The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-24

Il
which perhaps have not won the considsra-
ton they deserve | would not invite the fin
ger Of scOrn or the deadly BURN of any one
of my esteemed brethren of the graver, but
am firmly of the opinion that in the advent
of the various art processes, we may find
the crucible which has tried their metal and
| refined their gold-the winnoNing process
which came as a natural consequence in
this unequal competition, leaving only the
| chiefs masters of the field. | do not say, OF
course, that this has been the sole incentive
toward progress, but that it is a more I'M
portant factor than is generally credited
alike to artist and engraver, for any condl-
ton of illustrative art implies the recogni-
tion Of the minds of the designer and trans
lator.
The photo-engraving line process came
first, and an unwelcome herald it was.
| What a terrible sweep it made! Those
amazingly patient souls that to1led by the
month digging out wood between the
criscross pencil lines on lockwood block!
| What a swath the photo-engraving pro-
cess cut in their ranksl No Tatter how
the artist meshed the lines, nobody's eyes
to consider! the camera wouldn't worry
over them nor omit them. The printed
proof came hack to the designer an alb
solute fac-simile of his drawing, at a few
cents an inch as against the costly hand
engraving, and host of artistic mechanics
|
On the heels of this process followed
another chemical innovation which brought
untold advantage alike to artists as well as
engraver-art photography on wood.
/ Previous to its introduction drawing on
wood was distinct pro-
fession and the main depend
| ence of illustrative art. To-day it is
practically one of the loss arts with u.s.
The lockwood no longer goes to the studio,
but to the dark room Of the photographer.
Illustrative art was revolutioniZed No
longer did the hair of the artist stand on
end as he saw his actual drawing Clipped
off and annihilated III sivers under the
gouge of a bad engraver, or. later, its
sculptured face with the CHASTITY remains
of his design sponged off and supplanted
with printers ink, whereof the outcome
was like unto lottery with many blanks!
No longer now was such by no means
hypothetical three cornered dialogue as the
following a possible spice 30 his daily walk
and conversation:
Artist don't like it; it's all wrong. 1t
is not as drew it."
Engraver-"I say it is an absolute repr O.
duction of your drawing"
Artist-"Fiend! Don't you suppose l
know what drew2n
Artful Engraver-"No evidently not.
By-the-way, how long were you in making
that drawingp
Truthful Artist-"One day."
Engraver-"Well, | had the thing under
my nose three weeks, and guess 1 remem-
Der how it looked better than you.p
"Publisher-"Gibson,t that's a cliucher."
Factl But we have changed all that by
the intervention of the photograph.
In double sense, did it prove benefit
TO the engraver, giving him the absolute
original drawing continually before him
Tor guidance, as he engraved the photo
graph, all necessity of reliance on his
falhble memory done away with in finally
bringing up his mitred block to a salts
factory proof, to say nothing of the potent
spur Of that confronting indestructiSle
original as a witness to his fidelity and a
dlscourager OF three cornered dialogues
And what a boon to the artist No longer
must he draw thus and so to please the
engraver-with just so much tint and SO
much pencil line; with precisely SO much
surface preparation on the block ETC.
etc. NO longer need he walk the plank,
as it were, at the bidding of the
engraver's limitations. Yes, the illustrator
took new lease of life, refreshed his soul
in green pastures of inviting canvass or
torchon, reveled in oil or water color or
India ink or body colors, bas-relievo, thick
If he chose, charcoal, crayon, pencil. or
what not at his sweet will, knowing that ali
things were now possible, or that his draw
If the proof did not and with him the en-
graver went hand in hand The designer
essayed new flights and the acoustic med
wall that me expected impossibilities" be-
came memory of the primitive past. for
the ''impossibilities" have been realized until
the artist now looks upon a proof which
gives him back in printers ink the most
subtle effects wrought with most delicate
tone washes, and even the technical textures
of his original.
AS with the photo-engraving process. so
with the introduction of the later half-tone
processes. The swath was still further
widened now among the tint-cutters, pre-
viously unaffected. Thousands of illustra-
tions are now intrusted to the Ives process,
that formerly must needs have been en-
graved by hand, and the marvellous tone
resources of this process introduced the
element of quality in mechanical reproduc-
tive art, before unknown-an element
which many of the engravers noted with
soliciuude.
In short. the innovation of the art pro-
cesses, while a terrible expense to the
| engravers, has had direct influence upon
| the engravers' art. The competition
against such odds of quality and cost hav-
| ing stimulated and developed the art re-
| sources OF the victors until many of the
| more famed among them show the signifi-
cant token of their prestige, being artists
in color or pencil or chisel or clay, as we'll
as with the graver
| AS to the influence of illustrative art
space will permit me only to saw that it
has assuredly and admittedly proven an
immense factor in the education and re-
| f1nement of the people. Not only through
the intermediary of the engraver, but in
| the widespread multiplication of pictorial
| art, made possible only by the various repro
ductive processes, it has been the medium
of the dissemination of useful knowledge.
art culture, and inspiration, and a conse-
quent beneficence TO humanity else unreal
| lied.
But the title illustrator" no longer DO
sesseS its wonted significance. To-day all
artists are practically all illustrators. The
painter. the etcher, the sculptor, oil reach
the great public which was formerly the
sole clientele of the draughtsman on wood
each in his own sphere, each carrying the
| good messages with which he has been in
trusted and let us hope each consciously as
| far short of his ideal as
Yours sincerely,
| W. HAMILTON GIBSON.
W. M. CHASE ON THE ART LOOKOUT.
Never in the history of art in this coun-
try has the outlook been more encouraging
than at the present moment. That is to
say, for painters producing pictures of real
worth. The SITUATION, also, is no longer an