LIBRARY OF THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA, NEW YORK Gift of Mrs. C. B. Robinson CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 924 058 780 218 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924058780218 COMPOSITION A SERIES OF EXERCISES IN ART STRUCTURE FOR THE USE OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS BY ARTHUR WESLEY DOW Professor of Fine Arts in Teachers College Columbia University 'New' York City Formerly Instructor in Art at' the Pratt Institute and Art Students' League of New York Author of Theory and Practice of Teaching Art and The Ipswich Prints SEVENTH EDITION — REVISED AND ENLARGED WITH NEW ILLUSTRATIONS AND COLOR PLATES GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1913 ^0 Co'pyright, 1899, by Akthub Wesley Dow Copyright, WIS, by Abthur Wesley Dow AU rights reserved, including that qf translation into Foreign Languages, including the Scandinavian The Coxtntry Life Press Garden Cut, N. Y. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Note. — The author gratefully acknowledees the courtesy of those named below in according him permission to use photo- graphs of certain paintings and objects of art as illustration! for this book. Museum of Fine Arts. Boston Metropolitan Museum. New York The National Gallery, London Musce de Cluny. Paris (J. Lcroy, photographer) Musee de Sculpture Comparee, Paris Dr. "William Sturgis Bigelow. Boston (permission to photo- graph Japanese paintings) Mr. Frederick W. Gookin (use of photographs from Kcnzan and Kano Gyokuraku, made specially for Mr. Gookin, Boston M. F. A. Giacomo Brogi, Florence Fratelli Alinari, Florence D. Anderson, Rome W. A. Mansell & Co., London F. Rothier, Reims, France, and Kaltenbacher. Amiens, France (the Ruskin photographer) License to use photographs vsras also obtained from the Autotype Fine Art Company, Limited, London (the Michel- angelo draw^ing, page 51). and from Baldwin Coolidgc, Boston. CONTENTS PAGE BEGINNINGS , 3 THE THREE ELEMENTS I.— Line, Notan, Color 7 LINE DRAWING II. — Japanese materials and brush practice 15 Lines by Masters 17 Brush drawings ig, g6, gg PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION III. — Ways of creating harmony 21 Opposition 21 Transition 22 Subordination 23 Repetition 24 Symmetry 28 LINE IV. — Composition in Squares and Circles 33 V. — Composition in Rectangles — Variation 38 Pottery forms 42, 43 VI. — Landscape Composition 44 VII. — Composition in Representation 4g NOTAN VIII. — Harmony-building with Dark-and-Light 53 IX. — Two Values, Variations — Design 5g Flower compositions 62 Textile patterns and rugs 67 X. — Two Values, Landscape and Pictures 6g Spotting, Notan of Pictures 70 Sketches from Nature 73 XI. — Two Values -— Gothic Sculpture, Japanese Design books, Appli- cations of two values 75 XII.— Three Values 82 Landscape and pictures 8g PAGE NOTAN, continued Applications, three values o4 XIII.— More than three values 89 Illustration 9° Etching 90 Pen Drawing 9° Pencil Sketching 95 Ink Painting 96 COLOR XIV.— Color Theory 100 Hue loi, 103 Notan of Color 102, 105 Intensity 108, 109 XV. — Color derived from Notan 113 XVI.— Color schemes from Japanese prints and from textiles . 117 Application to design 116, 117 Copying color from textiles 119 COMPOSITION XVII.— In Design and Painting 120 Wood Block Printing 120, 121 on paper 125 on cloth 125 Picture Printing 125 Stencilling 126 Colored Charcoal 127 Painting in full color 127 Conclusion 128 BEGINNINGS IN writing this book my main purpose is to set forth a way of thinking about art. The most that such a book can do is to direct the thoughts, awaken a sense of power and point to ways of con- trolling it. The principles of art teaching here out- lined might be illustrated in other ways and with better examples. I hope the reader will see how each chapter can be developed into many sets of lessons. The progressions can be varied, materials changed, lessons amplified and different designs chosen, providing there is no sacrifice of essentials. The book is based upon my experience in painting and teaching for more than twenty years. The first edition of Com- position was published in 1899. In this revision I have made many additions and used new illustrations without de- parting from theory or principles. Composition was chosen as a title be- cause that word expresses the idea upon which the method here presented is founded — the "putting together" of Ijnes , ma sses and c olor s to make a har- mony. Design, understood in its broad sense, is a better word, but popular usage has restricted it to decoration. Composition, building up of harmony, is the fundamental process in all the fine arts. I hold that art should be approached through composition rather than through imitative drawing. The many different acts and processes combined in a work of art may be attacked and mastered one by one, and thereby a power gained to handle them unconsciously when they must be used together. If a few elements can be united harmoniously, a step has been taken toward further creation. Only through the appreciations does the composer recognize a harmony. Hence the effort to find art-structure resolves itself into a development of appreciation. This faculty is a common human pos- session but may remain inactive. A way must be found to lay hold upon it and cause it to grow. A natural method is that of exercises in progressive order, first building up very simple harmonies, then proceeding on to the highest forms of composition. Such a method of study includes all kinds, of drawing, design and painting. It offers a means of train- ing for the creative artist, for the teacher or for one who studies art for the sake of culture. This approach to art through Structure is absolutely opposed to the time-hon- ored approach through Imitation. For a great while we have been teaching art through imitation — of nature and the "historic styles" — leaving structure to take care of itself; gathering knowl- edge of facts but acquiring little power to use them. This is why so much mod- ern painting is but picture-writing ; only story-telling, not art ; and so much archi- tecture and decoration only dead copies of conventional motives. Good drawing results from trained judg- ment, not from the making of fac-similes or maps. Train the judgment, and ability to draw grows naturally. Schools that follow the imitative or academic way regard drawing as a preparation for de- sign, whereas the very opposite is the logical order — design a preparation for drawing. Soon after the time of Leonardo da Vinci art education was classified into Rep- resentative (imitative), and Decorative, with separate schools for each — a seri- ous mistake which has resulted in loss of public appreciation. Painting, which is essentially a rhythmic harmony of colored spaces, became sculptural, an imitation of modelling. Decoration be- came trivial, a lifeless copying of styles. The true relation between design and representation was lost. This error is long-lived. An infinite amount of time is wasted in misdirected effort because tradition has a strong hold, and because artists who have never made a study of education keep to old ruts when they teach. This academic system of art-study ig- nores fundamental structure, hence the yovmg pupil understands but few phases of art. Confronted with a Japanese ink painting, a fresco by Giotto or a Gothic statue he is unable to recognize their art value. Indeed he may prefer modern clever nature-imitation to imaginative work of any period. Study of composition of Line, Mass and Color leads to appreciation of all forms of art and of the beauty of nature. Draw- ing of natural objects then becomes a language of expression. They are drawn because they are beautiful or because they are to be used in some art work. Facility in drawing will come more quickly in this way than by a dull rou- tine of imitation with no definite end in view. The history of this structural system of art teaching may be stated in a few words ; and here I am given the oppor- tunity to express my indebtedness to one whose voice is now silent. An experience of five years in the French schools left me thoroughly dissatisfied with academic theory. In a search for something more vital I began a com- parative study of the art of all nations and epochs. While pursuing an investi- gation of Oriental painting and design at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts I met the late Professor Ernest F. Fenol- losa. He was then in charge of the Jap- anese collections, a considerable por- tion of which had been gathered by him in Japan. He was a philosopher and logician gifted with a brilliant mind of great analytical power. This, with rare appreciation, gave him an insight into the nature of fine art such as few ever attain. As imperial art commissioner for the Jap- anese government he had exceptional opportunities for a critical knowledge of both Eastern and Western art. He at once gave me his cordial support in my quest, for he also felt the inadequacy of modern art teaching. He vigorously ad- vocated a radically different idea, based as in music, upon synthetic principles. He believed music to be, in a sense, the key to the other fine arts, since its essence is pure beauty; that space art may be called " visual music ", and may be stud- ied and criticised from this point of view. Convinced that this new conception was a more reasonable approach to art, I gave much time to preparing with Pro- fessor Fenollosa a progressive series of synthetic exercises. My first experiment in applying these in teaching was made in 1889 in my Boston classes, with Pro- fessor Fenollosa as lecturer on the phi- losophy and history of art. The results of the work thus begun attracted the at- tention of some educators, notably Mr. Frederic B. Pratt, of that great institution where a father's vision has been given form by the sons. Through his personal interest and confidence in these struct- ural principles, a larger opportunity was offered in the art department of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. Here during vari- ous periods, I had charge of classes in life drawing, painting, design and nor- mal art ; also of a course for Kindergarten teachers. Professor Fenollosa continued his lectures during the first year. The growth of the work and its influence upon art teaching are now well known. In igoo I established the Summer School at Ipswich, Massachusetts, for the pur- pose of obtaining a better knowledge of the relation of art to handicraft and man- ual training. Composition of line, mass and color was applied to design, land- scape and very simple hand work in metal, wood-block printing and textiles. Parts of 1903 and '04 were spent in Japan, India and Egypt observing the native crafts and gathering illustrative material. In 1904 I became director of fine arts in Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. The art courses are now ar- ranged in progressive series of synthetic exercises in line, dark-and-light and col- or. Composition is made the basis of all work in drawing, painting, designing and modelling — of house decoration and in- dustrial arts — of normal courses and of art training for children. After twenty years' experience in teach- ing I find that the principles hold good under varying conditions, and produce results justifying full confidence. They bring to the student, whether de- signer, craftsman, sculptor or painter an increase of creative power ; to the teach- er, all this and an educational theory capable of the widest application. To all whose loyal support has given impetus and advancement to this work — to the pupils and friends who have so generously furnished examples for illus- tration — I offer most grateful acknowl- edgments. ARTHUR WESLEY DOW New York, 1912 THE THREE ELEMENTS I. LINE -- NOTAN — COLOR A R CHITECTURE, Sculpture, A\ Painting, Music and Poetry are "^ ■*■ the principal fine arts. Of these the first three are called Space arts, and take the various forms of arranging, building, constructing, designing, . mod- elling and picture-painting. In the space arts there are three struct- ural elements with which harmonies may be built up : 1. LINE. The chief element of beauty in architecture, sculpture, metal work, etching, line design and line drawings. Nos. I, 2, 3, 6, 23, 38. 2. NOTAN. The chief element in illus- tration, charcoal drawing, mezzotint, Oriental ink painting and architectural light and shade. Nos. 5, 59, 60, 61. 3. COLOR. The chief element in paint- ing, Japanese prints, textile design, stained glass, embroidery, enamelling and pottery decoration. Nos. 8, 9, and Chap. XIV. N2 I. LlNE'~*li'on.KVecntu!::» N92.. LINE The term LINE refers to boundaries of shapes and the interrelations of lines and spaces. Line-beauty means harmony of combined lines or the peculiar quality imparted by special treatment. The term NOTAN, a Japanese word meaning "dark, light", refers to the quan- tity of light reflected, or the massing of tones of different values. Notan-beauty means the harmony resulting from the combination of dark and light spaces — whether colored or not — whether in buildings, in pictures, or in nature. THE THREE ELEMENTS I.— LINE 1 1 ^-^2^3^^Sf7j^M ^H a^r? "^^ ^^1^^ 1 ^^ No. 3 LINE. Harmony of rhythmic curves. From book ^ of prints by Okumura Masanobu, Japanese, i8th century. Careful distinction should be made be- tween NOTAN, an element of universal beauty, and LIGHT AND SHADOW, a single fact of external nature. The term. COLOR refers to quality of light. These three structural elements are in- timately related. Good color is depend- ent upon good notan, and that in turn is dependent upon good spacing. It seems reasonable then that a study of art should begin with line. One should learn to think in terms of line, and be somewhat familiar with simple spacing before at- tempting notan or color. There is danger, however, of losing interest by dwelling upon one subject too long. Dark-and- light massing will reveal the mistakes in spacing and stimulate to renewed effort. Color will reveal the weakness of dark- /• 8 and-light. Very young pupils should begin with color but the instructor will take pains to include spacing and notan in each lesson. In general, however, the best plan is to take up exercises in each element in turn; then go back to them separately and make more detailed studies ; then combine them, proceeding toward advanced compositions. What- ever be the choice of progression, there must be a thorough grounding in the elementary relations o f space cutting and simple massings of dark-and-light. This is essential to successful work in design- ing, drawing, modelling, painting, archi- tecture and the crafts. THE THREE ELEMENTS I.— NOTAN VeneticLn Lcu:e Two vcLlu.es Thi-aa vol«*c« N9 5 Peru-vio-n No. 6 Greek Sculpture APHRODITE Museum of Fine Arts, Boston B. Coolidge, photo^ THE THREE ELEMENTS I.— EXAM- PLES OF LINE HARMONY Gothic Sculpture MARY Cathedral of Reims, " The Visitation " group II THE THREE ELEMENTS I.— EXAM- PLES OF LINE AND NOTAN HAR MONY No. 7 i 12 LINE DRAWING II.— JAPANESE MATERIALS AND BRUSH PRACTICE JAPANESE brushes, ink and paper are to be preferred for exercises in line drawing, tracing, notan massing and washes in grays. Long brushes are best for long continu- ous lines, short brushes for sharp corners and broken lines. For lettering, clip the point of a long line-brush, (see p. 55) Linft >VAfh Va.rthe} or Japanese paper for artists' use is made of the bark of the mulberry tree, and is prepared with a sizing of glue and alum. Unprinted wall paper (lining paper) is serviceable for practice work. "Bogus" paper and cover papers can also be used for line or mass. Japanese ink must be ground upon the ink-stone, a slab of slate. Intense black- ness can be secured immediately by using only a few drops of water. Dry the ink stick, and wrap in paper; never leave it soaking. Ink of good qual- ity, and a, clean stone are essential. Tools perfected by ages of practice in line drawing and brush work, afford the best training for hand and eye. Painting with the Japanese brush leads directly to oil painting. If Japanese materials are not to be obtained or are not desired, the exercises can be carried on with pencil, charcoal, water colors, crayons, and even oil paint. 15 LINE DRAW- ING II.— JAPA- NESE MATE- RIALS AND BRUSH PRACTICE For line drawing the brush is held in a perpendicular position, that it may move freely in all directions, much like the etcher's needle. The brush should be well charged with ink, then pressed firm- ly down upon the paper till it spreads to the width desired for the line. Draw with the whole hand and arm in one sweep, not with the fingers. Steady the hand if necessary by resting the wrist or end of the little finger on the paper. Draw very slowly. Expressive line is not rianner of hoUino id* 8t'UiK • *? made by mere momentum, but by force of will controlling the hand. By draw- ing slowly the line can be watched and guided as it grows under the brush point. Slight waverings are not objectionable; in fact they often give character to the line. EXERCISE Begin with straight lines, remembering that str aightness of dir ection is the essen- tial thing, not mere geometric straight- ness. After some practice with straight PrAcdc* •'■nil . dr*wn wild J&{wnn€ Bruih (reduced^) k lines, try curves; then irregular lines. Copy brush drawings from Japanese books, for a study of control of the hand and quality of touch. No. ii, p. ig. This practice work can be done upon ordinary paper. The aim of such an exercise is to put the hand under con- trol of the will, but too much time should not be given to mere practice, apart from design. Quality and power of line ar" illustrated in the drawings of masters, No. 10 and p. i8. These may be copied later on, for a study of advanced drawing. i6 LINE DRAW- ING II.— LINES BY MASTERS 17 LINE DRAW- ING II.— LINES BY MASTERS Michelangelo, drawing Leonardo da Vinci (Louvre) Kano Tanyu, XVII cent, (part of screen, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) i8 Kano Naonobu, XVII cent, (from screen in ink. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) LINE DRAW. ING II Brush drawings from JcL|)anese Books No. 11 ig LINE DRAW- ING II Brush drawing (see pp. 16, 95) 20 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION III.— WAYS OF CREATING HARMONY FINE art, by its very name, implies fine relations. Art study is the at- tempt to perceive and to create fine relations of line, mass and color. This is done by original effort stimulated by the influence of good examples. As fine relations (that is, harmony, beau- ty) can be understood only through the appreciations, the whole fabric of art education should be based upon a train- ing in appreciation. Thjs powej^ cannot Jje^mpaitedjike^inform^iion. Artistic skill cannot be giveiTby dictation or ac- quired by reading. It does not come by merely learning to draw, by imitating nature, or by any process of storing the mind with facts. CThe power is within — the question is how to reach it and use it. (Increase of power always comes with exercise. If one uses a little of his appre- ciative faculty in simple ways, proceed- ing on gradually to the more difficult problems, he is in the line of natural growth. To put together a few straight lines, creating a harmony of movement and spacing, calls for exercise of good judgment and appreciation. Even in this seemingly limited field great things are possible ; the proportions of the Parthenon and Giotto's Tower can be reduced to a few straight lines finely re- lated and spaced. Effective progress in composition de- pends upon working with an organized and definite series of exercises, building one experience upon another, calling for cultivated judgment to discern and de- cide upon finer and finer relations. Little can be expressed until lines are arranged in a Space. Spacing is the very ground- work of Design. Ways of arranging and spacing I shall call PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION In my experience these five have been sufficient : 1. OPPOSITION 2. TRANSITION 3. SUBORDINATION 4. REPETITION 5. SYMMETRY These names are given to five ways of creating harmony, all being dependent upon a great general principle, PROPOR- TION or GOOD SPACING. I. OPPOSITION. Two lines meeting form a simple and severe harmony. N?I2. 21 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III Examples will be found in Greek door- ways, Egyptian temples and early Re- naissance architecture'; in plaid design; also in Ijandscape where vertical " lines cut the horizon (see pp. 21, 45, 46.) This principle is used in the straight line work-in squares and rectangles, pp. 32, 33» 39. 2ind in cojrfBination with other principles, pp. 25, 29. |@__,@ N4I3 Oweatias 2. TRANSITION. The arrangement thus designated involves a step beyond Opposition. Two straight lines meeting in opposing directipns give an impres- sion of abruptness, severity, or even vio- lence ; the difference of movement being emphasized. If a third line is added, as in the sketches below, the opposition is softened and an effect of unity and com- pleteness produced. This combination typifies beauty itself which has been defined as consisting of elements of difference harmonized by elements of unity. A very common example of Transition is the bracket, No. 15. The straight line is modified into curves and may be elab- orated with great complexity of model- ling. Instead of a drawn line of transition there may be only a suggestion of one, but the effect is the same ; a softening of the cor- ner angle, Nx). 14 and pp. 58, 60. In pic- torial art -the vignette, in architecture the capital, are examples of the transition principle. In design an effect of Transi- tion may be produced by radiation. (Il- lustrations below.) Accidental transitions occur in nature in the branching of old trees, where the rh3rthmic lines are thus unified. * N»W For convenience the suggestions for class work are grouped together in the following EXERCISE opposition. Copy the sketches and illus- trations, enlarged. Design straight-line arrangements of mouldings, plaids and rectangular panellings, Nos. 13, 18, 24. Find examples in nature, and draw in line, with brush, pen or pencil without a border. Transition. Copy the sketches, as be- fore. Draw a bracket in 'straight line, modifying into curved. Design corner ornaments for panels and book covers ; metal work for cabinet. No. 18. Find examples in nature and draw in line. No. 18. , It is important in all such work to make a number of sketches from which the best may be chosen. 3. SUBORDINATION. Neither of the foregoing principles is often found alone as the basis of a single work. Transition in particular, usually serves to harmo- nize the parts of a composition. The prin- ciple Subordination is a great construct- ive idea not only in the space arts but in all the fine arts : To form a complete group the parts are attached or related to a single domi- nating element which determines the character of the whole. A tree trunk with its branches is a good type of this -kind of harmony ; unity se- cured through the relation of principal and Subordinate, even down to ,the vein- ings of leaves — a multitude of parts or- ganized into a simple whole. This way~ of creating beauty is conspic- uous in the perfect "spacing artd line- rhythm of Salisbury cathedral, St. Ma- clou of Rouen and the Taj Mahal ; in Piero della Francesca's "Resurrection" and Millet's "Goose-girl" ; in some By- zantine design and Persian rugs (see pp. 58,65, 98.) It governs the distribution of masses in Dark-and-Light composition, and of hues in Color schemes. It appears in poetry (the Odyssey for example) in the subordination of all parts to the main idea of the subject. It is used constructively in musical composition. Whenever unity is to be evolved from complexity, confusion reduced to order, power felt ^-through concentration, or- ganization, leadership — then will be ap- plied the creative principle called here Subordination. v In Line Composition the arrangement- by principal and subordinate may be made in three ways, No. 16 : 1. By grouping about an axis, as leaf relates to stem, branches to trunk. 2. By radiation, as in flowers, the ro- sette, vault ribs, the anthemion. 3. By size, as in a group of mountain peaks, a cathedral with its spire and pin- nacles, tree clusters, or Oriental rug with centre and border ; p. 65. PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III \ 23 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III ^uborcUnpAionJIb^xn-AKiSl Ji.fevne.*t, N1I& Suboniuie!XiM\ \ir^x%B Art-interest in any of these lies in the fineness of relation. A throwing together of large and small ; mere geometric ra- diation ; or conventional branching can never be other than commonplace. A work of fine art constructed upon the principle of Subordination has all its parts related by delicate adjustments and balance of proportions, tone and color. A change in one member changes the whole. No. 22. To discover the meaning and the possi- bility of expression in this form of com- position the student may work out a series of problems as suggested in this now draws the same or similar subjects from nature, acquainting himself with their form and character ; then composes them in decorative or pictorial panels — an art-use of representative drawing as well as exercise in appreciation. Copy the examples of the and kind of Subordination, and design original ro- settes, anthemions, palmettes, thinking chiefly of the spacing and rhythm. Find examples in nature ; chimneys and roofs, boats with masts and sails, or tree groups. Draw and arrange in spaces. Nos. i6, i8, 26, 28, 37, 61. After choosing the best out of many trial sketches, draw in line with the Japanese brush. Then, for further improvement in arrangement, and refinement of line- quality, trace with brush and ink upon thin Japanese paper. 4. REPETITION. This name is given to the opposite of Subordination — the production of beauty by repeating the same lines in rhythmical order. The in- tervals may be equal, as in pattern, or unequal, as in landscape, see below and No. 20. EXERCISE The instructor draws flower or fruit with stem and leaves. The pupil arranges this motif in various rectangular spaces (page 25), combining the ist and 3rd forms of subordination, and using his critical judgment in a way that is of great value to the beginner in composition. The pupil Repetition 24 T PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI, TION III PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III Of all ways of creating harmony this is the most common, being probably the oldest form of design. It seems almost instinctive, perhaps derived from the rhythms of breathing and walking, or the movement of ripples and rolling waves. Marching is but orderly walking, and the dance, in its primitive form, is a development of marching. Children make rows and patterns of sticks or bits of colored paper, thinking of them as in animated motion. In early forms of art the figures march or dance around the vases, pots and baskets. -CJ^CLFILF.cy.C/iQrGF.DFQr. N? 19 Peruvian to-Jestfy This principle of Repetition is the basis of all music and poetry. The sacred dance of the savage is associated with the drum and other primitive instru- ments for marking rhythm; with the chant and mystic song. From such rude beginnings, from the tomtoms, trumpets and Pan-pipes of old, music has de- veloped to the masterpieces of modern times through the building of harmony upon harmony, — composition. From the crude rhythm of the savage, like the Australian song " Eat ; eat ; eat," from the battle cries and folk poems of barbaric peoples, there has been refine- ment upon refinement of word-music ever moving towards the supreme. This gave the world the verse of Sappho which Swinburne thought the most beau- tiful sounds ever produced in language. From the rude patterns marked with sticks on Indian bowls and pots, or painted in earth colors on wigwam and belt, or woven on blanket, this form of space art has grown, through the com- plexities of Egyptian and Peruvian textile design to the splendor of Byzantine mo- saic, the jewel patterns of the Moguls, and Gothic sculpture ; from rock-cut pil- lars of cave temples to the colonnade of the Parthenon. (For examples of primi- tive design see the works of William H. Holmes.) Repetition, be it remembered, is only a way of putting lines and spaces together, and does not in itself produce beauty. A mere row of things has no art-value. Railroads, fences, blocks of buildings, and all bad patterns, are, like doggerel rhyme, examples of repetition without art. Repetition in fine spacing, with the in- tention of creating a harmony, becomes a builder of art fabric. EXERCISE I. Borders. Divide a long space by vertical or oblique lines at regular inter- vals. By connecting the ends of these with straight lines, develope many series of meanders, frets and zigzags. Waves and scrolls are evolved from these by changing straight to curved line, No. 2oa, and p. 56. 26 4. Surface pattern. Subdivide a space (freehand) into squares, diamonds or tri- angles, determining the size of the unit desired. This will give a general plan for the distribution of figures. In one of these spaces compose a simple group in straight lines, line and dot, or straight and curved, if only geometric pattern be desired ; or a floral form for a sprig pat- tern. In the composition of this unit the principle of Subordination will be re- membered. As soon as the unit is repeated a new set of relations will be created, dependent upon the spacing. A secondary pattern forms itself out of the background spaces. Hence the designer must decide whether the unit is to fill the skeleton square completely, have a wide margin, or over- lllllltlllllll rj-J-JEIZJEP / run the square. Repeating ihe figure in these various ways will determine the best size. The main effort should be given to producing a fine relation be- tween one unit and its neighbors and between pattern and background. All the best work in Repetition has this re- fined harmony of spacing. No. 20b be- low and pp. 13, 65, 66, 85. Copy the illustrations of Repetition in this book, and make original variations of them. Copy, in line, the units of early Italian textiles. Oriental rugs or any of the best examples to be found in mu- seums or in illustrated art-books. See "Egg and Dart" from the Parthenon, p. 30, also pp. 67, 121. For anatomy and planning of pattern, see the works of Lewis F. Day. PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III x'^s^^e^^B/^^;^ [7 a? S'lm^ |Kxtfcern ^ans ^^^^ N0.20 Ml Two Tiiacinj}« from f iw oU, |Mtti,pnf 27 -PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III SYMMETRY. The most common and obvious way of satisfying the desire for order is to place two equal lines or shapes in exact balance, as in a gable, windows each side of a door, or objects on a shelf. The term Symmetry applies to three- and four-part groups, or others where even balance is made, but here it refers mainly to a two-part arrangement. Sometimes construction produces Sym- metry, as in the human body ; ships ; Greek and Rennaissance architecture ; furniture ; pottery ; books. Partly from this cause and partly through imitation, and shapes ; art is not produced by them beautiful form, as seen in a Greek vas6 or the treasures of the Sho-so-in at Nara where so much of the older Japanese art has been preserved. A few examples of Symmetry are given here ; the student will readily find others. Exercises can be easily devised, follow- ing the steps suggested under other prin- ciples. See opposite, and Nos. 42, 43. PROPORTION or GOOD SPACING. Principles of Composition, I must re- peat, are only ways of arranging lines Symmetry, like Repetition, has come to be used in cheap and mean design where no regard is paid to beauty of form. Japanese art, when influenced by Zen philosophy, as Okakura Kakuzo tells us in "The Book of Tea", avoids symmetry as uninteresting. In Gothic art, the prod- uct of richly inventive and imaginative minds, symmetry was never used in a commonplace way. This Principle of Composition — when united to fine spacing, — produces, in ar- chitecture an effect of repose and com- pleteness ; in design a type of severely Ns.ll Synnafxy unless they are used in combination with this general principle, — Good Spacing. They are by no means recipes for art, and their names are of little consequence. Appreciation of fineness of relations must always govern the method and form of composition. It is possible to use all the principles here discussed, and to com- plete all the exercises, without gaining much, if any, art experience. The main ■ thing is the striving for the best, the most hannonious, result that can be ob- tained. One way to accomplish this is to compare and choose continually — making many designs under one subject and selecting the best. The great general principle of Propor- tion needs no special illustration or exer- cise, because it is so intimate a part of all other principles and exercises. It may be studied in every example of supreme art. It is the foundation of all the finest work in line and mass. The mystery of Spacing will be revealed to the mind that has developed Appreciation. 28 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III Ji^AU V£ A^SLter Colw ■■ " ( Rel«U-U«n') 29 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSI- TION III 30 LINE IV an: P n B ' A. Geometric only, no choice possible, hence no art nl F M ^ M Inr ma llB Eleven variations of motif B, regular spacing -1 IL r 1 u f i I I : a C : _C " " il w Four variations of motif C, irregular spacing 32 LINE IV, — COMPOSITION IN SQUARES AND CIRCLES A FTER working with the principles A\ long enough to understand their "*■ ^nature, and to see what can be done with them, the student is ready for problems in composition. Practice in line arrangement is a preparation for all kinds of art work, be it design, painting^ sculpture or architecture. Choose an enclosed area of definite and regular shape, and break it up into a harmonious group of smaller areas by drawingjines. For these elementary ex- ercises in composition the square^ and circle are best because their boundaries are unchangeable, and attention must be fixed upon interior lines. Take first the square, using straight lines of equal thick- ness drawn with the brush as suggested in chapter 11. The result should be a (2 harmony of well-cut spacej a little musi- cal theme in straight lines and grouped areas. Make many trial arrangements, sketching lightly with charcoal on " bo- gus" or lining paper. Select the best, correct them, and draw with brush and ink over the charcoal lines. From these choose the most satisfactory, place thin Japanese paper over them and trace in firm black lines, freehand, with the Jap- anese brush. Avoid hard wiry lines and all that savors of rule and compass or laborious pains-taking. Use no measure LINE IV,— COMPO- SITION IN SQUARES AND CIRCLES Ghfbertt Andrea. dello-RobbCo, T?:^_.N LattlceTr -^ N525^ 1 -. • "^ ^."•^ Pompeic^Tomb reliej- of any kind ; sizes, shapes and directions must be decided upon without mechan- ical aids. Never try to erase an ink line, — if a mistake occurs begin again. Tracing, for the art-purpose of improv- ing proportions and acquiring an ex- pressive brush-touch, is a most valuable help to the production of good work. Architects use tracing-paper for changes in plans. Japanese artists trace again and again until satisfied with the quality of touch and strength of drawing. Straight line is chosen for elementary practice because of its simplicity, and be- cause it prepares for work with curves. The finest curve is measured by a series of straight lines in harmonic relations of rhythm and proportion (p. 42). After some experience with straight line, cut areas with curved, — geometric, flower, fruit, landscape or figure. Equal thickness of line is advisable now, to fix attention upon direction, touch and spacing. Variation in width will come later in notan of line (page 54) and in rep- resentative drawing (page 51) where tex- ture and modelling are to be indicated. The main purpose of this and all exer- cises in this book is the creation of har- mony, hence if the result has but a slight degree of line-beauty it can be considered a first step in Art. The examples are chosen from students' work, from Japanese books, from design, craft and architecture. They illustrate various ways of treating squares and cir- cles according to princioles of composi- tion. 1. Copy these enlarged, with brush. 2. Select one, as a theme, and make many variations. 3. Originate new line-schemes in squares and circles. LINE IV.— COMPO- SITION IN SQUARES AND CIRCLES 35 LINE IV COMPO- SITION IN SQUARES AND CIRCLES N? i"J UndU |or wood-block pntAing", stencilLvno' and hcuuC-celerintf 36 APPLICATIONS 1. Ginghams, plaids, embroidery, sten- cil. 2. Panelling, window sashes, leading for glass, inlaid wood, mosaic, enamel on metal. 3. Incised lines in wood, clay or metal, low relief modelling. Study, of the principle precedes applica- tion in all cases. It is true that the limi- tations of material must be recognized in making designs for special purposes. The substance or surface for which the design is intended will itself suggest the handling ; but material teaches us noth- ing about the finer relationships. First study the art of design ; develop capac- ity by exercise of the inventive and appreciative faculties ; then consider the applications in craft or profession. LINE IV.— COMPO- SITION IN SQUARES AND CIRCLES 37 LINE V. — COMPOSITION IN RECTANGLES— VARIATION IN the search for finer relations there must be every opportunity for choice ; the better the choice, the finer the art. The square and circle allow choice only as to interior divisions, but the rectangle is capable of infinite variation in its boundary lines. The scientific mind has sought, by anal- ysis of many masterpieces, to discover a set of perfect proportions, and to re- duce them to mathematical form, for example, 3 : 5, or 4 : 7. The secret of spacing in Greek art has been looked for in the "golden mean", viz : height is to length as length is to the sum of height and length. Doubtless such formulae were useful for ordinary work, but the finest things were certainly the product of feeling and trained judg-^ ment, not of mathematics. Art resists everything that interferes with free choice and personal decision; art knows no limits. Poverty of ideas is no characteristic of the artist; his mind is ever striving to express itself in new ways. The personal choice of proportions, tones and colors stamps the work with indi- viduality. A master in art is always intensely individual, and what he does is an expression of his own peculiar choices. The beauty of proportion in your rec- tangle is measured by your feeling for fine relations, not by any formula what- ever. No work has art-value unless it reflects the personality of its author.,^ What everybody can do easily, or by | rule, cannot be art. J The study of Variation tends to lead the mind away from the conventional and humdrum, toward original and individ- ual expression. Variation has no place in academic courses of art teaching, but in composition it is a most important;^ element. The masters of music have shown the infinite possibilities of variation — the same theme appearing again and again with new beauty, different quality and complex accompaniment. Even so can lines, masses and colors be wrought into musical harmonies and endlessly varied. The Japanese color print exemplifies this, each copy of the same subject being varied in shade or hue or disposition of masses to suit the restless inventive en- ergy of its author. In old Italian textiles the same pattern appears repeatedly, but varied in size, proportion, dark-and-light and color. In times when art is deca- dent, the designers and painters lack in- ventive power and merely imitate nature or the creations of others. Then comes Realism, conventionality, and the death of art. 38 Some experience in choice of proportions and the cutting of rectangular spaces may be gained from the following EXERCISE 1. Design some simple theme in verti- cal and horizontal lines and arrange it in several rectangles of the same size, varying the spacing in each, No. aga. 2. Compose a straight-line theme in several rectangles of different propor- tions, No. 29b. 3. Choose the best and trace with brush and ink. In the first case there is variation of in- terior lines only ; in the second all lines are changed. This exercise admits of great expansion, according to age of pupils and limits of time. 5 N?19 OE^ EXAMPLES OF RECTANGULAR DESIGN. Contact with the best works of art is an essential part of art education, for from them comes power and the stimulus to create. The student hears and reads much that passes for art criticism but is only talk about the subject of a picture, the derivation and meaning of a design, or the accuracy of a drawing. These minor points have their place in discuss- ing the literary and scientific sides of a masterpiece; they relate to art only superficially, and give no key to the per- ception of fine qiiality. The most important fact about a great creative work is that it is beautiful ; and the best way to see this is to study the art-structure of it, — the way it is built up as Line, Notan, Color, — the principle of composition which it exemplifies. See what a master has done with the . very problem you are trying to work out. This method of approach will involve a new classification of the world's art, cut- ting across the historical, topical and geographical lines of development. The instructor, in composition will illustrate each step with many examples differing as to time, locality, material and subject, but alike in art-structure. Museum collections might be used for a series of progressive studies based upon composition ; taking up one principle at a time and seeking* illustrations "in a group of wide range, — a. picture, sculp- ture, architecture, Gothic carving, metal work, old textile, bit of pottery, Japanese print. LINE v.— COMPO- SITION IN RECTANGLES 39 LINE v.— COMPO- SITION IN RECTANGLES The beauty of simple spacing is found in things great and small, from a cathedral tower to a cupboard shelf. The campanile of the Duomo of Florence (No. 30) designed by that master of ar- chitecture and painting, Giotto, is a rec- tangular composition of exceeding beauty Its charm lies chiefly ^JiS t.... t ■|,.,l [ ^ « 1 • «. ^1 A A PA IN) t| h A I'm Ir. U L' U "J \:u~ in its delicately har monized proportions on a straight - line scheme. It is visual music in terms of line^^ and space. The areas " are largest at the top, growing gradually smaller in each of the stories downward. ^ The graceful mould- ings, the window tra- cery, the many colors of marble and por- phyry are but enrich- ments of the splendid main lines. "">.^ H-r^-^ =^^ The Ca' d'Oro of Venice (No. 31, A) presents this rectangular beauty in an en- tirely different way. First, a vertical line divides the facade into two unequal but balanced proportions ; each of these is again divided by horizontal lines and by windows and balconies into smaller spaces, the whole making a perfect har- mony — each part related to, and affected by every other part. The tokonoma of a Japanese room (No. 31, B) is arranged in a similar rectangu- lar scheme. A vertical line, as in the f mi 1 1 11 I m i jiirii Hill i.>| Venetian palace fagade, divides the whole space into two ; one of these is divided again into recesses with shelves or slid- ing doors ; the other is for pictures (kake- mono), not more than three of which are hung at a time. No. 31, C shows three of these sets of shelves. The Japanese publish books with hundreds of designs for this little recess. The fertility of in- vention combined with feeling for good spacing, even in such a simple bit of craft, is characteristic of the Japanese. Their design books, from which I have copied many examples for this volume, are very useful to the student of art. Style, in furniture, is a matter of good spacing, rather than of period or person. The best designs are very simple,— finely balanced compositions of a few straight lines (No. 31, D). Book covers with their lettering and dec- orations, and book pages with or without illustrations are examples of space cut- ting, — good or commonplace according to the designer's feeling for line-beauty. In the early days of printing the two pages of an open book were considered together as a single rectangular space. Into this the type was to be set with the utmost care as to proportion and margin. EXERCISE The few examples given here show how varied are the applications of a single principle. The study of these will suggest . a field for research. If possible the student should work from the objects themselves or from large photographs; and from the original Japanese design books. These 40 ^ LINE v.— COMPO- SITION IN RECTANGLES ^"^ N^l.% S>d« of * J&p*n«3e room • (iMced fr«in «n Ajicwft bMM Y I a 41 LINE v.- COMPO- SITION IN RECTANGLES tracings are given for purposes of com- ially of the Sung period (A. D. 960-1280) ; in Moorish, Persian, Rhodian and Greek. When each maker tried to improve upon parison. I. Copy the examples, without meas uring. An attempt to copy brings the older models, and had the taste and pupil's mind into contact with that of a inventive genius to do it, the art grew to superior, and lets him see how difficult it supreme excellence ; even fragments of is to reach the master's perfection. Copy- such handicraft are now precious. ing as a means of improving one's style is the opposite of copying as a substitute for original work. 2. After making the best possible cop- ies, invent original variations of these themes, — keeping the same general plan but changing the sizes. COMPOSITION OF POTTERY FORMS. Makers of modern commer- cial ware usually leave beauty of line out of account, thinking only of utility, — of the piece of pottery as a feeding-dish, or as a costly and showy object. The glaring white glaze, harsh colors and clumsy shapes of common table-ware must be endured until there is sufficient public appreciation to demand something better; yet even this is less offensive than the kind that pretends to be art, — bad in line and glittering with false decoration. Pottery, like other craft-products, is truly useful when it represents the best work- manship, combined with feeling for shape, tone, texture and color, — in a word, fine art. Such quality is found, to mention only a few cases, in some of the "peasant wares"; in the best Japanese pottery, ancient and modern ; in Chinese, espec- The difference between the contours of a really great piece of pottery and an ordinary one may seem very slight, but in just this little difference lies the art. EXERCISE One good way to stimulate invention in composing pottery shapes is to evolve them from rectangles. In the straight line there is strength ; a curve is measured by a series of straight lines connected in rhythm. No. 32a. This principle is rec- ognized in blocking out a freehand draw- ing, — a process often misunderstood and exaggerated. Curved profiles are only variations of rectangular forms, for example the bowl in No. 32 b. Change the height and a series of new shapes will result. As the top and bot- tom lines remain the same we have to compare the curved sides only. Another effect (c) comes from varying N231 k^ I 42 the width ; and still another (d) by chan- ging both height and width. In No. 33 are students' drawings of pot- tery profiles evolved from rectangles. For brushwork, in this exercise, it is well to indicate the lines of the rectangle in pale red, the pottery in black. Make many sketches, select the best profiles, improve them by tracing in ink, and com- pare with historic pieces. Drawing from the finest examples of pottery, and making original variations of the forms, will aid in drawing from the cast or the nude, because of the inti- mate study of the character of curves. FLOWERS and other forms as LINE- MOTIVES. The rectangular space may be subdivided, as was the square, by a simple line-motif, — flower, fruit, still life, animal or figure, — following some Prin- ciple of Composition. In chapter III, under Subordination, an exercise was suggested and illustrated; it could be taken up again at this point, with new subjects, for a study of Variation. As rect- angular compositions will be found un- der Notan and Color, it is not necessary to consider them further here as pure line, except in the case of Landscape, to which a special chapter is given. ^^ -p. c No33 Pottery forms derived from rectaj\gles \. LINE v.— COMPO- SITION IN RECTANGLES 43 LINE VL— LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION THE modern arbitrary division of Painting into Representative and Decorative has put composition into the background and brought for- ward nature -imitation as a substitute. The picture-painter is led to think of like- ness to nature as to the most desirable quality for his work, and the designer talks of "conventionalizing"; both judg- ing their art by a standard of Realism rather than of Beauty. In the world's art epochs there was no such division. Every work of space-art was regarded as primarily an arrange- ment, with Beauty as its raison d'etre. Even a portrait was first of all a com- position, with the facts and the truth subordinate to the greater idea of aesthetic structure. Training in the fund- amental principles of Composition gave the artists a wide field — they were at once architects, sculptors, decorators and picture-painters. Following this thought of the oneness of art, we find that the picture, the plan, and the pattern are alike in the sense that each is a group of synthetically related spaces. Abstract design is, as it were, the primer of painting, in which principles of Com- position appear in a clear and definite form. In the picture they are not so ob- vious, being found in complex interre'- lations and concealed under detail. The designer and picture-painter start in the same way. Each has before him a blank space on which he sketches out the main lines of his composition. This may be called his Line-idea, and on it hinges the excellence of the whole, for no delicacy of tone, or harmony of color can remedy a bad proportion. A picture, then, may be said to be in its beginning actu- ally a pattern of lines. Could the art stu- dent have this fact in view at the outset, it would save him much time and anx- iety. Nature will not teach him compo- sition. The sphinx is not more silent than she on this point. He must learn the secret as Giotto and della Francesca , and Kanawoka and Turner learned it, by the study of art itself in the works of the masters, and by continual creative effort. If students could have a thorough training in the elements of their profes- sion they would not fall into the error of supposing that such a universal idea as Beauty of Line could be compressed into a few cases like the "triangle," "bird's- wing," "line of beauty," or "scroll orna- ment," nor would they take these notions as a kind of receipt for composing the lines of pictures. Insistence upon the placing of Compo- sition above Representation must not be considered as any undervaluation of the latter. The art student must learn to 44 represent nature's forms, colors and ef- fects ; must know the properties of pig- ments and how to handle brushes and materials. He may have to study the sciences of perspective and anatomy. More or less of this knowledge and skill will be required in his career, but they are only helps to art, not substitutes for it, and I believe that if he begins with Composition, that is, with a study of art itself, he will acquire these naturally, as he feels the need of them. Returning now to the thought that the picture and the abstract design are much alike in structure, let us see how some of the simple spacings may be illustrated by landscape. Looking out from a grove we notice that the trees, vertical straight lines, cut hor- izontal lines, — an arrangement in Oppo- sition and Repetition making a pattern in rectangular spaces. Compare the ging- ham and landscape on page 22. This is a common effect in nature, to be trans- lated into terms of art as suggested in the following exercise. EXERCISE No. 34 is a landscape reduced to its main lines, all detail being omitted. Make an enlarged copy of this, or design a similar one. Then, in the attempt to find the best proportion and the best way of setting the subject upon canvas or paper, arrange this in rectangles of vary- ing shape, some nearly square, others tall, others long and narrow horizontally as in No. 35. To bring the whole land- scape into all these will not, of course, be possible, but in each the essential lines must be retained. LINE VI.— LAND- SCAPE COM- POSITION Draw in ink after preliminary studies with pencil or charcoal, correcting errors by tracing. Then find in nature other similar sub- jects; sketch and vary in the same way. LINE VI.— PICT- URES ON RECTANGU- LAR LINES niroshig'e Ur^ced fmio a colored, {wi'utj T)>( Anauaci&tion , Pioro d.«ll liw «.|>iUuT« by Vi/hlitkr 46 the art of landscape painting is a special has constructed a wood interior on a line- subject, not to be treated at length here, plan resembling that of Puvis. So the but I believe that the true way to ap- mere doing of the work recommended proach it is through these or similar ex- here will be of little value if the only ercises. thought is to get over the ground, or if First study the art, then apply it, whether the mind is intent upon names rather to landscape or any other kind of expres- than principles. The doing of it well, ^^°^- with an artistic purpose in mind, is the true way to develop the creative facul- ties. PICTURES COMPOSED ON RECT- ANGULAR LINES. Great architects and designers were not the only ones to use this simple line-idea; the masters of pictorial art have based upon it some of their best work; (opposite page). These tracings from a variety of compo- sitions, old and new (No. 36), show that this combination was chosen either to express certain qualities and emotions, — majesty, solemnity, peace, repose, (Puvis de Chavannes) — or because such a space division was suited to tone- effects ("Whistler's Battersea Bridge), or to color schemes (Hiroshige). These should be copied exactly in pencil, then drawn enlarged. Find other examples in museums, illustrated books, or photo- graphs, and draw in the same way. The student must, however, be warned against mistaking a mere geometric com- bination of lines for an aesthetic combi- nation. There is no special virtue in a 'rectangular scheme or any other in it- Iself ; it is the treatment of it that makes ''■ it art or not art. Many a commonplace architect has designed a tower similar to Giotto's, and many a dauber of oil paint VI.— LAND- SCAPE COM- POSITION LANDSCAPE ARRANGEMENT, — VARIATION. Leaving now the rectangular scheme, take any landscape that has good ele- ments, reduce it to a few main lines and strive to present it in the most beautiful way — for example one from No. 61, or one drawn by the instructor, or even a tracing from a photograph. Remember that the aim is not to represent a place, nor to get good drawing now ; put those thoughts out of the mind and try only to cut a space finely by landscape shapes ; the various lines in your subject combine to enclose spaces, and the art in your composition will lie in placing these spaces in good relations to each other. Here must come in the personal influ- ence of the instructor, which is, after all, the very core of all art teaching. He can bring the pupils up to the height of his own appreciation, and perhaps no farther. The best of systems is valueless without this personal artistic guidance. At this stage of landscape composition, the idea of Grouping (Subordination) can 47 LINE VI.— LAND- SCAPE COM- POSITION be brought in, as a help in arranging sizes and shapes. There is a certain beauty in a contrast of large and small. It is the opposite of Monotony. For in- stance, compare a street where there is variety in the sizes of buildings and trees, with another of rows of dull ugly blocks. Ranges of hills, spires and pinnacles, clumps of large and small trees, clusters of haystacks, illustrate this idea in land- scape. EXERCISE To discover the best arrangement, and to get the utmost experience in line and space composition, the landscape should be set into several boundaries of differing proportions, as in Chapter V, and as shown in the examples, keeping the es- sential lines of the subject, but varying them to fit the boundary. For instance, a tree may be made taller in a high ver- tical space than in a low horizontal space, (No. 37 below). After working out this exercise the pupil may draw a landscape from nature and treat it in the same way. Let him rigor- ously exclude detail, drawing only the outlines of objects. No. 37 A LamdscaLpe in three proportions 48 LINE VII.— COMPOSITION IN REPRESENTATION IN academic art teaching representa- tion is the starting-point. This means that one must first of all "learn to draw", as power in art is thought to be based upon ability to represent accurate- Nature-drawing, wrongly placed and misunderstood, has become a fetich in our modern teaching. Our art critics talk of "just" rendering, "true" values, "con- scientious" painting and the like; terms ly and truthfully either nature's facts or that belong to morals, not art, and could historic ornament. I use the word "aca- demic" to define all teaching founded upon representation. The theory may be summed up in two points : 1. Store the mind with facts, to be used in creative work later on. 2. Technique is best acquired by the practice of object and figure drawing. The first is a purely scientific process, a gathering up of data, with no thought of harmony or originality ; hence drawing with such an end in view is not strictly art-work. Nor does the artist need to lumber up his mind ; nature is his store- house of facts. The second point has more reason, but when the aim is for mere accuracy, only a limited amount of skill is acquired and that often hardly more than nice workmanship — not art-skill. The powerful drawing of the masters is largely derived from other masters, not from copying nature. It is an inter- pretation with the purpose of attaining a high standard. Such drawing aims to express character and quality in an indi- vidual way — a thing quite different from fact-statement. not be applied to Architecture, Music or Poetry. These stock-phrases are a part of that tradition of the elders — that eight- eenth century academism still lingering. Representation has but a small place in the art of the world. This is roughly shown in the two lists below : NON-REPRESENTATIVE Architecture — Furniture. Wood carving. Pottery. Modelling, — mouldings and pattern. Metal work. Inlay, — mosaic, etc. Geometric design, including Egyptian, Peruvian and Savage. Ginghams, plaids and much textile pattern. Mohammedan art (one great division) etc. REPRESENTATIVE Painting and Sculpture of Figures, Portraits, Animals, Flowers, Still Life, Landscape Painting. 49 LINE VII.— COMPO- SITION IN REPRESEN- TATION The nature-imitators hold that accurate representation is a virtue of highest or- der and to be attained in the beginning. It is undeniably serviceable, but to start with it is to begin at the wrong end. It is emotion. The figures, animals, flowers or objects are chosen for the sake of presenting some great historical or relig- ious thought as in della Francesca's An- nunciation (No. 36), for decoration of an not the province of the landscape paint- architectural space (Reims capital, No. er, for example, to represent so much to- pography, but to express an emotion; and this he must do by art. His art will be manifest in his composition; in his placing of his trees, hills and houses in synthetic relations to each other and to the space-boundary. Here is the strength of George Inness; to this he gave his chief effort. He omits detail, and rarely does more than indicate forms. This relation among the parts of a com- position is what we call Beauty, and it begins to exist with the first few lines drawn. Even the student may express a little of it as he feels it, and the attempt to embody it in lines on paper will surely lead to a desire to know more fully the character and shapes of things, to seek a knowledge of drawing with enthusi- asm and pleasure. These things are said, not against nature- drawing — I should advise more rather than less — but against putting it in the wrong place. The main difference between Academic and Structural (Analytic and Synthetic) is not in the things done, but in the rea- son for doing them, and the time for them. All processes are good in their proper places. The relation of representative drawing to a synthetic scheme is this : One uses the facts of nature to express an idea or 38), because the landscape has special beauty as in Hiroshige's print (No. 8), or because the objects have form and color suggesting a high order of harmony, as in Chinese and Japanese paintings of flowers, or Leonardo's drawings of in- sects and reptiles. Another reason for drawing is found in the use of the shapes or hues in design. Desire to express an idea awakens inter- est in the means. Observation is keen, close application is an easy task, every sense is alert to accomplish the under- taking. This is quite different from draw- ing anything and everything for practice only. Mere accuracy has no art-value what-i ever. Some of the most pathetic things I in the world are the pictures or statues whose only virtue is accuracy. The bare truth may be a deadly commonplace. Pupils should look for character; that includes all truth and all beauty. It leads one to seek for the best handling and to value power in expression above success in drawing. Composition is the greatest aid to repre- sentation because it cultivates judgment as to relations of space and mass. Com- position does not invite departure from nature's truth, or encourage inaccuracies of any kind — it helps one to draw in a finer way. 50 LINE VII.— COMPO- SITION IN REPRESEN- TATION 51 NOTAN VIII. DARK-AND- LIGHT HAR- MONIES FROM THE MASTERS 1 3 i i i i i 1 1 i i 1 M S i S 1 £ i » s 1 S 1 52 NOTAN VIII.— HARMONY- BUILDING WITH DARK-AND-LIGHT AS there is no one word in English to express the idea contained in ^ the phrase " dark-and-light," I have adopted the Japanese word " no- tan" (dark, light). It seems fitting that we should borrow this art-term from a people who have revealed to us so much of this kind of beauty. " Chiaroscuro " has a similar but more limited meaning. Still narrower are the ordinary studio terms " light-and-shade," "shading," "spotting," "effect" that convey , little idea of special harmony-building, but refer usually to representation. Notan, while including all that these words connote, has a fuller meaning as a name for a great universal manifestation of beauty. Darks and lights in harmonic relations — this is Notan the second structural element of space-art ; p. 7. The Orientals rarely represent shadows ; they seem to regard them as of slight interest — mere fleeting effects or acci- dents. They prefer to model by line rather than by shading. They recognize Notan as a vital and distinct element of the art of painting. The Buddhist priest-painters of the Zen sect discarded color, and for ages painted in ink, so mastering tone-relations as to attract the admiration and profoundly influence the art of the western world. Our etching and book illustration have long felt the effect of contact with Japa- nese classic painting, though the influence came indirectly through the Ukiyoye color prints and books. Such names as Kakei, Chinese of the Sung dynasty (p. 96), Soga Shubun, the Chinese who founded a school in Japan in the fifteenth century (p. 17), Sesshu, one of the greatest painters of all time (p. 97), Sotan, Soami, Motonobu, Tanyu are now placed with Titian, Giorgione (p. 51), Rembrandt, Turner, Corot and Whistler. The works of Oriental masters who felt the power and mystery of Notan are be- coming known through the reproduc- tions that the Japanese are publishing, and through precious examples in our own museums and collections. This ih ^ one of 'the forces tending to uproot our traditional scientific art teaching which does not recognize Dark-and-Light as worthy of special attention. Appreciation of Notan and power to cre- ate with it can be gained, as in the case of Line, by definite study through pro- gressive exercises. At the outset a fun- damental fact must be understood, that synthetically related masses of dark and light convey an impression of beauty entirely independent of meaning, — for example, geometric patterns or blotty ink sketches by Dutch and Japanese. 53 NOTAN VIII When this occurs accidentally in na- ture, — say a grove of dark trees on a light hillside, or a pile of buildings against the morning sky, — we at once feel the charm and call the effect " picturesque." The quality which makes the natural scene a good subject for a picture is like musical harmony. It is the "visual .mu- sic" that the Japanese so love in the rough ink paintings of their masters where there is but a hint of facts (pp. 97, gg) — a classic style which is the out- ward expression of a fine appreciation, and whose origin and practice are ad- mirably set forth in " The Book of Tea." Recognition of Notan as an individual element will simplify the difficulties of tone-composition and open the way for growth in pow^er NOTAN OF LINE. As long as the lines of a design are kept of uniform width, the beauty is limited to propor- tion of areas and quality of touch, but widen some of the lines, and at once ap- pears a new grace, Dark-and-Light. The textile designers who are restricted to straight lines, have recourse to this principle. They widen lines, vary their depth of tone, glorify them with color, and show that what seems a narrow field is really one of wide range. EXERCISE Choose some of the previous geometric line patterns, and widen certain of the lines, as illustrated in the plate. Incident- ally this will give good brush practice, as the lines are to be drawn at one stroke. Push the point of the brush down to the required width, then draw the line. Try a large number of arrangements, set them up in a row and pick out the best. In choosing and criticising, remember that every part of a work of art has some- thing to say. If one part is made so prominent that the others have no rea- son for being there, the art is gone. So in this case ; if one line asserts itself to the detriment of the others, there is discord. There may be many or few lines, but each must have its part in the whole. In a word, wholeness is essential to beau- ty ; it distinguishes Music from Noise. His lj^|lMll@ll^ N540 NotaunofLine 54 LETTERING. When forming part of an artistic composition, in books, posters, manuscripts, illuminations, etc., letter- ing should be classed as Notan of Line. Obviously the spacing of masses of let- ters has first consideration, and is usu- ally a simple problem in rectangular com- position. The effect is a tone or group of tones more or less complicated according to sizes of letters, thickness of their lines and width of spaces between and around them. I have found the reed-pen and the Japanese brush (clipped) the best in- plements for students' lettering (see be- low). Having suggested that Lettering, including Printing, as an art, is a prob- lem in composition of line and notan, it seems hardly worth while to introduce special exercises here. Johnston has treated this subject exhaustively; the reader is referred to his book " Writing, Illuminating and Lettering," to Walter Crane's and other good books on let- tering. Compare fine printing, old and new, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic writ- ing, and ancient manuscripts and in- scriptions — Egyptian, Greek, and Me- diaeval. NOTAN VIII Japanese brushes cMpped. for lettering' N«4l 55 NOTAN VIII 1 1 :l: :|: i: t :i: i: fete iWiW iiiii±iiiii miilmi MT'iiii mm .a»wtJt* xxxxx, ixxxxxi xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx K/vvy) zia imBap 3. A3. 2, 3. Repetition, p. S4, and variation in two values, p. 67 J^owo AroMe ttriit 56 '^ii'^^^S^^^^^w, ! ID 4» :s»'^ NOTAN VIII Landscape compositions by HOKUSAI, three values, pp. 76, 82, 114 57 NOTAN IX. TWOVALUES HISTORIC EXAMPLES 58 NOTAN IX.— TWO VALUES -VARIATIONS — DESIGN DARK-AND-LIGHT has not been considered in school curricula, ex- cept in its limited application to representation. The study of "light and shade" has for its aim, not the creation of a beautiful idea in terms of contrasting METHOD OF STUDY Line melts into Tone through the clus- tering of many lines. Direct study of tone-intervals begins with composition in two values — the simplest form of Notan. There may be several starting- masses of light and dark, but merely the points ; one might begin by blotting ink accurate rendering of certain facts of nat- ure, — hence is a scientific rather than an artistic exercise The pupil who be- gins in this way will be embarrassed in advanced work by lack of experience in arranging and differentiating tones. Worse than that, it tends to cut him off from the appreciation of one whole class of great works of art. As in the case of Line, so again in this is manifest the narrowness and weakness of the scheme of nature-imitating as a foundation for art education. The Realistic standard always tends to the decay of art. The student in an academic school, feel- ing the necessity for a knowledge of Dark-and-Light when he begins to make original compositions, has usually but one resource, that of sketching the "spot- ting" as he calls it, of good designs and pictures — an excellent practice if fol- lowed intelligently. His difficulties may be overcome (i) by seeing that Notan is an element distinct from Line or Color ; (2) by attempting its mastery in progres- sive stages leading to appreciation. or charcoal upon paper, by copying the darks and lights from photographs of masterpieces, or by making scales. Ex- perience has shown that the straight-line design and the flat black ink wash are most satisfactory for earlier exercises in two values. Instead of black and white, or black and gray, one might use two grays of different values, or two values of one color (say light blue and dark blue) according to need. The aim being to understand Notan as something by which harmony may be created, it is best to avoid Representa- tion at first. Notan must not be con- founded with Light and Shade, Model- ling or anything that refers to imitation of natural objects. The beginner may imagine that not much can be done with flat black against flat white, but let him examine the decorative design of the world. He will find the black and white check and patterns derived from it, in old velvets of Japan, in the woven and printed textiles of all nations, in marble floors, inlaid boxes and archi- 59 NOTAN IX 60 tectural ornament. The use of these two simple tones is as universal as Art itself. They appear in the black vine on the white marble floor of the Church of the Miracoli at Venice ; on the wall of the Arabian Mosque, and the frieze of the Chinese temple. They have come into favor on book covers and page borders. Aubrey Beardsley went scarcely beyond them. R. Anning Bell and other artists have boldly carried them into pictorial work in the illustration of children's books. These facts will show the beginner that no terms are too simple for artistic genius to use. Moreover a limited field often stimulates to greater inventive activity. EXERCISE Choose a simple line-design fine in pro- portion, and add to it this new kind of beauty, — as tnuch of it as can be ex- pressed by the extremes of Notan, black against white. It is apparent that we cannot reduce Dark-and-Light to sim- pler terms than these two values. The principle of Variation comes into this exercise with special force, for each line-design admits of several Notan ar- rangements. The student should be given at first a subject with few lines. Let him use one of his own (chapter V), or draw one from the instructor's sketch, but the essential point is to have his design as good as possible in space-proportion be- fore adding the ink. Make several tracings, then darken cer- tain spaces with black. A round Japa- nese brush, short and thick, is best for this work. Nos. 43 and 44. Pupils should be warned against mis- taking mere inventive action for art. The teacher must guide the young mind to perceive the difference between creating beautiful patterns, and mere fantastic play. Those gifted with little aesthetic percep- tion may go far astray in following the two-tone idea. It is very easy and some- what fascinating to darken parts of de- signs with black ink. The late poster craze showed to what depth of vulgarity this can be carried. The pupil must be taught that all two-tone arrangements are not fine, and that the very purpose of this exercise is so to develop his ap- preciation that he may be able to tell the difference between the good, the com- monplace, and the ugly. His only guides must be his own innate taste, and his instructor's experience. NOTAN IX KSSi I Jib gmn Jk No -+4- ! 1^1 ^ I"! i g 1151 m ii 61 NOTAN IX Japanese design for " ramma " (frieze) Fret-saw work FLOWER COMPOSITIONS TWO VALUES Flowers, having great variety of line and proportion, are valuable, as well as convenient subjects for elementary composition. Their forms and colors have furnished themes for painters and sculptors since the beginning of Art, and the treatment has ranged from abstrac- tions to extreme realism; from refine- ments of lotus-derived friezes to poppy and rose wall papers of the present time. In the exercise here suggested, there is no intention of making a design to apply to anything as decoration, hence there need be no question as to the amount of nature's truth to be introduced. The flower may be rendered realistically, as in, some Japanese design, or reduced to an abstraction as in the Greek, with- out in the least affecting the purpose in view, namely, the setting of floral lines into a space in a fine way — forming a line-scheme on which may be played many notan-variations. It is essential that the space should be cut by the main lines. (Subordination, page 23.) A small spray in the middle of a big oblong, or disconnected groups of floweirs, cannot be called compositions; all the lines and areas must be related one to another by connections and plac- ings, so as to form a beautiful whole. Not a picture of a flower is sought, — that can be left to the botanist — but rather an irregular pattern of lines and spaces, something far beyond the mere drawing of a flower from nature, and laying an oblong over it, or vice versa. EXERCISE The instructor chooses one of the best flower compositions done under Line, or draws a flower in large firm outlines on the blackboard, avoiding confusing de- tail, and giving the character as simply as possible. The pupil first copies the instructor's drawing, then he decides up- on the shape into which to compose this subject — a square or rectangle will be best for the beginner. He iflakes several trial arrangements roughly, with pencil or charcoal. Having chosen the best of these, he improves and refines them, first on his trial paper, and later by tracing with brush and ink on thin Japanese 62 paper. Effort must be concentrated on the arrangement, not on botanical cor- rectness. Many line compositions can be derived from one flower subject, but each of these can in turn be made the source of a great variety of designs by carrying the exer- cise farther, into the field of Dark-and- Light. Paint certain of the areas black, and at once a whole new series sug- gests itself, from a single line design. To the beauty of the line is added the beauty of opposing and intermingling masses of black and white ; see below and p. 64. In this part of the exercise the arrange- ment of shapes of light with shapes of dark, occupies the attention, rather than shading, or the rendering of shadows. Hence the flowers and leaves and stems, or parts of them, may be black or white, according to the feeling of the student. Let him choose out of his several draw- ings those which he considers best. The instructor can then criticise, pointing out the best and the worst, and explaining why they are so. A mere aimless or mechanical blackening of psiper, without effort to arrange, will result in nothing of importance. • The examples show the variety of effects produced by flowers of different shapes, and the beauty resulting from schemes of Dark-and-Light in two values. NOTAN IX 63 NOTAN IX Jd^<)incse mMf^ J^5K Scvnfo««' hi^Atn (ftlMiaf) wh6 A.Miiuve. Fortuny - S/iAfce -charmer* Corot C^ofto - JoAcJiiin a*^ Ann* Compositions by various m\i- tei-s.rcdiiced totwotones. 'Spottiig' 71 NOTAN X NOTAN X work with landscape, still life or figures. Sketching from nature with brush and ink is a means of interpreting sub- jects in a very broad way, obliging one to select and reject, to keep only the essentials. It cultivates apprecia- tion of texture and character and brings out the power of doing much with little, — of making a few vigorous strokes convey impressions of form and com- plexity. It leads to oil painting where the brush-touch must be charged with meaning; it is of direct practical value in illustration as such sketches are effective and easily reproduced. It is almost the only method for painting on pottery, as the absorbent glaze admits of no gradation, emendation or erasure ; the touch must be decisive and characterful. Examples of brush- sketching from nature are given in No. 48 on opposite page. Massing in two values. fn»..Corot,Da.abigny4ii4 HcJkasai 72 NOTAN X No. 48 Sketches from na.ture two va.tues 73 NOTAN XI. SiMdiei -^m Gothic Scu,l{)ture ndtcLn o^ two vctlucs N5 4-' ^^... '^w&^s^IPIk? 1>es>4nfai* \A/ooci?bfocl:-|>r(.nte amplication oF-liMo values. Reb^ctton NOTAM-'fi"o voluet Su.bordin<£tten ctn^ Variation o^u mdtij ' Repetition 74 NOTAN XI. — TWO VALUES — GOTHIC SCULPTURE JAPANESE DESIGN BOOKS. APPLICATIONS OF TWO VALUES SCULPTURE, a line-art, when de- signed to enrich architectural spa- ces, may have the aid of notan in the form of relief and shadow. The range of tone is narrow and the field seems lim- ited, but the masters have shown that the creative imagination knows no bounds. They have expressed every emotion — divine calm, serenity, excitement, fury, horror ; and effects of light, atmosphere, distance. The pediment and metopes of the Greek temple owed as much to notan as to line ; we can infer from the restorations what the original scheme was. Greek archi- tecture, however, did not admit of exten- sive enrichment with sculpture; there were few spaces to fill, and those not ad- vantageous as to position, shape or light- ing. As the temple evolved into the Christian church, the new forms of build- ing and the new story to tell called for sculpture. Through Byzantine and Ro- manesque it took a fresh start, pushing upward and outward until it flowered abundantly in Gothic. Although the church selected the themes, the sculptor might interpret form and facial expres- sion as his imagination directed, and compose his groups as he chose. Old conventions were abandoned ; the artist might now seek motifs in his own mind or in nature. The result of this liberation of individual creative power was great art. The Gothic designer used notan with dramatic invention and magical strangeness. The French cathedrals of the best period (XI to XIV century) not- ably Paris, Chartres, Amiens and Reims, show how sculptural traditions were boldly broken and the most daring ef- fects accomplished without forgetting the character of stone or the architectural requirements. The stone-cutter was an artist as long as his restraint was self- imposed— as long as he held to unity of the whole composition and kept de- tails in their own place — as long as he carved harmonies, not mere stories ; pp. 8, II, 29, 51, 52. The masterpieces of Gothic sculpture may be studied from photographs and from reproductions published by the Mu- see de Sculpture Comparee, Paris. Sketch in the masses with brush and ink in two values. Draw freely, at arm's length, on gray or low-toned paper, ob- serving the character of shapes of dark ; No. 49, opposite. New avenues of tone- thought will now open, through appre- ciation of the power and beauty of the stone cutter's art of the middle-ages. 75 NOTAN XI Japanese Ramma, Fret-saw work, p. 80 JAPANESE DESIGN BOOKS modelling and nature-imitation are sub- ordinate. As in pre-Renaissance times If time had preserved for us the sketches in Europe, the education of the Japanese of Pheidias, of the architect of St. Mark's, of the great designers of the early ages, we should know how these creators planned the line and mass, the simple structural schemes of their immortal works. In later days when paper was common, artists' drawings were in a less perishable form and many can now be seen in our museums. Some have been published and are fairly within reach, though often in costly editions. But Jap- anese art comes to the aid of the student of composition with abundant material — sketch books, design books, drawings and color prints. The learner should seek for genuine works of the best peri- ods, avoiding modern bad reproductions, imitations, carelessly re-cut blocks, crude colors, and all the hasty and common- artist was founded upon composition. Thorough grounding in fundamental principles of spacing, rhythm and notan, gave him the utmost freedom in design. He loved nature and went to her for his subjects, not to imitate. The winding brook with wild iris ( above ) the wave and spray, the landscape, No. 51, were to him themes for art to be translated into terms of line or dark-and-light or color. They are so much material out of which may be fashioned a harmonious line- system or a sparkling web of black and white. The Japanese books of most value to the student of composition are those with col- lections of designs for lacquer, wood, metal and pottery, the Ukiyo-ye books of figures, birds, flowers and landscape. place stuff prepared by dealers for the and the books by Kano artists, with brush- foreign market. sketches of compositions by masters. The Japanese knew no division into Rep- It was a common practice with the Jap- resentativeandDecorative; they thought anese to divide a page into sections of of painting as the art of two dimensions, equal size and place a different design in the art of rhythm and harmony, in which each section, p. 55. This is of great im- 76 NOTAJi XI Japanese design for embroidered kimono t^OTAN XI. '••«Vfii«| No. 51. Japanese landscape compositions for color printing 78 NOTAN XI Mo. 5i- Japanese botanical work. Each page a composition in two values 79 NOT AN XI portance to the student for it illustrates at once the principles of space-filling and notan, and gives an idea of the infinite possibilities of artistic invention. I have reproduced examples from the three classes of books n[ientioned above, selected in this case for their brilliancy of notan. Let the student copy them enlarged, then make original designs of similar motives. Good reproductions of many Japanese design books can now be obtained at low prices. They are very stimulating, for they point to the best way of studying nature and of translating her beauty into the language of art ; pp. 57, 62,64, 76 — 79- APPLICATIONS of NOTAN of TWO VALUES The Structural method of art study places principle before application. Much ap- preciation of notan could be gained from any one of the subjects just considered, — for example, textiles, — but the tenden- cy would be to think of tone as belonging specially to textiles. The same can be said of Line as it appears in casts, the human form, or historic ornament. At- tention is centred upon the particular case, and the larger view is lost. It is bet- ter to gain a knowledge of line, mass and color as the material out of which to create ; and to become acquainted with principles of harmony-building, before undertaking definite applications. This gives fuller control, and enhances the worker's powers of invention. Applications of two values are number- less ; I will mention a few of them to give the student some clues for original re- search and experiment. PRINTING. Florets, seals, initial letters, page ornaments, illustrations, posters, end papers, — drawn in black, gray or one color. TEXTILES. Blue and white towels, quilts, etc., woven or printed, lace, em- broidery, rugs, — pages g, 65, 66. KERAMICS. One color on a ground of different value, as blue and white, No. 54; or black on gray. METAL. Perforated sheet metal ; metal for corners, fixtures, etc., pp. 25, 58. WOOD. Fret saw work, inlay ; pp. 62, 76, 77- Examples of applications are given be- low, No. 53, and on opposite page. ^0 >M^i^ W' N953 80 NOTAN XI '^i||%iilil^mi^nii^iiiJ ^m Jul^ic^k^ '^«irt^ NOTAN XII.— THREE VALUES ^^LEAR black against clear white The word "values" refers to harmony of 1 . is a strong contrast ; even the best ^^^ of such work has some harshness, despite a sparkling brilliancy. A tone of gray, midway between these two ex- tremes, changes their relations and opens up a whole new field for creative activ- ity. Now we must think of different de- grees of Notan, — the "value" of one tone against another. This simple set of three notes is the basis of the mezzo- tint, aquatint, charcoal sketch and wash drawing. The old masters drew on gray paper with black and white. From three, it is an easy step to many values, and in these refinements of Notan lies the true meaning of the word " val- ues." That property of painted shapes, whereby they "take their places" one beyond another in a picture, is aerial perspective, not values. It is a desirable quality of Representation, and often be- comes a kind of deception most agreeable to the mind unappreciative of art. Those who have little perception of harmonies of tone and color, wish to see objects "stand out" in the picture were real.' tone-structure ; the value of a mass is its degree of light or dark in relation to its neighbors. EXERCISE The student comes now to a new exercise of judgment in determining the middle value between black and white, or be- tween light and dark gray. He has to mix this tone, and decide when it is of the right depth ; here, for the first time, he begins to paint. For this painting-exercise will be needed white dishes in which to mix the ink tones, and flat Japanese (ha-ke) brushes. The best paper is Japanese, well sized. The thin coating of glue keeps the edge of the wash from drying before the brush can take it up. The first difficulty is the laying of a flat wash ; this requires dexterity and much practice. Paper must be stretched or thumb-tacked perfectly smooth ; ink- stone, dishes and brushes must be clean. For a beginning take a simple line pat- tern ; decide which parts shall be white ; as if they then wash a middle tone of gray over the rest. W^hen dry, paint . in the black Whistler protested against this, holding spaces. that the portrait painter is not an artist The reason for keeping a tone flat is that unless he can give the opposite effect; the value of a whole space can be judged that a portrait that stands out beyond its better ; if it is sloppy and uneven it loses frame is bad. force and interest. In beginners' work, 82 and in design, flatness is necessary, but in picture-painting purely flat tones would rarely be used. THREE GRAYS, A SCALE The next step is to mix three values, light, medium and dark, in three white dishes. The intervals can be tested by painting the spaces of a simple scale. This need not have an outline, as three brush-strokes will suffice. Apply these tones to a design ; make several arrangements, for the effect, and to discover the possibilities in three values. The subjects might be the same as in notan of two values, pages 63 — 68. The examples below illustrate the method and re- See scale, p. 88, also p. 9. In addition to original composition, the student should copy from masterpieces of design and pictorial art, translating them into three values. suits. The two latter for landscape work. Char- LANDSCAPE AND PICTURES For three-value studies one may use ink, charcoal or oil paint, are particularly suitable designs and illustrative coal should be used lightly and very freely. It gives effects of vibration, at- mosphere, envelope and light, but the handling requires special study and much practice. The first few exercises in charcoal land- scape may be in flat tones ( see No. 55, page 85 ), and the student may find it well to make a scale of three values in this medium; he must learn however to feel outlines without drawing them, and to handle charcoal firmly but loosely. Cover the paper with a very sketchy tone of soft charcoal ; pass over it lightly with a paper stump or piece of cotton cloth. Be careful not to grind the black into the paper, making an opaque smoky tone. Charcoal paper is made rough, to let the NOTAN XII 83 XII warm white shine between the little particles of black that lie upon the points of the surface. When a luminous middle-gray is ob- tained, sketch in the darks with soft char- coal and take out the lights with bread or rubber ; this effect is like a mezzotint, Nos. 55, 57, and p. 57. After the principle of three values has been demonstrated, and the student can appreciate definite intervals of tone, the instructor should allow great freedom in execution, not even limiting to three notes but adding one or two others if necessary to good expression. For oil painting, mix the three tones in quantity sufficient to paint several stud- ies. Ivory Black and Burnt Sienna will give a good neutral gray. For the color of blue china or the Abruzzi towels, use Prussian Blue, Black and White. Opin- ions differ as to the use of diluting medi- ums, and sizes of brushes, for oil painting. I should advise thinning the color with linseed oil and turpentine (half and half), and using large flat bristle brushes. Can- vas should be fairly rough in texture. If the surface to be painted on is smooth, — either wood, pasteboard, or canvas, — prepare a ground with thick paint, leav- ing brush-marks. APPLICATIONS, THREE VALUES Use of the principle of three .values in out-door sketching and in illustration, has been explained above. There is one application, among others, that should be made by the student at this point — composition of a book-page. TT he usual illustrated page is an arrange- ment in three tones, — white paper, gray type, dark picture. The value to the pub- lisher depends quite as much upon the picturesque effect of the illustration as upon its drawing. Size and placing, dis- position of type, amount of margin, are matters of Line Composition; but choice of type, and the tone of the illustration belong to Notan Composition. Hence the student will gain much from design- ing pages, in ink, charcoal or oil, using as pictures the copies from masters, or orig- inal studies. Picture, title, initial letter, and body of type must be so composed that the result will be effective and har- monious. No. 58. Reference should be made to examples of early printing, to the works of William Morris, and to the best modern printing. Japanese drawing, effect of three values 84 NOTAN XVI. THREE VALUES ^^f^^M^ 85 NOTAN XII "THE WOLD AFLOAT" by John Sell Cotman No. 57 'PWa " ST. JOHN'S RIVER " by William Morris Hunt 86 NOTAN XIII Scales of 5 and 7 values (see p. 89 opposite) 88 NOTAN XIII. — MORE THAN THREE VALUES IINE, Notan, Color — the elements by which the whole visible world -^ is apprehended, — may or may not be used as the language of art. Like speech, this three-fold language may voice noble emotions in poetic style, or may subserve the vulgar and the humdrum. Art-language must be in art-form ; a number of facts, or an incident, accurately described in paint and color may have no more connec- tion with art than a similar set of written statements — just plain prose. There is no art unless the statements are bound together in certain subtle re- lations which we call beauty. When beauty enters, the parts cease to have separate existence, but are melted to- gether in a unit. SCALE. At this point construct a scale introducing more delicate relations of tone, and involving finer judgment as to intervals. A scale of white, black and three grays (a) will be best for beginning, to be followed by a scale of seven values (b). See page 88. These may be made with Japanese ink, water color, charcoal or oil ; but not with pencil as it has not depth enough. The values here are only approximate ; perfect accuracy cannot be obtained by the half-tone process. EXERCISE Choose a textile, or any design with a variety of spaces, and try notan-effects with tones from the scale.. The object is to discover a fine notan-scheme of values, Advanced composition is only a working and by using the scale one is assured of out of simple elements into more complex and difficult interrelations. If the picture has figures and landscape, the lines of each run in such directions, intersect and interweave in such ways as to form a musical movement. The tones and col- ors are arranged to enrich one another. definite intervals. Ifthe notes are mixed in quantity, they may be tried upon a half-dozen tracings at once, from which the best should be chosen. Remember that the scale-work is only an exercise to help toward clarity of tone, and to encourage invention. Harmony A noble subject requires noble pictorial of dark-and-light does not depend upon style. fixed intervals, nor will the composer ad- Experience of tone-harmony in two and here to any scale in his original creative three values brings appreciation of no- work. tan-structure and lays a solid foundation Some results of this exercise are shown for advanced work. in No. 58, page 91. 89 NOTAN XIII ILLUSTRATION After some experience in handling five or seven tones, the student can undertake original composition. For a beginning pure landscape may be best, taking some of the subjects previously used. Follow this with landscape and figures ; groups of figures with landscape back- ground ; figures in interiors ; and portrait sketches. Compose for a book-page, using one light gray value to represent the effect of type, as in No. 58, opposite. Paint very freely, without too much thought of scales and intervals. Let gra- dations enter where needed for finer ef- fect. Study the work of the best illustra- tors, noting the tone-scheme and the placing upon the page, ETCHING Etching, pen drawing and pencil sketch- ing are line-arts. The needle, pen and lead pencil are tools for drawing lines, and there is much reason in Whistler's contention that tone and shading should not be attempted with them. The tool always gives character to work, and the best results are obtained when the pos- sibilities of tools and materials are fully appreciated. If a sharp point is used in drawing, it will produce pure line, whose quality may reach any degree of excel- lence. Whistler, in his etchings, worked for the highest type of line-beauty ; shad- ows and tones were felt, but not ex- pressed. On the other hand the artist is not subject to restrictions and fixed laws. He can- not allow even a master to interfere with his freedom; there is no " thou shalt " and " thou shalt not " in art. Admitting the value of all the arguments for restricting the use of the needle to line only,the artist observes that clustering of lines inevita- bly produces tone and suggests massing (notan of line, page 54) that this effect is developed in rich gradations by wip- ing the etching-plate in the process of printing. Etchers are thus tempted to use tone, and many masters, from Rem- brandt down, have worked in tone more often than in line. PEN DRAWING is a dry, hard process but one of great value in modern illustration owing to the ease with which it may be reproduced. It need not be as inartistic as it usually appears; observation of pen work will show that, aside from faults in composi- tion, failure in interest lies largely in the handling. Perhaps one pen only is used, and all textures treated alike, whereas every texture should have its own char- acteristic handling; cross hatching or any uniform system of shading with the pen is deadly. Study the rendering ; suggest surface-quality rather than imitate or elaborate ; use a variety of pens. Johns- ton has shown with what art the reed pen may be employed in lettering and illuminating. In comparison with the Japanese brush, the ordinary pen is a clumsy tool, but nevertheless it is capable of much more than is usually gotten with 90 NOTAN XIII No. ^8 \J^f_'^_':^':_'r^Ow.lie.\p'iV..c}^y~a.ii C.'.a,^;,., a.d^ f^* r.atH«v"^S«aJ^rS 91 NOTAN XIII Compositions in more than three values Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York 92 NOTAN XIII No. 59 ' THE PIRATE SHIP " Composition in four values, Teachers College, New York "HARRY MAYNE'S HOUSE" from nature, five values, Ipswich Summer School of Art 93 NOT AN XIII Uf P,.a.lV SWi- \l,...A 11.1 SJ<,u_ C^i!^. if.,.^— f ^"Sli^i-, U-i^.j- No. 60 f *■ 94 it ; and the reed pen closely approaches the brush as a line-implement. The brush may be used as a pen, values and massing being obtained by blots and clustering of lines. Two examples are given below; see also pp. 7, g, ig. PENCIL SKETCHING Much that has been said of etching and pen drawing is equally true of the hard lead pencil; but the soft pencil has many of the qualities of charcoal. It may even be made to resemble the ink wash. The most successful pencil work is that in which line is the main thing, shading being only suggested. These darks, whether meant for shadows, lo- cal tone, or color, will form a " spotting " to which is largely due the interest of the sketch. If shading is attempted, the tones, wheth- er gray or dark, are made by laying lines side by side, not by cross-hatching or going over twice. A pencil sketch must be off-hand, premier coup, brilliant and characterful. Two examples are given as hints for handling. No. 60. It is not possible here to discuss pencil, pen or etching, at length; they are only touched upon in their relation to composition of line and notan. NOT AN XIII li^-^. S^J— '^_.'^. Horry fi civil* y* Pyt-alr lorry n civil* y» \ 95 NOTAN XIII INK PAINTING of the world-story, of the Nativity, the Supreme excellence in the use of ink was Passion, and the joys of heaven, attained by the Chinese and Japanese Some of these priest-artists of the Zen, masters. Impressionism is by no means Mokkei, Kakei, Bayen in China; Shubun, a modern art (except as to color-vibra- Sesshu in Japan, rank with the great tions) for suggestiveness was highly prized in China a thousand years ago. The painter expected the beholder to cre- ate with him, in a sense, therefore he put upon paper the fewest possible lines and tones; just enough to cause form, texture and effect to be felt. Every brush-touch must be full-charged with meaning, and useless detail eliminated. Put together all the good points in such a method, and you have the qualities of the highest art; for what more do we require of the mas- ter than simplicity, unity, powerful hand- ling, and that mysterious force that lays hold upon the imagination. Why the Buddhist priests of the Zen sect became painters, and why they chose monochrome are questions involving a knowledge of the doctrines of Buddhism and of the Zen philosophy. It is suffi- cient to say here that contemplation of the powers and existences of external nature, with a spiritual interpretation of them, was the main occupation of Zen thought. Nature's lessons could be learned by bringing the soul to her, and letting it behold itself as in a mirror; the teaching could be passed on to others by means of art — mainly the art of land- scape painting. Religious emotion was the spring of art-power in the East, as it was in the West. Landscape painting as religious art, has its parallel in Greek and Gothic sculpture, in Italian painting painters of all time. They, and such pupils as Sesson, Soami, Motonobu and Tanyu, were classic leaders who have given us the purest types of the art of ink-painting. To them we look for the truly artistic interpretation of nature; for dramatic, mysterious, elusive tone-har- mony; for supreme skill in brush-work. Japanese sketch of the massing in a painting by an old master Ink-painting is both an art and a craft; it has refinements and possibilities that can be realized only by working with a Japanese artist. He starts with a paper of low tone — it may be its natural state, or he may wash it over with thin ink 96 NOTAN XIII Japanese ink painting by SESSHU, XV. cent. From the original in tlie Museum of Fine Arts, Boston No. 61 Detail of painting by SESSHU, showing quality of brush stroke 97 NOTAN XIII. INK PAINTING No. 62. AN IPSWICH HILL. Ink painting by Arthur W. Dow 98 and color. Into this atmospheric under- tone he plays gradations, sharp-edged strokes, drops of black, and vibrating washes, — only touching upon forms, but clearly marking planes of aerial perspec- tive. No. 6i. It is not possible for us to attain perfect mastery of Japanese materials and meth- ods, but the study will train in appre- ciation of tone -composition, and in bet- ter handling of our own water color and oil. Good photogravures may now be obtained; in some cases the stu- dent may copy from originals in our museums. For experiments in ink -painting I recom- mend the Japanese paper called "toshi." If this is not within reach, a good sub- stitute may be made by sizing manila paper with a thin solution of alum. Jap- anese paper should be wet, and pasted, by the edges, upon a board. Manila pa- per, after wetting, may be tacked upon a stretcher. Japanese ink and ink-stone, (Chapter II) round and flat brushes, soft charcoal, and a set of white dishes will be needed. Sketch in the subject lightly with the charcoal, dust it off and draw the main lines with pale thin vermilion water color. Wash in the broad masses, relying upon strengthening by many overtones. Put in the darks last, being very careful that they are not too sharp- edged. No. 62. Note These two sketches and one on p, from a XVIIth century Japanese book '96 are NOTAN XIII. INK PAINTING 99 COLOR XIV.— COLOR THEORY COLOR, with its infinity of rela- tions, is baffling ; its finer harmo- nies, like those of music, can be grasped by the appreciations only, not by reasoning or analysis. Color, in art, is a subject not well understood as yet, and there are violent differences of opin- ion among artists, teachers and critics, as to what constitutes good color-instruc- tion. The most that I can do here is to outline a simple method of study. The usual advice of the academic painter to " keep trying," is discouraging to the be- ginner and increases his confusion ; it is not in accord with good sense either, for the other arts are not attacked through timid and aimless experiment. An artist may say that a certain group of colors is a harmony ; the pupil cannot see it, but he takes the master's word for it. The artist is not teaching successfully unless he points the way to appreciation, how- ever hard or long it may be. A systematic study of line and tone is very profitable, as we have seen ; I be- lieve that color may be approached in like manner, and I shall attempt now to relate the treatment of the color-element (chapter I) to that of the other two, and to give some results of personal experi- ence. Those who have but little time for work in color, can spend it best in copying. under guidance, examples of acknowl- edged excellence, like Japanese prints. Oriental rugs, and reproductions of mas- terpieces. Contact with these, even looking at them (if the pupil is taught what to look for), will strengthen the powers of color perception. In schools where the art periods are short and few, this may be the only method pos- sible. (See p. 13 and chap. XVI.) For those who intend to use color in cre- ative work a certain amount of theory is indispensable, as it simplifies the subject and opens up a few definite lines of re- search. The word " theory " has become a kind of academic bugbear, yet Leon- ardo da Vinci said that the painter who works without a theory is like the sailor who goes to sea without a compass. Well-ordered thought is as necessary in art as in any other field. Theory is a help to clear thinking and gives direction and purpose to practice. Color, however complicated, may be re- duced to three simple elements : HUE, — as yellow, blue-green, NOTAN (or Value), — as dark red, light red, INTENSITY (or Bright-to-gray- ness) — as intense blue, dull blue. Color harmony depends upon adjust- ments in this three-fold nature. If a col- or-scheme is discordant, the fault may 100 be discovered in, — wrong selection of hues or weak values, or ill-matched in- tensities, or all three. This simple clas- sification reduces the perplexities that beset the student, by showing him where to look for the cause of failure. The words " Value " and " Chroma " are used in this connection by Albert H. Munsell, to whose book "A Color Notation" the reader is referred for a very convincing exposition of color theory. Mr. Munsell has invented a photometer to measure values of light and color, and has prepared scales, spheres, charts and pigments for school use. My own experiments in making circles of hues and scales of notan and inten- sities, were based upon the old theory — Red, Blue and Yellow as primaries. Green, Orange and Violet as seconda- ries, etc. At that time (i8go) the progres- sion from bright to gray was not recog- nized as a distinct element of color, but in art-educational works difference of intensity was confused with dark-and- light; spectra for school use contained hues in violent contrast as to brilliancy and value. Science determined long since that the fundamental color impressions are not red, blue and yellow, but Red, Green and Violet-blue. Mr. Munsell adopts these and two secondaries. Yellow and Purple —five hues in all — as the basis of all color expression in art. This seems very simple and quite sufficient for working out all problems in color scheming Note. PURPLE ED ys. LIGHT i BRISHT. COLOR THEORY / \ XIV ^ YELLOW \ ly^--^/ GREEN / DARK GRAY NOTAN CHROMA BLUE thinking, in an orderly way, about the three dimensions of color. EXERCISES HUE. To judge of the effect of one hue upon another, arrange the whole five. Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, in a circle making them equal in value and equal in degree of brightness, thus elim- inating notan and intensity. In the cen- tre of the circle (N) paint a note of middle value, chosen from the scale, p. 88. Then paint the other divisions R, Y, G, B, P with the five hues. When this is well done if the circle were photographed upon a color-blind plate, the result would be a flat tone of middle gray. No pigment is of the exact quality needed ; red that is neither yellow-red nor purple- red can be mixed from Vermilion and Crimson ; Prussian Blue is greenish. New Blue is reddish ; some pigments are too light, others too dark. This exercise re- quires study of great importance to the painter, giving him a better acquaintance with his materials. Next, make a circle of intermediates. No. 63, by mixing adjoining hues; this gives five more notes — yellow-red, green- Experiments as outlined below, yellow, blue-green, purple-blue, red-pur- are intended only to set the student pie. lOI Bear in mind that these circles are COLOR THEORY XIV only statements of relations, of the same use as a scale. The question now is of the art-use of them, of composing a har- mony with them. APPLICATION. Choose a line-design, and paint the spaces with colors from the second circle. The effect will be peculiar because there are no differences of dark-and-light or intensity ; the only harmony possible comes from interplay of hues, a kind of iridescence and vi- bration ; see opposite page. Colors that stand opposite in circle — as blue, yellow-red ; or red, blue-green — will, if placed side by side, increase each other's power and produce violent con- trast. Opposition of Color is analogous to Opposition of Line (page 21) and Op- position of Notan (black and white). To unite these extremes of difference, bring in a third hue related to each, for ex- ample,— red, green-yellow, blue-green; yellow, yellow-red, purple-blue. This is the principle of Transition (page 22) ; see also page 82, three values. Practice in composing with few and sim- ple elements, of deciding when contrast- ing colors are of equal value, or equal intensity, is of direct use in art. The land- scape painter opposes the whole sky to the whole ground ; he wants a vibration of color in each, without disturbing the values; the designer in stained glass sometimes desires to fill a space with ir- idescent color, perhaps as a background for figures. The student may, if he likes, use black with these colors, producing a very bril- liant effect like a Cairo window ; but here the hues are measured against black, rather than against each other. In No. 63 are shown two experiments in composing with HUE. NOTAN of COLOR. Draw in outline six scales, as shown in the diagram. Paint N in white, black and three grays (see page 88). In the spaces marked (a) paint each of the five hues — red, yellow, green, blue and purple, middle value and equal intensity. whct« Lis** b a c Ligkt Red Y&llaw Green Blue L. Purfrle Groy Red. M.Y, M.G M.B M.R Dark Gray Dark Red. &Y. D.&. D.B. O-P. Black scales 1 n three vaiaes for exercises in Klotan of Color Next, paint a lighter value (b) and a darker (c) making a notan-scale of each hue, — light red, middle red, dark red, etc. Observe that intensity diminishes toward light and dark. If the intermediates, yellow-red, green- yellow and the rest, are also arranged in this way from light to dark, you will have a set of notes for application in composition. APPLICATION. A line design may now be colored from one of the scales, say Blue. Hue and Intensity being eliminated, the whole effort is centred upon notan of color. This is an exercise in three values (page 83) using color in- stead of neutral gray. No. 64, p. 105. 102 *^*i www « " B WW' 'l 'W' ' ''» >''****«<«.-io*i*'-^iS>t.i;'ju^^. More applications can be made than in At>PLlCATlON. Arrange these notes COLbft the case of Hue; historic art is full of them, in a line design. As Hue and Notan are THEORY Dutch tiles, Japanese prints and blue tow- eliminated, the only harmony will be ^^^ els, Abruzzi towels, American blue quilts, that of bright points floating in grayish etc., are examples of harmony built up tones (N0.65). Other hues may be scaled with several values of one hue. and tested in like manner. With two hues innumerable variations Combine two hues in one design, all val- are possible. Japanese prints of the " red ues equal,— adding contrast of hue to and green " period are compositions in contrast of intensity. light yellow-red, middle green, black. Examples abound in painting. To cite and white. Other examples can be easily a few: the element of intensity gives found in the world's art. The student breadth and tonal harmonies in stained should apply the scale-notes to his own glass, Persian rugs, Cazin's foregrounds, designs, not using, at this stage, more the prints of Harunobu, Kiyonaga and than two hues, with perhaps black and Shunsho. white. COMPOSITIONS in HUE, NOTAN, INTENSITY. Color varies not only in INTENSITY. In all color -schemes hue and value, but in intensity, — ranging these three will be found in combination, from bright to gray. Every painter Analysis of a few compositions will be knows that a brilliant bit of color, set in worth while ; for example, the print. No. grayer tones of the same or neighboring 69, p. 124, and the print and textile, page hues, will illuminate the whole group, — 13. Note (i) the number of hues ; (2) a distinguished and elusive harmony, the number ofvalues of each hue, whether The fire opal has a single point of intense dark, light or medium ; (3) the degrees scarlet, melting into pearl ; the clear of intensity of each hue, whether very evening sky is like this when from the bright, bright, medium or dull ; (4) the sunken sun the red-orange light grades quantity of each color and its distribu- away through yellow and green to steel- tion in the design ; (5) the amount and gray. effect of black, white and neutral gray. This rarely beautiful quality of color can For a simple exercise in composition the be better understood by isolating it and student might color a line design in sev- testing it in designs (as has been done eral ways, using three hues, varying the with each principle, from Line onward ; dark-and-light distribution and the quan- see page 21). tity of bright and gray tones. Paint a scale with one hue, say Vermil- Follow this with other designs in color, ion, keeping each space of the same val- — flower panels, repeating patterns, Ag- ue, but grading the intensity down to ures in costume, and landscape. A little neutral gray. of this kind of work will cultivate good log COLOR THEORY XIV judgment as to color relations, and will stimulate invention. Color Theory does not ensure harmony but is a help toward it, as it shows where balance and ad- justment are needed. Note. It is next to impossible to repro- duce colors with perfect accuracy, and even if the hues, values and intensities could be exactly copied, it is doubtful if the inks would remain absolutely un- changed for a great length of time. The plates of Color Theory here shown are intended only as statements of the fun- damental color-relations. They are not scientifically accurate, nor do they need to be, — they are to be used in art, not in science. Their purpose is to show the pupil how to study color, how to make scales and apply them in art, rather than to furnish a standard to be copied. « THE GUNDALOW " study in three values. See p. 83 I ID COLOR XV.— COLOR DERIVED FROM NOTAN ONE approach to Color may be through Notan, either before or after studying color theory. By clustering lines tone is produced (page 54) ; by tingeing neutral grays Color is produced. In monochrome itself fine relations of notan will suggest color. Japanese ink painters enhance the har- monies of tone-composition by mingling slight quantities of hue with the ink. Faint washes of yellow in foregrounds, of green in foliage, of blue in sea and sky, of red and other colors in buildings and costumes, convey impressions of full color-keys. Etchers and lithographers often add a few touches of color not only as a con- trast to the grays, but to cause the behold- er to imagine the whole color-scheme. The effect of modifying neutrals with hue may be observed in the following EXERCISE Prepare a set of three gray washes, light, medium, and dark (page 83) in three white dishes. Japanese ink will not mix with our water colors ; use Ivory Black with a touch of Burnt Sienna to bring it to neutrality. Having settled upon a color arrange- ment for some simple design, mix a small quantity of color into each dish. Suppose the subject to be a tulip panel in three values : 1. Leaves — middle yellow-green 2. Flower — middle red-yellow 3. Background — light yellow Add to ist dish a yellow green (Prussian Blue and Gamboge); to the 2nd Ver- milion and Gamboge; to the 3rd Raw Sienna, Paint these notes upon the de- sign. (See opposite page.) Make a half dozen tracings of the same design. As each one is painted add more color to the washes until the last one has a very small quantity of gray. The result is a series in which color grows gradually from neutrals. No. 66. Next, use bright and gray tones of the same hue, an effect like faded rugs and age-stained Japanese prints. Dulling colors with gray may not har- monize them. One who appreciates fine quality is not deceived by those who " antique " rugs or prints with coffee and chemicals. A design poor in proportion, weak in notan and harsh in color can- not be saved by toning — the faults are only a little less apparent. ONE HUE and NEUTRALS. An- other approach to color, from notan, is through substitution of hues for grays. This might (in a short course) follow ex- ercises in five or more values (page 89.) Referring now to the scales of five and seven values, for application to a design, "3 COLOR FROM NOTAN XV substitute a hue for one of these grays, carefully keeping the value. If the sub- ject be a variation of a Coptic textile, a warm red or yellow-green may be chosen ; for a flower panel, bright yellow, yellow-red or emerald green. Excel- lence in result will depend upon distri- bution of the one hue among neutral tones. Examples are many; two kinds only need be mentioned now, — American In- dian pottery, and landscapes in black, gray and vermilion red from Hokusai's " Mangwa," (p. 57.) ONE HUE in TWO and THREE VALUES. The next step would be to replace two grays with two values of one hue, making scales like these : White White Light green Light purple Middle green Middle gray Dark gray Dark purple Black Black Follow by eliminating all the grays, and the scale might be like this : White Light blue-green Middle blue-green Dark blue-green Black Choice of color will depend upon the nature of the design. The medium may be crayon, wash, opaque water color or oil paint. TWO and THREE HUES. If two hues are introduced the complexity will be greater, but there will be more chances for invention and variation. With at least ten hues to choose from — R, YR, Y, GY, G, BG, B, PB, P, RP— each one of which might have perhaps four degrees of intensity (from very bright to dull) the student has material to com- pose in any key. Two typical scales are given below : Two hues — White Light yellow Middle gray Dark green Black Three hues — White Light yellow Middle gray-green Dark gray-purple Black HARMONY Will the exercises in the foregoing chap- ters ensure a harmony ? No, they are only helps to a better understanding of color. Harmony depends upon (a) good line design, (b) choice of hues, (c) quan- tity of each, (d) a dominating color, (e) notan values, (f) fine relations of inten- sity, (g) quality of surface, (h) handling. All these in perfect synthesis will be found in the works of the greatest mas- ters. It is also true that simple harmo- nies are not difficult to realize, as is witnessed by primitive art and the best work of students. With practice in the ways suggested here, two other things are necessary, — advice from an experienced and appre- ciative instructor, and acquaintance with fine examples of color. 114 COLOR XVI. — COLOR SCHEMES FROM JAPANESE PRINTS AND FROM TEXTILES IN the quest for harmony, what better slight quantity of charcoal over the sur- course could be taken than to copy face, very lightly ; wipe it off with cha- harmonies ? Nothing so sharpens mois or cotton rag, leaving little points of color perception as contact with the best black in the hollows of the paper, examples* The attempt to reabh a mas- Isolate the desired color-passage, by cut- ter's style, peculiar color-feeling, refine- ting an opening in a sheet of white paper ments of tone and methods of handling, and laying it upon the face of the print, brings both knowledge and appreciation. Copy with washes of water color. If the For ordinary use Japanese prints are print is age-stained, tone your char- most convenient and inspiring color- models. COPYING JAPANESE PRINTS. In the best of these the color has a peculiar bloom due to the process of printing from wood blocks. The paper is pressed upon forms cut on the flat side of a board ; the grain of the wood, the rough surface of the "baren" with which the paper is rubbed down, and the fibrous texture of the paper combine to make a luminous vibrating tone. Particles of color He upon the tops of silken filaments, allowing the undertone of the paper to shine through, — precisely the quality sought by paint- ers in using a rough canvas and thin washes, or thick color put on with small brushes. In the print the vibration is not obvious, but the effect is that of color over which floats a thin golden envelope. Ordinary charcoal paper is good for cop- ies, as it has a roughness that aids in producing atmospheric tones. Rub a your coal paper with Raw Sienna and Ivory Black. AUTHORS. Good color-schemes can be found anywhere in the range of Japa- nese color-printing, from Okumura Ma- sanobu in the middle of the XVIIIth century to modern days, but the rarity and great value of early prints puts them out of reach of those who have not access to museum collections. I can mention here but a few names, with which the student is most likely to meet: Torii Kiyonobu and his fellows of the "red-and-green period" ( first half of the XVIIIth century) ; Harunobu, Koriusai, Kiyonaga and Shunsho, who worked in sunny yellows and reds, pearly greens and pale purples, often most cleverly op- posed with transparent black and cool silvery grays ; then Utamaro and Toyo- kuni I., strong but less fine. Among XlXth century men Hiroshige (page 13) and Hokusai are preeminent 117 COLOR XVI as colorists. Both have strongly influ- some of the early editions have been kept enced Occidental painters. in albums in store houses, and the color Hiroshige designed series after series of has not changed. Experience and appre- prints, — scenes famous for their beauty ciation are after all the only safeguards, or historic interest ; stations on the two great highways, the Tokaido and the Kisokaido; effects of wind, rain, snow APPLICATION. Having made the and twilight ; flowers, birds, and a few copy of the color-scheme, apply the same figures. He would recompose the same colors to several tracings of one design, series again and again in different size (No. 67). One of the things taught by this and color-scheme. His design is full of delightful surprises; his artistic power and inventiveness are astonishing. A prodigious amount of work is signed by his name ; some critics hold that there was a second, and even a third Hiroshi- ge, but Fenollosa believed in one only, whose manner naturally varied during a long life (1790 — 1858). Hokusai's color is strange and imagma- tive ; sometimes delicate almost to neu- trality, sometimes startling and daring. His pupils Hokkei, Hokuju and the rest are more gentle. The figure prints most commonly seen are by Kunisada (Toyokuni II), Kuni- yoshi and other pupils of Toyokuni I., and Keisai Yeisen. Here, as in most Japanese figure prints, color effects are produced by skilful combinations of pat- terns upon costumes. Every kind of color-key is possible, by this means, with infinite variations ; — impressionist painting with wood blocks. The student is warned that poor prints abound, — impressions from worn-out blocks, cheap modern reprints, and imi- tations. Bright, fresh color, however, need not be taken to mean imitation ; exercise is that distribution and propor- tion of color affect harmonic relations- Colors that harmonize as they stand in the print may seem discordant when used in different quantities ; they will surely be so if the design is badly spaced. With a good design, and correct judgment as to hue, notan and intensity, the chances are that each variation will be satisfac- tory. Copies from Hiroshige are of special value to the landscape painter. These may be made in oil as a study of quality and vibration. The procedure is a little different from the preceding. It is better, in oil painting, to copy whole prints. Over the surface of a large rough canvas scrub a thin gray, of the color of the paper of the print. Draw the design in a few vigorous lines, omitting all details. Paint in, at arm's length, the principal color notes, not covering the whole surface or filling in outlines. Mix colors before- hand, taking time to copy each hue and value exactly. The painting, with each color ready upon the palette, should be swift and vigorous. Place the print above the canvas ; stand while painting ; m^ke comparisons at a distance. 1x8 Copying Japanese prints is recommend- , The latter are excellent for copying rugs COLOR ed for practice in color ; it does not re- and can be used in original designs for ^^^ place nature -painting or original design, rugs. though it will be a help to both. As to models, work from originals in mu- seums, — Persian carpets and rugs, Coptic and Peruvian tapestries, mediaeval tap- COPYING COLOR from TEXTILES, estries, Italian, Spanish and French tex- The exercises described above may be tiles Xlllth to XVIIIth centuries, etc. In taken with textiles. Beauty of color in the the " rag-fairs" of Europe, and in antique finest of these is due to good composition, shops, one may find scraps of the woven the softening of dust and age-stain, and and printed stuffs of the best periods, the atmospheric envelope caused by re- The South Kensington Museum has flection of light from the minute points of published colored reproductions of tex- the web. For some kinds of textile the tiles. Art libraries will have Fischbach's, charcoal paper, as above, may be useful ; Mumford's, the Kelekian Collection and for others, gray paper and wax crayons, others in full color. "9 COMPOSITION XVII. — IN DESIGN AND PAINTING THE test of any system of art-study lies in what you can do with it. Harmony-building has been the theme of the foregoing pages, with pro- gressive exercises in structural line, dark- and-light and color. The product should be power, — power to appreciate, power to do something worth while. Practice in simple harmonies gives control of the more complex relations, and enables one to create with freedom in any field of art. Such training is the best foundation for work in design, architecture, the crafts, painting, sculpture and teaching. After this should come special training; for the designer, architect, craftsman, study of historic styles, severe drill in drawing (freehand and mechanical), knowledge of materials ; for the painter and sculptor, long practice in drawing and modelling, acquirement of technique ; for the teach- er, drill in drawing, painting, designing and modelling, study of educational prin- ciples, knowledge of school conditions and public needs, practice teaching. In a word, first cultivate the mind, set the thoughts in order, utilize the power within ; then the eye and the hand can be trained effectively, with a definite end in view. The usual way, in our systems of art-instruction, is to put drill first, leav- ing thought and appreciation out of ac- count. Applications of structural principles are many ; I can mention and illustrate but a few: WOOD BLOCK PRINTING FOR STUDY OF PATTERN AND COLOR The art of wood block printing has been practised for ages in Oriental countries. Our word "calico" is from the name of an Indian town, Calicut, whence printed patterns were brought to England. The older Indian designs, now very rare, had great beauty of line and color. These ancient cotton prints are used by the Japanese for outer coverings of pieces of precious pottery, — first a silk brocade bag, then one of Indian calico envelop- ing a wooden box in which is the bowl wrapped in plain cotton cloth. The process of wood block printing is very simple, and in my opinion of special educational value. After observation of the craft in India in 1904 I determined to introduce it into art courses — both for adults and children. The method is outlined below : 1. Design the pattern in pencil or ink. 2. Draw the unit, with attention to its shape and proportions and the ef- fect when repeated. 3. Paste this face down upon a wood block; pine, gum wood, or a hard wood of close grain. 120 ■6a COMPOSITION XVll-WOOD BLOCK PRINTING: ' be sludcnis of Teachers College Columbia Universiiy. New York! 4' Cut away the white spaces, clear- ing with a gouge. As the block is to be used as a stamp, the corners and all outside the design, must be removed. 5. Printing. Lay a piece of felt upon a slate, or upon a glass, pour a few drops of mucilage upon the felt, and mix with it either common water color, or dry color. Distribute this evenly with a flat bristle brush. Make a large pad, say 22 x 28 or 14 X 20, by tacking cambric upon a drawing board. Under the cam- bric should be one thickness of felt. PRINTING on PAPER. A slightly rough absorbent surface prints well. Wrapping paper can be found in many colors, tones and textures, and is inex- pensive. Damp paper will give clear- cut impressions. Lay the paper upon the large pad; charge the block upon the small pad, and stamp the pattern. If the impression is poor, the cause may be: — (a) Face of block is not level ; rub it upon a sheet of fine sand-paper; (b) large pad is uneven; (c) paper is wrinkled or is too glossy; (d) color is too thick or too wet. Practice will overcome these small difficulties. PRINTING on CLOTH. The best effects are obtained with dyes, but their manipulation is not easy, and their per- manence is doubtful unless one has expert knowledge of the processes of dyeing. The most convenient medium for the student is oil color thinned with turpen- tine (to which may be added a very little acetic acid and oil of wintergreen). This, when dry, is permanent and can be washed, — but not with hot water or strong soap. With the design in fixed form upon the block, effort can be concentrated upon the make-up of the pattern, and the col- or-harmony. By cutting a block for each color the designer may vary the schemes almost to infinity. Where choices are many and corrections easy, invention can have free play. Examples of students' printing on paper are given on page 121. PICTURE PRINTING is a more diffi- cult, but fascinating form of this art-craft. Here must be gradation, transparent and vibrating color, atmospheric over-tone binding all together. For these qualities the Japanese process is best, with its per- fected tools and methods. In theory it is very simple : The outline is drawn in ink upon thin paper, and the sheet pasted face down upon the flat side of a board; the block is then engraved with a knife and gouges, the drawing being left in re- lief; the paper is removed from the lines with a damp cloth, and the block charged with ink. Dry black mixed with mucil- age and water, or any black water color will answer. For charging, the Japanese use a thick short brush, — a round bristle brush will serve the purpose. When ink is scrubbed evenly over the whole surface, the block is ready for printing. A sheet of Japanese paper, slightly damp- COMPOSI- TION XVII.— wool BLOCK PRINTING 125 COMPOSI- TION XVII ened, is laid upon the block and rubbed gently with a circular pad called a "baren." This wonderful instrument draws the ink up into the paper, giving a clear rich soft line. The baren is made of a leaf of bamboo stretched over a saucer-like disk of pasteboard, within which is coiled a braided fibre-mat. If the block has been properly cleared, and the baren is moved in level sweeps, the paper will not be soiled by ink be- tween the lines. After printing a num- ber of outlines the colors are painted upon them and color-blocks engraved. It is possible to have several colors upon the same board, if widely separated. Ac- curate registry is obtained by two marks at the top of the board and one at the side. The paper must be kept of the same degree of moisture, otherwise it will shrink and the last impressions will be out of register. Dry colors mixed with water and a little mucilage, or better still, common water colors, may be used. No. 6g is a reproduc- tion of a print made in the Japanese way. (In 1895 I exhibited at the Boston Mu- seum of Fine Arts a collection of my wood block prints. Professor Fenollosa wrote the introduction to the catalogue, discussing the possibilities, for color and design, of this method, then new to America. In "Modern Art" for July, 1896, 1 described the process in full, with illustrations, one in color.) STENCILLING, like wood block print- er combination. Stencilling is often done without sufficient knowledge of the craft. The student should understand that a stencil is simply a piece of perforated water proof paper or metal to be laid upon paper or cloth and scrubbed over with a thick brush charged with color; long openings must be bridged with "ties," and all openings must be so shaped that their edges will remain flat when the brush passes over them. Stencil units are usually large, offer- ing good opportunities for Subordination (page 23), Symmetry, and Proportion (page 28). A unit must not only be com- plete in itself but must harmonize with itself in Repetition (pp. 36, 66). Stencils may be cut upon thick manila paper which is then coated with shellac ; or upon oiled paper. If stencil brushes cannot be obtained one may use a common, round, house-painter's brush, wound with string to within an inch of the end. Colors may be, — oil thinned with tur- pentine ; dyes ; or dry colors ground on a slab with water and mucilage. Charge ing, invites variation of rhythm and col- the brush with thin, thoroughly mixed 126 pigment ; if there is too much it will lems of technique in advanced painting, scrape off under the edges of the stencil They will be mentioned to show the unity COMPOSI- TION XVII and spoil the print. Unprinted wall paper ("lining paper") is cheap and very satisfactory for sten- cilling. It should be tinted with a thin solution of color to which a little mucilage has been added. Use a large flat brush about four inches wide, applying the color with rapid vertical and horizontal strokes. COLORED CHARCOAL. This is a further development of the method de- scribed in Chapter XIII (see also page 113). Lay in the picture in light values of charcoal, remembering that the color- washes will darken every tone. Too much rubbing with the stump gives mud- diness, too little charcoal may weaken the values and you will have a "wash- out." When the notan-scheme is right, the drawing may be fixed. It can be colored without fixing if the stump has been used. Color is applied in thin washes allowing the charcoal texture to shine through. Notan plays the larger part, furnishing the structure of the composition and giv- ing a harmonic basis for the color. If the hues are well-chosen, the result should be a harmony of atmospheric depth, with soft but glowing colors. PAINTING in FULL COLOR. In a book devoted to the study of art-structure not much space can be given to compar- ison of mediums, or to professional prob- of the progressive series, to suggest to the student some lines of research and experiment, and to help him in choosing his field of art-work. WATER COLOR. This medium is used in many different ways : as a thin transparent stain, like the work of David Cox, Cotman, De Wint ; as a combina- tion of opaque color and wash, with which J. M. W. Turner painted air, dis- tance, infinity, the play of light over the world; as flat wash filling in outlines, like the drawings of Millet and Boutet de Monvel ; as the modern Dutch use it, in opaque pastel-like strokes on gray paper, or scrubbed in with a bristle brush ; as premier coup painting with no outline (both drawing and painting) like much Japanese work. In all these, line is the basis, whether actually drawn, as by Millet and Rem- brandt, or felt, as by the Japanese and Turner. The best painting has form and character in every brush-touch. OIL COLOR. Instruction in oil paint- ing is usually limited to what might be balled drawing in paint. Of course the student must know his pigments, how to obtain hues and values by mixing, how to use brushes, how to sketch in, and all the elementary details,— but this is but a beginning. Expression of an idea or emotion depends upon appreciation of art structure ; the point is not so much 127 COMPOSI- TION XVII. PAINTING how to paint, as how to paint well. Artists often say that it matters not how you get an effect, if you only get it. This is misleading ; it does matter, — the great- est painters get their effects in a fine way. Methods of handling oil color may be reduced to two general classes : (a) the paint is used thin, as a wash, on a pre- pared canvas, or (b) it is put on in thick opaque touches. In either case the aim is the same — ^to paint for depth, vibra- tion^ illusion of light and color. If brush strokes are to be left intact, each of them must have shape and meaning, — ^that is, line ; if color is put on in a thin wash, then its value, gradation, hue and texture are the main points, — and these belong to structural harmony. Mural painting is the highest form of the art, demanding perfect mastery of Com- position. The subject takes visible form in terms of Line ; then is added the mys- tery, the dramatic counter-play of Notan, and the illumination of Color. The cre- ative spirit moves onward absorbing in its march all drawing, perspective, anat- omy, principles of design, color theory — everything contributing to Power. CONCLUSION I have not attempted to overthrow old systems, but have pointed out their faults while trying to present a consistent scheme of art study. The intention has been to reveal the sources of power; to show the student how to look within for the greatest help; to teach him not to depend on externals, not to lean too much on anything or anybody. Each subject has been treated sugges- tively rather than exhaustively, pointing out ways of enlargement and wide ap- plication. If some subjects have seemed to receive rather scant attention it is not because I am indifferent to them, but because I did not wish to depart from the special theme of the book ; some of these will be considered in future writings. The book will have accomplished its pur- pose if I have made clear the character and meaning of art structure — if the stu- dent can see that out of a harmony of two lines may grow a Parthenon pedi- ment or a Sorbonne hemicycle; out of the rude dish of the Zuni a Sung tea- bowl, out of the totem-pole a Michelan- gelo's " Moses " ; that anything in art is possible when freedom is given to the divine gift APPRECIATION THE END 128