Composition; A Series of Exercises Selected From a New System of Art Education

8/12/2019 Composition; A Series of Exercises Selected From a New System of Art Education

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ALBERT R. MANNLIBRARY

New York State CollegesOF

Agriculture and Home Economics

Cornell University


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Cornell University LibraryNC 740.D7 1903Composition; a series of exercises select

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COMPOSITIONA SERIES OF EXERCISES SELECTEDFROM A NEW SYSTEM OFART EDUCATIONBYARTHUR W. DOWInstructor in Art at Pratt Institute and at the

Art Students' League of New York

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PART IFIFTH EDITIONNEW YORKTHE BAKER AND TAYLOR COMPANY

33 East Seventeenth Street1903


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Copyright, 1899, by Arthur W. Dow.


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CONTENTSPANOTE

LINE DRAWING AND MATERIALSLINE COMPOSITION

I. SquaresII. Variation

III. Examples of Beautiful Straight Line Arrangement , .IV. Landscape ..........V. Examples of Pictures Composed on Rectangular Lines .VI. Repetition Oblique Lines .......VII. Landscape Arrangement .......DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITION

VIII. NotanIX. Notan of LineX. Notan of Two Tones Straight Line Patterns ...XI. -Two Tones Variation ........FLOWER COMPOSITIONXII. Line and Notan of Two Tones ......DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITIONXIII. Notan of Landscape Two Tones

BORDERS AND SURFACE PATTERNSXIV. Line and Notan of Two Tones ......FLOWER COMPOSITIONXV. Borders in Two Tones ........XVI. Two Tones Japanese Examples ......

BOOK COVERS, TITLE-PAGES, AND LETTERSXVII. Line and Notan of Two TonesBOOK-PAGE COMPOSITION

XVIII. Two Tones Landscape .....


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LANDSCAPE COMPOSITIONXIX. Two Tones Japanese Examples

DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITIONXX. Three TonesXXI. Three Tones Flowers .XXII. Three Tones Landscape

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONXXIII. Three Tones An Imaginary Poem

ADVANCED COMPOSITIONXXIV. Many Tones

CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST PART

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NOTETHE title Composition has beengiven to this book because the

system of art instruction which itrepresents has come to be commonlyknown by that name. The term Com-position is, however, too limited, as thesystem in its full development includes,not only so-called composition, but allstages of the creation of a work of space-

[ art. But as the following exercises relateto the fundamental process in such a

/ creation, viz., the putting together of linesand masses, we will, for the present, ac-cept the popular name.This is the first publication of any con-secutive series based upon the scheme ofart education whose elements are herepresented.The history ofthe movement is as followsSome nine years ago, after a course in theschools of Paris, I entered upon a com-parative study of the art of all nations andepochs, in the hope of finding more lighton composition in painting, and, incident-ally, a better method of teaching than the

Iprevailing nature-copying. While seek-ing for examples of Japanese art I metProfessor Ernest F. Fenollosa, then cura-tor of the unrivalled Oriental collection inthe Boston Museum of Fine Arts.He had had exceptional opportunities fora critical knowledge of both Eastern andWestern art, and as a result of his re-

search and comparisons, guided by a brliant mind's clear grasp of fundamentideas, had gained a new conceptionart itself. He believed Music to be, isense, the key to the other fine arts, sinits essence is pure beauty ; that space-amay be called visual music, and mbe criticised and studied from this poiof view. Following this new conceptiohe had constructed an art-educationsystem radically different from thowhose corner-stone is Realism. Its leaing thought is the expression of Beautnot Representation.I at once felt the truth and reasonableneof his position, and after much prepartion in adapting these new methodspractical use, I began teaching a classBoston, with Professor Fenollosa's coperation. Here for the first time in tcountry, Japanese art materials were usfor educational purposes.After a few years of quiet effort and eperiment in this way, Mr. FredericPratt of Brooklyn became interestedthe results attained by this class, anda consequence, the work was transferin 1895 from my Boston studio to PraInstitute, where in a progressive atmsphere, with large opportunity and hearcooperation, it has reached a developmealready well known.


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NOTE The art-instruction of modern days, anout-growth of the theories of Leonardoda Vinci, and the practice of later Renais-sance and French academic artists, is toolargely scientific. The pupil, from thevery beginning, is forced to concentratehis energies upon acquiring a knowledgeof various facts and processes. Self-ex-pression is usually deferred till he haslearned to draw, till he has been througha course of cast-drawing, perspective,history, anatomy, history of costume, etc., a thoroughly scientific drill relatedchiefly to Realism. After all this, he at-temptsto combinetheknowledge and theskill in artistic expression, or in otherwords, a composition. Unless apprecia-tion has developed despite the crowdingof other things, the chances are that hiswork will lack the one vital element forwhich art exists, and to which he hasas yet given slight attention that is,Beauty.But in this new view, art study is thegaining of an experience, and art instruc-tion is the guiding of tendencies towardappreciation, and the training of mindand hand to create. This guidance andtraining, we believe, can be given by aseries of exercises beginning, as in Music,with the simplest. In fact, the main ideain the system is to help the pupil atthe very outset to originate a beautiful

arrangement, say a few lines hniously grouped together andproceed onward step by step to gappreciation and fuller power of esion.During this course, skill in drawincome as a natural growth, and knowof perspective and all other requwill be sought as the developing afaculty feels the need ofthem. Inainstead of spending most of the effdrawing, and then adding originalor Composition, we begin with Comtion, and find that it will lead torest.It is not my intention to furnish afrom which art may be taught,offer a principle by which an instcan be guided, and exercises andples suggestive of ways of carryithe principle.While the book will be of special sto those who have already had traithis method, to those who have not,I hope, afford many new ideas,mode of self-education.The author is greatly indebted to hpils, who have so kindly offered exaof their work, and also to friendhave in various ways assisted in thduction of this book.ARTHUR WESLEYNew York, 1898


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LINE-DRAWING AND MATERIALSTHE first step in the Art of Paintingis the drawing of Hnes as the

boundaries of shapes. These Hnesmay be straight or curved, wide, thin,rough or sharp, faint or firm ; they maybe frankly left in the finished work, as inJapanese prints and early Italian fres-coes, or they may appear merely as theedges of tones, as in a modern landscapepainting or a charcoal sketch. But in themaking of these lines there is opportu-nity for great beauty of proportion, and apowerful, vital touch, full of personality.Examples are here given of lines by va-rious great masters.The line of Soga Shubun, Nos. i and 2, isbold and strong, and varies with each ob-ject drawn. The character and texture ofhouses, rocks, trees and marsh grass aresuggested in the line.The line of Sesshu, Nos. 3 and 4, is angu-lar, rugged, and vibrating with the nerv-ous force of the artist's hand.The line of Kano Yusho, No. 5, is grace-ful, but sharp and crisp.The school of Kano Tanyu, Nos. 6, 7, 8,and 9, is readily recognized by the peculiarquality of the slap-dash, picturesque line.Okumura Masanobu, No. 10, puts into hissimple curves the classic purity of Greekline.Michelangelo's great Titanic lines. No.II, are well calculated to express the su-

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perhuman beings of his compositionLeonardo's, No. 12, combine delicacy aabsolute power.Millet's strength lies largely in his linThere is more than truth in it; therebeauty and character and intense meaning. (No. 13.)To produce lines so expressive requircomplete control of the hand, guideda disciplined creative mind. It therefoseems proper that the student should,the outset, enter upon a training that wigive him such control and discipline.


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MATERIALSThere are many implements for drawinglines, but the one which responds mostreadily, gives the widest range of qualityand tends soonest to make the hand obeythe will, is the Japanese brush. The sizesgenerally used are shown in the illustra-tion:

Lir\4 WAh Vapiouj Line -Oi.>he>or

The long brushes are best for long lines,the short ones for sharp corners andbroken lines. The painting brush ishere meant, not the Chinese writingbrush which is worthless for this pur-pose.Japanese paper is to be preferred, as it is

specially prepared with glue-sizetakes the ink better than anybeautiful in color and textureenough for tracing. I have founded wall paper very serviceabletice : it has a good surface andThe best ink is the Japanese, grthe ink-stone, but other inks or evwater-color may be used. Placdrops of water on the ink-stone,the stick of ink on the slant tilblackness results. Dry the stickand wrap it in paper. Never leaving, or it will crumble to pieces.DRAWING THE LINEPin your paper very smoothlyboard, or dampen and paste it by tIf the brush is new, it must beand dried, as the maker puts stit to keep the point. Dipping a winto the ink, of course grays andthe tone.The board may be laid upon theon a desk: it can be flat or sliclined. Keep the head up and awit. Take the brush between thmiddle finger, as shown in thetion, steadying it with the for

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LINVARMAS(See pThe JampleII (exon pagfrom tin theFine A

No. I. Sog-a Shubun, Japanese, XV century (part of screen)

No. 2. Soga Shubun [ No. 3. Sesshu, Japanese, XV century-Page 9


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BYpage 7)

No. 4. Sesshu (Japanese) XV century No. 5. Kano Yusho, XVII century (f

No. 9. Kano Tanyu, XVII century (fragment)Page 10 No. 8. Kano Naonobu, XVII century


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7. Kano Yasunobu, XVII century (fragment)

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it into the ink, and holding it perpen-to the paper, draw your line. It

be held in a perpendicular positionorder to move freely in all directionsdoes the etcher's needle.line is not drawn with the fingers, but

amovement ofthe wholehandand^arm

in one sweep. This gives greater force.Thehand may be steadied if necessary byresting the end of the little finger on thepaper.Determine the width of the line at thestart, by pressing the brush-point firmlydown till it spreads to the desired width.Slowness of drawing is most important, asan expressive or artistic line is not madeby mere momentum of the hand, but bypure force of will controlling the hand.In slow drawing, the line can be watchedand guided as it grows under the brush-point.Slight waverings,when not resulting fromweakness or nervousness, are not objec-tionable ; in fact, may add to the individ-uality and expressiveness of the line.

Good lines - ct^ 4^*/n \ivry }|o\m'v xa/iIK

Poor , weAK line* - tju(c/c/y dr&vwr\

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Examples of both good and faulty linesare shown on preceding page.EXERCISEAs the straight line is the simplest, thepupils should begin with that and prac-tice until they can draw it freely, remem-bering that straightness of direction isthe essential point, not mere geometricstraightness. In beginning, the lines canbe about one-eighth or one-fourth inchwide and must be kept of uniform widththroughout. Let them draw not onlyisolated lines but sets of parallels, alsosquares, etc., as in the illustration.

sake of a facsimile, but in the eto reach the same power and feThe aim of this exerciseistoputunder control of the will, but it shbe carried too far, as all the suproblems will tend to the same

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DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITIONXI.TWO TONESVARIATION

EAUTY of Line must underlieevery Notan composition, and itshould be said in this connection

that beauty of Notan must underlie everycolor composition. The three elementshave the closest relation to one another.Forpurposes of study, however,itisneces-sary to isolate each element, and even theseparate principles of each.In the present inc. a.. ice, Notan can beseparated from Line, that is, the student'sattention can be concentrated on Dark-and-Light only, by taking one line-de-sign of acknowledged excellence andmaking many Notan variations of it; be-ing sure of Beauty of Line, the onlyproblem is to create Beauty of Notan.Here, again, the so-called historic or-nament can be used for its own inher-ent beauty, not for the study of a style.These works of art are available to thebeginner in five ways: the objects them-selves, photographs, photographic repro-ductions, casts, and tracings. The litho-graphic illustrations and rude wood cutsin some books of design, being producedby mechanical, painstaking minds, areuseless for our purpose here. They giveno hint of the quality of the original. If

the actual painting on an Egyptianmmy case is compared with a page ofof these books, the poor quality oflatter is instantly apparent. ChineseJapanese ornament in most of sbooks is of the most flamboyant andcadent order.The facsimile copies of Greek vases ually belong in this same category. Onother hand, these works of the mechacal copyist are of some use to persfamiliar with the originals, or to thwho can translate these hints of scheinto designs of their own.The illustrations to this section are Novariations on a Chinese fret, chosenits excellent straight-line compositiand good proportion.With these are shown similar variatiof old textiles. Though we are not ting up Curved Line, it has been thoubest to introduce these here as suggtions of ways of studying these beautrelics of the art of past ages.The student sketches or traces theline of the textile pattern, and triesdiscover how many fine two-tonerangements can be made with it.

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FLOWER COMPOSITIONXII. LINE, AND NOTAN OF TWO TONES

FLOWERS, by their great variety ofline and proportion, are particularlyvaluable, as well as convenient sub-

jects for elementary composition. Theirforms and colors have furnished themesfor painters and sculptors since the be-ginning of Art, and the treatment hasranged from abstractions to extreme real-ism ; from the refinements of lotus-de-rived friezes to the poppy and rosewall-papers of the present time.In the exercise here suggested, thereis no intention of making a design to ap-ply to anythingas decoration, hence thereneed be no question as to the amount ofnature's truth to be introduced. Theflower may be rendered realistically, asin some Japanese design, or reduced toan abstract suggestion, as in the Greek,without in the least affecting the purposein view, namely, the setting of its linesinto a space in such a way that beautyshall result in other words, making itserve as a subject for a composition ex-ercise.It is essential that the space should becut bv the main lines. A small spray inthe middle of a big oblong, or discon-nected groups of flowers, cannot be calledcompositions ; all the lines and areas mustbe related one to another by connec-tions and placings, so as to form a beau-tiful whole. Not a picture of a flower is

sought, that can be left to the botanbut rather an irregular pattern ofand spaces, something far beyonmere drawing of a flower from naturlaying an oblong over it, or vice veEXERCISEThe instructor draws a flower infirm outlines on the blackboard, avoconfusing detail, and giving the chter as simply as possible. The pupicopies the instructor's drawing, thdecides upon the shape into whicompose this subject a square ortangle will be best for the beginnermakes several trial arrangements rly, with pencil or charcoal. Havingsen the best of these, he improvesrefines them, first on his trial paperlater by tracing with brush and ithin Japanese paper. Effort must becentrated on the arrangement, nobotanical correctness.Many line compositions can be defrom one flower subject, but each ofcan in turn be made the source of avariety of designs by carrying thecise farther, into the field of Dark-Light. Paint certain of the areasand at once a whole new series sugitself, from a single line design. Tbeauty of the line is added the beauopposing and intermingling massblack and white.

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this part of the exercise the arrange-of shapes of light with shapes ofoccupies the attention, rather than

or the rendering of shadows.the flowers and leaves and stems,

parts of them, may be black or white,to the feeling of the student.

him choose out of his several draw-those which he considers best. The

can then criticise, pointing outbest and the worst, and explainingthey are so. A mere aimless or

mechanical blackening of paper, withouteffort to arrange, will result in nothingof value.The examples show the variety of effectsproduced by flowers of different shapes,and the beauty resulting from schemesof Dark-and- Light in two tones. Pupilsmight profitably copy some of these, en-larging them ; but only for preliminarypractice. The instructor will, of course,use his own subject matter.

FLQCOMTIOXII.ANDOF TTON

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DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITIOXIII. NOTAN OF LANDSCAPE TWO TONES

THE student has already experi-enced the composition of twotones with geometric line-design

and flower-shapes; a step farther bringshim to the important subject of Dark-and-Light as an element of Pictorial Art.^e must again emphasize the distinctionbetween Light-and-Shadow, Light-and-Shade,and that which we here call Notan.Light-and-Shadow, a phenomenon con-nected with sunshine, can be expressed inpictorial art by means of Notan. That is,a combination of lights and shadows innature is available to the artist only whentheir shapes occur in, or suggest, a beauti-ful arrangement; when they form, as itwere, a pattern, or, as some would say,when they are decorative. (This wordis only a misleading circumlocution for beautiful. ) The student who is underthe guidance of the academic phrase, Paint what you see, and as you see it,feels that he must represent faithfullyevery accidental shadow, just as it isin nature, or else be false to art and falseto himself. He discovers later that suchaccurate rendering is only permissible instudies and sketches; that no accidentsenter into pictures, but every line, everylight, and every dark are a part of a delib-erate design.Light-and-Shadeisatermreferringmain-ly to the modelling of things, or the imita-

tion of solidity. The study of it, as uspursued in the schools by the drawiwhite casts or still-life, tends to cotrate the students' attention upoRepresentation of facts rather thaproduction of beauty. It does notthem to comprehend the eesthetic quof, for instance, a charcoal sketWilliam Morris Hunt. Moreovespend so much effort upon modellof doubtful value, for Painting is etially the art of two dimensions.When a painter makes roundnesssolidity the chief aim of his work, heoutside of his art and enters the proof his brother, the sculptor. In thpainting, for example, Giotto's frescAssisi, Piero della Francesca's at ArMasaccio's Tribute Money, thepositions of Vivarini, Bellini and Tand even the Strozzi portrait by Rapthe modelling is entirely subordinathe greater elements of proportioDark-and-Light.In a mural painting extreme roundna fatal defect ; a striking illustrationforded in the Pantheon at Paris, wPuvis de Chavannes and his conteraries have put their compositionswalls. Puvis thought of his paithere as primarily a mosaic of coshapes, whose mission was first ofmake the wall beautiful. No one

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COM-NO-OF

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at first of the subject that he has put there,but all are charmed with the harmoniesof line, tone, and color, the poetry andillusion of his landscape. The otherpainters seem to have thought mainly ofmodelling; of making their figures standout solidly ; and the result is that the be-holder does not perceive the wall, or anysuggestion of composition, but is entirelyoccupied with the sculpturesque realityof the painting. Soon he is confused byit and turns away unsatisfied.But we do not wish to be misunderstoodas advocating the entire omission of sha-dows, or of modelling certain subjectsmay require their use but the flat rela-tions are of first importance ; in them mustlie the art of the painting.Allusion has been made to the art stu-dents' practice of copying the darks frompictures, or the spotting, as they callit. This is really studying Notan in twotones. To more fully define its purposewe give a few examples. No. 49 is a setof sketches from well-known mastersshowing the arrangement of Dark-and-Light reduced to two tones. This will givea hint of these artists' conception of theelement of Notan, and it becomes moreevident where translated into two tones.In Section XIX will be found some Jap-anese examples of the same thing. So

interested were the Japanese inof composition that they sketpublished in books the spottinggreat masters. Some of these boticularly early ones of the periodare exceedingly beautiful.EXERCISEGive the student as a theme a lin line only, with no border. Ibe simple, but with a variety of lsmall spaces. Let this be handlways1. The student sets it into a borwhen its proportions are satisftraces it on several sheets of patries the effect of painting certaiblack. Some subjects are capagreat many two-tone arrangemenot all will be fine. Not numbquired, but beauty.2. Compose the landscape intoof different proportions, then vof these with two tones.The illustrations sufficiently explthese ways of working.No. 50 illustrates nine arrangeone subject.After using the examples here gstudent may sketch a landscapeture, and after its line-composibeen criticised, let him vary itones.

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BORDERS & SURFACE PATTERNXIV.LINE AND NOTAN OF TWO TONES

IN Section VI Repetition was men-tioned as one principle by which line-music may be composed; a simple

kind of beauty to which even the savagegives expression, instinctively, by rowsof lines upon his pottery or his blankets.(See No. 30, page 29). That primitivepattern easily developes into the designknown as the meander or Greekfret, one of the oldest ornamental de-vices. Its severe beauty is found in per-fection in Greek design ; but the Egyp-tians, Chinese, Aztecs, and others, theworld over, have evolved innumerablevariations of this straight-line theme.

EXERCISEThe problem before the student is theproduction of a rhythmical beauty interms of straight line, to which shallafterward be added the beauty of Dark-and-Light.The exercise may be carried out in twoways:I. Taking as elements a row of straightmarks, or lines and dots,

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develope, by means of repetition, bothborders and surface patterns. No. 51 il-lustrates the manner of working. In thispart of the exercise no area is enclosed bythe lines ; the beauty is that of a rhyth-mical marking off of space. This kind ofdesign is particularly adapted to textilefabrics.

2. From the same row of marks,| |develope the meander as a borde

surface pattern. (No. 52.) Takinggestion from the Arabic designers,bine the lines in triangular, or irrearrangements. (No. 53.)The Chinese fret in Section XI isample of the second kind of composiBeware of mere invention, withopreciation. To multiply marks onis just as easy as to drum on theRepetition in itself does not consbeauty; witness the bad wall-paperother debased design repetitionmeanest kind.Invention is desirable, but a greatber of designs thoughtlessly prowill be of no value. First maketnat the unit or the theme which ytend to repeat is itself beautiful.composed of a few lines, see that thwell proportioned, one to the othedelicately spaced. Then you maRepetition to give a subtle qualmusical movement.The line patterns may be translatetwo tones. (See No. 54, etc.)

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FLOWER COMPOSITIONXV. BORDERS IN TWO TONES

FLOWER composition was consid-ered in Section XII purely as an ex-ercise in the arrangement of shapes,

with no reference to Applied Design.In this section, while arrangement is stillthe main point, the student can have inmind some practical use of the designs,either as borders, or head- and tail-piecesfor books. But it is not necessary to takeinto account here all the limitations whichsuch application might involve, as, for in-stance, the special handling for photo-graphic reproduction, the disposition ofmasses required in perforated woodwork(to make it hold together) or the peculiartreatment of a stencil pattern. All thesethings can be considered by the studentafter he has had experience in art. If hehas the art, its application will not be dif-

ficult; it is enough for him now topractical problem suggest a style ofposition. In this case he may cholong parallelogram, and work inLine and Notan.EXERCISEThe examples accompanying thiscise illustrate the idea suggested.compositions can be worked out incoal or ink. Many small rough skeor plans of the arrangement shoumade first and the best of these cfor further elaboration.If desirable the sii:gle compositiobe considered as a unit in a repborder-pattern. The instructor sshow the class how th's kind of dhas been used in magazines andpublications as a page-ornament.


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FLOWER COMPOSITIONXVI. TWO TONESJAPANESE EXAMPLES

DEMONSTRATION by means ofillustration is always a powerfulmeans of impressing an idea upon

the mind. In teaching young pupils thesimple elements of composition, good ex-amples are most essential.Would that time had preserved for us thesketch-books of Phidias, of Giotto, of thearchitect of St. Mark's, of the great de-signers of textiles, buildings, and pictures.These are, for the most part, lost; the fewscraps remaining are stored in museums.But the art of the East comes to our as-sistance with its sketch-books, its coloredprints, and its paintings. The Japaneseknow of no such divisions as Represen-tative and Decorative ; they conceive ofpainting as the art of two dimensions; anart in which roundness and nature-imita-

IV, tion are subordinate to the flat relations.As in pre-Renaissance times in Europe,the education of the Japanese artist isfounded upon composition. A thoroughgrounding in fundamental principlesgives him the utmost freedom in design-ing. He loves nature and goes to her for

his subjects, but he does not imitatewinding brook with wild iris (p.roadsideweeds, the pebbles on theshore, are to him themes for his art,translates them into arrangemenLine, or Dark-and- Light, or Color.are so many motifs for the divisispace into beautiful proportions, fmonious line-systems, or sparklinweavings of black and white. Wspeaking now of the real art ofThe modern cheap imitation, tgraded commercial art, madeforeign market must be avoided.The examples here given are reprfrom Japanese works of the bestand from sheets of ancient designs.refinement of proportion, beautycombination, strong drawing, anliancy of Notan need no commentLet the student enlarge them antheir proportions. These will sugghim one way of looking at nature,translating her beauty into the laof art.

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BOOK COVERS, TITLE PAGES ANLETTERS

XVIL LINE AND NOTAN OF TWO TONESBOOK cover is aproblem in rectang-ular arrangement.Whatever be the de-sign placed upon it,the first question isthe division intobeautiful propor-

tions. See Sections 1, II, III, etc.Lettering may be considered as atracery of Line or a pattern of Dark-and-Light ; in fact it is itself a design, andthe dignified beauty of simple letteringis often a sufficient ornament for a bookcover. In any case the letters occupy acertain space, which must be well-pro-portioned. Above all, they must beclear and intelligible. Extravagance inlettering should be avoided, but variationis possible. Each letter may be reducedto its elements (as A to a set of threelines), and these varied like any linedesign. The title page, for our purposehere, is essentially the same problem asthe cover.

NITIALS are a part oNotan-scheme of a book-Considering the text as

J tone, combined with amargin, the initial comes betweetwo as a sort of focal point or alike the sharp touches of black in anJapanese ink-painting (see pages i39.) The initial itself is usually aposition in a somewhat square-sspace a useful subject for studethe scale be large.

EXERCISErUDENTSshouldmakesmall preliminary sketchbook covers, not attemptlarge drawingtill a definit

satisfactory plan of arrangementbeen reached. Let them studyexamples in the libraries. Reprtions or photographs of the finbindings will be valuable illustrof dignity of style.

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THEIMACINAI\YMAGAZINEA Collection oF Desi^MSfor BooK. Ulustrationshy Composi'tion Class .^./*of Pratt Institute, v/*-/*^

IVo. I, Deceml^er,MDCCC XC VIII.

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BOOK-PAGE COMPOSITIONXVIII.TWO TONES LANDSCAPE

THE art in book illustration liesnot so much in telling a storyas in beautifying the page. The

page is a space into which the illustra-tion is to be set ; a problem of Line andDark-and-Light, whose successful work-ing out depends upon the illustrator'sexperience in composition. If the pic-torial design is to have a rectangularboundary line, the setting of it upon thepage is a matter of simple rectangularcomposition, as in Section II. If it is to

be of irregular shape, its edges respecial attention that their lines maharmonious and may blend wellthe type.As a beginning in illustration the stought first to practice setting an oulandscape upon a page, followingwith the use of two tones ( blackwhite). No. 55 exemplifies the ouwork. No. 56, two tones with boNo. 57, two tones with no border.


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LANDSCAPE COMPOSITIONXIX.TWO TONES JAPANESE EXAMPLESALLUSION has already been made

to the Japanese ink compositions(Section VIII), and Nos. 40, 41,and 42, are photographic reproductions of

ink paintings by some of their masters.The two-tone landscape ofJapanese artisfound in books of sketches from old pic-tures, in books of sketchy studies, and indesign books for stencilling cloth, for fret-saw work, etc. The sketches from old pic-tures date from the early days of paint-ing,when only clear black was used ( Nos.58, 59, 60, 61). They are, in fact, studiesin spotting, to aid the memory of those

who had seen the originals, or to suggesto others the general arrangement of thmasses in the masterpieces. The qualitof these old books with their age-stainepaper and velvety gray-black ink cannobereproduced,butthese illustrations maystimulate the student to investigate fohimself.Nos. 62, 63, and the rest, are examples omore recent date, but of great interest fotheir naive composition, their beauty oLine and Notan.The student should copy these, enlargand vary them.

N58Two sKeUhei ofcompositions byold mdsfers

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N'^GQ N'^GI Thc'spoUmo'ofa jMcturcby Scsshu,(Irom a sketchbook of TKe Tdnyu. School^see pajes J,;0,37.}Q aliof>-5'3.

N 62 N''630r(^'(n4l compoSitiOnS from aSKetch book oithe Shijo school

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DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITIOXX. THREE TONES

CLEAR black against clear white isa strong contrast, and even the bestwork in these tones has a certain

harshness, despite its sparkling brilliancy.But the introduction of a tone of gray,mid-way between thesetwo extremes changesthe conditions radically, and opens up awhole new class of creative possibilities.With these three tones comes the beautyof different degrees of Notan, the valueof one tone against another. This simpleset of threetonesisthe basisof the mezzo-tint, the charcoal sketch, the aquatint, andthe wash-drawing. In this class belongthe old masters' drawings on gray paperwith black and white.From three tones it is easy to developecompositions into many tones, and inthese refinements of the great elementof Notan lies the true meaning of theword Values. This word in modern art-education is restricted to that property ofpainted objects whereby they take theirplaces one beyond another in the picture.While this is a desirable quality in picto-rial art, it is nevertheless a quality belong-ing to Representation, not to Beauty, andin its extreme manifestation becomes aspecies of deception most agreeabletothemindunappreciativeofart. The multitudewho have no perception of harmonies oftone and color are delighted to see objectsstand out in the picture as if they

were real. But the word values broadest and truest sense refers to bonly; the value of a tone is its lightndarkness by which it affects the tonto it.Inthree-tonework anew exercise ofment is involved, that of determinivalue of the medium tone. The shas to mix this tone and decide wheof the right depth. Here he beginsto paint for the first time.EXERCISEFor this painting-exercise will beed two new kinds of materials aplate, or set of dishes (correspondingpalette in oil painting)on which to mink tones and fiat Japanese brThe first difficulty to overcome is thing of a flat wash, a problem of wcolor painting requiring dexteritmuch practice. For a space of conable size a flat brush is preferablround one. As to paper the best resulproduced on a well-sized Japaneseof fine quality. The thin coating okeeps the edge of the wash from drybefore the brush can take it up.For a beginning choose a simple strline pattern, decide which parts of ibe white, and wash a medium tone oover the rest. WTien dry ,paint inthespaces. Acleanink-stone, clean platclean brush are essential to success.

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To illasbdte Sec XX

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reason forkeepingthetonesflat is thatvalue of a whole space can best bewhen it is flat. If it is sloppy and

it loses force and interest. In be-work and in decorative design

is necessary. But of course in ac-

tual picture-painting the absolutely flattone would rarely be used.(Note. Many of the three-tone illustra-tions were drawn upon scratch-boardfor convenience of reproduction in thiscase thefane lines standforthegray wash.)

DARKLIGHPOSIXX.TONE

Coiv\(3ostion by Ribot - Jce SectionVmPage 71


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DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITIOXXLTHREE TONES FLOWERS

THE examples with this sectionsufficiently explain themselves.A comparison of these with theflowers in two tones will at once makeevident the new kind of delicate beautythat the third tone introduces.

Designs such as these could easia place in book-illustration.The irregular shapes in flower comtion will probably necessitate thethe round, pointed brush in puttthe washes.

TV pen-\tnei tepresetit' lUe flilt

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Flowers to tl-la^trdtc SecXX

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DARK-AND-LIGHT COMPOSITIONXXII.THREE TONES LANDSCAPE

IN applying three tones to pictorialart we go a step beyond the twoprevious exercises, for this brings us

almost to the expression of effects ofnature like gray days and twilight.Still the student should, for thepresent, consider his landscape as apattern or mosaic of varying tones, re-gardless of questions of realistic truth.As in all his work, beauty of arrange-ment must engage his attention aboveall else.Many illustrators have produced thethird tone in black and white work bymeans of closely-spaced pen lines. Thishas the advantage of being easily repro-duced.

EXERCISEFor three-tone landscape the pupil cause Japanese ink and wash as in thlast exercise, or pen and ink with finlines for the third tone, or charcoal. Ithe latter case put a tone over the wholpaper, take out the lights with bread orubber, and draw in the darks witvery black charcoal. This is closelallied to the process of mezzotint anaquatint.It is perhaps unnecessary to suggesthat a wide scope can be given this exercise by varying each landscape attempted, and that the student should draw onof his ovv^n from nature and treat it in thsame way.

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BOOK ILLUSTRATIONXXIIL THREE TONESAN IMAGINARY POEM

THIS will be a practical applica-tion of the foregoing lessons incomposition. It comprises the ar-

rangement of verses of poetry, a title inlarge type, and a landscape, upon a mag-azine page. It seems a complicated af-fair, but is really little more than a sim-ple arrangement of areas, like SectionsI and II. The text rnay be representedby a fiat gray wash. The edges of thepage are the boundaries of the composi-tion, a parallelogram. If the verses, thelettering and the pictorial part are en-closed in rectangles, then the case is

similar to some of our first exercisemay be made a severe, symmetricrangement. But whether the difparts are regular or irregular, thelem is to set them together harmonioThe best illustrative work is charized by restraint, dignity and simplThe whole page must be oneplete composition. Students muststrange, pseudo-Japanese combinasuch as scroll-like shapes, imitatiturned-down corners, or meaninsprays of fiowers. Keep to plainmasses, beautiful in proportion and

MORNING IN THE MARSHES... i


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ADVANCED COMPOSITIONXXIV. MANY TONES

LINE, Notan, and Color may becalled the language of the art ofPainting. Like the language of

speech it may be used well or ill, to voicenoble emotions in the beauty of poeticstyle, or to subserve the vulgar and thecommonplace. There can be no aes-thetic quality in this language unless itconforms to the requirements of art. Anumber of facts, accurately described inpaint and color, may have no more con-nection with art than a similar set ofwritten statements merely plain prose.There is no art in such things unless thestatements are bound together by certainsubtle relations which we call beauty.When beauty enters, the parts cease tohave a separate existence, but are meltedtogether into a unit.Advanced composition is only a workingout of simple elements into more com-plex and difficult interrelations. If thepicture has figures and landscape, thelines of the figures and the lines of thelandscape run in such directions, inter-sect and interweave in such ways as toform a musical movement. The tonesand the colors are so arranged as tomutually enrich one another. A noblesubject for a picture requires nobility ofstyle in its expression. Michelangelo'sline (No. ii) is as grand as his subject.We do not presume to define Beauty or

to attempt its description in words. Itsnature must be learned by experienceand by the study of the best works.Beauty of Line is illustrated at the be-ginning of this book (pages 7, 9, 10, 11,12 and 13) ; many other painters are dis-tinguished for this quality, for example,Ririomin (Chinese, nth century), Viva-rini, and the designers of the best stainedglass, Diirer, Holbein, and the greatetchers.Beauty of Notan is found in perfectionas has been said before, in the works ofthe old Chinese and Japanese masters( pages 39, 40, 65, 66, 67 ). Rembrandt, Tur-ner, William Morris Hunt, and againthe etchers, can also be studied for thiskind of language. (See Sec. VIII.)Beauty of color has its highest develop-ment in the Venetian school ; one hesi-tates to specify, but two noble examplesmight be mentioned, the Santa Bar-bara of Palma Vecchio, and The RichMan and Lazarus of Bonifacio Vero-nese. In the modern French school, ifone were to be singled out whose coloris pre-eminent, it would be Albert Bes-nard.In Japanese art the greatest masters ofthis language are Nobuzane (13th cen-tury), Korin (early i8th), and particu-larly the color-print artists, from Hishi-kawa Moronobu to Hiroshige.

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This section is illustrated with a few ject in a few planes and simple masketches for pictures, worked out in char-coal by young students in the author'sclasses at Pratt Institute. Their train-ing in this new system of art educationhas enabled them to conceive of a sub-

to keep in mind the underlyingcomposition to think of a pictas pure design, secondly and snately as Representation.

JV **' -...

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Druid priests worshipping' At sunrise. Jf\e DepArtare;>of the old Ye^r

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Di'uid priests vvors/iippino a1 suni'is*^

Jhrotio'A A pori/A: of thf sunseit ISkelch i u three

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CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST PART

IHAVE called this book Part I, be-cause other treatises may follow, tak-ing up the subjects more in detail, in-cluding principles not here mentioned,and giving still fuller illustration of thesystem's development in Line, Notanand Color.I have purposely kept to a broad andgeneral survey of the field of composi-tion, as a more detailed consideration ofprinciples at this time, with their names,might lead to misunderstanding. Thewords Opposition, Transition, Subordi-nation, Balance, Dark-and-Light, etc.,though common words, were first usedby the author of this system to designatecertain special kinds of beauty, or waysof composing ; hence, in order to berightly understood and used, they needspecial explanation and illustration, for

which there is no space in this smalvolume. For instance. Opposition isgreat constructive idea, expressing severity, calm, solemnity, grandeur ; it iembodied in the Egyptian temple, thParthenon, the majestic paintings oPuvis de Chavannes. To think of it aa mere geometric right angle is entirelto misunderstand its meaning. To reallcomprehend such a principle means fulknowledge of its use in the art of thworld, and actual experience with it aa mode of expression. Such a detailestudy of this and other principles wilbe undertaken in some succeeding volume. The aim of this Part I has been tsuggest a line of practical work, whicwould make clearer the so-called vagusubject of Composition.

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Composition; A Series of Exercises Selected From a New System of Art Education

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