The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-01-20

| earnation, royal purples, green lakes and tho
| English chromos. Indigo is used In very large
quantities by scenic artists, but 1t is used very
! moderately by water-color artists. 1t adds
| considerably to the expense of getting up seem
cry, as 1T costs 81 go per pound in dry color and
2 sln9 IN n pulp. The most 40 t. expensive eolors are
lake. S1.75; magenta, S175; solferino S176;
royal purple, S275; mauve lake, S2.75; GRIM
son, carmine and Munich lakes, S1.75; Flor
entine and yellow lakes, $1.50. Ten pounds OF
indigo alone are sometimes used in a single
scene.
OTHER MATERIALS USED.
The scene painter, however, is not confined
to colors in producing his effects. There is
number of other materials of great Importance
in scene painting. The gorgeous dashes Of
blue, crimson, yellow and purple that make
the resplendent fairy. grotto are not alone sufi-
Client. The glitter that is seen on the many
coiored stalagmites is produced by ordinary
gold and silver leaf. Sometimes it becomes
necessary to produce upon the scene smooth,
gllttering surface which shall be colored. This
is produced by foil papers. They are made of
paper with a polished metallic surface, and are
very effective in fairy scenes. What are
known as bronze powders are made of all
shades. They are metallic powders Of gold,
silver, bronze, steel, blue, red, purple and
the required surface and the bronze is spread
over 1t. The consequent appearance Is that OF
a rough metallic surface, similar to that of
frosted silver. In some scenes it is necessary
to represent precious stones The jewels in
the walls OF some Eastern despot's palace can
not be initiated by paint with a sufficient de-
gree OF realism to stand the glare of gas and
calcium light. Hence, theatrical art resorts to
what are called "logies." These are made of
zinc, in the shape of large jewel, and are set
in the canvas. They are made in all co.ors;
and thus, by a very cheap and easy process,
the barbaric splendor of Persia or of Turkey
may be reproduced in all its original opulence.
sometimes 1t becomes necessary to represent
that changing sheen that is visible upon highly
polished metals when exposed to the rays
OF the sun. This is done by means of cob
ored lacquers, blending from one tint into
another. The light reflected from these
different colored washes produces the desired
effect and gives a highly realistic representa-
ton OF surface of metal. an ice scene Is
never complete without something to produce
glitter and sparkle. This effect is produced
by "frostings" OF crushed glass, which al
made to adhere to the canvass in the sam
manner as the bronze powders. The elaboral
ornamental work in interior scenes is always
done by means of stencils cut in pasteboard.
There are books published on fresco painting,
which give large numbers of beautiful designs
namental works. Every scene painter has
COLLECTION OF these works. The ingenious ar
tist, however, is constantly combining the dif--
ferent designs and often invents new ones. He
10 1nus ondoleu 10 present 10 the pubic an
ever-changing variety.
The last thing that the scene painter does
before the production of new play is to have
his scenes set upon the stage at night in order
that he can arrange the lighting of them.
The gas man" of theatre is the artists
mainstay. 1t lies in his power to ruin the fin
est scene that was ever painted. Ground-lights
turned too high upon moonlight scene, cal
clums with glass not properly tinted. or the
shadow OF straight-edged border-drop thrown
across delicate sky, all these things are ruin 4
to the artists most careful work. The proper
lighting of a scene is, therefore, matter that
requires the most careful study. The artist
sits in the center of the auditorium and mil
nutely observes every nook and corner of his =
scene under the glare of gas. Here light is
turned up and there one is lowered until the
proper effect is secured, The gas man takes
careful note of his directions and the stage
manager oversees everything. Long after the
audience has left the theatre on the night of
the production of new play, the stage-hands,
the artist and the stage manager are at work;
and the public sees only the charming result
of their labors when the curtain rises on the
next night Scene painters are we'll paid,
their salaries ranging from $40 to S150 per
week. One well-known artist in this city
paints only by contract He is very fast
worker and receives from 800 to $3.50 for one
or two scenes which, at the close of the plays
run, are ruthlessly blotted out with the newt
able whitewash brush. Hence these beauti-
full stage pictures are worth Just the canvass
they are painted on-21 cents yard