Crayon Portraiture Part 5

For a 1620 portrait an 1822 frame, " 1822 " " 2024 "

" 2024 " " 2226 "

" 2429 " " 2530 "

I make a life-size portrait 2530 on a 2429 strainer. The reason for using a larger frame than strainer is this: that it invariably happens that the head of the portrait will not come in exactly the proper place in the opening of the pa.s.separtout, and by having the frame two inches larger each way you will be able to bring the head wherever desired in this opening. When placing the picture in the frame, lay the latter face down on a table and put in the gla.s.s, which should have been perfectly cleaned; lay in the pa.s.separtout and fasten it with small brads. Then lay the crayon down on the table face up and turn the frame over on it, and after you have it in the proper place, draw the picture and frame partially over the edge of the table, and from underneath mark the back of the pa.s.separtout where the edges of the picture come; then turn the frame and picture over so that it shall be face down. Now cut eight strips of old tin-type metal one-quarter of an inch wide and three inches long, making holes at each end of them for the tacks, and with these strips fasten the picture in its place by tacking one end of each to the strainer and the other end to the frame. Also cut a piece of heavy manilla paper the size of the frame, lay it on a board, dampen it with a sponge, apply starch paste around each side and the ends for a s.p.a.ce of six inches, and lay it over the back of the picture and frame, pressing it down on the latter; then set it away to dry. This will make a neat smooth back which will exclude moth and dust from the portrait.

Pa.s.sEPARTOUT MOUNTING.

The following method will be found useful, especially if you want to exhibit a crayon without the expense of framing it. Lay on the mounting board a piece of heavy manilla paper somewhat larger than the picture, then put the crayon on this face up, next the pa.s.separtout, and last the clean gla.s.s. Mark the size of this on the paper, and then, having removed the gla.s.s, crayon and pa.s.separtout, cut the paper enough larger than the marks to allow it to come up one inch all around over the edges of the gla.s.s; next dampen the paper, and apply the starch paste to its edges about six inches all around, then lay the crayon, pa.s.separtout and gla.s.s back where they were on the paper, and bring the latter up, lapping it over the face of the gla.s.s; cut the corners out so as to bring them over properly; rub the edges down thoroughly on the gla.s.s, and with a ruler and knife trim off the paper, allowing one-quarter of an inch margin; then set away to dry. This will put the crayon in good condition to be exhibited, and will thoroughly protect it.

Transparent Liquid Water Colors for Coloring Photographs.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

TRANSPARENT LIQUID WATER COLORS FOR COLORING PHOTOGRAPHS

_Materials Required in Their Use._

A good photograph, an engraving or photogravure mounted on card-board Camel's hair brushes, Nos. 3 and 5, Sheet of blotting-paper, Small sponge, Clean white cloth, Cake of Chinese white, Winsor and Newton's water color, A divided slant or nest of small dishes for holding the color when mixed, Box transparent liquid water colors, Stick of India ink, Box pulverized pumice stone, Two tumblers for water.

It has pa.s.sed into a proverb that he is a bad workman who complains of his tools. It is certain that good ones simplify work and give better results. One of the most important things for successful art-work is to have at hand the proper materials and good instruments. In their selection do not follow a penny wise and pound foolish policy, but get the best you can; and these you will often find not too good.

THEORY OF COLOR.

The principles connected with coloring should be understood if one desires to produce the most pleasing and harmonious effects in painting. The three colors, red, yellow, and blue, with the white of the paper, are equal in theory to all the requirements of art in its true relation to color. Red, yellow and blue are called primary colors; that is, we cannot produce these colors from the combination of any others. Orange, purple and green are called secondary colors, and are produced by the combination of the primary colors. By the mixture of red and yellow we obtain orange, from red and blue, purple, from yellow and blue, green. The tertiary colors--broken green, gray and brown--are produced by the mixture of the secondary colors. From orange and purple we obtain brown, from orange and green, broken green, and from purple and green, gray. The three primary colors must always be present in a picture to produce harmony. Colors are divided into what are called warm and cold colors, the yellow and red being termed warm, and the blue cold. Yellow and red produce light and warmth, and it is impossible to produce coolness without the use of blue. In painting we use the three terms, light, shade and color, because they best express the qualities of color. Light is expressed by yellow, shade by blue, and color by red. While red is particularly designated as color, we must not forget the claims of yellow and blue, as they, together with red, complete the primary scale of colors. It is by placing these different colors in juxtaposition that we produce the proper qualities existing in each of the other colors. It is impossible to produce the effect of warmth by red and yellow unless we use the blue in connection with them. It is this filling up, or completing the primary scale of colors, that gives the term complementary, so often employed in speaking of colors. Thus red is said to be complementary to green, as green contains the other two colors of the primary scale--blue and yellow. Blue is complementary to orange, as orange contains red and yellow. Yellow is complementary to purple, as purple contains blue and red. The principle of using the complementary color is of the utmost importance in painting, or the use of color by any method, and it is on this principle that the harmony of color is based. When a painting is produced that has the colors red, yellow and blue properly balanced, a pleasing and harmonious effect is attained; but if these colors are not used in their proper relations, there is a discord, and the work is not satisfactory. These rules must be borne in mind by every student in coloring, whether he uses oil or water colors. One of the most common errors of amateurs is to overlook the red in landscape. Thus trees are too green, and the gra.s.s is insufferably green: the complementary color, red, has been left out.

By the following experiment you may prove that when you see one color the eye is in a perfect condition to see its complementary color. On a piece of white paper, three inches wide and five inches long, draw with a lead pencil an oblong, half an inch from the top, one inch wide, and two and one-half inches long from right to left, and a similar oblong one-half an inch below the one already drawn. Then draw a six pointed star (or any other not too large figure you desire) in the centre of the upper oblong, and paint it with vermilion water color. Now look intently at the painted star for thirty seconds, and then look at the plain oblong below, and you will observe that the latter will gradually a.s.sume a very beautiful shade of green, the exact complementary color of the vermilion, with the figure in white upon it--unless you should happen to be color blind. If that is the case, the experiment will demonstrate that fact.

COLORS.

Transparent water colors are put up in boxes containing nine colors, and as you reduce them in the proportion of one part of color to eight of water, a single box will last a long time. They can be bought of almost any dealer in artist's materials, and are designated as Florentine, Egyptian, Grecian, and by other names. Care should be used in procuring those which are pure and fresh. The colors are yellow, blue, rose, violet, magenta, flesh, brown, gold and black. The labels on the bottles give directions for mixing.

YELLOW.

Yellow is one of the primary colors and one of the most useful, as it enters into the coloring of almost every picture. Transparent yellow is very brilliant, and can be used with any other color. Yellow and red make orange, yellow and blue make bright green, yellow and black a dull green. In landscapes, yellow is used in the middle distance with blue and rose and magenta. In the foreground it is used with blue and black for green, and is especially adapted for brilliant touches of foliage, gra.s.ses, and light places in the ground. In portraits a very little can be used in the reflected lights on the faces, and, when mixed with brown, for light shades of hair and eyebrows; for light dresses, used weak, it makes a very nice cream color. It can also be used very weak for laces, the strong lights being afterwards touched up with Chinese white, but not when the picture is to be mounted on gla.s.s. This color will ordinarily work nicely and give good results wherever its use seems appropriate, but care must always be exercised not to use it too strong.

BLUE.

This is another of the primary colors and a very essential one, it being the nearest allied to shade, and although not shade itself, no shadows can be produced without it. We will find it, therefore, mingling with all the shades of nature between the lights and shadows.

It would be in vain for us to introduce all our warm colors, if the cool tints that are produced by blue are wanting; for, without that, the work will appear heavy, as it is the contrast between blue and the warm colors that produces a balance of color. Blue mixed with yellow makes a very brilliant green, with gold a duller green, with magenta a purple. In landscapes it is used in skies and the middle distances, but not in the foreground, unless mixed with yellow. Blue can be mixed with rose or magenta for sunset skies. When the horizon is represented a streak of blue or rose, or of blue and magenta, will give a very pleasing effect. In portraits if you have a light background, a thin wash of blue can be used over it. The same can also be used for blue eyes and for dresses when they are light in the picture, also in all the half-shadows of the dresses or draperies without regard to what their other color may be.

ROSE.

This is the nearest approach to red that we have in these colors, and as it fills out the scale it is an essential one. It is, in fact, a very delicate shade of rose. For landscape it is used only in the skies, and then only a little near the horizon for sunset effects. For portraits it is used in the drapery for making a very light shade of pink, and it can be used generally when you want to make a very delicate effect. The photographic print on which it is used should not be too dark.

VIOLET.

This is a very strong and brilliant color, and therefore needs more than usual care in handling. In landscapes it is only used in certain skies near the horizon, and but very seldom even then. It is more especially designed for portraits, and there particularly in drapery to make very decided effects of strong color; but it can only be used when the dress or draperies are dark in the photograph.

MAGENTA.

This also is a powerful color and must be used carefully. It is not adapted to landscapes, but in portraits is used for dresses and accessories. If the photograph requires a dark dress this color will make it a beautiful shade.

FLESH.

This color can be used a very little in the skies of landscapes when there is a sunset effect to be represented. In portraits it is used to color the faces and hands. After it is dry, retouch the cheeks and lips with the same color.