in the de- 
 sired forms with solid white, which when perfectly dr_\ m;iy be tinted or 
 flashed over with the color required to produce the intended effect. Wher- 
 ever opaque tints and details are required the-e can l)e ol)tained by mixing 
 liquid Chinese white with the re(|uired tiiU. but this methcxl should be em- 
 ployed only in foreground of picture. When painting in water colors the 
 hand may be lightl_\' rested, luit it must be in such a manner so as to secure 
 perfectly free action of the wrist and lingers l)y which tlie Ijrush is held. 
 In laying on the tints be careful to l)egin by laying them on boldly and at 
 once close to the outline and do not be repeatedly touching by dragging the 
 brush timidly o\er the ]i;iper b;ick\\ard and forward; the effecti\e handling 
 of the brush recpures speed, especiall}' in working some kind of foliage and 
 in covering large spaces with flat, e\en masses of color. 
 
 Vou should pr.actice a great deal on making (|uick and even washes be- 
 fore beginning on the regular ])roblems given below. .\lso practice .grad- 
 uated washes, starting with the solid color, as it comes out of the tube 
 or pan, .ind grading it nicely with more water than color till the faintest 
 tint of the original colcjr is obtained. It is to be observed tiiat as a general 
 rule the brush should be tolerably full of ccdor in order that it may flow 
 freely, for upon this the cleanness of the work depends. Always be sure 
 to have a c<jrrectly and lightly drawn pencil outline sketch of your subject 
 before }ciU atteni])t to color it. Crumbs of stale bread or a very soft sponge 
 rul)ber or art gum can be used to efface the iiencil lines if these should 
 siiow after the color work has been completed. Tiie great enil to aim at
 
 in all water ccilor wurk is the preservation of the clearness and hrilliancv 
 of the tints and to avoid too nian\ corrections. \nn must not ex])ect to 
 always obtain the desired effect in the first wash, hut often will have to 
 wash over several times and in many cases with a different color each time 
 before you obtain the desired shade and effect, only be sure that vou wait 
 between each wash imtil the former is dry. Be sure to have vour light 
 bright enough. They are easily subdued if too bright, but you cannot get 
 brightness out of dullness. ,\fter having practiced large even washes and 
 graduated tints for some time, you should make yourself a color chart. 
 Select a large sheet of c<ilor ]iaper and lay it out in a great nian\' small 
 s(|uares. Down in the middle s(|uare paint each of \our colors, as thev come 
 out of your tubes or pans; name or number these colors, corresponding 
 with their printed names. In the s(|uares to the right of your first color 
 mix that color with each of the others that you have and in same order 
 as you have ])ainted them down \(iur middle scpiares, ])utting each tint into 
 a separate sc|uare. In the sc|uare to the left of your first color mix light 
 tints of that color and tints of all the rest of the colors }ou have di->wn the 
 middle square, and repeat the same process until you have a coml)ination of 
 S(.ili(! Colors and tints of all of the colors that you have in your color box. 
 Such a color chart, it correctly carried out, will be of greatest help to you 
 to find the tint that you need in order to reproduce a certain color in your 
 future work from nature, .\fter having ])racticed large washes and made 
 your color card, you should be obtaining color reproductions of some easy 
 water color studs' (flower or lan<lscape preferred), and try to cop_\' them as 
 faithfully as you are able to. Ke])eat this practice several times, selecting 
 each time a more difficult study to c-opy. and be sure that your studies are 
 artistic and in gocxl harmony, otherwise you will prolit but little by copying 
 them. 
 
 Having now actpiired some knowledge of techni(|ue of water color 
 jiainting, we will |)r(iceed to paint Ironi model. I'or \ciur lir>t subject select 
 an egg. IMace it in a strong light on ,i light green or l)rown piece of cloth 
 large enough to be dr.-iwn u]) behind it and t;ukeil to a box so as to form 
 a background for xour stud_\. 
 
 Start work with a large, well-filled brush. l'".gg should pre\iously have 
 been sketched in. in the usu.al w;i\, first with charcoal and then redrawn in 
 a cle.an, line jiencil outline. Lay in outline-- of sh.adow that egg throws on 
 table while background color is still wet, so as to obt;iin a soft outline of 
 shadow; .after this is dry, strengthen with a deeper shade in middle and 
 close to egg. I'.-iint lightest tint in egg first and when still damp go to 
 the darker shading in order to obtain a good graduation ol the tints and a
 
 jjt-rffct rdUiidiK'ss nf tlic esi<j. Make aiintlicr skctcli nf a collectidii uf twti 
 or three eggs and ])r(iceed as hefnre. Next ])aint an apple and a potato or 
 other seasonable fruit and vei^etahlcs easy to reprndiu-e in colors. I-'or your 
 last fruit, study orani^'es. hananas and grapes. L;Tnni)ed tntrether. 
 
 Next you nuist try tn reproduce in water cnlurs olijects with shiny 
 surfaces, such as s^'lassware, tin ]i;iils, bottles, crockery, etc. Your last 
 ])r(il)leni will he to ])aint pl.mts ahA (lowers in w.ater culor. IVciceed as 
 tauiiht in previous ch,i]iters dealing;" with flowers ;ind plants, nsin;.;- first 
 hunch of leaves, then single flowers and finally a hunch of >t-veral flowers 
 in a \'.ise, J^'lass nv crock, tor models. l!e \ery careful with your outline 
 drawinti and he sure that it is absolutely correct before you .•ittetn]it to la\- 
 vour colors on. Keeji your tints clean and distinct, put llieni in boldK and 
 (|uickl\ ; (111 not niuss \our colors up and do not ])aint one tint on lup of 
 another until the underlyins; otie is absolutely dry, unless a soft and .grad- 
 uated tint is desired.
 
 CHAPTER TEN 
 
 WATER COLOR PAINTINGS. 
 Interiors. 
 
 X the previous chapter we have taught yi>u tlie principles and tech- 
 nique of water color paintingf. We shall now put our acquired 
 knowledge to the test and try to make a series of interior paint- 
 ings, using- moist transparent water colors as a medium. This will 
 
 be harder to accomplish than the one we had before, when we used the pencil, 
 
 the pen or the brush in oil colors. 
 
 \\'hen using transparent water colors, you must work quicklv and with 
 precision, especially so when laying on the large, even washes. Previous 
 to starting the work described in this chapter you should select a good- 
 sized sheet of good, not too rough, water color paper and a good-sized, well- 
 formed camel hair lirush. Then moisten paper slightly and mix up a gen- 
 erous supply of color or tint and start from the upper left corner to cover 
 the paper with even, large washes, filling the brush generously every time, 
 dragging it lightly and swiftly over the paper, giving the washes a slant 
 from left to right of about 45 degrees and letting each succeeding wash 
 laji the former one slightly so as to take uj) any dripjiings of surplus colof 
 that mav have collected at lower edge of previous wash. Keep this prepar- 
 atory practice uj) until able to ct)ver the whole paper witli perfectly even 
 washes that show no laps and no difference of strength in tint. 
 
 For your first attempt at sketching interiors, copy some good water 
 color re])roductions of not too difticult interic^rs. These color ]irints can 
 be obtained from the catalogues of a great many of the leading jjaint man- 
 ufacturers and wall finishers. Try to imitate the style and artistic work- 
 manship of the originals as closely antl as conscienciously as you can. Hav- 
 ing obtained the necessary practice in making large, even washes and copy- 
 ing of interiors ])ainteil in water colors, you should now select a very plain 
 interior as a model for the lirst water color sketch.
 
 Remove most of the furniture and pictures from that ])art of the room 
 you decide to draw. Have the Hght conic from one side and from one 
 source only. Do not select a room with iigured wall paper for your tirst 
 model. Plain walls are easier to paint in water colors. I'ut a sheet 8x10 
 inches of good quality medium surface water color paper on your drawing 
 board. You may paste down the edges to prevent the jiaper frnm curling 
 u\} if you wet it much. First draw outlines of everything you want to paint, 
 using soft well-pointed charcoal for this preliminary work ; wipe out partly 
 and redraw, correcting errors and being careful about having everything in 
 correct proportion and perspective. Having secured a perfect outline sketch, 
 clean off wall, and redraw faint charcoal lines with a very tine and precise 
 pencil line, using a hard lead pencil. Give paper a final clearing with art 
 gum and stale bread crumbs. Get ymir water colors ready, mi.K large tint 
 in a saucer or on a porcelain palette, and have a small slip of water color 
 paper handy that you can try }our colors on before putting them on your 
 drawing. 
 
 Now scrutinize the wall before you well, note its color in the middle 
 tints, mix a tint accordingly and a darker tint for the shaded parts, in the 
 lighter parts use middle tint diluted with water. T'ut this on first and while 
 wet leail middle tint intu it and finally darker tint, all according to the way 
 they appear on the wall liefore yc)U. 
 
 Use plenty of color in }our hru^h and work rapidly with a rather large 
 brush. Clean ofi' surplus of the colors with a small, wet sponge if you 
 should happen to run over outlines of furniture or other objects. 
 
 Xext study color of floor, if this is shown in your sketch, and lay in 
 ground lines, omitting details. When wall and floor are dry, select a small 
 brush and start to paint small objects such as di^ors, pictures or wall 
 furniture, etc.. leaving white ])aper show greatest highlights and laying in 
 your light tints and middle tints next. Wait for the colors to dry before you 
 put in deepest shadows. Be sure that your colors match up perfectly with 
 the model before you and occasionally stand back from your painting and 
 look at it and the room you are painting, at the same time noting where 
 vour color needs strengthening and retouching. Having finished your water 
 color picture, rearrange room, putting in a little more furniture and hang 
 another picture or two on the walls. At your next opportunity, try over 
 the same picture again, this time benefiting by the experience you have 
 obtained and correcting the mistakes of first sketch. For your first model, 
 select a corner of a room furnished a trifle more elaborately, spend a great 
 deal of study on obtaining the correct foreshortening and perspective and 
 bear in mind that no amount of paint will correct a faulty drawing. Try 
 
 —87—
 
 tt) keep your washes clear, distinct and lirilliant. Wliere tints are soft, they 
 shiiuhl he l)lende(l intu each nther while still wet. In this sketch xoii can 
 imyjaste your hit;hliL;hts, usino- Chinese white tn make yonr hiL;hlii^hts 
 opaque and coloring the white until ynu have ohtained the correct tint. 
 This must only be done sparingly and only in a ver\- higliest catchlight on 
 Ijrass, gilded molding, chinaware, polished furniture and like objects with 
 sniiiiith, shiny surfaces, llaxing ciim])leted ynur [licture to yuur satisfactinn, 
 set away and wait ior your next o])i>ortunit\- tn |)aint. Then rearrange fur- 
 niture in corner, adding a few more pieces, and proceed to make another 
 water color sketch uf the model, trying to make it still better than the first. 
 
 Fur \our last jiniblem, ynu should --it well back in a large, elab<iratel\' 
 furnished riKini. A hall ur church interior nia_\- also be selected. Take a 
 jiosition where }iiu can see three sides of the room and possibly a window. 
 }'roceed as directed abo\e and make two sketches at dilterent positions of 
 these interiors. Before practicing on making water color sketches of in- 
 teriors, we should .advise you to select several pieces of furnittire, placing 
 these against a white sheet, an<l make several w.iter color sketches (jf them, 
 omitting any backgr(]und ;ind onU' leaving a slightlv tinted and vignetted 
 wash under legs. 
 
 SKETCHES IN WATER COLORS FROM NATURE. 
 
 In the former lesson was taught the painting of interiors .-md water 
 colors, and thr(iUgh the practice obt.ained making studies reipiired for the 
 lessons the piqjil acc|uired ;i good knowledge of mi.xing tints and improving 
 his general techni(|ue. which will help him a gre;it deal when he starts on 
 the more diftlcult task of reproducing the flight)- shades and brilliant tints 
 of color seen in the o])en. 
 
 In the p.ainting froni nature. <iut of doors, we should ;id\ise \ nu to 
 obtain a small color bo.\. containing the colors ;ind other materi.ils, together 
 with a portfolio m;ide ol heavy ]i;isteboard and not smaller tlian SxlO inches, 
 to the outside of which he c;in tasteu the water color ]>aper with thmnb 
 tacks: a li.ght sketching easel on which the sketch can be ])laced while being 
 painted is a very handy ihinu to ha\'c. as it allows you to walk awav from 
 your work .-ind ins])ect it from ,i (Hstance, while working .it the sketcli, a 
 l)r;ictice which enaliles you to observe faults in the wcirk which you might 
 n<it have noticed at a close ins])ection. When working oiU of doors yoimg 
 sketchers often make the mistake of having their landsca])es too green (not 
 too blue). They know, ior instance, the local c(jlor of trees .and ]),iinl Ihiin
 
 so, forgetting that the trees themselves assume all kinds nf hues, according 
 to the light cast on them and the density of the atniospliere thrcuigh which 
 it is seen. 
 
 A few wnrds as to the best materials: W'atman's drawing ])a])er. made 
 11]) in hldcks. is decidedly preferable fur water colcir sketching fn>m nature. 
 The rough grain i>\ paper helps the atmos])here and furnishes the li.ght in 
 the foreground in the most ready way 1 he size should not 1)e less than 
 8x10 or 8x12 inches. The brushes should be of sable and a Larger brush 
 should be reserved for clouds and skies. The colors should be moist water 
 cokjrs ( W'insor & Newton's preferable). A tube or l)ottle of Chinese white, 
 a hard ])encil for sketching the outlines of a scene in and a water bottle, a 
 jnece of white pa])er to try the tints on and a coU])le of rags to clean the 
 brushes on will complete your outfit. .\ piece of cardbo.ird cut oiU like a 
 frame and held in front of your e\e will help \ou to determine what should 
 i)e included or excluded, in your sketch in order to obtain the best and most 
 picturesc|ue view of the .scene selected. 
 
 When sketching from nature you must observe the following jjrinciples: 
 
 1. ATMOSPHERE. 
 
 2. KEEPING. 
 
 3. CONTRAST. 
 
 4. VARIETY. 
 
 The atmosphere out of doors changes with the weather and the time 
 of dav, anil also changes all c<ilors and tints in nature, which look dif- 
 ferent under clear skies than on clou<ly days, dilTerent later in the atternoon 
 than in the middle of the da\. These changes of atmosphere and color 
 should be studied well by the juipil before he attempts to paint from nature. 
 
 The first care of the sketcher, after securing his i)encil outline, will lie 
 to ])reven.t confusion in the various distances. Sky and a far distance should 
 be kept in soft, light tones ; middle distance somewhat warmer and richer 
 colored, and tiie greatest strength oi color and li.ghl should be reserved for 
 the foreground. When xour general outline is finished, get a tint color 
 over everything. Use as little water as possible; this saves time in dry- 
 ing and gives a bolder effect at once. Cut out the white i)aper as soon as 
 you can, e.xcept in the sky and the highlights in the foreground. Begin 
 tinting with the distance and work tow.ird the ftjreground, or you may 
 get the distance too strong. .Always be.gin with a tint of blue, however pale, 
 as it imparts confidence by securing at once some resemblance to the at- 
 mosphere, which is generally more or less blue in the remote distance. It 
 is good practice to jjaint the first two or three of your water color studies 
 from nature in monochrome, using either sepia br<iwn, light green or blue 
 for the color.
 
 Passiny on to the use of the more positive colors, your next (.il)ject is 
 to get the Hght shado^^•s in and on them show the details. The colors 
 should be ])Ut in at once, and afterwards should he disturbed as little as 
 possible. You must not expect to get your effect by one wash only, as this 
 cannot be done in water colors. Sufficient time must elapse between the 
 washes, allowing each to dry thoroughly, and be very careful about your 
 first or under tints — remember that these will be your lights. Have them 
 bright enough. Have them pure. Have them flat or they will not show- 
 up well when shut in liy the after tints. 
 
 The next important point in a sketch from nature, and that gives it 
 character and value, is contrast. Power does not consist in strong and gay 
 colors, but is entirely the result of proper combinations and contrasts. Two 
 contrasting tones must be brought together and the power of each will be 
 felt. You should already be aware of the three principal contrasts : Blue 
 opposed to orange, red to green, yello'.v to purple, and carrying out this 
 principle of opposition, you will obtain an endless variety of contrasts. 
 
 Another source of pleasure to the eye of works of color is variety. 
 You may take it as a rule that to continue the same tint over a sjjace of 
 any size, witliout \arying the strength of it. is sure to produce tameness 
 and insiiiidity. Lastly, never touch yijur original sketch after leaving the 
 spot. What you put down while on the spot where the sketch is taken is 
 a nature lesson to you, and if you touch it away from her influence, you may 
 obliterate the results that were her valuable instruction. We will now go 
 out into the open and commence our first sketch in winter color from nature. 
 For our first suljject, we will select something easy, as, for instance, an 
 open prairie, without any prominent objects in the foreground and show- 
 ing a vast expanse of sky and far distance. Select a day when the skies 
 are showing distinct clouds, as this is easier to paint than a jjlain sk\- would 
 be. Dampen your paper slightly before ]nitting in the sk\- in liolil, (|uick 
 strokes, with a large brush well filled witli color, noticing that tiie white 
 parts of your clouds are pure and lighter the nearer they are to the zenith. 
 and get more yellowish or even reddish and purj)lish the nearer the\ come 
 to the horizon. After your sky has been finished satisfactorily, start on the 
 underlying tints of your far distance, which will take more or less of the 
 bluish hue; gradually work toward tlvj foreground, introducing greens, 
 yellows, red, purples or browns, as you see them in the landscape before vou. 
 After the whole sheet has been covered with tints let these dry thoroughly 
 before starting (jn the second painting, strengthening up the tints and putting 
 in details here and there, loading your lirn^li well with colors when working 
 toward the foregrtiund. which should show the greatest variety of colors
 
 and the most details. Now step away frcjiii }L>ur sketch and then look at 
 it friim a distance, noticing where it is lacking in strength and brilliancy. 
 and tr\- to remedy this fault in the third painting. If your sketch should 
 need strong, bright highlights in the paper, and which you have not ob- 
 tained by leaving tiie paper white or lightly tinted between the edges of 
 your washes, you can i)Ut these details in by mixing your colors with 
 Chinese white, until y<m obtain an opaque color of the desired tint, with 
 which you can obtain the desired highlights. 
 
 For your next problem select a little more different subject, introduc- 
 ing some easy objects in the foreground, as, for instance, an old broken- 
 down fence, a rustic gate, an upset barrel, or the like. Proceed as before, 
 but be sure that you obtain sutiicient strength and brilliancy to the objects 
 m the immediate foregroimd. 
 
 For your first attempt make a study of the outskirts of woods seen 
 as great masses of foliage in the middle distance of your sketch. For your 
 second and third sketch select single trees standing in the foreground and 
 make careful color studies of them, defining well the particular color of 
 the leaves, also the individual anatomy of the limbs and trunks of the 
 specimens selected.
 
 CHAPTER ELEVEN 
 
 MATERIAL AND TOOLS USED IN THEATRICAL SCENE PAINTING 
 
 111', earnest, ililii;ent stiulent, whu has successfulK' mastered the 
 liriihlenis _L;iveii him in ]irevious chapters, should now he sd far ad- 
 \anced in the general techni(|ue ni drawing- and painting that he can 
 hegin t<i paint miniature scenery for theatrical purpuses. which, 
 when he lias occasinn tu do, he can easily enlarge tu an\- size desired fur prac- 
 tical use. We (111 Udt suppose that the ordinary person will start out to huild a 
 great big scenic studio, with lioisting m.achinery, power elev.ators and paint 
 galleries, and we shall therefore, in descriliing a theatrical scene jiainter's 
 shojj. Confine ourselves to one on a smaller scale, that can he erected any- 
 wdiere hy any ordinary carjienter without involving a too great expense. 
 
 Before describing the studio in which theatrical scenery can best be 
 niatie, we shall de\'ote a few remarks to the materials .and tools used in 
 scer.ery jiainting. Theatrical scenery painting of the highest ;ind most ex- 
 pensive grade is generally p.iinted on Russian linen, woven especially in 
 great widths ffir this ]jur]iose. but fcjr ordinary grade of scenery. ;i heavy, 
 coarse, unldeached muslin will answer the purpose very well, anil is con- 
 ;;i(ler;ibly less expensive than the \>uvv linen gooils. 
 
 h'or backiuL; up transjiarent cutouts in opaipie drops, oil parchment, or 
 better still, architect's tr.acing cloth, is often used. To represent trans- 
 parent window glass, a light blue gauze is being use<l. hUr transformation 
 Fcener\ the tr;ins])arent s])aces .are covered with uiiblc,nhed linen screen. 
 j)ainted on front like the rest of scene .and showing the desired effects 
 through its open niesh<-s when light is turned on behind and off in front. 
 ( )u cut driips the lUl goods .are held in place bv S(|uare mesh netting that 
 Comes in neutr.al and dark blue colors. Directions in working and .i|)plying 
 the .above mentioned gooils will be gi\en in .1 later ch;i|iter. 
 
 'i'he brushes used in scenery ])ainting shoulil be ol the iiest grade, and 
 it does not jjav to use inferior tools. ITat wall brushes .and bulletin brushes, 
 preferabl) with white bristles, not to<i long, but full .and springy, make tiie
 
 Ijest tools for distemper and fresco work. They should range in size from 
 one-third <>f an inch to three or five inches. For large skies and for sizing 
 a large, fiat kalsoniine brush should he used. 
 
 If rubber set brushes are not used, care should be taken that the ordi- 
 nary glue set brush is nt>t plunged in hot water, color or sizing. When 
 brushes used iur distemper work wear down st) that the bristles get too 
 short to hold sufificint amount of color, they will be found of excellent serv- 
 ice in dye work, where a short, stubby brush works to best advantage. For 
 oil i)ainting the brushes should have rather long elastic bristles. The the- 
 atrical scene painter who paints small--iized models does not need a brush 
 much larger than two or three inches. 
 
 .\lways clean your brushes well after using them and keep them in a 
 flat tray where the bristles do not become mussed up and disarranged. 
 Brushes used in oil sliouM be washed in clean gasoline and before being 
 laid away rubbed with a grease made of part coal oil and part leaf lard. 
 This ])revents the brush from becoming hard, but it must be washed out 
 with gasoline before being used again. Firushes that are fre(|uently used 
 can be kept soft between working hours by being laid in a tray or trough 
 filled with a solution of ])art linseed oil. part coal oil and part gasoline. 
 
 For sketching in scenes charcoal is used, also chalk ])luml)line. yard- 
 sticks or long ruler?, and a flexible ruler to make arches and ovals with. 
 The scene painter should ,ilso have several straight edges with double 
 iiended edges and a handle in the middle, and will also need for interior 
 work a good supply of stencils and pounce patterns. 
 
 SCENIC STUDIOS. 
 
 If the student of theatrical scene painting should desire to go into busi- 
 ness for himself and wishes to build his own studio, he can either arrange 
 his shop with large windows in roof and sides, so as to allow the work to 
 be done in a good strong daylight, or he can do all of his painting liv arti- 
 ficial light (electric, arc or strong Mazda lamps preferre<l). In the latter 
 case he will obtain exactly the same color effect as the one given the scenery 
 by the artificial light in the theater, but the use of gas or electric light all 
 the time is. of course, more expensive than daylight. 
 
 Artists working in daylight shoulil rc-mcmber that the somewhat yel- 
 lowish artificial light stands to warm up his tints and sometimes ruin his
 
 delicate effects in light lilue and purple, and lie should lay out his color 
 scheme accordingly. 
 
 In a scenic studio should be found several adjustable j)aint frames for 
 the suspension of the goods on which the scenes are to be painted. There 
 are many different styles of these frames. If the room in your studio does 
 not allow the frames to go up and down, which requires about 45 feet in 
 height for large standard size drops, we can recommend a frame that con- 
 sists of a movable top batten made of several thicknesses of 1x2 inch white 
 pine boards, nailed together and reinforced with iron strips until it is rigid. 
 This should be suspended from several ropes going over easy working pul- 
 leys, fastening- to ceiling joists directly above batten. To lower edge of 
 this batten should be nailed a strip of l.x2 inch ])oard having six-pennv fin- 
 ishing nails driven upward. The ends of these nails should be sharjjened to 
 a needle point. It will only be a mument's W(irk to hang a piece of goods 
 on these sharp-pointed nails. The goods should be stretched slightK- while 
 being put on. The sides of cloth should be stretched in a similar nianner to 
 uprights, of wdnich the left one can be stationary and the right one movable. 
 On the floor of the studio, directly under the top batten, a long board 
 studded with nails, sharj>ened and bent slightly downward, should be fast- 
 ened; to this lower edge cloth shoidd be stretched, and if properlv hung 
 it will be found tight as a drum. Where upright reaches top batten it 
 should be fastened to this witli a nail driven through bored holes in upright 
 or wooden plugs. The lower end of upright should be fastened to floor 
 boards in a similar manner. 
 
 Scenery for smaller theater^; runs in different sizes, from 8.\10 feet to 
 16x24 feet. Standard size theaters generally accommodate drops from 20x,^0 
 feet and up. Front drops arc even larger and in most cases can be painted 
 to better advantage directly in the theaters \^■here they are hung. Most of 
 the larger theaters have ijaint bridges, where scenic work can be done. In 
 the smaller sho])s, where the p;imt frames do not nio\e up and down hut 
 are stationary after once adjusted to the size on hand, they nmst be reached 
 by several tiers of scaffolding-, generally ciiled i)aint briilges, consisting of 
 long platforms about 2x3 feet wide and ruiming the full lengtli of the 
 frames. They sIkjuUI be ijl;iced at a convenient space from frame and be 
 built on this, directly over each other, with a space between each of ,-ibout 
 seven feet. The side away from the paint frame should l)e ftn-nished with 
 shelves on which the artist v:\n set his colors. .\ small hand elevator at 
 each end of bridges or ])latforni> will be found handy to hoist colors to the 
 men vvorkmg above from the main floor. The bridges can also be made 
 moval)le .-ind hoisted in place with a windl;iss, <ir they can be .-irranged like
 
 ihe swinging- stages used for outdoor painting on walls or bulletins, but all 
 these methods require more or less expensive construction, and if the painter 
 lias more agilitv than money he will get along with his stationary jilatforms 
 and climb a vertical ladder at each end of them whenever he wants to move 
 higher up than the studio floor. It will often be found to advantage to have 
 small movable trucks for stands for colors, so they can be wheeled around 
 to where they are wanted by the working artists. 
 
 SIZING COLORS, COLOR BLENDING AND DISTEMPER WORK. 
 
 Theatrical scenery is either painted in distemper colors (water colors), 
 flat oil paint, or aniline dyes. The first kind is the scenery most generally 
 used, the second kind is used mostly for much exposed stufl:", such as scenery 
 for stages under canvas; the third kind, which is sdft and pliable, is called 
 trunk scener\-, and is usctl a great deal by vaudeville actors an^l smaller 
 traveling theatrical companies. 
 
 In the following chajtters will l>e given directions in the painting and 
 building of each kind of scenery. 
 
 All canvas or muslin to be painted in distemper colors should first be 
 coated with glue sizing, consisting- of a thin solution of bottled whiting, 
 strengthened with glue, 'i'liere are many branches of conimercial glue in 
 the market, some bad and some good. Peter Cooper's Xo. Ijs is a very 
 good grade for distemper work, but a cheaper grained glue can also be used. 
 A stronger stock solution of this should be mixed uj) and cooked; avoid 
 burning it. This stock solution should be diluted with water when being 
 mi.xed with drv colors: by ex])ericnce you will le;irn to have the glue of 
 just the right strength. If you do not get sufficient in your sizing it will 
 feel kind of soft and mealy to the touch and come off on your fingers when 
 you touch it. If you have sufficient glue in your sizing the surface will be 
 firni and hard and not rub oil in tlic least. If you make your sizing thin, 
 the fresco colors will lilend very easily and dry rather slowly, but they will 
 not look velvety and rich as if the sizing had been heavy or had been given 
 a second coat of priming. 
 
 The colors to be used in distemiicr ])air,ting should be a good grade of 
 fresco color, which can be obtained in .i dry or moist state at the larger deal- 
 ers. For ordinary work we prefer the dry colors. Helow are given a list 
 of the most commonlv used medium priced fresco colors:
 
 BLACK. Lampblack is a cheap black mixed ])0(irly with water and 
 should be mixed up to a thick paste before diluting' to working strength. 
 Scenic black is a better, somewhat purplish black. 
 
 ZINC Wll rnc or EXC.LISH FLAK1-: WHITE are two good pure 
 whites. 
 
 LEMON MEDIUM and ORANGE CHROME YELLOW make good yel- 
 lows. 
 
 ORANGE MINER.KL is a good but heavy orange. 
 
 YELLOW OCHRE is a good chcai) yellow, useful in painting stones and 
 rocks. 
 
 RAW SIENNA is a goc)d dark yellow, useful in foliage. 
 
 DUTCH PINK, also a darker yellow, is useful as a gold ground. 
 
 CHROME (iREEN, light, medium and dark, are useful greens. 
 
 FOLIA(jE (iREEN is a good color for leaves and trees. 
 
 MALACHITE, SAPPHIRi: and PEACOCK GREEN, moist pulp colors, 
 are fine colors for distant foliage. 
 
 BURNT SIENN.\. a reddish brown, very useful. 
 
 INDIAN RED, a purplish red, useful in draperies ; a strong color. 
 
 BURNT UMBF.R, a good dark brown. 
 
 \ x\N DYKI*- BLUl*-. a cheap blue, useful in fL)liage and some sky effects. 
 
 SKY I!LL'1\, a splendid clear blue. 
 
 ULTRAMARINE BLUE, a deep blue, splendid for purples. 
 
 MACiENTA RED, a pur])lish red, with bluish cast, good for lavenders 
 and purples. 
 
 ORIENTAL RED. a Ijrilliant red. not as expensive as good vermilion. 
 
 TURKEY RED, a beautiful strung red, tine for drai)eries : hard to mix 
 in water. 
 
 VENE:T1.\X RED. a cheap, bn.wnish red. 
 
 There are. nf course, numy more dry colors on the market th.in the 
 above nientii piicil. biU the list includes most of those in general use and 
 almost an\- tint or color effect can be obtained by their judicious use. l'"or 
 your tir>t attempt .it ])ainting in fresco colors, you should obt.iin an easel 
 or easel table on which to place your miniature |),iint frame. This sliould 
 be about three by four feet, not much smaller, not l.irger, m.ide of ordinary 
 one b\' two incli white pine strips. Tack a piece (^f unbleached muslin on 
 this fr;ime, set it u]) in a good light, prepare your sizing as explained above 
 and size in vonr canvas. If first coat does not give desired finish, give it 
 another I'oat, .after the lirst is thoroughly <lry. TIumi procure or m.ake a 
 sm.all st.and to hold vuur colors, which should be mixed in suiall tin cans, 
 according to directions already given. Set tluMU up in ;i tr.iy at one en<l ol
 
 your stand and nail a couple of wide boards to iinciccui)ied top of same, so 
 as to form a palette for mixing your tints. Arrange a shelf in between 
 legs of table on which you can keep the colors not in immediate use. Also 
 fasten a small tray to hold your brushes on a very convenient place in 
 front of stand. 
 
 Now subdivide your sized sheet into a good many small spaces, each 
 being about three or four inches. Use a straight edge or a good stick, set 
 off each of these measures all around edges of sheet and draw charcoal 
 line (using straight edge between points). In each of the small scpiares 
 at top of sheet ]jaint in one of your colors, red. yellow, orange, etc. l'"irst, 
 the primary Cdlcirs, red. }ellow, blue; then the secondar}-. orange, green, 
 purple; then all the rest, as black, brown, etc. For this work use a half-inch 
 flat brush that will cut a nice straight line. 
 
 Practice making flat even tints and perfect outlines. In making the 
 outlines of the square press hard on brush and use the full width of it, 
 gi\ing it a hrm even pressure, thus avoiding a wobbl_\- uneven outline. Next 
 mix your tints, that is. all the main colors mixed v.ith white, which gives a 
 lighter tint. Then the darker tints that are obtained by mixing darker col- 
 ors into lighter, as for instance, red in yellow will make darker red, on the 
 orange order: brown in yellow will make darker yellow, on the Dutch pink 
 order; blue in green will make light dark green: black in green will make 
 dull dark green; brown or red in green will make olive green, etc. 
 
 Practice these combinations on four or six sheets laid in squares as 
 before, and keep up this practice until you know all obtainable shailes and 
 tints by heart, and do not start work on your next problem until you have 
 mastered these and }ou are perfectly sure of your combinations.
 
 CHAPTER TWELVE 
 
 PLAIN SKY BORDERS. 
 
 M.\LLI'"I\ theaters, where statu mary hunlers are often used, a com- 
 bination border fre(|uentl_v answers for all settings. These l)t)rders 
 can be painted in plain, neutral colors, made l)y mixing a cheap blue 
 as, for instance, celestial blue, with whiting and glue sizing, as de- 
 sciibed in a former chapter. Sky borders for larger theaters and special acts 
 should be made of a more l)rilliant sky color. Zinc white tinted with It;ilian Iiluc 
 to the desired shade will make a verv line color. Remember tliat all fresco 
 colors dry out several shades lighter than when wet, the shade that the 
 color will have when dry can be olitained instantly by ])ainting it on a piece 
 of white paper and drying this over a tiame or on a stove. 
 
 BLENDED SKIES. 
 
 For the colors of a ])lain. blended sky, start at top of zenith of sky with 
 a mixtiu'e of ultramarine blue, Italian blue and white and p.iint a strip full 
 length of cloth and abcnit one-tenth of height of -.ky. While this color is 
 still wet, blenil softl)' into it the ne.xt strip iielow, which should be ]jainrcd 
 Italian i)luc. nii.xed with a little more white than tlie one above. Repeat 
 this ])rocedure in stri]) below, this time using still nmrc white in the blue 
 tint .ind adding a triHe lemon clironu' yellow. i'"or the ne.xt strip use still 
 more white in the mixture and ;iild a little more yellow. In the strip below 
 there should not be an\- trace of blue, but the color should l)e mixed from 
 pure white and medium chronic yellow : in the next strip below add a trille 
 orange mineral to tiie yellow and in the last strip a little ipriental red or 
 turkey red. If the dilTerent stri])s of color li.i\c been painted (|uickly and 
 blended well into each other when still wet. the sky will dry out even, 
 showing a line graduation of tints frc.m dei'p blue at the zenith to bright 
 vellowish red at the hori/on.
 
 Be sure imt to get your sliades ton dark. 1iut keep tlieiii all in a light 
 key. \\'lien painting a ]ilain sky (in a \ery large surfaee it is hesl to liave 
 t\\(j men so that one ean paint and Mend in direetlv helnw the (jther fel- 
 low's work. Practice making softly hlendecl skies a great man\- time-^ until 
 you have olitained an effect that is as near to i)erfection and as close t<j 
 nature as you can make it. 
 
 For ])lain sunset skies you should start your first stri]j of color with 
 a light tint consisting- t)f Italian blue, mixed with white and a little lemon 
 yellow: in the ne.xt strip use more white and more \ellow ; in the one fol- 
 lowing helow omit the Idue entirelx in tint and let this consist of white and 
 yellow only. For the ne.xt tint use lemon \ellow without any white, and 
 in that lielow use chrome yellow medium; follow this with a strip of yellow 
 mixed with orange, then a strip of <irange alone: next a strip of orange and 
 turkey red and the last strip near the horizon same color with a trifle more 
 red in it. When making |il;iin. lilendeil ^kies he sure to ha\e all of xciur 
 tints mixed Ijefore you start to ])aint. and use as large a hrush as the work 
 in hand will permit. 
 
 VARIOUS CLOUD EFFECTS. 
 
 In your ])revious lessons in drawing and painting from nature \(in have 
 had a great many opportunities of studying the sky, as it looks under dif- 
 ferent illumination .ind under different conditions. "S'ou will now h;ive ;i 
 chance to put \iiur knowledge to the test hy making various skies and cloud 
 eftects in fresco colors with the object of h;iving them exhibited in tlic 
 artilici;il light of the stage and still look light an<l airy like the real thing 
 out in n.ature. The better your ])rc])aration for thi> work has been the 
 easier will be your ta?-k. In the former lessons we ha\e ke])t on urging 
 yt)ii to study hard and long on work in these |)rei)arator_\ pr<iblems. so as 
 to lay a solid fouml.-it ion for this ]iraclic;il v.nrk. and having done this the 
 remaining chajiters will not be foinicl h.ard or tedious, as all practical scene 
 ])ainting is built on tlie ]irinciple laid ilown in our former ch;i])ters on draw- 
 ing and ])ainting. 
 
 When making clouded skies for theatrical scener_\' remember that where 
 the plain sky shows through the clouds the coloring is the same: it siiould 
 therefore be dee])er blue at the t<ip. lighter Idne in the middle ;ind xellowish 
 at the bottom, or near the horizon. The outlines of the clouds should be
 
 blended softly against the wet sky ; the nearer the zenith the clouds are 
 the whiter are the edges, and the nearer the horizon the more yellowish. 
 This yellow color or tint shuuld l)c on the cream order and can be mixed of 
 white tinted with a trifle }'elki\v and red. The middle part of the cloud 
 reaching up to the light edges can be painted light pink, using white tinted 
 with a little turkey red and magenta, and the lower part of the clouds should 
 be light lavender mixed with white tinted with ultramarine blue and ma- 
 genta. 
 
 For a cloudy sunset efl^ect the plain sky showing through the clouds 
 should l)e painted, as explained in a former paragraph. The clouds \vhich 
 can be shaped to suit the scene of _\our taste, all obtain their illumination 
 from the sun below the horizon and their lower edges should therefore be 
 light and tlie remaining part of the cloud darker and of different color. The 
 nearer the ch.iuds are to the hcirizon the redder the lower outlines should 
 be. Those in the middle distance have orange tinted outlines and those to- 
 ward the zenith yellow and pale greenish lower edges. The bodies of the 
 clouds can change from a rose color to a bluish purple. To paint a good 
 and artistic cloudy siniset effect is no easy task, as the tints must be bright 
 and pure, light .'ind seemingly transparent, and you will have to try a good 
 many times before you obtain the desired efiect. Study the color effect of 
 the real sky at sundown and try to imitate these colors in your scenic 
 work as closely as your memory and your talent will permit you. It will 
 be an excellent plan to obtain a collection of good color prints showing 
 reproductions of sunset and eflfects.
 
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN 
 
 SCENIC PAINTING OF ROCKS, STONE WALLS, 
 PRISONS AND CASTLES. 
 
 HE theatrical setting depicting a scene in the mountains generalK' 
 consists of a "back drop" showing distant motintains and foothills, 
 and is called a "rocky pass drop." In frcint of this drop are placed 
 two large profiled set pieces representing passes of loose rocks in- 
 clining; down toward center of stage. These set pictures are called "tail rocks." 
 Free standing rocks in either places of stage are called "table rocks." The sides 
 of a "rocky pass setting" are closed in with profiled wings representing 
 rocks, bouklers and trees. In more ambitious settings several of the wings 
 are replaced Ijv "leg drops" and "cut drops," representing sky and formation 
 of rocks. In the follow^ing chapters we shall consider the painting in fresco 
 colors of rocks, boulders and rough stones. 
 
 ROCKS AND ROUGH STONES. 
 
 Rocks painted fur tlieatrical jmrposes should siiow a pronounced dis- 
 tinction in color between the shaded and lighted sides. The source of il- 
 lumination may he varied to suit the purpose, but the light must not fall 
 from more than one direction on the painted scenery. Some rocks have 
 square forms, and sharp well-defined outlines; others, like boulders, are 
 more rounded and the distinction between light and shade is less pronounced. 
 Rocks in the shade show cool colors such as blue, Ijluish green and bluish 
 ])urple, while coloring of the lighted sides should be warm and brilliant 
 and change from pale cream to bright rose color, according to the kind of 
 stone represented. Rocks should be painted boldly and loosely, so as to 
 represent the natural roughness of the stone, and all cracks and crevices 
 in the rocks should be laid in boldly and sharply, when underlying color 
 is partly dry or completely dry.
 
 Fcir your first stiui}' nt rocks stretch a piecf of muslin on your paint 
 frame. Size it in and draw with charcoal the outlines of a couple of table 
 rocks of different designs hut somewhat similar in contcmr to I-'Il;-, 1. I'late 8, 
 Mix up light and dark purjiles. hluish and greenish tints for the shaded sides 
 and dark greenish ycll'iw for the lighted sides of rocks. 
 
 .Vise have some darker brownish yellow and reddish yellow tints and 
 one almost pure white, with the slightest shade of yellow in it. These tints 
 should be used to break up the monotony of the light sides, being blended 
 softly intii the creamish general colc>r \\hile this is still wet. and used for 
 retouchinp' and brintring i>ut the strong lights, especialh along the edees 
 where the dark part touches the light. These strong well-defined strokes 
 should not be ]iut on until the underlying color is almost dry. or if a very 
 vigorous sharp line is wanteil, then not until they are ])erfectly dry. 
 
 After the light sid.es of the rocks have been laid in, paint the shaded 
 side with the bluish, greenish and purjilish tints blended into each other 
 and given a rough and ragged outline where they tnuch and blend into the 
 lights, .\fter shaded sides are almost dry put in cracks, holes and depres- 
 sions with dark purples and brownish blacks in deejiest shadows. If re- 
 flected lights show in the shaded [larts they should be [lUt in with a light 
 grayish blue tint, .\fter having completed \(iur table rock to your satis- 
 faction, roll it up and put a new ])iece of muslin on your frame, size it and 
 when dr\^ sketch in with charcoal the outlines of a left tail rock (Fig. 2. 
 I'late 8). Taint in a similar w;iy to that described above and when com- 
 ])leted take it off. fix tip a new ninslin .nnd design a right t;iil rock and p;iint 
 same as before. 
 
 MODERN AND ANCIENT WALLS OF STONE AND BRICKS. 
 
 Having completed our studies ol rocks, we shall now apply some of the 
 attained knowledge of making rough textures, and oin^ next jiroblem to 
 solve will lie the ])ainting of large st(jnes with "rock linish" surfaces, as 
 they appear in some kinds of stone w.alls ;ind old castles and jirisons. l-'ig. 2, 
 I'late 8, shows two sections of set piece of a modern stone wall of yellow 
 sandstone with white marble pillars, Ivasc and co])ing. The iron gates have 
 lieen removed iuit will be spoken of in a later cha])ter. -Stretch a ])iece of 
 muslin on }'our ])ainl fr.ame, size it in and sketch in the nutline of w;ill with 
 charcoal, using a straight edge. It will not \)v necessary to indicate the
 
 PLATE 8.
 
 single sandstones in the outline sketch, as the whole space occupied by them 
 will have to be painted in solid, and the stones outlined on this ground color. 
 
 Have the perspective vanishing- point in the middle of the opening and 
 draw all of the receding lines of gate posts down and up tuward this point. 
 When your outline sketch is completed, mix some white and tint it in dif- 
 ferent colors with a trifle yellow, a trifle red and green, just enough to give 
 the white some delicate shades ; paint the marble with these light tints and 
 blend the edges of the tints well together so as to obtain a soft clouded 
 effect. Mix a yellow consisting of vellow ochre, a trifle burnt umber and 
 sienna and white. Have also a darker grayish tint of a similar color and a 
 warm reddish one with more Inirnt sienna in it. Lay these three shades in 
 the spaces reserved for the sandstones and blend them well together so as 
 to ol)tain a clouded effect. \\'hen perfectly dry emphasize here and there 
 with a dot and broken ragged line to represent the unevenness and marks 
 of the stone cutter's chisel on the stones, using your two darker tints for 
 this. Next outline the separate stones with charcoal. Next paint the di- 
 viding lines between the stones with a purplish brown color, giving the line 
 a broken and somewhat uneven appearance that mortar lines between 
 roughly hewn stones always have, l-'inally highlight the top and left side 
 of stones with a broken outline of a cre;iniish white, outline same sides of 
 marble with a straight line of ]nire zinc white and then shade opposite 
 side with bluish lavender. Having completed your first scenic model of wall 
 set piece, make one more, this time changing color of stones and make 
 gate post of large brownish stones. 
 
 The ne.xt problem will be the jjainting of an old, half crumbled down 
 brick wall, covered with remnants of plaster antl having an arched door in 
 the middle. The top of the wall is C(_)vcred with red tiles and jjarth' covered 
 with overhanging vines. Use muslin for model of this design (Fig. 3, Plate 
 8), size same and sketch in, as usual drawing an outline around all places 
 where brick shows through plastering. For the plaster use tints similar to 
 white marble, only do not blend them quite so much together ; where shad- 
 ows from foliage fall on plastering it should be painted bluish lavender. 
 For bricks paint a ground coUjr of reddish orange, Italian red and purplish 
 red, blend together in clouded effects. Use medium red for top tiles. 
 
 For the door use a light brown made of burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and 
 a little white. This color should blend softly into an olive green shade at 
 lower part of door. For hinges use a bluish green, outline these on top with 
 blue and shade with purplish black. Use dark \'an Dyke brown for lines 
 between Ijoards in door. For shadow of wall on door use an olive green.
 
 Outline lower edges of liroken plaster and lines between liricks and laroe 
 stones at bottom with a deep purple. Make large stones a greenish grav. 
 finishing them as explained before. Use a creamish white for mortar show- 
 ing here and there between the bricks. Paint bush and vine as a light, 
 reddish green, and when this is dry lay on leaves, light yellowish green on 
 top. and darker bluish green in shaded parts to the right and below. After 
 having completed the first model nf old wall set ])iece. make ime more, 
 ch.ansjinr;' the desio'ii and the cnlur scheme. 
 
 PRISON DROP. 
 
 In this lessnn we shall nnly consider the interior of an .\meric;in prison. 
 The cild wtirUl dungeon, with its j)illars and arched ceiling, is of course a 
 great deal more artistic. l)ut also a great deal harder to jjaint, and will not 
 be treated until later in this work, h'ig 1, Plate 9, sh<iws a back drop of 
 an ordinarN' ])rison. Windows and dooi-s can be made ])ractical, if so desired, 
 and the drop mounted on three or more slats, but in this lesson we shall 
 only consider it as a model of a s(jli<l back drop to go on rollers and bat- 
 tens. Tack on and si/c a piece of muslin and sketch in outlines of door, 
 windows, arch and ])illars. The t'lickness of pillar< and arch is seen in the 
 j)ers])ective counted from a \anishiiig point in nnd<llr of door, .\fter the 
 outlines have been sketched in. cover the space of the stone work with two 
 or three tints of yellowish gra_\', brownish yellow and bluish or greenish 
 grav. Use same tints for ])illars, smaller arches over windows, and larger 
 arch over door. Init lighting space around door up to pillars and arch, the 
 tints should be darkeneil with some burnt umber, 'idle tints shoidd be [)Ut 
 in soft cloud effects ;ind l)e blended together some. Xext lay in thickness 
 of walls shown around windows with a \ellowish white, using ytdlow ochre 
 and not chrome yellow. 
 
 Model shows light to come from upju-r left corni'r. This is an iin.ag- 
 inary light, as the room in realitv obtains its light Irom the three windows 
 shown, but this illustration if carried out correctly would m.ike the problem 
 of shading too com]ilicateil lor the beginner, hence the im;iginary source of 
 light. 
 
 The space behiml the bars in three upper windows shouH be made a 
 light blue sky color. I he I)ars themselves should be painted bluish black. 
 Sjjace behind bars in window in steel door should be made with a yellow-
 
 ish tint. 'I'lie ddur tn he paiiiteil in 'l:irk Mnisii and Mnisli Mack tints, l>k'n(l- 
 cil siimewhat tdi^ctlKT ami paintcil to run u]) anfl down with straight ver- 
 tical strokes o( the hriish. Steel bars crossing' door are light hhiish with, 
 white highlights through middle and bluish black shade below. Rivets and 
 bolts have a half-moon shape, light blue highlight on upper left side and a 
 corresponding shade of bluish Idack or lower and right side. When ground 
 color for stone work is dry. sketch in sti.ines, tising a straight edge. Sepa- 
 rate stones with brownish-jiuriilish. ragged outline here and there, giving 
 this line a lot of color in the corners, and putting a few dots and ragged 
 lines here and there on the stt)nes to indicate roughness and marks of drill 
 and chisel. The light inside of arch slioid<l be yellowish gray, the dark side 
 purplish gray. Some of the stones should be highlighted on U])|)er .and left 
 side with a \ellow white, and the shadows and shades should be painted a 
 iiurplish gray. After having completed your first model of a ])rison drop, 
 make one more, changing design to suit. 
 
 EXTERIORS OF OLD CASTLES. 
 
 Fig. 2. I'late 9. shows the ramparts and battlements of an old mediaeval 
 castle or fortress. Size in ;i sheet of muslin and start to sketch in outlines 
 of castle, as shown in cut. Next mi.x the colors for the sky. starting it a 
 deei)er blue and running it down to a lighter greenish blue, running into a 
 ])ale yellow at and above the hori/.on. The clouds should be blended in soltly 
 while tlie sky is wet, their upper and left edges to lie cream colored, getting 
 a little deeper as they get nearer to the horizon. The lower right side of 
 clouds to be a pale lavender. 
 
 The light on the castle is coming from the upper left-hanil corner. The 
 wall to the left should be painted in lighter tints of yellowish, brownish yel- 
 low .nKl greenish gray, the remainder of lower walls in deeper lints of the 
 >ame hues. The protru<ling walls throw shadows to the right that are still 
 deeper on the brownish-purplish order. The stones do not show as prom- 
 inently and sharply defined as in the prison and should, therefore, be indi- 
 cated with deeper colors here and there while ground color is still wet. 
 The towers should be shaded and the tints blended softly so as to make 
 them look round.' I laving their lightest shade a little olT the middle and to 
 the left and the darkest shade ojjposite to light, but on right side of tower. 
 There is also a darker shade oj^posite to light, but on riglit side of tower,
 
 and a darker shade falling frcnii under the curnice uf the top l)attlements. 
 Notice in cut how the light and shade of cut-out loopholes in top battle- 
 ments change according to location. After the whole fortress has been 
 painted over, highlight here and there with lighter color and emphasi-ze 
 rouglniess of stones in a few places witli a brownish purple. The castle is 
 set on a rock foundation and this should be painted as an orilinary tail 
 rock, described in a previous chapter. The rocks should be lighter over left 
 side and darker up under right side of castle. Down in the foreground is 
 seen some tall grass. This has first a ground, painted in blended tints of 
 olive green and brownish green ; where partly green a few clusters of 
 bright bluish green. The blades of grass are painted on \\ith a long sweep- 
 ing stroke of a small flexil)le brush, and when fully dry it is retouched here 
 and there with clusters of grass and weeds, painted in light yellowish and 
 grayish green.
 
 PLATE 9.
 
 liilfereiit brush in every color and lay on tints, keeping them separated while 
 Avet, run a trifle together with a clean brush, giving the appearance of grow- 
 ing grass and shrubbery. Xext paint in a few dark green and brown patches 
 with a smaller brush, but do not get them too sharp or distinct. Left fore- 
 ground should be painted all over in a dark green and brown and when 
 partly dry the light should be put on with light greens, light grays and light 
 browns. When perfectly dry the highlights on rocks, the creamish white 
 trunks of the l)irch trees should be put on with a smaller l)rush. the blacks 
 on same accentuated and the dark greens and l)rinvns of foliage put on 
 wdien background is dry. The foliage should be highlighted with light olive 
 green. Be sure to use a slender, spring)- brush to give the efifect of foliage. 
 For the river use a light cream color and rub this while still wet into streaks 
 of deeper yellowish orange : also shade under clitYs and shores, using burnt um- 
 ber and dark greens. The stroke of the brush should be parallel with lower 
 edge of paint frame. For rocks and shrubbery in right of foreground use a 
 background of burnt umber with a trifle purple for rocks and deeper green- 
 ish blue for foliage. When jjartly dry jjaint in lights with white and yel- 
 lowish mixed with liuriit umlier ; strongest lights left to be painted on when 
 other colors are dry and should l)e put in with smaller brush in a light 
 l)lue and should be painted in a similar manner to those at left. When the 
 whole picture is painted and finished look it over critically and where it appears 
 wrong in color try to correct this b}- scrumbling. rul)l)ing opaque white color 
 over with washes of transparency. 
 
 Next obtain a few colored studies of moimtain scenes and copy them 
 faithfully. After this practice select about three or four black and white 
 illustrations of mcnnUain scenes and make colored scenerv models in dis- 
 temper colors from them. Finally compose designs of three or four original 
 rocky pass settings from motifs taken from tlie different scenes you have 
 copied. Keep a collection of )-our rocky pass scenery models to be copied 
 when receiving orders from actual scenerv of this kind. 
 
 I 
 
 DESERTS. 
 
 A desert scene is not used very often in ordinary ])roductions, but 
 nevertheless you should know how to make these settings if called upon to 
 do so. Often when a phi) re(|uires a desert scene, the desert proper is 
 painted on the back drop and seen through cut antl netted leg dro[) repre- 
 senting troiiica! vegetation. As tiic student will be taught how to ])aint
 
 this kind of scenery later on. we shall in this lesson only concern ourselves 
 with a i)lain desert scene painted on a solid tlrop. 
 
 The sky in a tropical country is deeper blue than in the North, and 
 supposing our scene to represent the famous African desert, Sahara, we shall 
 first sketch in a low ridge of distant mountains running across the whole 
 width of the canvas and divide this into equal parts, the one above the 
 niiiuntains to rei)resent the sk_\- and the one below the desert. 
 
 Over the left in the foregrtnmd can be sketched in a protruding rock, 
 a couple of skulls and ribs of dead animals ; to the right in the middle 
 distance we may have a couple of pyramids or a sphinx half buried in the 
 sands. The sky should be painted with no clouds, starting with ultrama- 
 rine, then running through an Italian blue to a light emerald green into 
 a light cream behind the lavender colored mountains that are seen in 
 silhouette against the sky. For the color of the same use a light cream in 
 tlie far distance. Bring this down to a warmer tint in the middle distance 
 and make it still warmer and a trifle darker in the foreground. All objects 
 should have lavender colored sh:ides and shadows, the lighter in the dis- 
 tance and darker in the foreground. Make three or four different studies 
 of deserts as described above. Change t!ie scene in some of them to New 
 Mexico alkali lands with low moimtains and ridges or crevasses in the 
 limestone ground, which should be si)aringly covered with bluish green 
 sagebrush and a large-leafed cactus in the foreground. 
 
 SEA, WATER, MARINE. 
 
 An ocean <lr(ip is generally included in a scenic outtit lor opera house 
 ])la\ing re])ertoire shows. When making scenery models in distemper col- 
 ors of an ocean droj) divide ymir cainas almost in the middle: paint a plain 
 or cloudy sky in the upper part and the ocean in the lower part. Start with 
 an ultramarine tint against the horizon ; lead this into a light blue, then into 
 a greenish blue that gets darker green toward the bottom. All of these 
 tints shuuld be parallel with the horizontal lines and will blend into each 
 other. 
 
 When colors are partly wet, some darker parallel lines made with a 
 small brush can be laid on the ground work at top of ocean. As you go 
 farther down this should be longer and deeper, a tritle farther apart and 
 gradually assuming the form of waves. These should be made larger and
 
 darker in the foreground and, supposing the sea is rough-crested with white 
 foam, that should be daubed on with a round brush while underlying color 
 is damp and then highlighted with pure white when dry. Make several 
 models of sea and water. If }ou live near a large body of water, go out 
 sketching and make your sttidies directly from nature. If you live in an 
 inland town obtain a good collection of marine studies in colors and copy 
 these. "Water rows" are set pieces set across in front of drop so as to allow 
 property boats to be handled behind them which, when seen from the audi- 
 ence, will appear as sailing on the water. They are movmted on profiled 
 tops. The "water row" nearest the proscenium is generally painted to rep- 
 resent a part of the shore or beach. The rest of the "water rows" are to 
 be painted similar to lower edge of back drop. If a stormy sea, the fore- 
 most waves should be made into breakers that roll over. Moonlight effect 
 on the water scenes can 1)e made in dift'erent ways that will be explained 
 in a chapter dealing with transparencies and transformation scenes. 
 
 Spend a great deal of time and study in this lesson, as it requires more 
 originality of conception than former problems. If there is no large body 
 of water near the place where you live, you can easily find some pond, 
 lake or brook, in which you can study reflections in water and obtain a 
 fair idea of how smaller bodies of water should be painted on theatrical 
 scenery when such representation is reciuired.
 
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN 
 
 PLAIN CHAMBERS. 
 
 plain chamber, often called a "kitchen" among theatrical people, 
 is a setting representing a bare room. If the scenery is not being 
 made for some special production, but as house scenery, it is best 
 not to make it look dilapidated and plaster should not be represent- 
 ed as cracked and peeled ofif, showing the lath below. We shall first consider 
 the ordinary plain room as found among the house scenery of the ordinary 
 theaters and opera houses. 
 
 Interior settings in smaller houses and in most moving picture theaters 
 are often hung the same way as exteriors ; that is, the back drop goes on 
 rollers or battens and the wings move in grooves. In more pretentious 
 houses all interior settings are made as box settings in flats mounted on 
 frames and held in place by stage braces and screws. We shall devote a few 
 words to the mounting of interiors before we proceed to give directions 
 for the painting of same. 
 
 If a drop is supposed to roll up, it is secured to a top batten made of 
 two pieces of three-inch clear white pine boards, that are nailed together 
 on either side of top edge of scene. 
 
 The floor edge of scene is fastened to a roller which can be a hollow 
 or skeleton roller. Lengths of gas pipes are often used for bottom battens. 
 The drop is then hoisted up by ropes running through pulleys. The wings 
 work in groove boxes that arc fastened at either side of stage, slanting 
 awav from front. If setting is to be boxed in it should be cut up in "flats" 
 and these should have practical doors and windows. 
 
 .\11 flats are mounted on three-inch white pine frames and can be put 
 ni place as described and secured with stage braces and lashing ropes. 
 
 We shall now start to paint models of a back drop for a plain chamber 
 setting, the wings to be painted in a similar manner, having one practical 
 window and two practical doors.
 
 First put muslin on paint frame and size in the usual manner. Next 
 sketch in scene, following the dimensions of the illustration, and use a 
 straight edge for all short straight lines and a chalk line for all limg hori- 
 zontal lines and a plumh line for long vertical lines, when _\ou come to make 
 the scene in actual size. 
 
 The wall proper should be made of dull yellow, made of yellow ochre, 
 ■whiting and a little burnt sienna. The space shown above picture moulding 
 shcjuld be made a trifle lighter, omitting the burnt sienna and using more 
 white in the color. The woodwork should be painted to indicate wood, and 
 three shades of dark oli\e green, a Ijrown and a dirty light red should be 
 blended into each otiier on the canvas, having strokes nf the l)rush follow 
 the directions that the grain of the wood would naturally run. The sky, 
 through panes in window, should be painted a light blue, getting lighter 
 toward the liottoni. When the woodwork is dry it can be grained in places, 
 showing" a knothole here and there ; this should be done with a small, well- 
 pointed brush. Graining color should be darker than background in light 
 places of wood, and light in dark places. Finally everything should be out- 
 lined on top and left side with a strong light red, made of orange mineral 
 and zinc white, and then shaded on all lower and right sides with l)lack and 
 very blackish pur]jle. 
 
 Set-in jjanels in doors receive the light and shade just opposite. In 
 finishing up the lines the boards in wainscoting should be separated with 
 black line and have a trifle red on them here and there. This finishes the 
 model, which is very easy to make, and so is the finished setting in actual 
 size. If used .hs a box setting, the flat shuuld have two practical doors and 
 one or two windows. Make the models of a ]jlain chamber setting, only in 
 one indicate loose, dirty plaster instead of an even wall. This is obtained 
 by using three colors, a dirty light brown, a dirty yelluw and a green. Rub 
 these into each nther in a s(]rt nf cloud elYcct when ])ainting them on 
 wall space On third model you should use same plaster elYect, but have it 
 cracked in places and peeled off so that lath will show below. Outlines of 
 plaster should be highlighted with a rough broken line in white. Lath is 
 painted in a dirty yellow, set a])art with a broken dark brown line, with 
 splashes of white here and there. 
 
 PLAIN CABINS. 
 
 By a cabin is meant either the interior of an old log cabin showing the 
 logs in place of plain walls of the chamber, or interiors of wooden shanties,
 
 I?"^ W**-"^ ^>-^?8WP»» - 
 
 »l?fi.AQIM (?>^lSllL(o)l?^'>
 
 \
 
 showing the studding, with loose boards nailed to the outside. Both are 
 comparatively easy to paint. In the log cabin interior make window smaller 
 than in plain chambers and give it a rough frame. Let door represent one 
 roughly put together of boards with a "Z" shaped brace and hung with a 
 strap hinge. The logs can cither be shown with round sides or be repre- 
 sented as having been roughly trimmed with an ax. 
 
 They should be j)ainted to look as if clay were put in between 
 them to close u]) all cracks and make the room air tight. For interior of 
 shanties you will be able to find a good model in woodsheds, sawmills and 
 outhouses and the like. Copy these directly from nature, in colors if pos- 
 sible, and make two models, one of a log cabin and one of a shanty interior. 
 
 PLAIN PARLORS. 
 
 The professional theatrical technical name for a parlor setting is "cen- 
 ter door fancy," and such a setting consists of a piece often called "arch," 
 which has a large opening and often is made to fold in the middle, and other 
 flats which are called either plain flats, door flats, fireplace flats, window 
 flats, jogs, etc. In smaller theaters the setting generally consists of a back 
 drop with a double door in the center and four or six wings on the sides. 
 
 We shall now describe the painting of a back drop for a plain parlor 
 setting; the one illustrated is of the early colonial or empire period and very 
 artistic. Almost any tasteful color scheme can be used and you need not 
 confine yourself to the one described in this lesson. First find middle of 
 your canvas. Drop a vertical line through this, dividing space in two ecjual 
 halves. Then set oft lines for footboard, panels, wainscoting, wall pictures, 
 molding and borders. Draw horizontal line through these points. 
 
 Then set off door and draw it in correctly, lieing careful to get all panels 
 true and square. When scene is all sketched in, mix a pink of zinc white, 
 tinted with a trifle oriental red. turkey red or magenta lake. 
 
 Paint space over picture molding with this tint. \\'hen this is dry you 
 can sketch in garland of flowers ; as this design is a repetition of a vmit, 
 time can be saved when you have to paint the scene in actual size for prac- 
 tical purpose to make a "I'ounce pattern" on a strong oil manila paper. 
 This pattern can be made as follows : Take a sheet of ordinary white paper, 
 a little larger than one unit of the pattern, double this paper in the middle 
 and on one side of it draw in outline half of a flower garland, witii half
 
 of the pendant hanging" down between them. Pounce this pattern with a 
 hot pin or large darning needle. When unfolded, this sheet will give you 
 the pattern of the full garland. Make a l)ag of double thickness of cheese 
 cloth : till \vith some dry color, for instance, luirnt sienna ; this color will 
 rul) through the holes in the pattern am' transfer a dotted outline unto the 
 sheet of manila paper. Go over these lines with a lead pencil and rul> the 
 paper lightly with smooth sandpaper, which will prevent holes from clos- 
 ing. The perforated pattern can now be pounced on the scene, using dry 
 color in a bag as before. This process, descril)ed here in detail, should be 
 resorted to whenever "pounce patterns" are called for in the future, but 
 when making small models for studies you should sketch all patterns di- 
 rectly on your canvas, even if they are, as in the case mentioned above, 
 repeaters of some certain unit. After having obtained a good outline of the 
 full length oi garlands, start to paint all the flowing ribbons in a light l_)lue, 
 shade these with dark blue and highlight with white tinted with a little 
 blue. Next paint your flowers. I""or roses use a light jiink liackground. 
 when this is dry make a deej) tkirk red depression about middle nl flower, 
 and shade dark part of flower with this deeji rose cokjr and highlight with 
 white, retaining the form of a rose, which should be studied from nature. 
 The other flowers can be made to represent daisies or black-eyed susans. 
 The leaves toward the outside of garland should be painted a light green, 
 those in middle a stronger, more olive, green. \N'hen dry, retouch with 
 brriwn and purple in shaded places, under ribl:)(ins and flowers. 
 
 The molding running l)elciw liorder is supposed to represent a carved, 
 gih molding, it should lie painte<l nver first with a flat gold ground, mixed 
 with Dutch pink and a trifle burnt sienna. W'iien this is dry and wall be- 
 hnv has been painted, divide molding in the middle, and in the lower part 
 sketch in an "egg staff," consisting of egg shaped ovals, highlighted and 
 outlined on tiie left with a pale yellow made of lemon with a little zinc 
 white, and shaded on the right side with two jKir.illcl lines of dark 
 brown, Van Dyke brown or l)urnt sienna. 
 
 Top part of molding should be "flashed up" with brown or burnt sienna. 
 Bottom part of molding shoidd be "flashed up" with flashes of light yel- 
 low at certain intervals. In the middle of these flashes paint one or two 
 s(iuares of solid yellow, then take l)rusii full of color and drag brush out 
 from center until it is almost empty of color, and this will give a graduated 
 flash of yellow fading into the gold ground. Outline molding on top with 
 two parallel lines of yellow and shade above egg staff and below molding 
 with brown lines. Next paint wall space in some appropriate color, for 
 instance, light pea green made of chrome green mixed with whiting.
 
 When dry lay in a strip and make or buy some appropriate design that 
 will fit in the top space betAveen the strips. In order to stencil successfully 
 on scenery a soft brush and a stiff, thick color should be used. With a 
 little practice you will soon be able to put on a stencil pattern with clean, 
 sharply defined outlines \Mien making small models these patterns should 
 either be painted free hand or a small stencil pattern could be used. Next 
 paint all of the wood an old ivory, made of whiting slightly tinted with a 
 trirte chrome }-ellow. Frame around door should be a little lighter than 
 frame around duor ]janels and wainscoting panels. Paint the j)anes a very 
 light green, several shades lighter than the wall. In panel over door paint 
 an appropriate landscape, either copied from one of your original sketches 
 from nature or from other colored, tasteful art studies. 
 
 Finally line all \vi)odwork with pure zinc white on top and left side 
 and reddish purjile on bottom and right side. Panels that are set in should 
 be outlined, that is, dark on left and top side and light on right and bottom 
 side. The second lining on panels goes the same way as the ordinary out- 
 lining. .All this outlining should be done with a small brush, using a lining 
 stick with a beveled edge and a handle in the middle. When all the outlining 
 is done look your model over well and see if it reepiires an\- more finish- 
 ing touches, and when linall_\' completed to _\our satisfaction start to make 
 two or more models of a back drop for a plain parlor setting, changing the 
 design and color scheme each time, and in one of these models place a 
 large French window in the middle instead of the center door.
 
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN 
 
 FANCY INTERIORS. PALACES. 
 
 ROM the plain to the fancy interior is a short step ami the jnipil 
 who can paint a plain, tasty interior will soon learn the additional 
 ornamentation of detail required for the so-called "fancj' interior" 
 setting that always is found in the house scenery of even the less 
 pretentious theaters. In this chapter is shown a small reproduction of a 
 fancy interior setting, in modified Rococco style, and we shall now explain 
 how to paint a scenery model from this design. The same methods as 
 described here should be used when working on a large scale in the 
 studio or on the paint bridges, onlv that a chalk line should he used for 
 all straight lines in place of a ruler and a straight edge, which can be 
 used when making a small model. First size }our muslin or canvas in the 
 usual way ; then find middle of sam« and draw a plumb line down through 
 it. Then i)lumb the other two edges of canvas and set off a top and bottom 
 line of scene, scjuare with these plumb lines, measure off j)oints for all hori- 
 zontal lines in the bottom panels, all vertical lines of door and ])ancls, and 
 draw these with straight lines from toj) to bottom. The printed niddel slinws 
 also a ceiling cloth with ornamental gold border in Rococco style. Ivococco 
 style, also called "Baroque" style, came in vogue in the middle and latter 
 part of the eighteenth century and was brought to its greatest perfection 
 during the reign of the J""rench kings, Louis Xl\" and XV. Later it became 
 degenerated and too loaded with bizarre and grotesque ornamentation until 
 it died out during the French revolution and was succeeded by the pure 
 and simple Empire style, of which our Colonial style is a modified form and 
 which takes most of its motifs from old Greek sculpture architecture, while 
 the Rococco style obtains its name frcmi the b'rench word "recaille," mean- 
 ing an oyster shell. This combination, together with the letter "C," forms 
 a leading motif in this jjarticular and magnificent style that always abounds 
 in richly gilded ornament in graceful swung curves, and is especially well 
 adapted to the large and brilliant apartments of royal castles and chateaus.
 
 PLATE 1 2. 
 
 ^*3i?>
 
 Only the larger theaters use sulid eeiling- clrjth, sus])eiiile<l over their 
 l)iixe(l-in interior settings, and we shall advise yoti to use the border 
 directly on this back drop and w ings or flats, as the case may be. It can 
 also lie painted on sejjarate interior borders. (For construction of these 
 see chapter on construction later on.) .\fter all vertical and horizontal 
 .straight lines have been <lra\\ii in their true proportions, the half circle- 
 over door should be put in and all ornamentation showing curved lines 
 sketched in either free hand or by tlic use of perforated ]>ounce pattern, 
 made on nianilla or heavy liuilding paper. .After the whole scene is laid 
 out and ;ill corners have been found true ;inil s(|uare, the tints and colors 
 for painting this drop should be mi.xed. in describing the ]jainting of 
 this interior setting, however, we shall refer only to the colors necessary 
 to be used. For all of the white mix a tint consisting of bolted white, 
 modilieJ. with a tritfe chrome yellow medium, to take the harshness out of 
 the white. For the inside of the large panels use a bright turkey red or 
 oriental red. For the frames around the molding use a bright pea green 
 mi.xed from fidiage green, a trille Italian cjr sky blue and white; for the 
 gold ground use Dutch jiink, warmed with a trifle burnt sienna ; for shading 
 this, rich brnwn made (if Inirnt sienna and \'an Uyke br<nvn, ;ind for high- 
 lights a thick \ello\\-, mixed from chrome yellow, lenuiu and zinc white. 
 
 .\11 the gold moldings should first be laid in and then retouched or 
 "tiashed u])" in jdaces where the light strikes it. Whenever no certain 
 source of illumination is demanded it always is best to have it come from 
 the .upper left hand corner at an angle of 43 degrees. This will make all 
 fops and left sides of protruding objects light and all right and lower sides 
 shaded. If a panel is set in, this rule is to be reversed and the right and 
 lower side illuminated, .\fter all ]>anels and moldings have received their 
 ground color, highlight the molding as described above, using the colors 
 thick so that the half-emptied brush can be dragged from the highest lights 
 toward the shaded side. 'Ibis makes the highlights blend nicel_\- with the 
 background and gives them a look of brilliancy that can be obtained in no 
 other way. 
 
 Finally shade and retouch all molding with a rich brown, using a 
 straight edge on lines of all straight moldings and working the shading on 
 all curved moldings free hand. If light green spaces over center panel 
 .ire desired to be painted in imitation of tufted satin, as indicated in illus- 
 tration, the spaces should first be divided into cubes or diamonds of equal 
 size and the left and upper space of these highlighted with a light tint of 
 zinc while ami a trifle green: the lower right side should be shaded with a
 
 darkish, bluish green, and the niidiUe left the color of the background, 
 that is, the same pea green as found in all the rest of the green spaces. 
 
 The flowers in the center panel over the door should be copied from a 
 good flower study. A picturesque landscape or a fancy head can also be 
 put ill this space if desired. After having completed your first model of 
 this fancy interior drop, make three or four models of a similar design, but 
 arrange somewhat differently and have dift'erent color scheme and orna- 
 mentations. 
 
 PALACES. 
 
 Palace interiors are often called "palace arch drops," in the language of 
 the stage, and generally consist of a back dro]) with two or more leg drops 
 to match, and are cut and sometimes netted. On Plate 13 we have illustrat- 
 ed a palace interior drop, showing distant landscape through three arches 
 supported by a marble column. After the muslin has been sized in the 
 usual way, drop or strike a straight line down through the middle, also one 
 on each side of the canvas, then square top and bottom lines with these 
 vertical lines and start to lay out the balustrade. Ne.xt draw the columns 
 and the arches, and when working on a large scale you can use a bit of 
 charcoal fastened to the end of a string; when making the half circles of 
 the arches on a small model, these circles can be laid out with an ordinary 
 compass. Next sketch in the top draperies, vase, palms and statuary.. If 
 you have already started, as is customary, an indexed collection of all kinds 
 of cuts and i)rints, we believe that among these you will be able to find 
 models for these statues. l£nlarge the small prints by the method of squares 
 as taught in one of the first chapters of this book, and draw the enlarged 
 statue in its place on the scene. The landscape behind the balustrade and 
 columns slunild be some kind of a sunny southern scene. 
 
 An It.ilian scene, like the Bay of Naples shown in our illustration, will 
 be found very apjiropriate. This distant scene should be painted in light, 
 vivid colors or tints, so as to give suflicient distance and illumination to 
 the scene. Having completed the charcoal outline sketch, we will now 
 start the painting of same, and you will soon find out that this is one of 
 the hardest problems you have solved so far, but it will be worth the 
 trouble and if executed correctly will make a most magnificent and bril- 
 liant piece of scenery, l-'irst select a good study for the landscape, then
 
 PLATE 13. 
 
 (i7i^^[?j]© .^'ir^,oi^©.^^t)g [g)i^(2)ip
 
 draw the main outline of this on the canvas and mix a color for the sky. 
 If you decide to put on a design simihir to the one shown in the illustration, 
 the top of the sky should be painted in a tint consisting of sky blue, Italian 
 blue, zinc white. This should be lighted up with more white as it comes 
 closer down to the horizon, and in the last laps should have a trifle lemon 
 yellow, then medium yellow and finally orange mixed into the color. The 
 mountain siiouid be i)ainted in a light pink shade and, while still wet, with 
 bluish lavender. Down toward the shore a few dots of white should be 
 laid on here and there to represent houses. The water should be started 
 with a color similar to the top of the sky and be painted deeper blue as it 
 comes nearer to the foreground. The buildings on the left shore should 
 throw a white reflection in the water, which must be painted in while the 
 color is still wet and, as the rest of the water, with horizontal strokes of 
 the brush. The buildings are either pure white, a trifle yellowish or very 
 light pink, showing a red roof here and there and being shaded with a 
 brilliant lavender. Next paint the two pine trees in the foreground. They 
 are evergreens somewhat on the order of fir. but should be painted in a 
 light key, using a light pea green in the ligln and a nuirc bluish green in 
 the shaded jjarts, light reddish trunks highlighted with orange and shaded 
 with purple. Then paint the arches and the balustrade in a grayish laven- 
 der, not too light. The columns can be made to represent dark green 
 marble, and in order to give a sufficient roundness, you should mix uj) all of 
 the tints for them before beginning to lay tlicin on, and when doing this 
 rub each color into the other so as to secure a soft and even blending. 
 All brush strokes should be laid parallel witii outside of columns and each 
 tint run the same width the whole length. 
 
 \\"here the highlights strike the columns a very light green should be 
 used and one on each side of this and along the outside of the columns 
 shoidd be a trifie darker, and in between them should be painted a tint of 
 still darker green, having a ver_\' dark bluish green shade running thr<iugh 
 the middle. When lints are partl\- dry lay on the marble veins in the 
 bl;u-kish green, even darker than the darkest part of columns. When col- 
 lunns are clry highlight these with a flash of rather thickly mi.xed zinc white 
 from the top duwn through the lightest green, and drag the brush oiU well 
 at the end of the flash. The next to ]):iint will I)e the heads and bases of 
 columns, which are suj)posed to represent gold and bronze. They should 
 be laid in with light gold ground made of Dutch ])ink around the edges, 
 and with a darker gold ground in middle made of Dutch pink with a trifle 
 sii-nna .added to it. When this is dry. highlight with yellow lemon, mi.xed 
 with zinc white, and outlined and shaded with \'an Dvke brown. The arches
 
 and balustrade shuuld he highlighted with white, moditied a trifle with a 
 few drops of yellow in it. and shaded with a Ijluish purple. These pieces 
 of wall can be niarblized with a lighter and darker vein if desired. The 
 draperies can be painted in several shades of lavender and pur{)le, being 
 very light in the highest lights and a very deep purple in the darkest 
 spots, so as to obtain sufficient sparkle and luster of rich silk draperies. 
 The lining where shown and the lower draperies can be made of pale 
 yellow or pale pink. The cords and tassels can be laid in gold ground and 
 shaded with light lemon yellow. The palms should be painted a bluish green 
 and high lighted with a very light green, and shaded with a deep olive 
 green. The vases and small columns on A\hich the statues stand should be 
 made on the order of the large columns. The ornaments on the draperies 
 should be made to represent gold, with different colored fancy ribbons run- 
 ning in between them. The statues can either be painted to represent 
 marble or lironze. Marble statues have a zinc white modified a trifle in 
 parts with yellow, a grayish lavender in half tints and a more pronounced 
 lavender in the shades, and a purple in the dark shadows. Bronze statues 
 should be painted light green in the highlights, brownish green in the mid- 
 dle tints, dark olive green in the shades and dark brown in the shadows. 
 
 .•\fter the colors are dry, the highest lights should be scrumbled on in 
 pure white for marble and very light green for bronze effects. Finally 
 lake a look at the whole scene and retouch it where needed and highlight 
 in places where it looks dull and flat. It stands to reason that no highlights 
 should be put in deeply shaded ])laces, but only where the highest lights 
 strike the subject. Remember that the scene requires hard work, but is 
 very instructive, and do not get discouraged if you do not succeed the first 
 time, but try again and benefit by your mistakes and when you finally have 
 a first-class palace arch dro]) }')U \\ill be in possession of a very magnificent 
 piece of scenery that is used a great deal in comic opera, l)urles(|uc and 
 minstrel shows. 
 
 The next piece of scenery to paint will be a grand staircase drop, w'hich 
 is even more intricate .•ind elaborate than an ordinary palace arch. When 
 you have the canvas ready you should drop three vertical lines down, one 
 through the middle, one at each edge of canvas; also one horizontal line 
 at bottom of scene and one line ])arallel ,ind scjuare with vertical lines at 
 top of canvas. Next start to lay out the columns or pilasters on back 
 wall, then draw your staircase, and finally the object in the foreground. 
 Most any kind of a bright and harmonious color scheme cin be used for 
 this drop. I""irst paint one model in the colors given below and then a lew
 
 more in (iift'erent ctilor coinl)inatiinis. ']"lif I'rencli uindciw in tlu- hack- 
 ground sliould 1)C' painted a dark blue, at tlu- tup liK-ndrd intu a liL;!it liliic 
 and the color ending up with a _\ell()\vish tint in tlie lower panes. Window- 
 frames should be given a light pur])]e color, highlighted with light red and 
 shaded deep purple. The statue in frcmt of window should be painted as 
 described in former lessons, and back wall should be made a light bulf 
 color, with pilasters (flat columns) in ivory with gilded cajjs. The stair- 
 case should be painted in imitation of white marble and top stejjs nearly 
 white, those in the middle with a trifle \ellow in the white, those lower 
 down witli a little red in the tint and the lowest with a trifle lavender in 
 the color. The balustrade and railing slmuld be m;ide in ivcirv tint, being 
 lavender in the shades and having white highlights and purple shadows. 
 The lower arches should be given a deeper bufif than the back wall and can 
 be marblized with dark brown and cream colored veins. 
 
 Palms and plants shcjuld be ])ainted as explained in former lessons. 
 The candelabra can be ])ainted in imitation cjf bronze with white porcelain 
 shades over the lights. Following this color scheme, as given above, \-ou 
 will have a nice and bright looking scene in tasty colors, but to obtain 
 more practice we should advise you to make three or four more models 
 of grand staircase dro]is, changing color schemes in each new model that 
 you paint. 
 
 —133—
 
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 
 
 ADVERTISING AND FANCY FRONT DROPS. 
 
 E front drop curtain in a theater is nearer the eye of the audience 
 than any other scenery : it is down between acts, when the lights 
 in the house are un. It will be criticised and scrutinized more close- 
 1\ than the rest of the scenery, and therefore must be executed 
 with more care and closer attention to details than is necessary when paint- 
 ing a mountain scene or a cabin interior. 
 
 All colors should be pure and bright, but not gaudy ; color harmonies 
 should be studied closely and the general color scheme of the front drop 
 should fit in well with the decorations used in the auditorium. If, for in- 
 stance, the predominating color in the house is pink, the draperies on the 
 front drop should not be painted red, nor if the color of the house is yellow 
 or light pink. Green or purple draperies would harmonize with the above 
 mentioned colors. If draperies on front drop are to represent heavy silk 
 or satin fabric, the highlights should be strong and clear, and middle tints 
 considerably lighter than the deep shades in which often are found reflec- 
 tions from the lighter part of the drapery. If velvet draperies are to be 
 represented, the highlights should not be marked so sharply or pronounced 
 and the shades should be deeper, darker and fuller than on satin. If woolen 
 goods are represented, the highlights, if any, should be very subdued. A 
 good combination is found in rich velvet overdrapings hanging over lighter 
 colored silk draperies below. Fringes, tassels, pompoms, ornamental bor- 
 ders, etc., help to lend richness to the draperies and should be highlighted 
 strongly in the light parts, but not in the shades and shadows. 
 
 ADVERTISING DROPS. 
 
 These drops are often found in smaller houses, as they yield a revenue 
 to the proprietor of tlie house or to the agent who has solicited the adver- 
 tisements from the local i)usiness ])eople : they are never as artistic or
 
 PLATE 14.
 
 pleasing as a drop without advertisements, and therefore are hardly ever 
 fciund in high class theaters. 
 
 On Plate 14 we show an illustration of a plain advertising front drop 
 curtain with fourteen spaces for advertisements; these spaces can, of 
 course, be increased or decreased, as the occasion may demand. The top 
 of the curtain is embellished with a Valance border, representing rich silk- 
 draperies with gold fringe around the edges : silk draperies of a similar 
 color are also hung over columns at either side of curtain. These draperies 
 can be made in any shade or color harmonizing with the general color 
 scheme of the auditorium in the theater, and should also harmonize w-ith 
 the background of the advertisements. A light green, a deep red, or a 
 lavender are good colors for draperies. With the lavender draperies the 
 background for the advertisements may be a very light pink or pea green; 
 same background color can also be used with red draperies. With green 
 draperies a very light lavender shade would form a harmonious background 
 color for the advertisements. The frames around these advertisements 
 should be made to represent old mission colored wood; the highlights on 
 same should be made a very light green and Bashed on from the middle 
 towards the corners ; the shadows should form solid lines and be made from 
 a blackish purple tint. In the middle of curtain is a landscape picture of an 
 appropriate design surrounded by an ornamental frame that is painted in 
 gold ground and highlighted with light chrome yellow and shaded with a 
 dark reddish brown. A small stenciled border can be used on middle mold- 
 ing in frame. The column spaces shown under draperies should also repre- 
 sent gold or bronze, and the shafts and pedestals of columns should be 
 marblized. After having finished one model, according to these directions 
 given here, design three or four different advertising curtains, using your 
 own judgment in the designing, and in one of these do not confine yourself 
 to square spaces for all of the advertisements, but make some of them into 
 circles, ovals, scrolls, banners and the like, but whatever design you make, 
 be sure to use good taste and do not get it over-elaborated with details 
 and fancy work. 
 
 FRONT DROP CURTAINS. 
 
 The front drop curtain, illustrated on Plate 15, is a replica of the famous 
 drop curtain at the Royal Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark, which was paint- 
 ed about fifty years ago, by one of the most noted European scenic artists. It 
 
 —137—
 
 makes a magnificent and very elaborate curtain, hut is not of the easiest 
 design to duplicate. However, as it is very instructive, we have selected 
 this design for a model, as you can learn a great deal by the making of 
 colored scenic models from this splendid and historically correct design. 
 Directions for painting this in fresco colors follow below. 
 
 The large draj)eries in front should he painted so as to represent heavy 
 woolen g'oods of a deep rich red color : for instance, deep turkey red. No 
 distinct highlights are recjuired. but the shades should be made with two 
 deep reds, verging on a blackish purple in the very deepest shadows. When 
 making the sketch for this design be sure to draw a correct outline of the 
 folds, so that they fall in the same directions, as indicated in the halftone 
 illustration. Behind these draperies is shown a vista of a Grecian land- 
 scape, with the temple of 01\nipus on top of the mountain and in the fore- 
 ground, on the rose-covered balustrade, stand two statues of Thalia (the 
 muse of comedy) and IMelepomene (the muse of tragedy). Thalia has for 
 her attributes a shepherd's flute and a tambourine; Melepomene, a drawn 
 dagger and a large mask. The curtains are pulled away from this scene 
 by the aid of nine winged Cupifls. 
 
 After liaving sketched in the drop correctly, proceed to paint the sky 
 behind the mountains. It should be a light, bright blue at top, mixed from 
 sky blue or Italian blue, with zinc white. As it comes nearer down towards 
 the horizon the color gets more white in it and also a trifle yellow, 'i'he last 
 sweep of the sky over the distant hills has no more of the blue in the tint, 
 but a trifle orange to warm nji the c(jlor. 
 
 The hills or mountains in the farthest distance are painted a very 
 light red i in tlie left side and ;i light lax'ender on the right side. The}' 
 should be painted in when the mitlines of the sky are still wet, so as to 
 obtain soft, indistinct nutlines lilendcd somewhat intu the sky culor. The 
 mountains in the niiddle distance are yellowish red on the left side, with 
 some bright, light green shuwing here and there. The right side is cov- 
 ered with \crdin'e and trees, that are lighter in tint the farther awav from 
 the fnreground the\' are. The trees are 3-ellowish green on the left side, 
 light i>live green in the middle and bluish green on the right side. The 
 light C(imes fruni up])er left corner. The large cypress trees, directK in 
 foreground, are darker and more brnwnish green than the rest of the trees. 
 The palm leaves in front nf middle temple are light green. The climbing 
 roses hanging over the balustrade show more yellowish green in the hdiage 
 than the trees farther away. The nearer slopes of the mountains are light 
 green, mixed here and there with a trifle light red and orange. The tem-
 
 PLATE 15.
 
 pies are light red where the light shows, lavender in the shaded sides, and 
 light purple in the deep shadows. These colors should be lighter the 
 farther away from the foreground the buildings are located. The statues 
 are painted white in the Hght parts, yellowish in the half lights, with a 
 light red touch here and there ; light lavender in the shades and bluish pur- 
 ple in the shadows. The statue of Thalia shows only part of the left arm, 
 tambourine and lower draperies in the light, the rest of the statue is in 
 the shade from the curtain in front, being a light lavender, shaded with 
 bluish purple. The balustrade is a yellowish marble, showing light, green- 
 ish blue veins here and there. The floor is made of white and black marble 
 tiles. The farthest row of these are, alternately, pure white and deep pur- 
 ple ; the middle rows, light yellowish white and purplish black; the front 
 rows, light whitish lavender and solid black tiles. This gives the correct 
 color perspective. 
 
 In order to get the correct perspective in the tiles, the vanishing point 
 should be laid at the upper left corner of pedestal on which statue farthest 
 to the right stands, partly hidden by draperies. The Cupids should be 
 sketched in in their true proportions, and a flesh color for the lightest parts 
 should be mixed out of zinc white, orange and a trifle chrome yellow me- 
 dium. For the darker or shaded parts of the bodies the same tint with an 
 addition of a little burnt sienna, and in the deepest shadows burnt umber 
 can be used. Lines in between fingers and toes should be made with a 
 deep red. The hair of the Cupids should be, for some of them, light yel- 
 low, shaded with orange and brown in the shadows, and for others, brown, 
 shaded with purple and black. The wings should be white, with a lavender 
 cast in the shadows and outlined in between the feathers with tilue. From 
 these directions, we are confident that you will be able to paint a front 
 drop of this magnificent design. If you should not succeed the first time, 
 try again ; put your first study on the wall of the paint room and go to 
 work again, finding all the mistakes and shortcomings in the first model, 
 and correcting them in the new one that you are making. 
 
 Having made a satisfactory model of the above described design, you 
 should choose a different landscape and paint that in the space below the 
 draperies. This time, if so desired, the Cupids can be omitted and the 
 draperies appear as if they were hung over the balustrade, showing the 
 form of the balustrade behind the folds.
 
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 
 
 MODERN STREET SCENES, ANCIENT AND ORIENTAL STREET 
 
 SCENES, SET HOUSES. 
 
 liEX making theatrical scenery or theatrical scenery niudels with 
 street scenes as models, you must be careful to get the perspec- 
 tive exactly correct, color perspective as well as linear ])erspective, 
 and you must he sure that all of the vertical lines of the design are 
 absolutely plumli. In laying out a design for a street scene remember that the 
 stage is always elevated some above floor of auditorium ; the vanishing point 
 should therefore be laid rather low, that is, below the level of the eye of 
 an ordinary sized person, and it should also be laid not exactly in the 
 middle of the picture, but rather over to one side, the shaded side of the 
 street preferable. On Plate 16 we shall give directions illustrating an ordi- 
 nary street in a medium sized town. We shall give directions to this de- 
 sign, as there are such an enormous lot of American street scenes illus- 
 trated in the magazines and on ]30st cards that it will lie a very easy 
 matter for you to obtain one, selecting something that will not be 
 too elaborate or too full of detail. When you are planning a street scene 
 remember that the colors get cooler and grayer and the outlines more 
 indistinct and the detail less the farther the object is awa}' from the ob- 
 server, and alsd remember that the shades and shadows slmuld be cool and 
 purplish, while the lighted side of the street should be in ;i warm, rich 
 coloring, with well-defined highlights anel sharply cut sh.'idnws. and the 
 nearer the Imildings come to the foreground tiie nmre urnaniental and nmre 
 full I if detail thev ought to be. Persons, wagons, street cars, or any other 
 movable objects shoulil ne\er be introduced in a street scene for theatrical 
 purposes, unless, of course, that a special occasion demands this. In the 
 illustration of a modern American street that accompanies this chapter, 
 the ])ers])ective vanishing ])oint can 1)e foimd over the middle of sidewalk 
 to the left at a bttle k•s^ than une-thinl nf height of scene. .\11 receding 
 lines should converge in this point. These lines can. wlien niddel is ])ainted 
 on a large scale, be snapped with a blackened ch;ilk liiie that vdur hel]ier
 
 holds at a vanishing point, but when making a small scale model these lines 
 should be drawn with a straight edge. When starting to lay out this 
 scene begin with the vanishing lines nt the two sidewalks, then draw the 
 perspective lines below and above the window, awning and cornices, and 
 next set oti the vertical lines between the Iniilding and windows. All 
 curves, arches, circles and the like will have to be drawn in free hand. 
 When you have a true .-md v.elkbal-inccd charcoal outline sketch of the 
 scene, start the coloring of same. I'aint a nice, clear, light blue sky, tone 
 it towards the horizon as usual, paint all buildings to the right in the 
 sunlight in clear, bright colors, make these paler and mixed with more 
 white the farther away from the front the houses are, and be sure that 
 your shades are correspondingly light in the distance, using a very pale 
 lavender for the deepest shade lines. This color should be ileepened as 
 you I'ome nearer the frunt building. Below all of the arches, doorways 
 and cornices are strong, uell-detined shadows. When properly painted, 
 these \\ill help to give illumination and Ijrilliancy to the lighted piece of 
 the scene. The large pr(itru<ling building in the middle distance siiould be 
 painted a color a trifle stronger than the building in the light side ;it about 
 the same distance from the observer, but a trifle lighter in ct)lor than the 
 corres])onding buildings in the dark or shaded side of the street. The very 
 much foreshortened house fronts, i m the shaded side of the street, slK'uld 
 be p.iinted without nuich det;iil wcirk in several shades of lavender and 
 inirple, while the side of the awnings should be ])ainted in bright colors, 
 as the sunlight strikes these objects. The cnrner of the Iniilding to the 
 extreme left is also in the light, bright colurs. The hcmses to the left throw 
 a |iur]ilish shadow over the sitlcwiilk .iml i in the street: this slmuld be ]iut 
 in -while the color is still wet, so as to obtain soft outlines oi this shadow. 
 The t-oliir nf the street st.arts with ;i '.ery liglit cream and gets a trifle 
 darker ;in(l mcire brnwnivh in tone ;is it reaches down tow.ards the fore- 
 griiunij. I he building <>\\ the extreme right is .i moving ])icture house, and 
 you can lix the lobby <if same as el:di( irately ;is \iiu ma\ wish, with p.inel 
 ])ictures and gaudy colored ])osters. .\fter having m;ide the street scene 
 according to design just descriijcd, obtain a collection <if j)ost cards or any 
 other rejiroduction of American streets and select some of these which 
 will make good street ■scenes for the.itrical jnirposes and |)aint about three 
 or four of these dilTerent views. 
 
 ANCIENT AND ORIENTAL STREETS. 
 
 The ancient and oriental street lorms a great deal more picturesque 
 \iew than does the modern American street, with its uniform, cnbelike and
 
 often hideous looking" buildings. When painting an ancient city under 
 southern skies remember to obtain brilliant sunlight effects, having a deep 
 blue sky above and jnirplish sharp-defmed shadows below. You can easily 
 obtain views of ancient (irecian and Roman temples and other magnificent 
 buildings ; these are generally marble structures and the sunlit marble 
 surfaces should be painted a ver)- light cream, or even a light pink in the 
 sunny places, and should be lavender or even purple in the shadows. The 
 ancient Grecian and Roman scenery is not used a great deal in modern 
 theatricals. More use can be found for oriental street scenes, either ancient 
 or modern, and we shall, therefore, in the coming paragraphs, describe the 
 painting of such an oriental scene. The scene represents the minarets and 
 cupolas of the oriental city that is seen in the evening illumination. In 
 the far distance is the mountainous landscape, and in the foreground a few 
 palms and tropical shruljbery. Sketch in the usual way, taking great care 
 that all the vertical lines are perfectly plumb. After having obtained these 
 outlines of the tower draw the spires and cupolas free hand and also the 
 balconies and railings. After the whole scene is properly drawn, start to 
 paint a sunset sky, as explained in chapter dealing with skies. The far 
 distant mountains should be painted in while sky is still wet, so as to 
 secure soft blended outlines of same. The colors should be lavender and 
 light rose, turning into a yellowish green as the mountains come nearer 
 to the middle distance. The buildings in the town should be painted several 
 shades of light cream color on all the sunlit sides turning to the left, and the 
 shaded sides of the buildings and the minarets should be light lavender 
 and cool grays. The window and detailed ornamentation should be put in 
 with a reddish purple ; cupolas are pale yellowish, running into an orange 
 and a grayish lavender. Two of the minarets are built of white and red 
 striped brick. The city wall in front of town should be painted a warm 
 orange and a light brown, and should be shaded with deejjcr red and brown 
 in places to indicate different colored stones. The shaded parts are a 
 reddish purple. Vines hanging (wer the ])arapets are a light yellowish 
 green, shaded with a l)luish green. The road running into the city starts 
 with a light urange tint and gets a triHe lighter and cooler in the middle 
 distance. The palm trunks are reddish brown, the foliage a \ellowish 
 green, shaded with a reddish olive ; the llowers in the foreground are red- 
 dish pink, highlighted with a bluish white and shaded with a deej) rose. 
 The rocks are light chocolate brown, shaded with purple. When model or 
 scene is linished leave it for a while on your workstand or paint frame 
 and do stmiething else to distract your mind from the ^ui)ject. When \ on 
 then return to your work, take in the whole scene in a ipiick glance and
 
 PLATE 1 6.
 
 if any culur \aluc strikes _\ ou as beins;- -ATong, glaring, inartistic or out of 
 keeping with its surroundings do not hesitate to paint it over and retouch 
 it until it has the desired effect. This method of leaving your finished 
 work for awhile and returning to it again is a good one and should Ijc prac- 
 ticed frequently when executing a diflictilt ])iece of work. Faults and mis- 
 takes that you could not see before will now be api)arent to you and can 
 consequently be corrected. After ha\ing painted the oriental street, as 
 described above, select three or four dilTerent. preferably colored, illustra- 
 tions of other oriental cities, and make scenery mip(k'ls from these illustra- 
 tions. 
 
 SET HOUSES. 
 
 A "set house" in the language of the theater means a mounted piece 
 of scenery and generally representing the front of a house and often 
 having practical doors and windows. These houses are called "cabins." 
 "plain houses," "mansions," etc., according to the building they are sup- 
 posed to represent. The easiest to paint are the Mexican adobe houses or 
 the southern or western log cabins. A set house can consist of one or 
 more pieces of "flats" that are secured to the stage witii braces and stage 
 screws and lashed together at the corners the same way as interior flats. 
 For the moiuiting of set houses read directions for mounting of scenery 
 given in another chapter. Adobe houses have very small windows and 
 door openings, roofs and often flat walls slinulil be painted to represent 
 sun-baked clay. Pots with flowering cactus can be used to enliven the tlull 
 colors of the set pieces. These can either be real or painted on the scene. 
 An exterior of a log cabin is made similar to tlie interior already described, 
 only be sure that the corner shcnvs the paint on i>oth sides and tiie ends of 
 the log cabin meeting at right angles and extending out about three or 
 four inches. A "plain house" is generally painted as an ordinary frame 
 structure covered with siding and having a porch or veranda in front. This 
 must be mounted se])arately. 
 
 "Mansions" are of many designs, either colonial manor iiouses with 
 great Roman porch pillars or of continental architecture in many varia- 
 tions. In order to be able to paint an ancient as well as modern dwelling 
 correctly the pupil should acquire a good standard work on architecture and 
 study different styles carefully. A very great help to the serious-minded 
 student (jf theatrical scene painting in all vi its phases, would be a small 
 but select lii)rary of good illustrated reference books, such as an "Encyclo- 
 pedia Britannica" and an illustrated "History of the World," and an illus- 
 strated "geography."
 
 PLATE 17. 
 
 
 
 

 
 CHAPTER NINETEEN 
 
 LANDSCAPES, WOODS, GARDENS. 
 
 m^ i}ri)l)k-nis in tht-atricMl scene jjaintiiie that su far have been given 
 the pni)il tu do have Jieen of a nature that called mure for niechan- 
 ii'al -ikill and correctness in their execntiun than for artistic feeling 
 — ^ and talent. True enough, that in order to make pleasing interior 
 settings, the theatrical scene painter must know a great deal about harmo- 
 nious color effects and tasteful ornamentation, but nevertheless, it is first 
 \\ hen he comes to paint the different exterior settings that are used on the 
 modern stage that he has to utilize every bit of liis artistic training and 
 employ all of his artistic talent to the best of his abilit\'. 
 
 We therefore earnestly urge the pupil tn recapitulate a great man\- of 
 the chapters given in the first part of this book before he begins the painting 
 of actual scenery — models of landscapes, woods and gardens. We should 
 especially recommend that he studv up on linear perspective, landscape 
 drawing from nature in ])encil and crayon and landscape painting in water 
 and oil colors and that he make a complete set of original sketches from 
 problems demanded in this chapter, before he is satisfied that he is able to 
 make a creditable and artistic landscape sketch from nature in black and 
 white and colors. By following this advice much time will be gained and 
 much useless work and disappointment avoided. 
 
 LANDSCAPES. 
 
 The landscape back dro])s used on the stage are of many varying de- 
 signs, their subjects taken from almost every country on the globe, and 
 we should advise the student to purchase some well illustrated works 
 showing views from various countries in the wurld.
 
 There are a great many of such books that we recommend on the 
 market. We can recommend "Burton Hohnes Travelogues" or a yearly 
 subscription to "The Mentor" as being especially valuable. It would also 
 be a very good plan to start a collection of clippings of the best that appear 
 in current papers and magazines. 
 
 The prints should be neatly trimmed and a short description of what 
 they represent be given on the margin. They should then be assorted 
 according to subject and should be marked plainly with the name of the 
 subject they contain, as, for instance, "mountain scenery," "snow scenery," 
 "marines," "cities, modern," "cities, foreign," "cities, ancient" and so forth 
 and so on. 
 
 When called upon to paint a special landscape drop for some certain 
 play the scenic artist will then not be left to draw on his imagination or 
 memory, which at its best, is always a ticklish and uncertain undertak- 
 ing, but can turn to his collection of prints or to his illustrated books and 
 always find just the scene that is wanted, which he, of course, in most cases 
 will have to adapt to the conditions demanded, but which he now can depict 
 with hi^tiirical and geographical correctness. 
 
 The iliu>tratii)n accompanying this assignment is the reproduction of a 
 water color sketch of one of the Niagara Falls, and as it contains details 
 showing a distant city and landscape, a river. ;i waterfall, and rocks and 
 trees in the foreground, it has been selected as a study containing many of 
 the different problems to be encountered when ])ainting landscape for 
 tlicatrical scenery. We shall give a short descri])tio!i of the colors and 
 tints to be used when ])ainting a scenery nidilel nr piece of actual scenery 
 fnr tiiis ijlustraticin. 
 
 The directions given below are for the use of water or fresco colors 
 ti) be mixed with glue and whiting in the usual way, as formerly described. 
 
 i'lu- sky consists of a mixture of zinc white, chrome yellow, lemon, 
 and a trifle sky and ultramarine blue. The shore is a light bluish lavender 
 shaded here and there with ultramarine blue. The shore is a light lav- 
 ender shaded here and there with a darker, mure reddish lavender and having 
 a light green field un the crest of the cliffs tii the right. The houses and 
 buildings are very light red and lavender, retouched here and there with a 
 little darker brownish red. The water in the river is first painted a very 
 light bluish green and then highlighted all over with even strokes of white 
 with a trifle of yellow in it. This must be done so as to represent the white 
 foam from the turlndent, surging stream, the waterfall proper being
 
 painted in a similar manner. Tlie under painting is white, yellowish 
 white and light green and bluish white, with a trifle lavender in the fore- 
 groimd and a reddish purple showing through in the nearest falls. When 
 parti}' dry the tmderpainting should be retouched with white, applied so 
 as to represent the foam and ripples of the falls under the bridge. This 
 and the rocks and tree trunks in the foreground are laid in with bright 
 brown and deep orange and highlighted with slate gray, purple and light 
 brown and greenish yellow- and shaded with a brownish purple in the 
 deepest shadows. The trees are lai<1 in with an olive green that grows lighter 
 towards the edges. When dry the stems and branches are put in brown and 
 the eliect of leaves laid on in lighter and darker green. 
 
 When having completed a satisfactory sketch of this design make 
 another substituting a different landscape in the foreground and showing 
 more of the river. 
 
 WOODS. 
 
 The professional name for a backdrop representing a forest is either 
 dark woods drop, when the scene is painted in dark shaded and tints and 
 showing no landscape in the background, or light woods drop, when the 
 general scale of color is lighter and the tree trunks further apart, often dis- 
 closing a view of a lake or open country. The illustration shows such a 
 "light woods drop" of a design especially well adapted to the needs of the 
 smaller as well as the more pretentious theaters. 
 
 Below will be found a few general directions for making scenery models 
 or actual scenery painted in distemper colors from this design. 
 
 After having stretciied and sized your muslin on your easel or paint 
 frame start to sketch in the outline of the design in charcoal. Next start 
 on the sky shown over the distnnt trees. This is a "plain sky" starting 
 with a light blue tint mixed from whiting, zinc white, and Italian or sky 
 blue. This tint blends softly into the lighter blue and ends up with a slightly 
 yellowish. The trees on the farther side of lake should be painted in while 
 sky is wet, so as to secure soft blended outline of the trees, shown against 
 sky. 
 
 The shaded side of trees is light bluish and pinkish lavender blended 
 into each other. The trunks and branches are a trifle deeper lavender and
 
 bluish. The Hght part of the foliage is a brilliant light green, made from 
 zinc white, yellow chrome, lemon and a trifle foliage green or chrome 
 green light. The lake is light blue with deeper shades and white reflections. 
 The shrubbery in middle distance is very light yellowish green with darker 
 green shading. The grass border is painted the same colors. The back- 
 ground behind the foreground trees is light yellowish in places, light green 
 and brownish orange in other places. 
 
 The tree trunks are a bluish pea green in the lighter places, a medium 
 coffee brown in darker places and a dark Van Dyke or burnt umber brown 
 in the shaded places. 
 
 The foliage is light pea or yellowish green on left (light) side of the 
 crowns, light coffee brown (a trifle orange burnt sienna and white makes 
 this tint) in the middle and brownish green and brown in the shaded side. 
 The wall is light cream color near lake, gets a trifle darker as it comes 
 nearer down the foreground and ends up in a lavender shade, showing 
 brown ruts and wheel tracks in the near foreground. The bushes in the 
 near foreground should be painted in the same shades as the tree crowns, 
 only darker; the grass in the foreground consits of these same tints but 
 should be painted with strokes up and down. The background for the 
 foliage of trees and bushes should be painted in, softly blending the different 
 shades, and when dry, should be "leaved out" with a foliage brush, which 
 is a tool with long sknder brushes holding well together in the stroke. In 
 putting in the foliage lighter tints than the background color should be 
 used, the brush marks should be placed close together in the lights and be 
 farther apart and more indistinct in the shades. The slant of the strokes 
 should be varied and according to the natural directions of the foliage 
 depicted. After having completed a model from woods drop design accom- 
 panying this lesson, select three or four other colored studies of woods 
 scene and make suitable scenery models from them. We must also urge 
 you to study trees, landscapes, gardens and woods directly from nature, 
 and make colored sketches in pastel watercolors or oil of such scenery. 
 This is a splendid practice and no great and original results can be obtained 
 where you only confine yourself to copying and neglect the great oppor- 
 tunities for advancement offered through painstaking study directly from 
 nature. 
 
 GARDENS. 
 
 For "close-ins," that is, for drops hung in "one" directly behind the 
 tormentor a pleasing view of some ornamental or formal garden is very 
 
 —155—
 
 often used and the practical scene painter will very soon be called ujjon to 
 make "garden" drops. If you have studied wood scenery thoroughly and 
 are familiar with the painting of trees, bushes and greensward and walks 
 it will be an easy matter for you, profiting by this knowledge to combine 
 these details and compose a pleasing garden scene. One of these might 
 be arranged as follows : 
 
 In the immediate foreground a semi-circular garden walk. l)rirdered 
 with well trimmed lawns ; in the middle of the semi-circle an c)rnamental 
 fountain or sun dial ; in the middle distance a yellowish brick wall having 
 an open, ornamental gate in the middle surmounted with two ornamental 
 pillars or posts bearing vases. Through the open gate is seen a distant 
 landscape or mountain scene. Behind the wall the tops of tree crowns 
 almost touch each other at top of scene. The larger part of trunks of these 
 trees can be covered with flowering shrubs. Many other equally pleasing 
 and artistic designs will suggest themselves to you and you should paint 
 at least three or four different scenery models of garden scenes before you 
 begin working on the next subject. 
 
 TROPICAL SCENERY. 
 
 Tropical exteriors, generally called "jungle scenes," are often used in 
 tropical plays or as settings for minstrel first parts. A person who can 
 paint ordinary exteriors properly will find no difficulty in painting tropical 
 landscapes. The illustration shows a tropical jungle scene. In painting 
 this use bright and brilliant colors, especially so in the foliage and flowering 
 shrubs in the foreground. All highlights on palms and large leaves should 
 be put in sharp and distinct so as to give the scene the appearance of 
 brilliant sunlight. 
 
 —156—
 
 PLATE 19.
 
 I
 
 PLATE 20.
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY 
 
 THEATRICAL SCENERY PAINTED IN DYES AND OILS. SHOW- 
 MEN'S BANNERS. DECORATIVE PAINTINGS. 
 
 T IS often found impractical for smaller traveling theatrical com- 
 panies or vaudeville artists to carry the cumbersome and easily 
 ^^ spoiled water color scenery that in transit always must be mounted 
 -^ "^ ' on frames for "flats" or on battens for "hanging stuiT." This kind 
 of scenery, which is mostly used for stationary stufif or by traveling organiza- 
 tions using theatrical baggage cars, is often substituted with scenery painted 
 in aniline dyes, which leaves the goods used soft and pliable and allows it to be 
 folded and put in crates or boxes, requiring less room and costing less in trans- 
 portation charges than the heavy and bulky "trunk scenery" by theatrical 
 people. It is also used a great deal by companies playing under canvas 
 or in airdr)mes as it is not as easily soiled or spoiled by dampness as fresco 
 painted stuff would be, although it is not absolutely waterproof, as is scen- 
 ery painted in oil colors. 
 
 Dye scenery is generally used either as "tie on stuff" or "tack on stuff." 
 The first kind should have a pocket at bottom, large enough to accommo- 
 date a three-inch batten and at top a reinforced strip with eyelets through 
 which short lengths of sash cord are run. These ropes are used to tie the 
 scene to the top batten. The "tack on stuff" should be reinforced at top 
 and bottom with two or three inch, strong and heavy hemp webbing to 
 give greater wear to the goods at places that are continually being pierced 
 with tacks. When used the "tack on stuff" is stretched and tacked on 
 frames or on loose battens. \\'hen painting scene in transparent aniline 
 dyes care slnnild be taken not to soil the white goods when hanging it 
 on paint bridges, as -spots and dirt will show through dye. 
 
 Sketch in scene in the usual way and do not smear on heavy charcoal 
 lines in wrong places, as they are hard to dust off and will show through 
 transparent dye. A very stiff scrubbing brush can be used to eliminate 
 wrong lines. The colors used in making dye scenery are either the usual
 
 aniline dyes that can be had in ounce papers under various names as "Diola," 
 "Diamond Dyes," etc. For large consumption we should recommend the 
 commercial aniline dye sold in one-pound nr ilve-pound tins by various 
 firms. The most useful colors are a brilliant red, a wine red, a purple, a 
 green, a yellow, a seal brown, a black and a blue, for these main colors 
 almost any shade can be obtained by mixing the dyes together in diilferent 
 proportions or diluting with water. 
 
 Strong stock solutions should be j)repared of the various stock color. 
 Quart Mason jars are good receptacles for these as the screw tops prevent 
 evaporation when color is kept for any length of time. These stock 
 solutions can be made of various strength. The less water used the deeper 
 the color. One ounce of dye to one quart of water makes a fair density 
 of color. Stir the dry powder with a trifle of cold water into a thick 
 paste and add a teaspoonful of ordinary salt. Pour a quart of boiling 
 water over the dye and set over fire and bring to the boiling point. When 
 cooled put in Mason jar and set away until required for use. Have a 
 numljcr of saucepans (enameled preferred) ready and use these for mi.xing 
 your tints. The tints look a great deal darker in the pans than on white 
 canvas, and a piece of white goods should be kept, on which the density 
 of the dye can be tried before it is put on the canvas. This can either \>e 
 left unsized or be sized with a solution of flaxseed boiled in water. Use a 
 stiff brush with short bristles (an old worked down water color lirush 
 makes a good tool for dye work) and scrub in your colors well, being sure 
 that the brush is nearly empty of color when nearing an outline. Have a 
 clean rag handy with which to take up the drippings and wipe ofT surplus 
 of color. Lay on the background first. Leave the white of canvas un- 
 touched for pure whites. Work from a lighter to a darker shade, l-'or 
 instance, when laying in l)ackground for trees make this lighter than the 
 tree will appear when foliage and details are ])ut on. In other words, the 
 process is opposite to that in opaque distemjier ccilcirs, where the lighter 
 details are put on a darker background. When ymi have carried the work 
 on your scene as far as ynu can with the dyes }nu can still heighten the 
 effect by cutting all sharp and light highlights nui witii a bleaching solu- 
 tion made from chloride of lime dissolved in water. Use an old brush for 
 putting this on with, as a stronger chlorid solution will eat off the bristles 
 of your brush and spoil it. When dry, these highlights cut out with chloride 
 should be rubbed over with a damp rag, so as to remove any excess of 
 chloride, which, when left on. in time will rot the canvas. Highlights can 
 also very successfully be put on with strong thick oil colors applied 
 directly on the unsized muslin. When effects of gold and silver are desired
 
 it will be the best way to size the place to be gilded with yellow oil colors 
 and when dry apply the bronze powder mixed with oil and turps in the 
 usual way. Dye scenery for larger theaters is generally made on fireproof 
 goods. This can either be bought ready made or you can fireproof it 
 yourself, spraying or brushing the compound all over back of the scene 
 before painting is started. 
 
 We should advise you to start the painting of theatrical scenery in 
 aniline dyes with very simple and easy subjects for your first attempts, 
 such as kitchens, skies and plain border, etc., and as you advance in the 
 knowledge of using this new medium select harder and more intricate 
 subjects for your models. It will generally be found that interiors are 
 easier than exteriors. 
 
 OIL PAINTED SCENERY. 
 
 Tent shows, airdomes and other amusement places exposed to the 
 elements generally use scenery painted in oil colors and thus made water- 
 proof. When painting scenery in oil colors, the canvas should be given a 
 thin coat of sizing, consisting of bolted whiting, mixed with linseed oil 
 and thinned with turpentine or gasoline to the consistency of cream. After 
 this sizing coat is dry the scene should be sketched in charcoal in the usual 
 manner. The oil paints can be the usual oil colors sold in one or five-pound 
 tins, and they should be bought mixed in oil and not in Japan. When used 
 they can be thinned with turpentine or gasoline to the required consist- 
 ency. It is easier to obtain beautiful, artistic and soft effects in oil colors 
 than in any other medium used in painting, and the student should soon 
 be able to obtain good results. Be careful not to smear your colors on too 
 thickly or have tiicm too oily as the tinishcd painting then will have a 
 disagreeable shine that is ilctrimcntal to the best effects under artificial 
 light. 
 
 SHOWMEN'S BANNERS. 
 
 The gaudy colored show banners that the barkers in front of the side 
 show use to illustrate their talk of the wonders to be seen at the inside after
 
 you have paid your dime, oft'er a great and interesting field for the 
 versatile scenic artist with a vivid imagination and an eye for light and 
 flashy color effects. Show banners sell at a higher price tlian that of 
 ordinary theatrical scenery, and must be made stronger than this. The 
 goods should be six or eight-ounce duck, sewed together with lap seams 
 running up and down and have a two-inch hem or a webbing all around 
 the edges, the corners should be reinforced in back and have double faced 
 leather corners with large galvanized rings in riveted leather straps. When 
 banner is of a considerable size it should also have several rings in leather 
 straps fastened to the top edge. Most banners are lettered, describing and 
 naming the wonder they depict. This lettering should be strong and bold. 
 A white block letter outlined with black against bright red background gives 
 lots of contrast and flash, as the showman calls it, as does also a red letter 
 outlined in black against a bright yellow background. The subjects and 
 sizes of show banners vary a great deal. Subjects often seen are: Fat 
 men and women, snake charmers, wild men and girls, animals, especially 
 Iguanas, called "Chinese dragons," alligators, monkeys, etc. Then there is 
 the glass blower, the fortune teller, the electrical girl, the dancing girl, and 
 the old plantation banner and many others too numerous to mention here. 
 If you are good at figure work and animal drawing and have a fertile and 
 vivid imagination you will find a splendid field for your ability in the 
 ever increasing market for good show painting. 
 
 DECORATIVE PAINTINGS. 
 
 The lobbies of the moving picture theaters and auditoriums, the inter- 
 iors of saloons and cafes and many other public and private places are often 
 decorated with oil paintings, either painted directly on the walls or on 
 canvas glued and tacked to these, and here the ambitious person will find 
 a splendid market for high-priced work if he is able to execute this 
 properly. These paintings are made similar to show paintings only the 
 material and colors should be superior, the workmanship better and more 
 painstaking and the color scheme more artistic and refined, than that em- 
 ployed in the glaring vivid show paints. Another large field for the scenic 
 artist is the making of backgrounds for photographers. These grounds 
 are generally painted in distemper colors or dyes, in a monochrome con- 
 sisting of whites and blacks only, the black being modified either with 
 browns or purplish blues.
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE 
 
 TRANSPARENCIES, TRANSFORMATION SCENES, PROFILED AND 
 NETTED WORK, BORDERS, LEG DROPS, TORMENTORS. 
 
 TRANSPARENCIES. 
 
 EAUTIFUL transparent effects can lie obtained on tlie stage by 
 using scenery with parts painted in transparent and parts in 
 (ipaque colors. Two distinct and diff'erent eft'ects can be pro- 
 duced with such scenery by shitting the source of ilhnuination 
 from front to back. 
 
 One of the best methods of painting this kind of scenery is described 
 below. All transparent parts should be painted in brilliant dyes as described 
 in former lessons, but must not be retouched in oil colors. All opaque 
 parts should be painted in o])a(|ue fresco colors for stationary scenery or for 
 stuff that can l)e rolled on battens. For scenery carried folded in trunks 
 or boxes, the opa<|Ue parts nuist be painted in solid oil colors ur can l)e 
 painted in dyes, retouched in oil colors and furnished with an opaque 
 backing for non-transparent parts. 
 
 We shall now consider these different modes of procedure in the 
 succession as given above. The easiest transjj.irencies to paint are those 
 having trans])arcnt ])arts done in d}es an<l tiie o|)aquc in fresco colors. I'or 
 your first attempt at this kind of work use the palace arch drop, descril)ed 
 and illustrated in a former chapter, as a model. After having obtained the 
 correct outline drawing of the design, cover the columns, arches, draperies 
 and ail of the foregroimd except opening in ballustradc and landsc;i])e 
 shown in distance, with the usual water color sizing on from of droj). When 
 this is dry, size same part of back with an opacjue sizing, made of some 
 dark opaque color ; for instance, Indian red. Next paint the landscape and 
 water in brilliant dyes, substituting a sunset eff'ect for the ordinary day 
 illumination and painting distant mountain and cit_\ in dark' ]>urplish colors.
 
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 Another scene than the one mentioned can be painted in transparent 
 part of drop. Finally paint all opaque colors in fresco colors as described 
 in former chapter and the scene is done. When the even effect is desired 
 the light should be turned off in front of scene and turned on behind. A 
 sunset or evening effect can also be obtained if landscape is painted in full 
 daylight colors and the mountains, shore and city backed up with semi- 
 transparent purplish and dark bluish oil colors and orange or red lights 
 used behind scene when transparent sunset effect is desired. If night effect 
 is wanted blue light should be used behind scene when it is shown as a 
 transparency. For your next transparency use more picturesque landscape 
 showing lake, sky and possibly a waterfall. Paint on front of canvas in 
 dve, water color or oil as the case may demand. Transparent parts, such as 
 skv and water, must be painted in dye alone. All opaque parts should be 
 o-iven a sizing on back of canvas and then be covered with opatjue color, 
 oil for trunk scenery, and water color for stationary stuff. 
 
 TRANSFORMATION SCENES. 
 
 A transftjrmation scene is a drop or set piece painted in such a manner 
 that it shows a different effect when lights are changed from front to back 
 of scene and vice versa. 
 
 Properly speaking, each transformation scene consists of two pieces, 
 the front, of which parts are cut out and covered with painted "scrim," 
 and the backing, which is seen through the meshes of the scrim when 
 lights beliind scene are turned on. For your first transformation scene, 
 select the prison droj). as described and illustrated in a former chapter. 
 
 Sketch in in the usual way and cut out the tniddle arch. Procure 
 some scene painters' linen scrim and paste it in behind this cut-out. The 
 scrim should be fastened first with pins or safety pins stuck in the goods 
 about one to three inches from edges (according to size of space to be 
 covered) and stretched lightly and evenly over opening. Then the edges 
 outside of pins should be pasted to back of scene with a thick flour paste, 
 strengthened with glue. If the scene has to stand rough usage on the 
 road it will be better to cover the edges with three-inch bands of heavy 
 muslin, pasted on as described above. Xe.xt the part of scene appearing in 
 the space covered with scrim should be stretched in and the whole scene
 
 painted in water colors, dyes or oil as the case may demand. When paint- 
 ing on scrim and not using dyes, be sure that you empty your brush well of 
 color and scrub this in sufficiently so that none of the meshes become 
 clogged up with color but only the threads painted, otherwise a good clear 
 view of transparent scene cannot be obtained. When painting is properly 
 done it should be impossible to see, when lights are on in front, that part 
 of it has been painted on different goods than other parts. Next paint any 
 kind of a backing larger than the opening in prison scene, place this at a 
 convenient distance behind opening, turn lights down in front and use 
 brilliant illumination behind. The prison will then be dark showing the 
 backing in full colors through the opening in middle which now appears as 
 a cut-out. An appropriately constumed figure can be placed in front of 
 'racking but behind transformation scene. For instance, "Marguerita" from 
 the play or opera "Faust" and many startling and wonderful eiifects can 
 be obtained by this kind of painting and illumination of the scenery. Try 
 five or six different designs of transformation scenes before attempting to 
 do anything to the next problem. 
 
 PROFILED AND NETTED WORK. 
 BORDERS, LEG DROPS, TORMENTORS. 
 
 Where no leg drops are used the space on top and between the wings 
 is covered by strips of painted canvas called a "border" or sometimes 
 "flies." These borders are on top attached to battens that can be raised 
 or lowered by ropes running over wheels or pulleys in the stage loft. In 
 smaller theaters one set of stationary borders, painted some neutral or light 
 blue shade and called "plain sky borders," are frequently made to do for 
 all kinds of setting for interior and exterior, but in more pretentious houses 
 several sets of borders, including sky borders, interior borders, exterior or 
 foliage borders are always to be found. 
 
 The plain sky border is best painted with a bluish gray made from a mix- 
 ture of a cheap blue and whiting. The more pretentious sky borders should 
 be painted in a brighter bluish tint, mixed from Italian blue and zinc white 
 and the lower edge of this border should be cut slightly arched. 
 
 Interior borders should be painted to represent different kinds of ceil- 
 ings from the rough log cabin loft to the most beautiful palace. Remember
 
 tliat in (inler to g'ive the true imjircssion of lying- flat over the wings at an 
 angle of 90 degrees, these borders must be painted in a perspective showing 
 a great deal of foreshortening. The foliage borders represent most fre- 
 c|uently the tops of trees showing more or less horizontal branches, foliage 
 and often some of the open sky. The plainer kind of these borders have 
 only the lower outside edge and a few holes above it cut out around the 
 leaves but the more pretentious ones of which a part of one is illustrated on 
 the illustration herewith, are deeply cut in many places. In order that 
 these cut pieces should hang straight and even it becomes necessary to 
 support tlicm with some material not easily seen by the audience. This 
 material is sometimes light green or bluish gauze but more often one-inch 
 mesh netting. 
 
 This netting is put on back of cut border or leg drop with some strong 
 adhesive preparation called rosine. It can be done in two ways if sufficient 
 floor space can be obtained, the piece to be netted should be cut out when- 
 ever needed and tacked flat to the floor with the back side up. A sufficiently 
 large piece of netting must then be laid over the cut and secured squarely 
 and evenly stretched so that each mesh forms a true square. This can 
 be done by placing tacks at intervals at the edges. Now warm the rosin 
 slowly until it obtains an easy-flowing consistency, and put it on with a 
 small stifY brush over all the meshes, being close to edges of cut part. This 
 process should be carried out over a surface of at least two inches from 
 edges of cut parts and care should be taken that the little knots at the 
 intersection of the meshes are fastened squarely to the canvas. Allow from 
 six to twelve hours before removing tacks and rolling it up. If space in 
 studio does not have sufficient floor space to allow scene to be stretched on 
 floor the above described process must be executed while scene is hanging 
 on paint frames, that in this case should not be hung flush to the wall but 
 have sufficient space for the operator to get behind it. 
 
 The netting must now be secured tightly and evenly at the back of 
 part to be cut. It can be fastened with safety pins. The top and sides must 
 be glued first as described above and lower edges of netting stretched 
 either to the canvas to be cut away or to paint frame as case may be. When 
 netting is tight and secure start to cut inside holes out, having someone 
 hold the netting away from the space to be cut, so as not to cut the meshes 
 with the shears. When all the inside holes are cut, hold a small board 
 pressed against the cut parts from the front while you are gluing the 
 the meshes around holes from the back of scene. When all inside holes 
 have been glued, cut away outside of scene with exception of the lower 
 
 —169—
 
 side, if netting is pinned temporarily to same, and proceed as before, to glue 
 cut sides to netting. A few experiences with netting scenery will soon 
 make you an adept at this process that is purely mechanical and in all 
 
 larL;e sh(_ij)s is (lone by assistants or ajjprentices and not by the artists 
 themselves. 
 
 LEG DROPS. 
 
 In the place of a borc'er and a i)air of wings that in smaller theaters 
 generally are used to screen the backdrop, a so-called "leg drop" having an 
 open space and two "legs" hanging down on each side and connected and 
 forming one piece with the border, will form a better and more artistic 
 backdrop. Plate No. 22 with this assignment shows an illustration of such a 
 cut exterior leg drop. Paint in a color scheme to correspond with backdrop 
 of woods scene, explained in a former chapter, and while on paint frame, 
 place a strip of netting over parts to be cut out. If this scene is painted on 
 a small scale the parts to be cut out can be left untouched if scene is to be 
 used on stage. The whule drci].) should be netted and after work is com- 
 pleted an opening can be cut in the netting to allow the actors to pass 
 thrcnigh the scene, if this should be found necessary. The two set pieces of 
 stone wall should be mounted on frames covered with "profiling" that must 
 be cut out to correspond \\ ith outlines of design. 
 
 TORMENTORS. 
 
 A "tormentor" is the stage name for the first two stationary drapery 
 wings on the stage. These have a border to match which is called "grand 
 drapery border" and which in larger theaters has a cut-out in the middle 
 extending over towards the tormentors behind tins cut-out and in line with 
 top of tormentors is hung another movable drapery border. 
 
 This border is in stage lingo called a "teaser" and by raising and lower- 
 ing it the height of the stage, visible from the audience, can be regulated 
 and scenery of different heights properly screened in. There are various 
 designs of tormentors, teasers and grand draper) borders which should be 
 painted to represent either sJiiny satin or dull velvet and should ijc painted
 
 PLATE 22.
 
 in rich brilliant colors, the over draperies of a darker shade, the under of a 
 harmonious but lighter color. The gold ornamentation should be laid in 
 rich Dutch pink and heightened with chrome yellow lemon. The marble 
 column and base should be painted as already has been explained. 
 
 —ns—
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR MOUNTING AND INSTALLING SCENERY IN 
 
 SMALLER THEATERS. 
 
 LL first-class theatrical scenery painted in water colors is, when 
 nnniounted, necessarily frail, easily soiled stuff, and should 
 therefore be handled very carefully while being mounted, and 
 all dirt, moisture and sharp folds of the painted fabric should be 
 
 particularly avoided. If it is not possible to mount scenery at once after 
 
 it has been painted store it unrolled in a clean. dr\- ])lace. 
 
 All "wings," which is the name used for flat pieces to cover the sides of 
 stage, should be mounted on frames of light, close-grained wood; clear white 
 pine is the best lumber to use. All stiles, rails and cross-pieces should be 
 made of l.\3 ur 1x4 inch boards; braces can be made of 1x2 inch stuff. 
 
 The first figure shows a simple frame, strong enough for all smaller 
 wings. Corners can be made with mortise and tennon if preferred to a 
 nailed corner as shown in illustration. If wings are to be cut to shape at 
 front side, this side should be "])rofded" with thin slats of wood, which can 
 be bought in three-ply veneer, or ordinary shingles strengthened with 
 gauze, glued t(] the back may be used for profiling. See Fig. 2. Practical 
 doors and windows can be made of 2.\l-incii stuff, as indicated in h'ig. .?. 
 
 When mounting ]);iinted canvas on frames care should be taken to 
 stretch the ])ainted cloth tightly aiul evenly on frame: it is best, however, to 
 tack canvas on frames of .-ill flat stuff and set pieces before painting same. 
 The cloth can, if so desired, be lapped over front and back style and tacks 
 driven in back of frame, but top and bottom of canvas should be cut flush 
 with edges of rail and tacks driven in front side of wing. A better, but more 
 I'ifficult way of mounting flat i)ieces is to stretiii cloth to inner edge of 
 irarne and drive the tacks half way on this edge, then glue the overlapping 
 edge of cloth to front side, or rather top side of frame, using a thick solution 
 of strong carpenter's glue and afterwards trimming surplus of cloth flush
 
 PLATE 23. 
 
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 FIG.I 
 
 -^ 
 
 M OUrNTING.''o/"5CENE:RV 
 
 /Yfi.^ 
 
 \Vl 
 
 rid. 6 
 
 1 
 
 UE) 
 
 Fia. %o
 
 with edges. When glue is perfectly dry tacks can lie removed. The drops 
 should be tacked on top batten made of two l.x4-inch clear, white pine 
 boards, one being nailed to front, the other to back and top curtain with 
 drop in between them. 
 
 If there is no room in rigging loft for drops to go up straight, the 
 bottom batten that otherwise is made like top batten should be replaced by a 
 roller three or four feet longer than drop is wide and drop should be rolled 
 up from the floor. When tacking drop to top batten be sure to get it on 
 square. This is especially important if drop is an interior with straight lines 
 running parallel with bottom l)attcn. This batten should lie made similar to 
 top batten and should consist of two lx3-inch boards with bottom of drop 
 tacked in between them ; no bottom batten is needed where drops go on 
 rollers. Drops should be hoisted in place and secured by two lines, consisting 
 of heavy sash cord, running over large, easy working jiuUeys, secured to 
 ceiling beams in rigging loft. If drop is to be rolled it can be made on 2x4- 
 inch half rounds three or four feet longer than drop and nailed together 
 over lower edge of drop. If dro])s are more than 18 feet long these solid 
 rollers often sag in middle and in this case it would be better to use 
 skeleton rollers that are made as follows : For batten use a piece of 2.x2- 
 inch clear lumber three or l<iur feet longer than drop. Secure to this 
 scantling at about si.x inches in diameter. See Fig. 4. On these circular 
 pieces nail lattice strips or lath to form the roller. If this should not be 
 stiff enough when completed it can be stiffened with narrow, cross-laid 
 Ijands of sheet iron. See Fig. 5. Drops should be tacked to front side of 
 roller and ;d)out six or eight inches of painted cloth carried under roller 
 and glued and tacked to back side of same. See Fig. 6. When all drops 
 are hung in place and battens or rollers have been attached to them these 
 should come ;d)out one-half inch off from floor. They will tiien thrnugii 
 their own weight iiang ])erfectly smooth if they have been tacked on 
 straight. .Ml drnps on rollers should be rolled from bottom as indicated in 
 Fig. 7. I'dr rt>pes use sash cord and secure sufficient length to protruding 
 ends of rollers. Carry ropes through large, easy-running pulleys screwed 
 into ceiling beams .•ind <lii\\n lii a b(i;it deal on wall. \\ lien pulling down 
 rojtes curtain will be raised. 
 
 If stage screws ;ind braces arc in it used tn secure wings, these should 
 be run in gro(n'es niailc of Ixl-incii ])icces as long as wings ;ire \vi<lc and 
 nailed to stage lloor, slanting lovvartls i)ack wall. See I'"ig. S. which should 
 be par.allel with front wall. The space between the groove boxes, Fig. 9, 
 consists of a l)oard as long a?, the width of the wings, to which has been
 
 nailed strips of lx2-inch boards as far apart as the grooves on the floor. 
 Where stage loft is higher than the wings, tliese grooves ]:)Oxes should be 
 nailed to a 2.\4-inch scantling aI>out 4x4 inches at the same angle as grooves 
 on floor and di recti)- over them and about one-half inch higher than wings, 
 so these will slide easily in grooves. To the scantling that carries the 
 groove boxes can also, if desirable, the to]) b.itten for drops and borders 
 be attachecl ;is indicated in Fig. 10. All Imrders should be tacked to battens 
 similar to those on drops. In larger theaters the borders can be raised and 
 lowered at will l)Ut in smaller stages they are as a rule foimd stationary. 
 Scener\- in smaller theaters is generally lunig in the fidlowing order: Grand 
 drajKry border, right on to]) or directly in front of tormentors, should come 
 down about si.x or eight inches lower than top of tormentor; picture screen 
 directl}- behind tormentors; street scene or act drop (when used as a 
 "close-in") about two feet behind jjicture screen and in front of first pair 
 of wings; first sky border above or directly behind first pair of wings; 
 second behind second pair, and so on. Tlien kitchen, parlor and woods 
 drops. This order can be changed to meet individual conditions. Wings 
 should be slanted and put so near together that no space is visible between 
 them from opposite side of auditorium. Borders should be hung so low and 
 so close together th;it they cover all ceiling space as seen by a spectator 
 sitting in front row (jf house. 
 
 We have now come to the conclusion of this book and have led the 
 reader carefully up the ladder, step by step, from the simple outline sketch 
 in black and white, to the artistic creation in colors and gold. We have 
 written these instructions in a plain every-day language that everybody 
 can understand and have omitted all frills and fancies. That is one of the 
 reasons for this being so eminently practical and of such great help to the 
 beginner as well as the more experienced theatrical scene painter.
 
 PLATE 24.
 
 PLATE«>25. 
 
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 PLATE 27. 
 
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 o r X ij E X o 
 
 ^ Page 
 
 Advertising Front Drops 134 
 
 Anatomy Drawing 51 
 
 Ancient and Oriental Streets 143 
 
 Aniline Dyes 160 
 
 — E— 
 
 Blended Skies. Painting of 98 
 
 Borders 98 
 
 Boxes and Bottles, Drawing of ..- 7 
 
 Brick Work, I'ainting of....^. 102 
 
 Brushes and Colors 92 
 
 — C— 
 
 Cabins. Plain 118 
 
 Canvas, Sizing of 95 
 
 Castles and Prisons 106 
 
 Colors and Brushes — 96 
 
 Color Blending 78 
 
 Colors and Color Combinations 77 
 
 Colors for Distemper Painting 95 
 
 Colors. Useful Oil 78 
 
 Colors. Useful Water 82 
 
 Copying and I'.nlarging 11 
 
 Copying from Prints 60 
 
 Crayon Drawing 47 
 
 Crayon Drawing Materials 47 
 
 Crayon Drawing of Interiors 49 
 
 Crayon Drawing of Figures -"^l 
 
 Crayon Drawing of Landscapes 50 
 
 Curtains. Front Drop 137 
 
 Curved Lines. Drawing of 7 
 
 — D— 
 
 Deserts, Painting of -- 112 
 
 Decorative Painting 163 
 
 Dioletta Scenery 160 
 
 Dye Scenery 161 
 
 — E— 
 
 Elementary Perspective 25 
 
 Enlarging and Copying 11 
 
 Exteriors of Old Castle 106 
 
 Fancy Front Dro]) Curt.-iin. 
 
 — F— 
 
 1.V 
 
 Figure Drawing ^^ 
 
 Flowers and IMants, Drawing of 19 
 
 Foregrounds, .Shaded Drawings of 21 
 
 Fresco Painting, Sizing for 95 
 
 Front Drops 1-57 
 
 Furniture Drawing in Outline 8 
 
 _G— 
 
 Garden Scenes 152 
 
 Grand Staircase Setting 128
 
 INDEX-CONTINUED 
 
 — H— 
 
 llow t(i Sck'i't Scene fnnii \aturc _ . 76 
 
 Mow to ( iet Seeiie in Perspective 25 
 
 ilnw til Size Cain^as 95 
 
 lldw tu Motnit anil Install Scener\- .. 174 
 
 Tnstal 
 
 — I— 
 
 linj; and MiinntiiiL; Scenery 174 
 
 Interiors in lilack and \\ liitc '. 40 
 
 Interiors in Water Colors 86 
 
 — K— 
 
 Kitchen, I'lain , 117 
 
 — L— 
 
 Landscapes in Black and White 39 
 
 Landscape I'ainting in Oil 76 
 
 Landscape Scenes 1 1 ] 
 
 Leg Drops, How to Paint 170 
 
 — M— 
 
 Marine Scenes ] 15 
 
 Materials for Preliminary Sketching 5 
 
 Materials for Pen and Ink Drawing 59 
 
 Materials for Wash Drawing 70 
 
 Materials for Cra\on Drawing 47 
 
 Materials for Scene Painting 92 
 
 Monntain Si-cnes HI 
 
 Moiniting and Installing Scenery 174 
 
 — N— 
 
 Netteil and Profiled Work _ _ 168 
 
 — O— 
 
 Oil Colors, Useful 72 
 
 Oil Painted Scenery . 162 
 
 Oil Painting froni Objects 72 
 
 Out-Door Sketching 76 
 
 Ovals, Drawing of 8 
 
 — P— 
 
 'alaces _ 128 
 
 'anti igra])h, Llse of 1 1 
 
 'a])er, for I 'cncil 1 )ra w iiig 5 
 
 'apcr, for Pen Drawing 60 
 
 Paper, for Cra\on Drawing 47 
 
 'aper, for Wash Drawing 70 
 
 'en Drawing '..:.-. 57 
 
 'en Drawing, in Outline from Objects 63 
 
 'en and Ink Drawing .*. 57 
 
 'encil Drawing 5 
 
 'erspective 25 
 
 'lain Chainbers 1 17 
 
 'lain ("ahins 118 
 
 'lain I'arlors 121 
 
 'ortrait Wi irk in ('ra\-on 55
 
 INDEX-CONTINUED 
 
 Page 
 
 F'reparing Sketching Canvas 72i 
 
 Prisons, Painting of 106 
 
 Profiled and Netted Work 168 
 
 — R— 
 
 River Scenes, Painting of Ill 
 
 Rocks, Painting of 101 
 
 — S— 
 
 Scent- I'ainting. Material> for _ 92 
 
 Scenic Studio, How to Erect 93 
 
 Set Houses 142 
 
 Set Pieces 143 
 
 Shaded Draperies 16 
 
 Shaded Pen Drawings fri>m Oi)jects 64 
 
 Shading 14 
 
 Showmen's Banners 162 
 
 Side Show Banners. Directions for Making , 162 
 
 Silhouettes and Posters in Pen and Ink 63 
 
 Sizing for Distemper Work 95 
 
 Skies^ 98 
 
 Spatter Work ... 57 
 
 Stone and Brick Work, Painting of 102 
 
 Straight OutHnes 5 
 
 Street Scenes in Black and White 44 
 
 Street Scenes, Ancient 144 
 
 Street Scenes, Modern 143 
 
 — T— 
 
 Theatre, In^t.illatidn of Scenery in 174 
 
 Tile Floors 31 
 
 Tools, Materials and Their Use 92 
 
 Tormentors 170 
 
 Transformation Scenes 167 
 
 Transparencies 164 
 
 Trees and T'oregrounds 21 
 
 Tropical Scenery 156 
 
 — U— 
 
 Useful Oil Colors 72 
 
 Useful Water Colors 82 
 
 — V— 
 
 Vanishing Point 25 
 
 Various Cloud I'.ffects 99 
 
 — W— 
 
 Walls, (if Stone an<l I'.rick 102 
 
 Wash Drawings 67 
 
 Water Colors 82 
 
 Water Cokjr Sketching from Nature 88 
 
 Water Color Painting 82 
 
 Woods Scenes 152 
 
 — Z— 
 
 Zinc latching Process 57
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This bo<Aap^mgciM|he last date stamped below. 
 
 <^^ 
 
 "m 
 
 MAR19197S 
 
 '^ Ml 2 3 1976 
 Am 8^976 
 
 W „rD? 7 1979 
 
 
 Form L'J-Series 444 
 
 JUN 2 1984 
 
 RECD LD-URO 
 
 JUN 3 1988 
 
 LIBRARY, 
 1U3S ANGELES, CALIF. 
 
 lEi 
 
 -"- ^ THE LlBRA<t1f 
 
 *^^^ 1X)S ANGELES
 
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 AA 000 287 080 6 
 
 
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