MATERIALS
Every illustrator has his special predilections in the matter of
materials, just as he has in the matter of methods. The purpose
of this chapter is, therefore, rather to assist the choice of the
student by limiting it than to choose for him. It would be advisable
for him to become acquainted with the various materials that I may
have occasion to mention (all of them are more or less employed
by the prominent penmen), and a partiality for particular ones will
soon develop itself. He is reminded, however, that it is easily
possible to exaggerate the intrinsic values of pens and papers;
in fact the beginner invariably expects too much from them. Of
course, he should not use any but the best,--even Vierge could
not make a good drawing with a bad pen,--but the artistic virtues
of a particular instrument are not likely to disclose themselves
in the rude scratchings of the beginner. He has to master it, to
"break it in," ere he can discover of what excellent service it
is capable.
[Side note: _Pens_]
The student will find that most of the steel pens made for artists
have but a short period of usefulness. When new they are even more
unresponsive than when they are old. At first they are disposed to
give a hard, wiry line, then they grow sympathetic, and, finally,
lose their temper, when they must be immediately thrown away. As
a general rule, the more delicate points are better suited to the
smooth surfaces, where they are not likely to get tripped up and
"shaken" by the roughness in the paper.
To begin with the smaller points, the "Gillott Crow-quill" is an
excellent instrument. The normal thickness of its line is extremely
small, but so beautifully is the nib made that it will respond
vigorously to a big sweeping stroke. I say a "sweeping stroke,"
as its capacity is not to be taxed for uniformly big lines. An
equally delicate point, which surpasses the crow-quill in range,
is "Gillott's Mapping-pen." It is astonishing how large a line
may be made with this instrument. It responds most nimbly to the
demands made upon it, and in some respects reminds one of a brush.
It has a short life, but it may be a merry one. Mr. Pennell makes
mention of a pen, "Perry's Auto-Stylo," which seems to possess
an even more wonderful capacity, but of this I cannot speak from
experience. A coarser, but still a small point, is the "Gillott
192"--a good pen with a fairly large range; and, for any others
than the smooth papers, a pen smaller than this will probably be
found undesirable for general use. A shade bigger than this is
the "Gillott 303," a very good average size. Neither of these two
possesses the sensitiveness of those previously mentioned, but
for work demanding more or less uniformity of line they will be
found more satisfactory. The smaller points are liable to lead one
into the quagmire of finicalness. When we get beyond the next in
size, the "Gillott 404," there is nothing about the coarse steel
points to especially commend them for artistic use. They are usually
stupid, unreliable affairs, whose really valuable existence is
about fifteen working minutes. For decorative drawing the ordinary
commercial "stub" will be found a very satisfactory instrument.
Of course one may use several sizes of pens in the same drawing,
and it is often necessary to do so.
Before leaving the steel pens, the "double-line pen" may be mentioned,
though it has only a limited sphere. It is a two-pointed arrangement,
practically two pens in one, by means of which parallel lines may
be made with one stroke. Rather interesting effects can be obtained
with it, but on the whole it is most valuable as a curiosity. Though
somewhat out of fashion for general use, the quill of our fathers is
favored by many illustrators. It is splendidly adapted for broad,
vigorous rendering of foreground effects, and is almost dangerously
easy to handle. Reed pens, which have somewhat similar virtues,
are now little employed, and cannot be bought. They have to be
cut from the natural reed, and used while fresh. For many uses
in decorative drawing one of the most satisfactory instruments is
the glass pen, which gives an absolutely uniform line. The point
being really the end of a thin tube, the stroke may be made in any
direction, a most unique characteristic in a pen. It has, however,
the disadvantages of being friable and expensive; and, as it needs
to be kept clean, the patent water-proof ink should not be used with
it unless absolutely necessary. A flat piece of cork or rubber should
be placed inside the ink-bottle when this pen is used, otherwise it
is liable to be smashed by striking the bottom of the bottle. The
faculty possessed by the Japanese brush of retaining its point
renders it also available for use as a pen, and it is often so
employed.
[Side note: _Inks_]
In drawing for reproduction, the best ink is that which is blackest
and least shiny. Until a few years ago it was the custom of penmen
to grind their India ink themselves; but, besides the difficulty of
always ensuring the proper consistency, it was a cumbersome method,
and is now little resorted to, especially as numerous excellent
prepared inks are ready to hand. The better known of these prepared
inks are, "Higgins' American" (general and waterproof), Bourgeois'
"Encre de Chine Liquide," "Carter's," "Winsor & Newton's," and
"Rowney's." Higgins' and Carter's have the extrinsic advantages
of being put up in bottles which do not tip over on the slightest
provocation, and of being furnished with stoppers which can be
handled without smearing the fingers. Otherwise, they cannot be
said to possess superiority over the others, certainly not over
the "Encre de Chine Liquide." Should the student have occasion
to draw over salt-prints he will find it wise to use waterproof
ink, as the bleaching acid which is used to fade the photographic
image may otherwise cause the ink to run.
[Side note: _Papers_]
Bristol-board is probably the most popular of all surfaces for
pen drawing. It is certainly that most approved by the process
engraver, whose point of view in such a matter, though a purely
mechanical one, is worthy of consideration. It has a perfectly
smooth surface, somewhat difficult to erase from with rubber, and
which had better be scratched with a knife when any considerable
erasure is necessary. As the cheap boards are merely a padding
veneered on either side with a thin coating of smooth paper, little
scraping is required to develop a fuzzy surface upon which it is
impossible to work. Only the best board, such as Reynolds', therefore,
should be used. Bristol-board can be procured in sheets of various
thicknesses as well as in blocks.
Whatman's "hot-pressed" paper affords another excellent surface
and possesses some advantages over the Bristol-board. It comes
in sheets of various sizes, which may be either tacked down on
a board or else "stretched." Tacking will be satisfactory enough
if the drawing is small and is to be completed in a few hours;
otherwise the paper is sure to "hump up," especially if the weather
be damp. The process of stretching is as follows: Fold up the edges
of the sheet all around, forming a margin about an inch wide. After
moistening the paper thoroughly with a damp sponge, cover the under
side of this turned-up margin with photographic paste or strong
mucilage. During this operation the sheet will have softened and
"humped up," and will admit of stretching. Now turn down the adhesive
margin and press it firmly with the fingers, stretching the paper
gently at the same time. As this essential part of the process must
be performed quickly, an assistant is requisite when the sheet
is large. Care should be taken that the paper is not strained too
much, as it is then likely to burst when it again contracts.
Although generally employed for watercolor drawing, Whatman's
"cold-pressed" paper has some advantages as a pen surface. Slightly
roughish in texture, it gives an interesting broken line, which
is at times desirable.
A peculiar paper which has considerable vogue, especially in France
and England, is what is known as "clay-board." Its surface is composed
of China clay, grained in various ways, the top of the grain being
marked with fine black lines which give a gray tone to the paper,
darker or lighter according to the character of the pattern. This
tone provides the middle-tint for the drawing. By lightly scraping
with a sharp penknife or scratcher, before or after the pen work
is done, a more delicate gray tone may be obtained, while vigorous
scraping will produce an absolute white. With the pen work added,
it will be seen that a good many values are possible; and, if the
drawing be not reduced more than one-third, it will print excellently.
The grain, running as it does in straight lines, offers a good deal
of obstruction to the pen, however, so that a really good line is
impossible.
Thin letter-paper is sometimes recommended for pen and ink work,
chiefly on account of its transparency, which obviates the necessity
of re-drawing after a preliminary sketch has been worked up in
pencil. Over the pencil study a sheet of the letter-paper is placed
on which the final drawing may be made with much deliberation. Bond
paper, however, possesses the similar advantage of transparency
besides affording a better texture for the pen.