ARTISTIC ILLUSTRATIONS.
In referring now to more artistic illustrations, we should notice first,
some of the changes which have taken place (since the meeting referred
to in the last chapter), and, bridging over a distance of nearly twenty
years, consider the work of the illustrator, the photographer, and the
maker of process blocks, as presented in books and newspapers in 1894;
speaking principally of topical illustrations, on which so many thousand
people are now engaged.
It may seem strange at first sight to include "newspapers" in a chapter
on art illustrations, but the fact is that the weekly newspapers, with
their new appliances for printing, and in consequence of the cheapness
of good paper, are now competing with books and magazines in the
production of illustrations which a few years ago were only to be found
in books. The illustrated newspaper is one of the great employers of
labour in this field and distributor of the work of the artist in black
and white, and in this connection must by no means be ignored. The
Post-office carries a volume of 164 pages (each 22 by 16 inches),
weighing from two to three pounds, for a half-penny. It is called a
"weekly newspaper," but it contains, sometimes, 100 illustrations, and
competes seriously with the production of illustrated books.
Further on we shall see how the illustrations of one number of a weekly
newspaper are produced--what part the original artist has in it, what
part the engraver and the photographer. These are things with which all
students should be acquainted.
The first stage of illustration, where little more than a plan or
elevation of a building is aimed at (as suggested in the last chapter),
and where an author, with little artistic knowledge, is yet enabled to
explain himself, is comparatively easy; it is when we approach the
hazardous domain of art that the real difficulties begin.
As matters stand at present, it is scarcely too much to say that the
majority of art students and the younger school of draughtsmen in this
country are "all abroad" in the matter of drawing for the press,
lacking, not industry, not capacity, but method. That they do good work
in abundance is not denied, but it is not exactly the kind of work
required--in short, they are not taught at the outset the _value of a
line_. That greater skill and certainty of drawing can be attained by
our younger draughtsmen is unquestionable, and, bearing in mind that
_nearly every book and newspaper in the future will be illustrated_, the
importance of study in this direction is much greater than may appear at
first sight.
[Illustration: No. IV.
"_Tiresome Dog_," by E. K. JOHNSON.
This example of pen-and-ink work has been reproduced by the gelatine
relief process. The drawing, which has been greatly reduced in
reproduction, was made by Mr. Johnson for an Illustrated Catalogue of
the Royal Water-Colour Society, of which he is a member.
It is instructive as showing the possibilities and limitations of
relief process-work in good hands. The gradation of tone is all
obtained in pure black, or dotted lines. Mr. Dawson has aided the
effect by "rouletting" on the block on the more delicate parts; but
most of the examples in this book are untouched by the engraver.
(_See Appendix._)]
[Illustration: "FRUSTRATED." (FROM THE PAINTING BY WALTER HUNT.)
(_Royal Academy_, 1891.)]
Referring to the evident want of training amongst our younger
draughtsmen, the question was put very bluntly in the _Athenaeum_ some
years ago, thus:--
Why is not drawing in line with pen and ink taught in our own
Government schools of art? The present system in schools seems to
render the art of drawing of as little use to the student as possible,
for he has no sooner mastered the preliminary stage of drawing in
outline from the flat with a lead pencil, than he has chalk put into
his hand, a material which he will seldom or never use in turning his
knowledge of drawing to practical account. The readier method of pen
and ink would be of great service as a preparatory stage to wood
drawing, but unfortunately drawing is taught in most cases as though
the student intended only to become a painter.
Since these lines were written, efforts have been made in some schools
of art to give special training for illustrators, and instruction is
also given in wood engraving, which every draughtsman should learn; but
up to the present time there has been no systematic teaching in drawing
applicable to the various processes, for the reason that _the majority
of art masters do not understand them_.
[Illustration: "ON THE RIVIERA." (ELLEN MONTALBA.)]
The art of expression in line, or of expressing the effect of a picture
or a landscape from Nature in a few leading lines (not necessarily
outline) is little understood in this country; and if such study, as the
_Athenaeum_ pointed out, is important for the wood draughtsman, how much
more so in drawing for reproduction by photo-mechanical means? A few
artists have the gift of expressing themselves in line, but the majority
are strangely ignorant of the principles of this art and of the simple
fac-simile processes by which drawing can now be reproduced. In the
course of twenty years of editing the _Academy Notes_, some strange
facts have come to the writer's notice as to the powerlessness of some
painters to express the _motif_ of a picture in a few lines; also as to
how far we are behind our continental neighbours in this respect.
[Illustration: "A LIGHT OF LAUGHING FLOWERS ALONG THE GRASS IS
SPREAD." (M. RIDLEY CORBET.)]
[Illustration: No. V.
H. S. MARKS.
An example of line drawing and "the art of leaving out," by the
well-known Royal Academician.
Mr. Marks and Sir John Gilbert (_see frontispiece_) were the first
painters to explain the composition and leading lines of their
pictures in the _Academy Notes_ in 1876. Mr. Marks suggests light and
shade and the character of his picture in a few skilful lines. Sir
John Gilbert's pen-and-ink drawing is also full of force and
individuality. These drawings reproduce well by any of the processes.]
[Illustration: "A SELECT COMMITTEE." (FROM THE PAINTING BY H. S.
MARKS, R.A.)
(_Royal Academy, 1891._)]
It is interesting to note here the firmness of line and clearness of
reproduction by the common process block; the result being more
satisfactory than many drawings by professional illustrators. The reason
is not far to seek; the painter knows his picture and how to give the
effect of it in black and white, in a few lines; and, in the case of Mr.
Corbet and Miss Montalba, they have made themselves acquainted with the
best way of drawing for the Press. There are many other methods than
pen-and-ink which draughtsmen use,--pencil, chalk, wash, grained paper,
&c, but first as to line drawing, because _it is the only means by which
certain results can be obtained_, and it is the one which, for practical
reasons, should be first mastered. Line drawings are now reproduced on
zinc blocks fitted for the type press at a cost of less than sixpence
the square inch for large blocks; the processes of reproduction will be
explained further on.
It cannot be sufficiently borne in mind--I am speaking now to students
who are not intimate with the subject--that to produce with pure black
lines the quality and effect of lines in which there is some gradation
of tone, is no easy matter, especially to those accustomed to the wood
engraver as the interpreter of their work. Sir John Tenniel, M. du
Maurier, and Mr. Sambourne, not to mention others on the _Punch_ staff,
have been accustomed to draw for wood engraving, and would probably
still prefer this method to any other.
[Illustration: "THE ROSE QUEEN." (G. D. LESLIE, R.A.) (_From "Academy
Notes," 1893._)]
But the young illustrator has to learn the newer methods, and how to get
his effects through direct photo-engraving. What may be done by process
is demonstrated in the line drawings interspersed through these pages,
also in the illustrations which are appearing every day in our
newspapers, magazines, and books--especially those which are well
printed and on good paper. Mr. George Leslie's pretty line drawing from
his picture, on the opposite page, is full of suggestion for
illustrative purposes.
But let us glance first at the ordinary hand-book teaching, and see how
far it is useful to the illustrator of to-day. The rules laid down as to
the methods of line work, the direction of lines for the expression of
certain textures, "cross-hatching," &c., are, if followed too closely,
apt to lead to hardness and mannerism in the young artist, which he will
with difficulty shake off. On these points, Mr. Robertson, the
well-known painter and etcher, writing seven years ago, says well:--
"The mental properties of every line drawn with pen and ink should be
original and personal ... this strong point is sure to be attained
unconsciously, if an artist's work is simple and sincere, and _not the
imitation of another man's style_."[7]
When the question arises as to what examples a beginner should copy who
wishes to practise the art of pen-and-ink drawing, the difficulty will
be to select from the great and varied stores of material that are
everywhere to his hand. All steel and copper-plate engravings that have
been executed in line, and all wood engravings, are within the possible
range of pen-and-ink drawing. I hold, however, that much time should not
be occupied in the imitatative copying of prints: only, indeed, so much
as enables the student to learn with what arrangement of lines the
different textures and qualities of objects may be best rendered.
There are, roughly, two methods of obtaining effect with a pen--one by
few lines, laid slowly, and the other by many lines, drawn with
rapidity. If the intention is to see what effect may be obtained with
comparatively few lines deliberately drawn, we may refer to the woodcuts
after Albert Duerer and Holbein, and the line engraving of Marc Antonio.
The engraved plates by Duerer furnish excellent examples of work, with
more and finer lines than his woodcuts [but many of the latter were not
done by his hand]. "Some of the etchings of Rembrandt are examples of
what may be fairly reproduced in pen and ink, but in them we find the
effect to depend upon innumerable lines in all directions. In the matter
of landscape the etched plates by Claude and Ruysdael are good examples
for study, and in animal life the work of Paul Potter and Dujardin."
Thus, for style, for mastery of effect and management of line, we must
go back to the old masters; to work produced generally in a reposeful
life, to which the younger generation are strangers. But the mere
copying of other men's lines is of little avail without mastering the
principles of the art of line drawing. The skilful copies, the
fac-similes of engravings and etchings drawn in pen and ink, which are
the admiration of the young artist's friends, are of little or no value
in deciding the aptitude of the student. The following words are worth
placing on the walls of every art school:--
"Proficiency in copying engravings in fac-simile, far from suggesting
promise of distinction in the profession of art, plainly _marks a
tendency to mechanical pursuits_, and is not likely to be acquired by
anyone with much instinctive feeling for the arts of design." There is
much truth and insight in this remark.
[Illustration: "THE FINDING OF THE INFANT ST. GEORGE." (CHARLES M.
GERE.) (_From his painting in the New Gallery, 1893._)]
In line work, as now understood, we are going back, in a measure, to the
point of view of the missal writer and the illuminator, who, with no
thought of the possibilities of reproduction, produced many of his
decorative pages by management of line alone (I refer to the parts of
his work in which the effect was produced by black and white). No amount
of patience, thought, and labour was spared for this one copy. What
would he have said if told that in centuries to come this line work
would be revived in its integrity, with the possibility of the artist's
own lines being reproduced 100,000 times, at the rate of several
thousand an hour. And what would he have thought if told that, out of
thousands of students in centuries to come, a few, a very few only,
could produce a decorative page; and that few could be brought to
realise that a work which was to be repeated, say a thousand times, was
worthy of as much attention as his ancestors gave to a single copy!
On the principle that "everything worth doing is worth doing well," and
on the assumption that the processes in common use--[I purposely omit
mention here of the older systems of drawing on transfer paper, and
drawing on waxed plates, without the aid of photography, which have been
dealt with in previous books]--are worth all the care and artistic
knowledge which can be bestowed upon them, we would press, upon young
artists especially, the importance of study and experiment in this
direction. As there is no question that "the handwork of the artist" can
be seen more clearly through mechanical engraving than through wood
engraving, it behoves him to do his best. And as we are substituting
process blocks for wood engraving in every direction, so we should take
over some of the patience and care which were formerly given to book
illustrations.
We cannot live, easily, in the "cloistered silence of the past," but we
can emulate the deliberate and thoughtful work of Mantegna, of Holbein,
of Albert Duerer, and the great men of the past, who, if they were alive
to-day, would undoubtedly have preferred drawing for process to the
labour of etching and engraving; and, if their work were to be
reproduced by others, they would have perceived, what it does not
require much insight in us to realise, that the individuality of the
artist is better preserved, by making his own lines.
To do this successfully in these days, the artist must give his best and
most deliberate (instead of his hurried and careless) drawings to the
processes; founding his style, to a limited extent it may be, on old
work, but preserving his own individuality.
But we must not slavishly copy sketches by the old masters, _which were
never intended for reproduction_. We may learn from the study of them
the power of line to express character, action, and effect, we may
learn composition sometimes, but not often from a sketch.
[Illustration: "A PLOUGHBOY." (G. CLAUSEN.)]
As to copying the work of living artists, it should be remembered that
the manner and the method of a line drawing is each artist's property,
and the repetition of it by others is injurious to him. It would be an
easy method indeed if the young artist, fresh from the schools, could,
in a few weeks, imitate the mannerism, say of Sir John Gilbert, whose
style is founded upon the labour of 50 years. There is no such royal
road.
[Illustration: No. VI.
"_A Ploughboy_," by GEORGE CLAUSEN.
An excellent example of sketching in line. The original drawing was
7-3/4 x 5-3/4 in. I have reproduced Mr. Clausen's artistic sketch of
his picture in two sizes in order to compare results. The small block
on page 59 (printed in _Grosvenor Notes_, 1888) appears to be the most
suitable reduction for this drawing. The results are worth comparing
by anyone studying process work. The first block was made by the
gelatine process; the one opposite by the ordinary zinc process. (_See
Appendix._)
To return to illustration. The education of the illustrator in these
days means much more than mere art training. The tendency of editors of
magazines and newspapers is to employ those who can write as well as
draw. This may not be a very hopeful sign from an art point of view, but
it is a condition of things which we have to face. Much as we may desire
to see a good artist and a good _raconteur_ in one man, the combination
will always be rare; those editors who seek for it are often tempted to
accept inferior art for the sake of the story. I mention this as one of
the influences affecting the quality of illustrations of an ephemeral or
topical kind, which should not be overlooked.
In sketches of society the education and standing of the artist has much
to do with his success. M. du Maurier's work in _Punch_ may be taken as
an example of what I mean, combining excellent art with knowledge of
society. His clever followers and imitators lack something which cannot
be learned in an art school.
It should be understood that, in drawing for reproduction by any of the
mechanical processes (either in wash or in line, but especially the
latter), there is more strain on the artist than when his work was
engraved on wood, and the knowledge of this has left drawing for process
principally in the hands of the younger men. They will be older by the
end of the century, but not as old then as some of our best and
experienced illustrators who keep to wood engraving.
[Illustration: No. VII.
"_Blowing Bubbles_," by C. E. WILSON.
This is an excellent example of drawing--and of treatment of textures
and surfaces--for process reproduction. The few pen touches on the
drapery have come out with great fidelity, the double lines marking the
paving stones being the only part giving any trouble to the maker of the
gelatine relief block. The skilful management of the parts in light
shows again "the art of leaving out."]
I am touching now upon a difficult and delicate part of the subject,
and must endeavour to make my meaning clear. The illustrations in
_Punch_ have, until lately, all been engraved on wood (the elder artists
on the staff not taking kindly to the processes), and the style and
manner of line we see in its pages is due in great measure to the
influence of the wood engraver.[8]
This refers to fac-simile work, but the engraver, as we know, also
interprets wash into clean lines, helps out the timid and often unsteady
draughtsman, and in little matters puts his drawing right.
The wood engraver was apprenticed to his art, and after long and
laborious teaching, mastered the mechanical difficulties. If he had the
artistic sense he soon developed into a master-engraver and illustrator,
and from crude and often weak and inartistic drawings produced
illustrations full of tone, quality, and beauty. From very slight
material handed to him by the publisher, the wood engraver would evolve
(from his inner consciousness, so to speak) an elaborate and graceful
series of illustrations, drawn on the wood block by artists in his own
employ, who had special training, and knew exactly how to produce the
effects required. The system often involved much care and research for
details of costume, architecture, and the like, and, if not very high
art, was at least well paid for, and appreciated by the public. I am
speaking of the average illustrated book, say of twenty years ago, when
it was not an uncommon thing to spend L500 or L600 on the engravings.
Let us hope that the highest kind of wood engraving will always find a
home in England.
Nobody knows--nobody ever will know--how much the engraver has done for
the artist in years past. "For good or evil,"--it may be said; but I am
thinking now only of the good, of occasions when the engraver has had to
interpret the artist's meaning, and sometimes, it must be confessed, to
come to the rescue and perfect imperfect work.
[Illustration: No. VIII.
Illustration to "_Dreamland in History_," by Dr. Gloucester. (London:
Isbister & Co.) Drawn by HERBERT RAILTON.
Example of brilliancy and simplicity of treatment in line drawing for
process. There is no illustration in this book which shows better the
scope and variety of common process work. Mr. Railton has studied his
process, and brought to it a knowledge of architecture and sense of
the picturesque. This illustration is reduced considerably from the
original drawing.]
The artist who draws for reproduction by chemical and mechanical
means is thrown upon his own resources. He cannot say to the acid,
"Make these lines a little sharper," or to the sun's rays, "Give a
little more light"; and so--as we cannot often have good wood
engraving, as it is not always cheap enough or rapid enough for our
needs--we draw on paper what we want reproduced, and resort to one of
the photographic processes described in this book.
[Illustration: "BY UNFREQUENTED WAYS." (W. H. GORE.)]
I do not think the modern illustrator realises how much depends upon him
in taking the place, so to speak, of the wood engraver. The
interpretation of tone into line fitted for the type press, to which
the wood engraver gave a lifetime, will devolve more and more upon him.
We cannot keep this too continually in mind, for in spite of the
limitations in mechanically-produced blocks (as compared with wood
engraving) in obtaining delicate effects of tone in line, much can be
done in which the engraver has no part.
[Illustration: "THE LOWING HERD WINDS SLOWLY O'ER THE LEA." (W H.
GORE.)]
I purposely place these two pen-and-ink drawings by Mr. Gore side by
side, to show what delicacy of line and tone may be obtained on a relief
block by proper treatment. One could hardly point to better examples of
pure line. They were drawn on ordinary cardboard (the one above, 4-1/4 x
9-3/4 in.) and reproduced by the gelatine relief process.
All this, it will be observed, points to a more delicate and
intelligent use of the process block than is generally allowed, to
something, in short very different to the thin sketchy outlines and
scribbles which are considered the proper style for the "pen-and-ink
artist."
But "the values" are scarcely ever considered in this connection. Mr.
Hamerton makes a curious error in his _Graphic Arts_, where he advocates
the use of the "black blot in pen drawing," arguing that as we use
liberally white paper to express air and various degrees of light, so we
may use masses of solid black to represent many gradations of darkness.
A little reflection will convince anyone that this is no argument at
all.
Mr. Ruskin's advice in his _Elements of Drawing_, as to how to lay flat
tints by means of pure black lines (although written many years ago, and
before mechanical processes of reproduction were in vogue) is singularly
applicable and useful to the student of to-day; especially where he
reminds him that, "if you cannot gradate well with pure black lines, you
will never do so with pale ones."
To "gradate well with pure black lines" is, so to speak, the whole art
and mystery of drawing for the photo-zinc process, of which one London
firm alone turns out more than a thousand blocks a week.
As to the amount of reduction that a drawing will bear in reproduction,
it cannot be sufficiently widely known, that in spite of rules laid
down, there is no rule about it.
[Illustration: "ADVERSITY." (FRED. HALL.)]
It is interesting to compare this reproduction with the larger one
overleaf. There is no limit to the experiments which may be made in
reduction, if pursued on scientific principles.
[Illustration: No. IX.
"_Adversity_," by FRED. HALL.
This fine drawing was made in pen and ink by Mr. Hall, from his
picture in the Royal Academy, 1889. Size of original 14-1/2 x 11-1/2
in. Reproduced by gelatine blocks.
The feeling in line is conspicuous in both blocks, but many painters
might prefer the smaller.]
[Illustration: "A WILLOWY STREAM." (FROM THE PAINTING BY MAUD NAFTEL.)
(_New Gallery, 1889._)]
Mr. Emery Walker, of the firm of Walker and Boutall, who has had great
experience in the reproduction of illustrations and designs from old
books and manuscripts, will tell you that very often there is no
reduction of the original; and he will show reproductions in
photo-relief of engravings and drawings of the same size as the
originals, the character of the paper, and the colour of the printing
also, so closely imitated that experts can hardly distinguish one from
the other. On the other hand, the value of reduction, for certain styles
of drawing especially, can hardly be over-estimated. The last drawing
was reduced to less than half the length of the original, and is, I
think, one of the best results yet attained by the Dawson relief
process.
Again, I say, "there is no rule about it." In the course of years, and
in the reduction to various scales of thousands of drawings by different
artists, to print at the type press, my experience is that _every
drawing has its scale, to which it is best reduced_.
In these pages will be found examples of drawings reduced to
_one-sixtieth_ the area of the original, whilst others have not been
reduced at all.
[Illustration: No. X.
"_Twins_," by STANLEY BERKLEY.
Sketch in pen and ink (size 8-1/4 x 5-1/2 in.) from Mr. Berkley's
picture in the Grosvenor Gallery in 1884.
A good example of breadth and expression in line, the values being
well indicated. Mr. Berkley, knowing animal life well, and _knowing
his picture_, is able to give expression to almost every touch. Here
the common zinc process answers well.]
[Illustration: "THE DARK ISLAND." (FROM THE PAINTING BY ALFRED EAST.)
(_Royal Academy, 1885._)]
There is much instruction in these drawings by painters, instruction of
a kind, not to be obtained elsewhere. The broad distinction between a
"sketch" from Nature and _a drawing made in a sketchy manner_ cannot be
too often pointed out, and such drawings as those by Mr. G. Clausen (p.
59), Fred. Hall (p. 73), Stanley Berkley (p. 79), T. C. Gotch (p. 83),
and others, help to explain the difference. These are all reproduced
easily on process blocks.[9]
As to sketching in line from life, ready for reproduction on a process
block, it is necessary to say a few words here. The system is, I know,
followed by a few illustrators for newspapers (and by a few geniuses
like Mr. Joseph Pennell, Raven Hill, and Phil. May, who have their own
methods), and who, by incessant practice, have become proficient. They
have special ability for this kind of work, and their manner and style
is their capital and attraction.
[Illustration: No. XI.
_A Portrait_, by T. C. GOTCH.
Pen-and-ink drawing (size 7-1/2 x 6-1/2 in.); from his picture in the
Exhibition of the New English Art Club, 1889.
Mr. Gotch is well known for his painting of children; but he has also
the instinct for line drawing, and a touch which reproduces well
without any help from the maker of the zinc block.
The absence of outline, and the modelling suggested by vertical lines,
also the treatment of background, should be noticed. This background
lights up when opposed to white and _vice-versa_.]
But to attempt to _teach_ rapid sketching in pen and ink is beginning at
the wrong end, and is fatal to good art; it is like teaching the
principles of pyrotechnics whilst fireworks are going off. And yet we
hear of prizes given for rapid sketches to be reproduced by the
processes. Indeed, I believe this is the wrong road; the baneful result
of living in high-pressure times. It is difficult to imagine any artist
of the past consenting to such a system of education.
Sketching from life is, of course, necessary to the student (especially
when making illustrations by wash drawings, of which I shall speak
presently), but for line work it should be done first in pencil, or
whatever medium is easiest at the moment. The lines for reproduction
require thinking about, thinking what to leave out, how to interpret the
grey of a pencil, or the tints of a brush sketch in the fewest lines.
Thus, and thus only, the student learns "the art of leaving out," "the
value of a line."
The tendency of modern illustrators is to imitate somebody; and in line
drawing for the processes, where the artist, and not the engraver, has
to make the lines, imitation of some man's method is almost inevitable.
[Illustration: No. XII.
"_Sir John Tenniel_," by EDWIN WARD.
Example of another style of line drawing. Mr. Ward is a master of
line, as well as a skilful portrait painter. He has lost nothing of
the force and character of the original here, by treating it in line.
Mr. Ward has painted a series of small portraits of public men, of
which there is an example on p. 90.
Size of pen-and-ink drawing 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 in., reproduced by common
process.]
Let me quote an instance. The style of the late Charles Keene is
imitated in more than one journal at the present time, the artists
catching his method of line more easily than the higher qualities of his
art, his _chiaroscuro_, his sense of values and atmospheric effect. I
say nothing of his pictorial sense and humour, for they are beyond
imitation. It is the husk only we have presented to us.
As a matter of education and outlook for the younger generation of
illustrators, this imitation of other men's lines deserves our special
consideration. Nothing is easier in line work than to copy from the
daily press. Nothing is more prejudicial to good art, or more fatal to
progress.
And yet it is the habit of some instructors to hold up the methods (and
the tricks) of one draughtsman to the admiration of students. I read in
an art periodical the other day, a suggestion for the better
understanding of the way to draw topical illustrations in pen and ink,
viz.: that examples of the work of Daniel Vierge, Rico, Abbey, Raven
Hill, and other noted pen draughtsmen, should be "set as an exercise to
students;" of course with explanation by a lecturer or teacher. But this
is a dangerous road for the average student to travel. Of all branches
of art none leads so quickly to mannerism as line work, and a particular
manner when thus acquired is difficult to shake off.
[Illustration: THE RT. HON. JOHN MORLEY, M.P. (EDWIN WARD.)]
Think of the consequences--Vierge with his garish lights, his trick of
black spots, his mechanical shadows and neglect of _chiaroscuro_--all
redeemed and tolerated in a genius for the dash and spirit and beauty of
his lines--lines, be it observed, that reproduce with difficulty on
relief blocks--imitated by countless students; Mr. E. A. Abbey, the
refined, and delicate American draughtsman, imitated for his
method--the style and _chic_ of it being his own, and inimitable. Think
of the crowd coming on--imitators of the imitators of Rico--imitators of
the imitators of Charles Keene!
It may be said generally, that in order to obtain work as an
illustrator--the practical point--there must be originality of thought
and design. _There must be originality_, as well as care and thought
bestowed on every drawing for the Press.
The drawing of portraits in line from photographs gives employment to
some illustrators, as line blocks will print in newspapers much better
than photographs. But for newspaper printing they must be done with
something of the precision of this portrait, in which the whites are cut
deep and where there are few broken lines.
It is the exception to get good printing in England, under present
conditions of haste and cheapening of production, and therefore the best
drawings for rapid reproduction are those that require the least
touching on the part of the engraver, as _a touched-up process block is
troublesome to the printer_; but it is difficult to impress this on the
artistic mind.
[Illustration: No. XIII.
"_Nothing venture, nothing have_," by E. P. SANGUINETTI.
Pen-and-ink drawing from the picture by E. P. Sanguinetti, exhibited
at the Nineteenth Century Art Society's Gallery, 1888.
The large block is suitable for printing on common paper, and by fast
machines. The little block is best adapted for bookwork, and is
interesting as showing the quality obtained by reduction. It is an
excellent example of drawing for process, showing much ingenuity of
line. The tone and shadows on the ground equal the best fac-simile
engraving. (Size of original drawing, from which both blocks were
made, 15 x 10 in.)]
[Illustration: "ON THE TERRACE." (E. A. ROWE.) _From his water-colour
in the New Gallery, 1894._
Size of Pen Drawing, 5-3/4 x 7-1/2 in.]
Some people cannot draw firm clean lines at all, and _should not attempt
them_. Few allow sufficiently for the result of reduction, and the
necessary thickening of some lines. The results are often a matter of
touch and temperament. Some artists are naturally unfitted for line
work; the rules which would apply to one are almost useless to another.
Again, there is great inequality in the making of these cheap zinc
blocks, however well the drawings may be made; they require more care
and experience in developing than is generally supposed.
As line drawing is the basis of the best drawing for the press, I have
interspersed through these pages examples and achievements in this
direction; examples which in nearly every case are the result of
knowledge and consideration of the requirements of process, as an
antidote to the sketchy, careless methods so much in vogue. Here we may
see--as has probably never been seen before in one volume--what
harmonies and discords may be played on this instrument with one string.
One string--no "messing about," if the phrase may be excused--pure black
lines on Bristol board (or paper of the same surface), photographed on
to a zinc plate, the white parts etched away and the drawing made to
stand in relief, ready to print with the letterpress of a book; every
line and touch coming out a black one, or rejected altogether by the
process.
[Illustration: No. XIV.
"_For the Squire_," by SIR JOHN MILLAIS, BART., R. A.
This is an example of drawing for process for rapid printing. The
accents of the picture are expressed firmly and in the fewest lines,
to give the effect of the picture in the simplest way. Sir John
Millais' picture, which was exhibited in the Grosvenor Gallery in
1883, was engraved in mezzotint, and published by Messrs. Thos. Agnew
& Sons. (Size of pen-and-ink drawing, 7-1/4 x 5-1/2 in.) It is
suitable for much greater reduction.]
Drawings thus made, upon Bristol board or paper of similar surface, with
lamp black, Indian ink, or any of the numerous inks now in use, which
dry with a dull, not shiny, surface, will always reproduce well. The pen
should be of medium point, or a brush may be used as a pen. The lines
should be clear and sharp, and are capable of much variation in style
and treatment, as we see in these pages. I purposely do not dwell here
upon some special surfaces and papers by which different tones and
effects may be produced by the line processes; there is too much
tendency already with the artist to be interested in the mechanical
side. I have not recommended the use of "clay board," for instance, for
the line draughtsman, although it is much used for giving a crisp line
to process work, and has a useful surface for scraping out lights, &c.
The results are nearly always mechanical looking.[10]
On the next page are two simple, straightforward drawings, which, it
will be observed, are well suited to the method of reproduction for the
type press. The first is by Mr. H. S. Marks, R. A. (which I take from
the pages of _Academy Notes_), skilfully drawn upon Bristol board, about
7 x 5 in.
Here every line tells, and none are superfluous; the figure of the monk,
the texture of his dress, the old stone doorway, the creeper growing on
the wall, and the basket of provisions, all form a picture, the lines of
which harmonise well with the type of a book.
[Illustration: "THE STOPPED KEY." (H. S. MARKS, R. A.)]
In this deliberate, careful drawing, in which white paper plays by far
the principal part, the background and lighting of the picture are
considered, also the general balance of a decorative page.[11]
[Illustration: "NYMPH AND CUPID." SMALL BAS-RELIEF. (H. HOLIDAY.)
(_From "Academy Notes."_)]
FOOTNOTES:
[7] No one artist can teach drawing in line without a tendency to
mannerism, especially in art classes.
[8] One of the most accomplished of English painters told me the
other day that when he first drew for illustration, the wood engraver
dictated the angle and style of cross-hatching, &c., so as to fit the
engraver's tools.
[9] Special interest attaches to the examples in this book from the
fact that they have nearly all been _drawn on different kinds of
paper_, and _with different materials_; and yet nearly all, as will
be seen, have come out successfully, and give the spirit of the
original.
[10] For description of the various grained papers, &c., see page
113, also _Appendix_.
[11] The young "pen-and-ink artist" of to-day generally avoids
backgrounds, or renders them by a series of unmeaning scratches; he
does not consider enough the true "lighting of a picture," as we
shall see further on. The tendency of much modern black-and-white
teaching is to ignore backgrounds.