Many flowers can be very effectively represented by the ribbon embroidery, such as dogwoods, sunflowers, pansies, and other varieties.
PORTRAITURE
IN
BLACK CRAYON.
Crayon portraiture, to one who knows nothing of the method, seems not only very difficult, but almost unattainable, except after long years of study and practice. Even then many suppose artists are born, not made. The writer of this article has been employed in teaching the art for several years, and could refer to many pupils who, after comparatively few lessons, were able to execute finished portraits of real merit. Any one who can learn to write can learn to draw, but a special method is necessary to enable pupils to work intelligently. Most other branches of art have been elaborately treated by able pens, but crayon drawing as a study, has been hitherto neglected. A careful preparation of written instructions cannot fail to enable one with ordinary ability and taste to master this most beautiful art. One of the first requisites for successful work, is to have proper material, and of the best quality.
Paper. The best and only paper that should be used is Whatman’s imperial, or double elephant. It should never be used by tacking to a drawing board, but must be mounted on a stretcher. All Art Stores have a ready supply of these, but for the sake of economy they can be made in the following manner. Take a pine frame 20 × 24, or any desired size, lay a sheet of Whatman’s paper upon a table, face side down, dampen it with a sponge over the entire surface: lay the frame upon it, and trim the edges of the paper with a knife, about one inch larger than the frame. Cut out the corners, then with a small brush put a little flour paste upon the paper beyond the frame, and also upon the edges of the frame; turn this paper up on to the edges of the frame, drawing it a little with the fingers to take out the larger wrinkles, and make it adhere firmly. Put away in a cool room, to allow the paper to dry, and a stretcher is ready for use. Do not moisten the paper on the side upon which the drawing is to be made, as this would occasion spots, which would spoil the work.
In selecting materials, buy the small paper stomps, which come in packages of a dozen or more; one soft rolled chamois stomp; (avoid the hard stiff ones); a stick of square Conte crayon No. 3, a piece of Conte rubber, which can be sharpened with a knife when it becomes too blunt, a few sticks of the round glossy Conte crayons, a crayon holder, and a few sticks of soft charcoal. Take a small block of wood, about 3×5 inches, paste a piece of fine sand paper carefully over one or both sides, and let it dry. This block is useful to sharpen and clean the rubber and paper stomps. Upon another block of the same size, or a little larger, paste a piece of Whatman’s paper, smoothing it down carefully, allowing this to dry thoroughly. Take the stick of No. 3 square crayon, rub it over this block hard, to make the pulverized crayon to be used with stomps, or use a fine file, and allow the crayon thus pulverized to fall upon the block. Keep this free from dust when not in use. These are all the materials necessary to execute a crayon portrait.
The next step will be to make the enlargement of the photograph from which a copy is to be made, providing a solar print is not used. There are several ways of doing this. The best method is to have a good pentagraph, unless one is able to draw the outline enlargement free hand. In either or all cases make the outline upon a piece of manilla wrapping paper, cut the size of the stretcher intended. When this enlargement is made, thoroughly blacken the back with a piece of charcoal by laying the paper upon a smooth drawing board or table; turn it over and lay it upon the stretcher, being careful to place it so the drawing will be in the center of the stretcher, securing it with tacks or pins at the corners, in order that it may not slip. With a stylus, or hard lead pencil, trace over all these outlines again, being careful to follow them accurately, omitting none. Remove the paper with care, and a definite outline of the picture will be seen upon the stretcher. This will rub off with the slightest touch, therefore take one of the paper stomps, rub it on the block of pulverized crayon, holding it in the hand as a pencil, trace lightly over these outlines in order to prevent losing them while at work upon the picture. Be careful, however, to do this very lightly, if not, the lines will show when the picture is finished, and spoil the effect of the work.
The first step to be taken is to put the crayon on the darkest part of the features. Rub the paper stomp on the block of pulverized crayon very hard, turning it around between the fingers in order to get the crayon on the whole surface of the point and tapering end. Apply this lightly but firmly, and with a broad stroke to the lines or lids above the eyes, the nostrils, the line through the center of the mouth, the dark shades in the ears and the eyebrows, following the outlines already upon the stretcher. Put in the pupils of the eyes very black and heavy. The stomp has now cleaned itself somewhat. Next darken the iris of the eye, put on the shadows under the eye, the curves of the nose from the eyebrows to the end, and the curves around the nostrils. Next the upper lip, tinting it lightly. Now define the outlines of the cheeks, working in light strokes inward, and hatching them, or crossing the strokes at an acute angle (never at right angles). Work for the expression, and hold it.
Having gone thus far the stomp will be quite free of color. The blending process comes next in order. Work slightly upward from the lines around the eyes, borrowing from the color already there for the shadows desired. The same from all the features above mentioned, watching the photograph closely and leaving off such shadows gradually.