Creative Illustration (1947)

^

^B

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C RE ATIVE ILLUSTRATION And,rew Loomis

THE VIKING PRESS

•

NEW YORK

•

1947

To

the furtherance

of our craft of as a profession for

this

is

illustrating

young Americans,

volume

respectfully dedicated

ACKNOWLEDGMENT May I express

here

my appreciation of and

the valuable help given

me

ume by my beloved wife,

gratitude for

in the preparation of this vol-

Ethel O. Loomis.

CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS (The

illustration

Opening Chat

pages are indicated by

italics)

Find Eye Level of Copy and Make

17

Approaching the Subject

PART ONE: LINE

Perspective Alone

24

Frontispiece

43

Figures Coincide

The Form Principle as a Basis of Approach 21

in Different

Ways

May Add Variety

45

Using Line to Produce a Focal Point

46

in Subject

There Abe Seven Primary Functions of Line

44

9

25

Providing an "Eye Pathtvay in Composition

47

26

Attention Devices

48

Line 1$ Proportion with Imagination

27

Line Produces Formal Design

28

Get Attention by Building Contrast of Line or Shape

49

Line Produces Informed Design

29

The Relationship

Line 1$

More Than Merely "Outline"!

of Line to Emotional

Response

50

Overlapping Line and Areas the First

30

Principle of Composition

Using the First Function of "Line for Itself for

31

Composition

Composition

May Be Based on

Letters

32

33

34

Use Formal Subdivision for Symmetrical

Composition

36

A Demonstration of Informal Subdivision

37

Figure Compositions Based on

38

Informal Subdivision Is Purely Creative,

39

Everything You

the

Fen Drawing Is Concerned Mostly with Shadow

57

Pen-and-ink Procedure

58

Follow the Form with the Pen Strokes

59

Decorative Treatment in Line

60

The Brush Used Like a Pen

61

Dry Brush

62

Adding "Spatter" to Line Mediums

64

Poster White on Coquille Board

41

Same

56

65

Black Ink, Black Pencil, and

There Are New Possibilities in This Combination

Eye Level, Camera Level, and Horizon

Mean

55

Pen Drawing Is Built on a Principle

Grained Paper

40

Draw Is Related to an

Eye Level

54

Dry Brush and Black Pencil on

Guide Lines Help You to

Composition

53

35

Introducing Informal Subdivision

Perspective

A Vignette Is a Design Pure and Simple

Black Areas

to

Composition

Not Mechanical

52

Combining Pen Line Treatment with

Geometric Forms

Informal Subdivision

Various Types of Vignettes

Solid Blacks

May Be Based on

The "Fulcrum-Lever" Principle Applied

51

Simple Line Combines Effectively with

and Symbols Composition

Bad Composition Brings Negative Response

42

9

66

67

CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS Sanguine on Grained Paper

68

Old Mother Hubbard Is Your Problem

97

Black Pencil on Grained Paper

69

Technique in Tonal Mediums

98

Drawing Procedure

70

Formulating an Approach

99

Drawing, Above All Else, Puts You Over

71

Technical Approach

100

Black and White Pencils on Grey Paper

72

Detail

101

73

The Treatment

of

Charcoal on Grey Paper

74

Where

for Soft

Dry Brush on Grey Paper with Whites

75

The Lens Sees Too Much

104

"Scratch Board'

76

The Eye Selects

105

Craftint

78

Stressing the Planes

Poster

White and Black Ink on Grey Paper

to

Look

Edges

102

Edges

103

9

Breaking

PART TWO: TONE Frontispiece

80

There Are Four Essential Properties of Tone Basic Intensities of Light Versus

Shadow

The Four Properties of Tone Explained up a Consistent Relationship of Light to Shadow

Up

and Accents

106

the Too-Smooth Tones

108

Adjusting Tone and Pattern

110

The "Big Tone" Approach

112

The Direct Approach

114

The

Soft

116

The

Brittle

Approach

81

Approach

118

82

The "Blocky" Treatment and Others

120

The "Blocky" Treatment

121

83

Setting

The Meaning

of

Painting

84

Key and Value

Manipulation

85

The Four Properties

of

Tone

Explained (continued)

A Simple Lesson in Value

Relationships

Composition by Tone or Pattern

Down or Across the Form

"Scumbling"

123

The Tonal Mediums

124

Charcoal as a Tonal

Medium

125

86 87

Charcoal and Chalk on Grey Paper

126

Grey Paper with Other Mediums

127

128 129

88

There are Four Basic Tonal Plans

89

Carbon Pencil as a Tonal Medium (Smooth Bristol)

How to Look for the "Meat" in Your Subject

90

Carbon Pencil on Regular

If It's tt

Worth

Painting,

It's

Worth Planning

Thumbnail" Planning of Tonal Pattern or Arrangement

The Subject

Itself

91

Carbon Pencil on

Bristol

Illustration

Board

130

Wash with Dry Brush

131

Wash as a Tonal Medium

132

92

Often Suggests the

Tonal Plan

122

Wash Is One of the Best Mediums

93

for Reproduction

Four of the Thumbnaib Transposed to

133

94

Opaque Water Color as a Tonal Medium

134

The Completed Sketch

95

Thin Black-and-White Oil Scumble

135

Suppose We Take a Subject and Work It Out

96

Howard Pyue

136

Black-and-White Oil

10 '

.

CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS Comments on Howard Pyle's Theory of Approach Tonal Sketches of

The Relationship The Form

Some of of

Tone

Pyle's Pictures

to

Color

Principle Applied

Preparing Samples in

138 141

Outdoor and Indoor Color

170

How to Experiment with

171

Experimental Color Roughs

142

A

Worked Out in Color from Black-and-White Copy

What

144

Submitting Samples

Worked Out

172

Subject

143

Tone

Color

Is

Color Charm, and

How Can We Know It?

145

Should

We Eliminate

Our

173

174

Black from

175

Palette?

PART THREE: COLOR Frontispiece

146

A New Approach

147

PART FOUR: TELLING THE STORY

Presenting the Spectrum as Related to

Shadow

Light and

Color

149 ^A>

All Color Is Relative to

Frontispiece

176

Tkehe Are Five Essentials

177

What

178

148 ^L ^^F

Surrounding

Is

Illustration?

150

The

151

Staging Your Subject

180

152

"Thumbnail" Settings

181

Look for Color on the Edge of Light

153

Huw to Get Suggestions from Clippings

182

The Limitation of Color in Pigment

154

Figures Suggested on Tracing Paper

183

155

Planning Dramatic Action and Poses

184

Toning the Spectrum or Palette

156

Establish the Action Before Hiring a

Four Subjects in "Toned Color*

157

The

158

Arrangements Based on One of the

Influence

Color Is Strongest in the Light Color Is

More Than Local Color

Relating Color

Don't

by Tonal Influence

Be Afraid

of the Greys of

Blue Green, Yellow, as a

Nature

Painted with Yellow as a "Toner'

Color Considered as

"Tone

Model

Arrangement

159

Em hcl

160

Using the Camera

1

in Its

185 186

187

ishment

188 to

Obtain Working

Material

1

"'

Essential

179

Previous Roughs

and Cool Red

Scheme

Essentials of Telling the Story

189

161

The

162

The Scaling Screen and Camera Distortion

192

The Primary Color Groups

165

Camera

193

The Primary Color Groups—Color Shades

166

Drawing

167

Camera Dramatics

195

A Single Lighting Works Out Best

196

Natural Relationship Color, Its

Function and

Color Selection

Charm

and Background

What to Do When Your Picture Dead in Color The Emotional

Effects of Color

Is

168

Illustrator's Scaling

Distortion to

Expression

11

190

Avoid Photographic Distortion 194

Use Your Camera

169

Screen

to

Catch Emotion and 197

CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS No End

There Is

PART

198

Studying the CJmracter to Facial Expression

and

SIX:

Frontispiece

224

The Magazine Ad

226

199

Character

Manufacturing Convincing Emotion

200

The Approach Loss and Gain in Backgrounds

202

Examples of Background Loss and Gain

203

Is

Faking, and

What

Is

Imagination

Never Guess When You Can Find Out

An

Imaginative Subject

204 205

Advertising

Illustration

227

Using Your Freedom

228

Twenty-Four Types of Ads

228

Types of Magazine Ads

230

Whole Ad

236

Developing the "Co-ordination Sense"

237

A Typical Magazine Ad Assignment

238

A Typical Agency Layout

239

Rough Compositions for

240

206

Originality Is Within the Conception

207

PART FIVE: CREATING IDEAS Frontispiece

208

A

209

Logical Method

The Plan

Good

Relating Your Illustration to the

Need Not Be

"Faked"

The

to

201

Expressions Tell the Story

What

FIKLDS OF ILLUSTRATION

Working Up a Questionnaire

the Picture

Final Arrangement Based on Photos Taken

241

The Finished Advertising

242

What

Is the

Illustration

Future in Magazine

Advertising?

243

210

Better Taste in Magazine Advertising

244

Searching Basic Appeals for Ideas

211

The Outdoor Poster

245

A Sample Questionnaire

212

How a Poster Is Divided into Sheets

246

Typical Poster Arrangements

247

A Typical Poster

249

of

Rough Ideas Developed from

the

213

Questionnaire

A Different Approach from the Same

The Idea Roughed Out

250

Halftones of the Color Rouglis

251

The Finished Poster

252

Display Advertising

253

Displays Are "Point of Sale" Merchandising

254

Working Up Ideas for Displays

255

Types of Lithographic Displays

256

Working with Display Lithographers

258

Calendar Advertising

259

Basic Appeals Applied to Calendars

260

221

A Calendar Can Be Anything That Is Good

261

222

Essentials of

223

Painting for Calendar Reproduction

214

Questionnaire

Creating Ideas from Basic Appeals

While You Think: Think While You Scribble

Assignment

215

Scribble

216

Your Scribbles Are More Original Than Your Camera

217

Get Used

218

to Sketching

from Life

You Get Something the Camera Cant Give You Sentiment the Keynote of Illustration

219 220

Psychology Applied to Covers and Calendars

There

Is

Even Psychology

Ideas in General

in

Comic Ideas

12

Good Calendar

Illustration

262 263

CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS Covers and Jackets

264

PART SEVEN: EXPERIMENT AND STUDY

Some Jacket Arrangements

266

Frontispiece

284

JStoby Illustration

268

Exi'ERIMENT AND STUDY

286

269

Finding Subjects for Experiment and Study 287

Work

270

Your Pencil Can Keep Busy

288

and Unusual Arrangement

271

You Can

289

What Do

the Magazines

Want?

Putting the Fundamentals to Exciting Style

and Technique

Illustrations

That

in Story Illustration

Sell the Story

273

A

Working Out a Typical Story

275

Miniature Roughs for the Illustration

276

Developing the Actual-Size Rough

277

Photo of the Model

278

tlie

Photo

All

Study of an Old

274

Study from

Heads

272

Questionnaire for Starting an Illustration Illustration

Practice

Sample

Man

290

Illustration

291

Sketching

292

Figure Painting

293

Outdoor Sketch

Color

294

Portrait Sketch in Color

295

in

279

The Final Interpretation

280

Head Studies

for Illustrations

281

Closing Chat

296

Getting into Story Illustration

282

Answers to Queries

299

13

OPENING CHAT Dear Reader

fort* I

:

With the wonderful response given believe that through this

efforts, I

many

my earlier

volume

paint.

paint can do

I shall

The acceptance of my last book, Figure Drawing for All be greeting

there

much

is still

figures, that

me

draw the figure

to continue, for

well,

It is

a convincing environment, to

figure into

set that

make

In short, the figure means

drawing only. sell

It

is

moved

ence,

is

To

to

and character

So

no exact formula that

great deal toward

to a

it.

Such a formula might be

possible

a

and emotional capacity of the individual were not

definite response emotion-

to present what, in

my

the best of

I

my

belief,

have attempted

to

and

so. I shall try to

make

be reduced to exact

would have

little

greatest value, the thing that forever

my own

me to do

shall not

clear the funda-

I

presume

to quarrel with the

contend that even with

all its

rather than to specific draftsmanship of the figure

individual perception of the

or other units. I shall

in technical excellence alone. If art

assume that you can already

and have some

background of experience or training. In

book

effort of the

will not

is it

above

pense with the need for

this

I

camera. But

photography

is

in the

cameraman and not were only per-

fection of precise detail, the camera artists.

But

would

until

dis-

we have

a lens endowed with emotion and individual per-

be built around the early

beginner, nor

lifts it

is its

mechanical per-

fection, the real value of

ability

reason for

picture-making achieved by mechanical means.

mentals that apply to the whole pictorial effort

draw with considerable

For that

results*

existence* In fact, the individual expression

this

the active fields of illustration qualify

a part of the ultimate

sonality, creative art

set forth

efforts in

the character, technical appreciation,

formulas devoid of personality. Devoid of per-

illus-

assemble

much

if

reason, art cannot possibly

experi-

such funda-

much-needed information, trusting that

sense the

start I

must so impress the beholder

mentals have not been -organized before.

At the

ably forms of procedure that can contribute a

as a

have proved to be the fundamentals of

tration*

is

illusions.

must accomplish something-

little

so

purpose

it.

must admit that there

ally.

My

about

can assure success. But there axe unquestion-

a product, or give realism

he

to

good

story; its personality

that

to set

Let us not be under any

it

a story, and to give it personality and dramatic

interest.

more knowledge

You want to paint pictures for magazine stories and advertising, for billboards, window displays, calendars and covers. You want every possible chance for success.

one thing to

but quite another to

better with

with*

know how

beyond the actual drawing of

can be set forth.

it

Let us assume, then, that you have ability you wish to put into practical channels. You want to

worth-while knowledge in the

of illustration,

field

work

as old friends.

Worth, has encouraged

It*$

tell

you

of

do not contend that anyone can draw or I do contend that anyone who can draw or

ception, or having the

for those interested

power

of discriminating

only in drawing as a hobby. It will be for those

between the

having a bona fide desire for a career in art and

artist will

the determination to give

camera must accept the good with the bad, take

and

effort

such a career

it

all

the concentration

calls for.

Success in art

it

is

by no means easy, or a matter of puttering at it in odd moments. There is no "gift" or talent so great that it can dispense with the

and the

irrelevant, the

always dominate the situation. The

or leave it—must reproduce the complete un-

emotional and

placed before

literal

appearance of whatever

is

it.

May I impress upon every reader that illustra-

need for fundamental

knowledge^ much diligent practice, and hard

significant

tion

ef-

17

is life

as

you perceive and

interpret

it.

That

OPENING CHAT your heritage as an

is

which

and

artist

be most sought for

will

never to lose

it

or subordinate

in

it

is

the quality

rector prefer a photo to a well-executed painting.

your work. Try

The difficulty lies

to the personality

ing that

and your work are concerned, life is line, tone, color, and design— plus your feelings about it. These are some of the tools of another. As far as you

we

with which

you see

fit,

my hope

but

the

that from this

is

you may gain added knowledge of how

my own

gent need for just evident,

the imitation of

book

to use

and

I

nical

have taken the problem upon

try to

main as

active as possible in the field. I wish

to succeed as

much

we

than

which

is

it is

value

more important

becomes a

realism.

camera cannot do.

the emotional qualities so sadly lacking in photo-

speak of a

you

feel,

result will

graphic illustration. Let our product be as

It is

Devoid of

is

the drawing, the

sound and convincing, from

not compete. us,

From

point

little

is

What we do how far we go in

will

determine

illustration.

Drawing

have

as

drawing alone

Drawing, for the most part, tour in correct proportion

is

is

not too

setting

difficult.

down

con-

and spacing. Spaces

can be measured, and there are simple ways and

far exceeds the supply. Therefore

means

commercial art has had to lap over into photog-

an

That much

expected and taken for granted.

beyond these

The demand

bet. Rarely does

that point

and from that point

stock-in-trade, the jumping-off place.

use photography only because

raphy as the next best

we need

we make

on the public actually prefers art to photography. The drawing, values, and color are only the

and

feeling,

tion of art over photography. Art directors

artists.

color

If

on there is nothing to stop

You may do it better with your camera. Drawing as a means of expression is the justifica-

of the mediocrity of available

and the

there on

a

it.

me that they

from printed type.

values,

that head.

mere duplication has

differ-

ent from the photo as our individual handwriting

must be not be a

tools of line, tone,

color to produce that quality.

you could hardly paint

and

A mental image is con-

The

You work with your

good work

in all the things the

edges, subordination of the inconsequential,

transposition of your individual conception to a

for

lies

certain that the greatest pictorial

accentuation of the important. Let us incorporate

I

copy of a photo nor of a living model.

told

wide

man

a subconscious interpretation

to

can add.

inventiveness of layout, the "lost and found" of

trans-

not yet sharp and clear. This quality of hardness,

for

we

Let us turn our attention to design, looseness and

jured up in your imagination. However, the image

Drawing

is little

which we will

real pictorial worth, the gates are

You may be

you

thought transposed to

Suppose

with a face as hard as flint*

face.

there

(

,

illusion of reality.

combined with

of, later)

local color

freedom of technical rendering, character drama,

position of thought. So

is

To

open.

are.

If illustration is expression, it

an

But for

as I wish to succeed myself,

for the sake of our craft,

greater individuality.

We -cannot match its precision of detail.

hear more

our mutual success— since I intend to re-

also through greater tech-

and through

For straight values and

both of

to

come

compete with the camera on its own ground

is futile.

that the things I shall attempt to talk

about are of tremendous importance

come through imagination on the part

freedom leaning away from the merely pho-

tographic,

is

My ability as an author can be set aside as of little importance. We have the common ground knowing

be through photography, nor even through will not

it

the greater scope of the

early career I felt an ur-

kind of help. The need

this

anything like the pro-

art to

greater technical ability. It will

myself.

us, to

volume of good

of artists. It will

Throughout

of

are to carry our craft forward, increasing

indisputable demand,

them.

still

we

good enough.

is

portionate use of photography or meeting the

work and which I shall try to You will work with these tools

all

enable you to use. as

If

draw*

in getting the painting or

of measuring them.

Any

old line around a

contour may be correctly spaced. You can square

art di-

18

OPENING CHAT by eye, or project it, and get that kind of drawing. But real drawing is an inter-

off

analysis of his work, for your analysis

copy, measure

and statement

pretation, selection,

of

better than mine.

not the actual contour at

is

creative ability has

one that will express the grace, character, and

charm of the subject. Until the

artist

way

he has not elevated him-

much beyond

pantograph, projector, or

self

his

other mechanical devices. creative

expression

you are going

if

realize that his

own

on

is

originality is better

tact

quali-

all

past

in

what

working with the same

tools.

to select

to discard that with

it

my

has.

what

is

am to stay

if I

experience

You

will thus

of use to you,

which you do not agree.

The art of illustration must logically begin with line. There is so much more to line than is conceived by the layman that we must start out with a broader understanding of it. Whether con-

and some

than a hundred tracings or

sciously or not, line enters every phase of pictorial

am going

to give

you information of value,

effort,

must come from actual practice and from con-

it

more

his

projections. If I

illustra-

have done as

I

ground, that of sharing

solid

and

can use mechanical devices. Even

a poor drawing exhibiting inventiveness

to do,

have the chance

only chance to be original, to excel a thousand others who also

infinitely

with you for whatever value

self-

interpreta-

not quite so literally accurate,

dare not incor-

There is but one course open for me

a confession of lack of faith in his

He must

even

tion,

is

are the

my own with the rest, for we are

not as interested in what

How can he hope to be

use in place of drawing for

I

speak for himself. I shall leave out

performances of

he depends entirely upon them? Re-

if

sorting to their

ability,

fied to

the

things he wants to say,

each would be

tors, since

begins to

think in line, think of expressing in this

no chance.

porate even the work of contemporary

but the

all,

Method and procedure

only sound basis of teaching, for without them

a contour

with the greatest possible meaning. Sometimes

drawing

might be

with the actual

Naturally

field.

I

am

first

and plays a most important part. Line is the

approach to design, as well as the delineation

and ignorance of its true function can great impediment to success. So our book

of contour,

limited

my own viewpoint. But, since the fundamentals that go into my own work are for the most part the same as those used by others, we cannot be too far from a common goal. So, I use examples of my work here, not as something to be imitated,

be a

to

will start with line.

Tone comes

next.

dering of form in

its

Tone

is

the basis of the ren-

solid aspect.

Tone

is

basis of a three-dimensional effect of

space.

but rather to demonstrate the basic elements that

also the

form

in

A truthful representation of life cannot be

successful illustration.

made without a clear understanding of tone. Line

By showing you the means of expression rather

and tone are interdependent, and this relationship must be understood. To line and tone is added color. Again the re-

I

believe

must go into

than the expression

all

itself, I

leave you free to ex-

press yourselves individually.

My approach will For

this

shall

reason the approach must vary con-

relationship.

from the usual art text formula.

We

only,

have no examples of Old Masters,

for,

minute

siderably

frankly,

what methods and procedures they used

are virtually

them. Unless I could

tell

We may draw an illustration in line stands complete pictorially. But the

it

contour only,

we

with light and shadow, or tone.

We

we go beyond

line as

are therefore plunged immediately into the com-

plex laws of nature, since only

of

you how an Old Master

arrived at his great painting, I of value. I

files full

and

start to deal

unknown. You can see great pictures

everywhere; you probably have your

for true color

depends almost entirely upon good tonal or value

from the theory of imitation as a means of teaching.

becomes inseparable,

lationship

strip itself as far as possible

shadow, or

tonality,

is

cannot presume to give you even an

since the

19

two are

light

form apparent to

step from tone to color

could add nothing

by

is

us.

and

The

not nearly so great,

closely related.

OPENING CHAT Granted that

we

can comprehend the basic

fundamentals of line, tone, and

more

color, there is

Finally,

a variety of approaches, each tuned to

still

encompass* All three must be united to a

to

pictorial purpose*

ular purpose. In each field there

There are arrangement and

basic approach

To

these ends

matic interpretation. In the lustrator

about it.

beautifully, but

it

illustration. Illustration

we do, and how we feel. If

book

we

tine,

must

I

create ideas.

must reach

We

ideas as the basis of advertising, too, so

that our

work may find

be suited

a market in that field,

to its special needs.

little

or so

much

work

to

to your

as can nothing else;

It is

it is

the biggest secret of success.

have searched out to the best of

will continue ever after. I

my

ability

have simply

They are the things which are present in all good art, and should be a tried to gather

need to understand the develop-

ment of

hope

you out of the rut of daily rouand places you head and shoulders above

me, and

into the

personality of the reader, compelling definite responses.

I

what I shall call the "Form Principle." Within this is the whole basis of approach to the material of this book. These truths have existed long before

psychology for basic ap-

peals, to create ideas that

one thing, and

the workable truths. I have organized these into

to the "telling of the story/*

Illustration delves into

must

lifts

your associates.

life

we must

artist

the matter of experiment and study,

the thing that

we live, the things So we shall devote a part

are to illustrate,

is

progress in your

can by no stretch of the imag-

be called an

an individual

ultimate success. This can assure freshness and

il-

He may paint a pot of flowers

encompass emotion, the of the

the

partic-

clear.

which can contribute so

the dra-

holding a mirror to life, and expressing

is

his feelings

ination

make

There

final analysis

is

its

a magazine ad another. All these points

we shall work.

Beyond the technical rendering comes

is

which the successful

know. To do an outdoor poster

more important than the subject matter. There is organization of area and tonal mass or pattern in order to create good pic-

presentation, even

tures.

we must separate the various fields into

them

together.

you do. They spring from the laws of nature, which I believe is the only sound basis for a book of this kind. So let us get on with our part of

and

Therefore a part of

work.

the book will be given over to this subject.

20

all

that

—

:

THE FORM PRINCIPLE AS A BASIS OF APPROACH No matter what

subject the artist uses or

medium he works

in,

approach to a

of

there

is

You

good

art.

appearance

which underlie

them exemplified

will find

They

relative effects are

definition

cannot lay claim to being the

to perceive the truths

continue as long as there

is light,

I shall

only to organize these truths so as to

The

this

This principle will

that you will

Let us

:

the

make them

Form

this

book; and

it is

out by defining the

The

to

my hope

to its lighting, its structure

with

its

us see

effect that will

light

and

what

this

Prin-

light.

on that form. Without

are concerned,

of the

The

regard

form ceases to

Form Principle

that

exist.

shadows are the

is

to the direction of the

results of the light hav-

and the shape of such

is little

brilliant light or direct tight there is

we

So you will see that the kind of light immedi-

The first truth

ately has to

we are concerned with

ity

are working with, for

its

do with the approach to your subject

and the ultimate effect. Having less

affect the entire If it is

it

comes

definition, the

most difficult. For

"snap/' take direct light. For softness

nature and qual-

and the direction from which

always cast

shadow.

must he determined at once what kind of

light we

inter-

or no cast shadow. In

diffused or over-all light will be It

he within

projected to other planes. In dif-

fused light there

is:

I

cast

cepting form

by the rendering of light, as far as

will

The shadow planes will be those planes in or beyond the direction of light so that

ing been intercepted,

texture, together

means. Any pictorial

first

form

the light of the original source cannot reach them,

present a convincing illusion of

form must do so

bril-

The halftone planes will

he those obliquely situated

true relationship to its environment.

Now let existing

moment with

lightest areas of the

the direction of the light.

the rendering of form as

aspect at any given

its

in

those planes lying most nearly at right angles to

lying is

more apparent

This brings us to the next truth

ciple:

The Form Principle

is

liant light.

Principle.

Form

what planes shall be in the light,

planes of the form are also more apparent in

adopt it and use it for the rest of your start

for

a direct or bright light than in a diffused light* The

attempt

the basis for everything which

is

be discussed in

lives*

name

have given a

artificial light for

direction or position of the light source,

halftone, or shadow. Texture

will

you do, To the organization of these basic

truths I

produced by

and by the natural north daylight

then, determines

workable for you in study and practice, in everything

subtle

the soft gradation.

in all

and

existed long before me,

and

gradation of light to dark* In the studio the same

realistic interpretation of life

of existing forms. I

approach*

day, produces an effect of softness

but one solid basis

to the representation of the natural

first

what

plicity,

will

trast,

appearance of the form.

use sky

light.

Direct light produces con-

sky light produces closeness of value.

Direct light produces

impossible to render form without light,

light,

and sim-

and

this is

much more

reflected

most apparent within the shad-

then it follows that the nature of the form becomes

ow. The amount of reflected light reaching the

A brilliant light produces halftone, and shadow. A dif-

shadow will determine its value. Everything upon which the light falls becomes a secondary source of reflected light and will light shadow planes in

visible

because of light.

Well-defined light,

fused light, such as the light of the sky

on a grey

21

THE FORM PRINCIPLE same manner as

the

Faked

the original source, being

brightest on the planes at right angles to such

bear a relationship of tone and value to one

It hits

the top planes squarely and brightly, then slides

around the form

as far as

another.

can go. However, in

it

If this relationship is

the shadow, the source being of less brilliancy,

can never be as light as the original

source. Therefore no area in the

shadow can be as

plified

The

Both

light

object

is

surface tone appears to be some-

together as one group, as opposed to the

in the scale

values. It will remain, in

or darker than

two

shirt

may be

bound to lose solidity and form no matter how well modeled and how well drawn. Much

whether

of the reason for pictures* falling apart

The

?

because simple light and shadow chance. Such relationship

ing several sources of

is

light.

and shadow should be

is

it is

also

all

little

the

mean

etc.

But the

light

such as sunlight, sky

light,

ship*

There

is

only one

source of light

best for our purpose

is

effect pictorially. This also

We

can use a reflector

when working on

fa

more

correct in natu-

than in any other.

You simply cannot beat

trick lighting possible.

to

make

the form go round,

we

exaggerate

we use up the rather limited range between black and white, so we do not have left the values,

the proper

lights,

and lower values for the shadow. The

picture becomes dull

and

lifeless,

since

we have

used values that do not belong to the light and

relation-

get this right*

relation-

Overmodeling comes from incorrect values.

moonlight, twilight,

way to

can-

to raise both or lower both but to

them with all the

around a

and

is

true rendering of form.

effect of light,

artificial light, etc*, in its real effect

we

Sunlight and daylight are the perfect lights for

that light cannot travel in

must be a true

light,

shadow side.

If,

lamp, the light of two windows, reflected

object

ral light

t

different directions, such as the light

deep shadow or bright

Relationship of values

you

be lighted by the sums source and be lighted conThis does not

in

light with beautiful effect. This,

You will probably come out with a than the other way round.

with one another

lighter than his suit. In

(usually a white board) to reflect the original

All forms within your picture should appear to

sistently

much

gives us reflected light.

darker.

better thing

so

and produces the best

think you see them, and all the areas in the shadow

a

neighbors. For instance, a man's

light this relationship holds good. Therefore,

A single

A safe approach is to make lighter than

its

always, either in light or in shadow.

Thus where halftone

little

lighter

ship of things to one another will be the same

destroyed by insert-

to give the true character

the areas in the light a

any light, so much

keep the approximate difference. The

not given a

lost

black in the light area.

other surround-

all

not change the value difference between the two.

by other lighting, and the values become a hodgepodge of middle tones, highlights, and accents. There cannot be a white in the shadow area. There can hardly be a pure of the form,

from black to white. Bright

But the light raises or lowers

any

is

"local"

can raise the value, and dim light can lower

groups are not thus separated and held apart, the subject is

its

the subject holds a constant relationship to other

shadow

areas as another group. If the values of the

is, its

Every tiling has

ing values correspondingly, so that the value of

the lighted areas hold

all

value, that

it.

in the fewest possible values*

make

to

than for any

and shadow areas must be sim-

and painted

true.

light

art falls apart for this reason

not maintained, then the

form cannot be

where

light as the areas in the light.

other*

every other good

All things represented within a given light

Light can operate in only one manner.

More

down

quality.

reflected light

reflected light

lighting breaks

Do it

could not be in relationship,

The

when we put

shadows that could

lights into the

opposite

is

true

not be, destroying the big relationship between

by studying from life the true aspect, or take a photo which will give it to you. It cannot be faked.

the whole light and the whole shadow.

22

THE FORM PRINCIPLE ments of

The big form makes the subject carry and apsmall and intricate forms

You cannot avoid making your

must be

Draw

up.

not every fold just because

model or

The

of these. If

only the folds that

ship

form and the natural drape of the mate-

express rial,

it

it is

you do not understand tonal

you cannot secure a

Line

there on the

contour; tone

is

best pictures run to a

up

few simple

Get

values.

this clearly in

all

laced or

woven

through the help of design and arrangement.

the edge

is

vital

your mind. all

units

Almost any subject can be used with charm

more

form, space, and the

is

and a sense of space be achieved. Contour becomes lost and found and inter-

around

picture, not the subject

or material

is

feeling of "existence.

Contour cannot be continuously defined

later on.

The design makes the

Presentation

relation-

third dimension.

in the copy.

This will be taken

You can

combine both, but you cannot get away from one

can ruin the effect of underlying

form and break

subject either

a tonal statement or a linear statement.

subordinated to keep the big form solid. Folds, for instance,

and darks, or

else linear arrangements.

pear solid, not the incidental surface forms.

Many of the

intervening tones,

lights,

into other areas in nature. If

kept hard

all

around,

it

cannot avoid

sticking to the picture plane, losing the feeling

than subject matter.

of space, or

The same form may be presented with great variety by a careful arrangement of lighting. Just

will

one edge

be taken up

in

in

more

back of another. Edges detail later.

of sev-

The fundamentals are the same in all mediums.

A landscape beautiful in early morning or eve-

Each medium has an inherent quality of its own. Once you master the Form Principle, only

any light will

riot

do. It

must be the best

ered experiments.

medium remain

ning light

the peculiarities of the

day.

mastered. You will simply have to find out

ing.

may be dull and uninteresting at noonA charming head may be ugly in bad light-

The

best plan

is

up in

light

The

and shadow,

not form too broken

shadow

in itself

made

The darkest part

artistic

Value relationships between objects produce

trator,

design.

may be

second.

This book

ject

is

or composition of the sub-

really dealing

with the relationships of

the values of certain units as

since

in the

The planning

of the

form

It

Principle

is

near-

keeps the shadow

the co-ordination of

il

is

laid out

enters into everything

to clarify I

its

you

Principle,

will ever do, or

We shall attempt

various applications as

suggest that you

come back

we go

along,

to these funda-

opposed to others. This results in "pattern," and

mental truths often, for they are the answer

can be further combined with lighting.

most of your problems. So

either arrange-

23

we

start

with

line!

all

and color.

on the Form

see, in the field of illustration.

combined with or

Ml pictures are fundamentally

in

mediums.

shadow appears

factors dealing with line, tone,

or contrasting values, thereby getting subordina-

and accentuation

in all

and is most important

The Form

would be

placed against close values

tion in the first instance

will render

luminous and the form round*

For example, a dark object placed against a field,

you

a purely

is

est the light,

it

and both against a grey

how

between the halftone of the light and the reflected light within the shadow. This is called the' 'ridge" or "hump" by the illus-

by weaving patterns of light and shadow through

design. Units

medium, which

same way

essentially the

produces design.

plainest of subjects can be

light one,

in the

technical matter. But

and shadow.

Light and

be

to express a sharp edge, a soft edge, light, halftone

always to choose the lighting

that tends to big simple form,

to

to

PART

ONE

uruzy THERE ARE SEVEN PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF LINE 1.

To convey

2.

To

divide or limit an area or space.

3.

To

delineate a thought or symbol.

4.

To

define form

5.

To

catch and direct the eye over a given course.

6.

To produce

7.

To

its

own

intrinsic beauty.

by edge

or contour.

a grey or tonal gradation.

let

function and purpose. I

us start

the book with the very beginning of artistic ex-

line in the

man. or a

To

There

is

is

much more

truly

mind of the artist than in

the latter, line

lilPgl

create design or arrangement.

ven if it may seem a bit obvious,

pression, that of line.

AOD1

you do

to

either

but a mark of a pencil

and convey unlimited beauty. Line functions has contributed as

to

in

bear a relationship to either

your work, or you can

make

let its

line,

line

an

importance

by you. But if you choose lo ignore the functions of line, your work will make a bad statement

skill,

bound to enter your work for better or worse. You cannot escape it. Let us see what can be done about it, of your ability.

human

progress as fire or steam. All line should

it

slide

in its various

much

artistically will

good or bad. You can

asset to

artist, lino

can reach great heights, require exhaustive

to think of

that light. Everything from this day forward that

that of the lay-

mere scratch of a pen. To the true

want you

have

25

Line

is

Ltte

\_yREATiVE. ART BEGIN/ WITH CREATIVE LINE* CREATIVE LINE CAN ONLY BE THE LINE A/ YOU JBB IT AND PREFER TO DRAW IT. PROJECTING LITERAL CONTOUR/ BY ANY

ARTIFICIAL MEAN/ CAN ONLY RESULT IN 5TI FLING YOUR MO/T VALUABLE AJ/ET— INDIVIDUALITY. DRAW FROM COPY AJXOU WOULD FROM LIFE. HAVE ALWAYJ* THE COURAGE. TO* DRAW XT YOUR./EUF,

THtX BOOK H£k/ ©E.CN DE/lCNED TO CARRY FORWARD THE FUN DAM ENTALJ XM-T FORTH iM ^FIGURE DRAWING FOR ALL WJ WORTH? IT MULTT BE A//UMED YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING 26

LINE

IS

PROPORTION WITH IMAGINATION

CAN YOU CONSTRUCT A MEAD IN ANY PO/E ? A PLAN OF HEAD CONSTRUCTION HA/ BEL&N S ET FORTH IN "PUN WITH A PENCI L*.

OF THE PROPORTION AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE HUMAN FIGURE. IT J" MY PURPOSE MOW TO HELP YOU DEVELOP THE FIGURE PICTORI ALLY TO PRACT1 CAL COAL/ ANP TO A LIVELIHOOD-WORK! 27 I

LINE

PRODUCES FORMAL DESIGN

xubchvij'ion by diagonal/, vertical** and

CHOOXE ANY

POINTJ*,

horizontal/ pitoDuce; unlimited ob/icn* TRY

B&lNd CAREFUL TO REPEAT THE

DIAGONAL &ETWEEM ALL JirtlLCiR

TH\f

PAGE

lJ*To

it

PO|NTX.

IMpRE/J UPON YOU THE SAXJC

RELATIONSHIP OF

LINE.

TO DE/ICN. DIVIDING rt

tt

J>ace pquAti-Y produce; formal dexicn, IF

A

DRAWING

IJ"

LINEAR DEJ"lCN

t

BAfED UPON UNDERLYING

THERE FOR^IMFORMAL DEXIGN

\S

WILL PARTAKE OfMTT UNITY

DIVISION. COMPOSITION tXONE

OR THE OTHER.

lT

28

BY UNEGtUAL

LINE

A&CJ

COMBINING HORIZONTAL/ AND PERPENDICULARS WITH CURVE/.

INTERLACED

OVERLAPPING OVAL/

HS

/\

f

\f

PRODUCES INFORMAL DESIGN

OVBRLAPPI NQ CIRC LBS

/

1

O6LI0.U& LINE/ INTERLACED.

OVERLAPPING SQUARE/

QVE-RLAPPLNC

TRI ANCLE/

^^

^f

7^ :

\\^ r^*

.

i_^Z

OVERLAPPING RADII

OVERLAPPING

WAVY

PARALLELS

OVERLAPPING ANGLE/*

1

f

I

OVERLAPPING /P1RAL/

OVERLAPPING R&CTANCL 29

HORIZONTAL/ AND PERPENDICULAR/

OVERLAPPING LINE AND AREAS THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF COMPOSITION

THE PRINCIPLE OFOVtRLAPPlNo AQEA.T, FOftHj; &HD CONTOUR/ \S THE &AX1J* OF ALL PICTORIAL CREATION. f\ NCE LINE IS OUR FIR/T MEAN^ OF DEFINING THE^E ,THEH LINEAR ARRANGEMENT BECOME/ OUR. FlRXT CONJ" DERATION •THCRE ARE NjANY WAYJ" TD

MOk^ NEW

you CHOoj p.

Ajr

EYTUlJKINiD OF DIVISION NO TWO JVAtej AREDUVLiCATEy,

NOTTQDWlDfci

AMY JWyCE U tb TH I

BUILP

YOUM. JUB J eCT BYAPHFRltt^AT AS POXJMBLE TO iViE JTldUCTURM^"

IN

MUCH

UHHX YOU HAVE CREATED- DON'T / Jl XL

LA

This

is

a plan of subdivision of my own. It offers

greater freedom to the yoii to divide space

Start

Study

artist.

it*

It will

space.

(

optional

)

want.

unequally and interestingly.

line. It is

the line at a point which

third, or one-fourth of the

draw one diagonal diagonal and your

not

or perpen-

making more

rectangles to divide by diagonals again. In this

manner you

one-half, one-

will never

break up the same shape

twice in the same way.

whole space, Then

It offers

a great deal of

suggestion for the placement of figures, spacing,

At the intersection of the

and contours, with no two spaces being exactly equal or duplicated, except the two halves on

draw a horizontal draw diagonals in any

first line,

line across the space.

intersection, thus

would

whole space from diag-

of the

onally opposite corners.

any

X

UP

we do

Now you may draw horizontals

diculars at

best to avoid placing

would be

diagonals crossing like an

divide the rectangle equally, which

help

by dividing the whole space unequally with

a single

Two

GIVE

Now

of the resulting rectangles,

each side of the single diagonal

but only one to a

subject in

36

mind you

If

you have a

will begin to see

it

develop.

A DEMONSTRATION OF INFORMAL SUBDIVISION HAP ONLY AN IDEA M MlNp OF SHOWING" A LOT OE- UTtUE SffNOMEJ PLAVrMG WITHAPBN* SOFAR HAP NO tOEAOFHQW ;;(WO0LD AliliANGE THEM* DIVIDED MY/PACE AJ" JHOWNl

.l

f

\

»

THE ABSTRACT XHAPfcJ" THOS SUGGEST ED THB COM POJlTlOf^.

fROM THU PRELIMINARY WORK, THE.

FINIJHED FRONTISPIECE TO PACT

37

ONE WAX CHEATED

FIGURE COMPOSITIONS BASED

ON WORMAL

SUBDIVISION

INFORMAL SUBDIVISION

/

\1

r

*"'^~fi

fc.

^n rrr;

IS

NOT MECHANICAL

PURELY CREATIVE,

*

,

i

_i^^^"

^jf

'MR .MM"!

/

t

J

h\

\vy

m

yi

V

1

^

''*

l/

TfamA\ RL^n i#n v

ri

mK

IB

Urfltftn 4 I tMj. J

V

i i

II Fifii'ilii

i J

'

U"

m

i

i

v

J HI i

ttf ranwrnim'." (

it

/

1

If

[Wfjil

1

II"

ifflL

1

|U|i

1

\yi

1,

i

11

111

I

<

>

I'll

1

li

N

1

1 !

i

'

llftlllluHll

ru^Jl 111

1

^t

wt

: 1

I

%XM

i

I;

I

MAKE THUMBNAIL/.

Since,

when

THE

a space

is

DIVI/IONJ"

divided in

HERE JUOO^ST^D THE SUBJECT/ AND ARRANGEMENTS.

tlie

ing up ideas, layouts, small compositions. As the

manner

ideas develop they can be carried out with

shown in these pages, selection plays a great part, and invention the rest, tive,

That

is

its

it

cannot avoid being crea-

els,

clippings,

you out with a "set" or formal arrangement

gether/'

line

start inventing

when you use informal

to get

to

of

assure you,

is

know what

mind,

will

I

I

it

in

one or two

you have no subject

urge you not to pass

in

amazing how

day

in groat relief.

While

all of

in

If

my estimation

arrangements on

for I

me, and

am

1

often so I

turn to

the compositions of

many

of

the better ones. this

to-

up without a

this

my own work

the book are not so based,

develop with

you have a subject

it

mean.

the original

"stymied" for a good arrangement that

the feeling most of us experience,

and you probably already

I

admit that even

blank paper be-

without an idea in your head. That,

it is

tryout. It has often saved the

first

subdivision. It helps

you over the emptiness

fore you,

with your

When

composition balances or "hangs

the

well

You

so forth.

subdividing lines are erased,

strongest recommendation, in

comparison with forms of subdivision that start

begin with.

and

mod-

them

arc,

Any one

and

of the

or the preceding pages

in

mind,

pretty soon the lines will start suggesting

some-

would be intriguing to do as a painting, and I only wish I had the space. Most artists develop an eye

drawings above* In

for composition eventually, but this device will

tries. If

thing, as these

did in the

little

get you well on the way.

had no intimation of what the subjects would be. This method is invaluable in work-

starting out I

lightly so they

39

Draw

the dividing lines

can be easily erased.

XIVI

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YOUR PICTURE; |N MINIATURE THIl WAY, YOU C^N LATER. J"OUAR,e IT Ot=P FOR ENLARGEMENT, UJ^rHU" PLAN A LOT TO GET WCHT INTO A GIVEN JUSjeCT. thij is a mojt practical procedure, now if you donot unperjtano PEEL/FECTlVe. .YOU'D BETTER JTUDY IT YOU CANKOT GET ATSV WHERE WITHOUT IT, PLAN

*

,

40

)

EVERYTHING YOU impossible to

It is

draw

correctly

DRAW and

IS

RELATED TO AN EYE LEVEL ists

intelli-

The viewpoint

level.

what

is

is

becomes apparent when the artist has obviously worked from two clippings or

known

perspective.

as the station point in perspective. However, that is

really the spot

center of the field of vision and

If

we

be

The horizon

is

start

at our sec.

with one thing, for instance a photo of a

we could

redraw the perspective so that the vanishing

same horizon

points will fall in the

piano- Or, selecting a figure,

than one hori-

zon. It follows that all receding lines parallel to

perspective of the piano to

the ground plane that recede from points above

way

zon, also parallel to the

ground plane, must

upward

Our viewpoint,

to the horizon.

whole

resent the

may not, and seldom field of vision,

cross the picture plane, or

or below

it.

does, rep-

may

ist

cult than like the

But

it

really

is. It is

the original eye level (or viewpoint of the cam-

every day. Perspective

apparent*

You

or the

camera look down

on everything below the picture horizon or up anything above top surface horizon.

the eye

All tilings will

when below

We is

it,

show only

affects

life-

is

be-

one

of those things,

is

and

may

artist

suffer for lack of,

a part of every

form

and cannot be avoided.

It

your very next job and every one there-

you are working from a single photo the camera may do it for you. But if you change or

after. If

their

the eye level or picture

add one

can look into things only when

above them. Round

off eternally

tinder every condition

at

just

study of anatomy, which an

keep putting

is

small sketch and

whole output and a

will jeopardize his

no matter what part you take, the relationship to

era)

off the

yond me, For some reason, the man who does not know perspective imagines it is much more diffi-

you might crop out any

small section of the photo for your picture.

be used. Use a large

time of effort by a lack of such knowledge

be above the picture

group of buildings. Without changing the horilines,

he may adjust the the figure. The best

small sketches so that

may

Then square

by the

To learn perspective means only a small investment at the bookstore, and only a few evenings set aside to learn it once and for all. Why an art-

then, de-

Suppose you have a large photo of a

zon or perspective

make

fit

set

enlarge to the size you want.

slant

the horizon

this is to

tissue pad.

termines the horizon. Since a picture

do

to

wide vanishing points

downward pictorially and Then all lines below the hori-

slant

end in the horizon.

can

two eyes and spreading out

No picture can have more

must

He

ture.

This entire sheet of glass would be the picture

the horizon

artist.

Then everything else, including figures, must be drawn to the same eye level. He must

eye level and reaching as far as

horizon.

this respect,

piano. That will establish the horizon of his pic-

the eye level. Think

of a great fan-shaped sheet of glass starting at a

point just back of our

agreement

every bit of copy he uses.

It applies to

exactly opposite a point located in the middle of die horizon.

in

You may

Perspective must be understood by the

look

straight out at eye level, the viewpoint will

seldom be

clips will

with each other in

not to be

is

confused with the vanishing points.

be certain two

the

is

It

photos, each having a different eye level.

on the ground plane where you

are standing. Artistically, the viewpoint

a knowledge of simple

art woefully lacking in

gently without the consideration of a viewpoint

and an eye

go into the field of illustration and commercial

you

lines like a belt

single unit to

will not

understand

be able

to

your photographic copy,

do

it

correctly unless

eye level and view-

when below the horizon, and down when above. But how many times we see this truth disregarded! How often do we see necks, shoulders, paying no attention to an eye level, roofs slanting down or up when the reverse should be the case! It must

superfluous to give further space to

be stated here that too large a percentage of

Your bookstore can help you,

around a waistline must curve up

point

If

this principle of

you

you do not understand perspective, by

means drop everything else and get it at once. You will never draw until you do. (There are so many good texts on perspective that it would be all

art-

41

it

here.

EYE LEVEL,

CAMERA

LEVEL,

AND HORIZON MEAN THE SAME and foremost means of depicting space on a flat picture plane and the natural or normal aspect of things, If modern art Perspective

the

is

chooses to ignore

first

it,

modern

thereby evoked. But in

fer the negative response

we

illustration

chooses to suf-

art

cannot ignore

and make our

it

work appeal with any conviction of

You can

easily

zon. Simply carry

EYE LEVEL WITHIN THE Pic VURE

until they

meet

check any copy to find the hori-

any receding straight

in a point.

should be parallel

two

floor boards,

reality.

These

lines, of course,

ground plane,

to the

two

ceiling lines,

back

lines

like

two

parallel sides

and bottom lines of a door windows. The point at which such lines meet

of a table, or the top or

will fall in the horizon.

Draw

a horizontal line

and that

is

you have your horizon, note where

it

straight across through such a point it,

When

cuts across the figure. all

it

comes. All added units must have

it

their vanishing points in the

same horizon. Sup-

pose you have a clipping of an

EYE LEVEL. ABOVE HP J

must so cut across

other figures, at the waist, breast, head, or

wherever

EYE LFVE L 0&LOW THU PICTURE

Then

interior.

By

finding

the horizon you can estimate the height of the PlClUfcE

camera.

By

adjusting the figure you

draw within

that

same

may wish

with

interior

this

to

camera

you can make the figure seem to fit in perspective. Cameras arc usually at breast level, so

level,

see that the horizon cuts through the figures prop-

This

erly,

is

about the only way there

figures properly, so that they will all

standing on the same

seem

to

be

you know beforehand

if

how

high the horizon appears above the

floor in the

intended copy, you can then adjust

about

LEVEL ABOVE. THE PICTURE

to insert

floor.

Another advantage:

EYE:

is

your camera of the models

to that height

whom

you intend

ture.

You cannot shoot at

it fit

your copy.

When first

find

when

to use in the pic-

any level and make

just

redrawing copy to

taking pictures

fit

a

new eye

level,

something of known measurement in the

copy. For instance, a chair seat inches off the floor.

Draw

about eighteen

a perpendicular at the

Then ground plane. The

corner of the chair and measure

you can take any point

is

in the

it

off in feet.

AND MAKE

FIND EYE LEVEL OF COPY

FIGURES COINCIDE

perpendicular acts as a measuring line for uprights,

Draw

uring

line,

a line from the bottom of the meas-

through the chosen point on the

ground plane back

measuring

to the

Then cany the

to the horizon.

line

whatever height

line at

desired. Erect a perpendicular at the chosen

and the

point,

to the place

similar height

you want

it.

now

is

This

is

carried back

same

exactly the

on the same ground

principle as placing figures plane.

The accompanying sketches

placements of the eye level or

trate the various

horizon (which tionship of clearer

I

squared

is

the

one unit

to

same thing) and the relaanother, To make it a little

have drawn the

representing off

will serve to illus-

outside his picture,

artist

you and your viewpoint,

I

have then

the picture material. These will

why

the horizon

ture,

and

may be

also that it

is

at

show

have taken

a

determined by the height

.

AMY PHOTO WlLj-EJTA5U,fH rrx

piano and some figures showing

Jiow they must be related.

XlNCe NONE OF THE/E HAVE TH& Jl^iAB LYE LEV&L ONE N1UXT OE, /ELftCTCP AND TUB OTHER/ ADJUSTED TO IT* FlftJ-T U&T US TAKE. THE. PI i\NO AX JHOWK

any height in a pic-

and point from which viewed. I

CLJPJ"

have

I

OWN EYE LEVEL (TRACfNo)

also tried to

demonstrate the variety of effect to be got out of

any subject by using different eye

This

levels.

opens up a world of opportunity for crcativeness.

A

subject rather ordinary at ordinary eye level

may become

quite startling

above or from

down

A

A high

low. ...

good when you want space.

when viewed from

to

break

down

ground-level viewpoint

you want a horizontal base

eye level

is

into text

good when

is

line.

CAMW

L&VSLJ- OP COPY, PIS. R-fP ACTIVE U NfiJ OUT UHTTLtHEY

THE DIMiMi-THlNa ME£T m A POINT THAT POINT 5 ON THE HOR.IXON- HOW &RAW THE WOWZONTAL LINE AC*Oj\TTHK GO FV\ 1

Understanding perspective

in the figure,

can transpose figure copy to various eye thus permitting

you

to

can object This

and is

levels,

use copy which you other-

drawn your

wise could not, So long as you have figure differently

you

own way, no one

in your

not always easy.

It

is

really

pay a model, pose her as you wish, and work the thing out on your own, if you can afford it. Money spent on models is the best investment better to

you could make as a creative then

is

artist.

Your picture

indisputably your own*

CORRECT PCRJ^ECTlVt Af AGOlDfe

APPROACHING THE SUBJECT

IN DIFFERENT

WAYS

HttTT

ROUGH /KETCH FOR,

FOLLOW (IHQ PIANO COPY.

VP

5^CONO fctOUQH jKercH FOJ.WWIP4G pe.«lj pec rive

xa&Mr

44

j

rv?At>p

MQ(q= charm.

ALONE MAY ADD VARIETY

PERSPECTIVE

THIRD [^OUGH /KETCH

^OLU)WLNC

ALTO AW iMf^ROVfcM&MT UVf-i^, r«E PlfUT ROUGH AR.R.ArlCEH&NT',

vp

mm

mtmmm

SUBJECT PROM piFPe^eNT *Yfc OR CAMERA LBV EJ,J> YOU C^N OCTEH MfcKEJOMETHING JT&RTUWC OUTOF JO^tTHlNCORDIN^ftY, IP YOuDONt KNOW PEftJ*PECT V P^, OONT PUT LTOPF, IT* J

AN EXCEULENT JOEA TO

"TOY

OUT

&.IHY

I

always be the problem of the

It will

take his subject

There

possible.

and approach

it

if

thought

given to an eye

is

To

given in this direction, something unusual can result,

his

John Jones sees almost everybody at about

own

characters.

There

a certain grandeur

is

nity thus given them, something of

when

up

looking

pulpit, or

an

actress ori the stage. it

good

may be

used

to this

forded the reader looking

is

down on our

characters.

to feel that

hill or

the landscape!

The

sense of height.

is

he

some great

somehow put

No wonown impor-

giant.

over his

levels breaks

up your

method

it

wise to

way. This

of testing your inventiveness,

you get something unusual

is

is

pic-

is

one

and when

pays good

divi-

dends. In story illustration as well as magazine-

from

advertising illustration, something rather drastic

How we

greatest thrill of flying lift

the

Dad

so high up, so big.

ture areas in very different patterns. It

has to be done to get attention, or "impact/* as

like

mountain and look down on

You can

To

How much more

the balcony than from floor level!

climb the

like

Using different eye

the sense of superiority af-

when made

by draw-

illustrations

try out small suggestions in this

beautiful a ballroom filled with figures looks

to

be given the

sig-

tance.

good advantage.

Opposed

a child's story, tremendous

child everything

der he must

feel

is

That

means. Too often ordinary

level.

towers over him

an orator, a minister in the

to

psychology to remember, and to

little

and dig-

what we

this

ing the pictures at the child's eye level*

your

to

illustrate

nificance can

eye level Raise the figures and lower

John Jones, and you have him looking up

by

pictures are ordinary because no thought has been

as differently as

no doubt that

is

chologically

artist to

is

illustrators love to call

after

that

it.

45

Here

Get a stepladder and

the floor and sketch.

your observer psy-

it.

is

try

one way

to

go

Or

lie

on

it

out.

USING LINE TO PRODUCE A FOCAL POINT IN SUBJECT

^

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And

see

in ourselves

Mother Hubbard

The

subject, the simplest nursery

picture,

no easy matter. Now, what

your con-

just so

is

Who was Old Mother Hubbard? What did she look like? How was she dressed? Where

much

What

ing in

different.

How? What was

kind of a dog?

can

we tell

The

first

the interior?

corner and think for a

lady with a full

little

go

sit in

while. I see a

little

ter.

The dog

or neat is

and

story. If

design, so

we have

is

in

as she

fits

copy, for just

I

have worked

now

I

story.

Of the

would not be very

am

you a finished job as

is

in

this

Rockwell would have with

That

black and white against

doi» sbfl

it al

what fun N^

this,

and what ai

I'm sure he would do every inch of

which helps.

is

thing he would end up with to show

tif ul

throwing us into the second or third tonal plan.

is

nowfl

diificult

commission, were

mission. I can just imagine

already* here

lil

showing you how I

be grey. At least I see it as grey. So that eliminates both the white and black as the dominant tones,

Now,

four, I

not really as concerned here with

have approached

like the subject,

out

I'm not interested in an)

obviously an interior, and that would probably

Grey is melancholy

to suit us be4

the picture. But the important part

Now,

in relation to a tone plan. It

it

a model, and the costume, even the dog, ad ahead. It would be interesting to go on and]

how do you see it? it

make

our conception.

last one. It

Let us think of

x'i

arrangements. These were without mock

an old hand water-

a lot in the subject.

lot of time,

what we do with it.

and the open cupboard alongside. I see her telling the dog there is none and the old hound seeming to understand, even is

authentic

Let us conceive our subject, then look ab< to find a face which spells Old Mother Hub]

the sink,

forgive. Yes, there

be too

to

fcffl

but the design and

window over

as I

little

pump in the sink. I see crisscross window panes in the

yours

much character,

spend a

only real value

clean. I choose the lat-

1 see

much

old

a big dog, a sort of old spotted

hound. In the kitchen

much

to dot

Who

else's.

or stress a dress. Let us

hobbling about with a cane. She could be ragged

and unkempt

Just as

the

a white kerchief and bonnet,

skirt,

is

\i

more than we already have with. Maybe we could come out with an auj] tic dress. But we are not making a picture m

the story? is

some

the worst way, the?1

is

will delve into history,

What is the drama or action? How

thing I'm going to do

to get

any

I

ception? Yours and mine are going to be very

did she live?

and hope

i™

knows when, he^jj where she lived, and who cares? Mother Hub) or anyone

rhyme* The is

Because we

way, and the one thing not

original

do something about it

andm

run

We lack

That's one way. That

we

to

else did.

what somebody

dence

bare,

so will ours be, unless

Why?

Mother Goose book.

there

The cupboard was

shadows, or in whatever way wej

The first temptation would be

Old Mother Hubbard

When she got

OUT

TV

is

what made him

it

m

on

great. Start out by;

can have the window, her bonnet and apron, a partly white dog- Maybe something white as an

same chance. Get out your pad and pencil and begii Jack Spratt instead of Old Mother Hub! any one of a hundred others. But take od try it, for perhaps the first time, and make uj

accessory—a pitcher, a bowL The black pattern

mind now that you will do

yourself the

grey, a sound approach. If we dressed her in grey,

then the interior could be dark, or dark shadows

might be introduced. To get a white pattern

or spots will

be taken care of by the old

we

on.

lady's

96

it

that

way froqj

OLD MOTHER HUBBARD

"

i

IS

YOUR PROBLEM

I

^M or

TONAL MEDIUM

IN Technique is a very

After

controversial subject at best

all,

every drawing

is

a statement,

ei|

$K

There are perhaps as many viewpoints regarding

convincing or not. If we do not convince

technique as there are individuals applying

not expect interest or response. In the long

is

not

my purpose

it.

It

here to "favor" one technical

approach over another, or to attempt to steer you away from an individual application of mediums, for therein lies your

own

there

be a part is

;

it is

bound

My

intent here

the general method, and the reasoning back of rather than to say how

it

speak of technique here

shall be applied. I

art,

to

him as distortion of truth is right and proper.i| tell him the truth as he knows it and glorif| ib he meets you more than halfway. There is only one way to assure consJM

to

good work. That is consistently thorough 'gbpf tion. The prdiminary visualization or conpepa

it,

When I

am thinking of qualities

is,

I believe,

done better without

mo&fefl

copy. It leaves you freer to express your$H

good technique; those qualities being the sound rendering of form that should be incorporated into

in true values, the consideration of edges

qfc

not convince the beholder that what ap|ear|

to stress

is

I feel

ence" will outlast any other form of

of your personal characteristics just as

your handwriting.

for truth andfo

tain that realism in the sense of a "quality^

personalized style. If

in spite of yourself

no real substitute

quite so lasting, For that reason

you do not allow yourself to be too much influenced by some single idol, you will develop your

own technique

is

having formulated, even crudely, your id^o expression, then

and

by

all

means take every

accents from an artistic point of view, the design

avoid faking or guessing in

and balance, contrast, subordination and accentuation. If you can achieve these, it will not

While there may be pride in doing without™

matter how you do it

invariably prepare the best possible worki

and copy, there is no point in terial in

I wish also to point out certain characteristics of the

mediums

qualities of

themselves,

is

The

hardly necessary to go into the

writers.

The permanence

by

as practice

and

exercise or experiment

lie

9 iti

IM rather think of it as gc you

thing from a standpoint of mass and design, I

haps you do not yet know the details or niffl

on

make

little

figures going through the action

in

suggestig

and

s<

spotted into interesting masses of whit

individual interpretation of the qualities of die stick of

life,

matter for your consideration

the accessories. But

Most of the elements of good technique

arffl

too many cuppings, see if you cannot visi

your part

mediums. You may use a

of working from

Start with the tissue pad, but before

do

not consider especially important at this point, since die problems presented here may he looked

upon

first

tine if you will;

other

of your materials I

If the best

development of a thorough approach. Call

formulas for materials, paint-mixing, and so forth, since this has been expertly covered

way

it.

camera shots and studies, how can the fakes and works blindly, hope to comj

and the inherent

each which are not always obtainable

in another. It

the

its final exeii

and blade. You can think

crayon in any

of something lafeejW

may turn out to be ffll

way you wish, but the values, the proportions, the

make up the masses.

and edges, are more or less limited to good and bad drawing. Drawing can be really bad for only one reason: that it fails to carry con-

of dark or light furniture, a mass of fohagt

viction to the beholder.

and then tiying

contours

It

But work for your own design. The procedure of copying and finishing aft

what

98

not.

to

fill

the spaces left aroj

FORMULATING AN APPROACH t

of background usually results in

irrangernent or ry.

none at

all. It is

Think of an environment*

and then

ways

find

if

very

any

to place

your

K&fc- Think of light and shadow perlading ih^jpboe and falling upon the units wfth-

It.

mink

-.

of the figure, or of the design or

itaptf thatihe figure will 'Suppose

eventually be a part

we draw, from a

clip,

of.

a bathing beauty

rob the dead center of white space and - -fitting I almost from top to bottom. Then suppose -!:"i

it start

ticking of

do^bjut

to

Irft

if

background.

What

is

there

two empty sides with

tip the

fill

bcad®iter, and sky? Naturally as a design fptg :,

We gave

a dud.

e

it's

design no chance.

-.^osc we make .some patterns of dark

,.r

some greys { eventually shad* r, or sky), and some whites (eventually rocks),

e soon find the spot for the bathing |rfey might

with the

^iitEv|^tteni, tffipl into

Jurt

^g

girl iu

a light or a dark

the design. She might

be

sitting,

l«Wui fight

spot might be a gull. She might

and half

shadow. A thousand

in

wpfimgs can happen

to

make

it

interesting.

jvu wearily stifle

iheMt effort,

it

dosviK^bd

^N£

how can you

iter

possibly go the next

All you can

copy,

and

do it

given your client

i;nest jp

or oven just

the rest

will

is

possibly to

make

a

comparable

will

docs

copy better

the

in

looks as

when planned and way.

a long

It takes

and some of us never

will. It is

advantages of a well-planned

speech over an impromptu one Settle all the arguments with your picture before you stretch the canvas or before you spoil that nice big sheet of expensive water-color hoard. It pays! final

If there is

time

it is

better lo

make

a

study

first

of a figure, then work from the study rather than from the original copy, or from the figure into the

is

not always possible. But

in directness, freshness,

hard to make

it

free

is

it

it

As

it

looseness.

and spontaneous the first

We all struggle to get all

and

down

the drawing, values,

at once,

and

it is

quite

every time. It makes more

makes your best work. So

the best

the thumbnail, the rough, the studies, It is

to l>cat. If

a combination others will find

you can make the study

in the

medium, so much the better, for you have worked out the problems in advance.

will

have indicated, your particular technical approach, your mannerisms, your style, must be

planning, pure and

good carpenter work. Consider

\$

this,

to the

then the final

choose from.

it

No medium

fresh, to stay that

time to learn

habit

be out.

next consideration

down

put

.same

man

by changing your mind

good worked over as

hard

to

pictures

middle of the procedure.

work, but

I

your own* something which cannot be determined ot even guided by anyone else. But we can

Iways In your approach.

Eve

make good

impossible to do

man

the figure

Perhaps the pose might be better. You never know these things until they have been stated. You don't

form, and design

sit

Maybe

should be moved over, or raised or dropped. Maybe the girl should have a dress of a different value.

much

jvereativeness is in the

p-

after hours or days of work.

end* right there. You

trme the other

and you

is

out. This gives

it

improve from the

time.

Just find

form the habit of

you every chance start; it shows up the diffici tlttes, if there are to be any; and changes will not have to be made on the finished product, perhaps

It

copy a photograph you have taken

r?

If

literally,

it

you

work

to

pays out

by jumping unthinkingly to

trusting to luck. If

and reproduce

copy

want

final, I realize this is

mean by "approach." Give your in-•rapiwshalf a chance and you will create. Or

Ttorefthatl

will

your dips, photos, or studies, make some sort of a tentative statement of the whole thing as you

Jpvn; a pattern might turn into a cape

Mraimp white find

be a wave breaking, the foam

you

if

first For yourself. After your thumbnails have !>een planned, after you have

to

I b||er, actually, to think of the setting be-

be better

will

roughing the idea out

is

'""

(I

work

the rough sketch.

discuss some of the

™ the client does not ask for one, your final

means

at

your disposal, some-

thing of the attitudes toward your work that

99

H TECHNICAL APPROACH must be incorporated into your is.

The first

consideration

is

style,

whatever

it

that of detail

the basis of art, but rather selection, accentktifl j subordination. Making all things through y*| picture

THE PROBLEM OF*HOW MUCH DETAIL This is something that you will decide, end, for yourself.

It is

have

in the

almost certain that you

to

accurate and finished type of work. There is nothwill ing wrong in working that way, and there

always be a place for such a method. However, well, since photography does the same thing so from the I myself prefer art that gets as far away photographic as possible— granting at the same time that this is not always possible. I shall en-

more

clients prefer finish

it is

true that

than looseness and free-

dom. As you already know,

I

believe the future

in art lies in individuality of conception,

and

to

me, greater individuality is expressed by a big broad interpretation than by being too accurate and literal. But the early work of any artist known that he for breadth and looseness usually shows

had

to master detail before

and eliminate itIt must be admitted

he could subordinate

that the step from detail,

once mastered, to looseness and suggestion, is extremely difficult. It is really much harder to paint loosely than tightly for doing

it

either

must carry conviction and

if

not

»

truth. Tightness begins

truth*

way

literal

with being so concerned

and mass, and so conscious of contour and edge that we do not soften or lose it. A round form can be so smoothed

with surface that

we

lose plane

in gradation of tone that

may see the eral tones.

it

loses all character.

One

turning of the form in a series of sev-

The

that "Ah-h-h!" It can so easily lack

Detail can be

vitality

shown

in things close

uj|H

make things recede, form must resolve itself m into plane

happens

and mass as

in

our vision.

it

goes back. That

is

4

We do not see eySH^

ten or twelve feet, nor tiny face wrinkly

not see the slight variance of small surface f*OCIUOM)C .OOX WHICH /HOULD «f AVCIDFO. M&XB IT4TOSHIW4WINC'

HlA-H

.*..

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