The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-06
A CHAT WITH IRVING
The Great English Actor in Al,
DreSSing-Ro0m.
VARIOUS MAKING-UP METHODS
The Facial Disguise OF Mephistophs,..
shylock and Louis xI.-Falss
Wrinkles and Whiskers.


| However, one morning | met him Nv
/ chance as he was coming from the theater
/ / introduced myself and quickly deIiyarAs
| my petition, asking him to allow me 10 n
/ present some evening in his dressing-roo.y
while he was making up. was conYinnsas
I that an actor like Irving could teach m.
! more Of the art OF making up in one hon,
| than | was able to pick up in months ~
| practical experience. | made my reoue,,
50 urgent that he could not refuse i, n.
more so as he seemed to be in a great hnr,,
and anxious to get rid of me- A few even.
| ings later the stout janitor growlingly l..
| me enter. The day before had sent =,
! appropriate present to his master. in.
| Guiding a note reminding him of n,
promise.
At the time a revival of the Merchant
| of Venice" was the attraction at the Lv.
| ceum.
Entering the dressing-room, with ia
mirrors, wardrobes, screens and toilet
tables on which wool, wigs, powder boxes.
bottles of all sizes and sticks of grease
! paint were lying in great disorder, found
the actor already dressed for his part. bu,
his face was not yet made up. He nodded
| to me and beckoned his dresser, a mere
boy, TO proceed in his work.
mo set rules can DE laid down for max.
ing up faces" began Irving, seated com.
tortahiy in an armchair. "a painter
might as we'll try to give To his pupils in !
a few set rules the drawing of Raphael
or the coloring of Titan. Every Thes.
plan must study these things for himself,
as they cannot be taught. The ordinary
text book are valueless; nevertheless
| might be able to give you q few valuable
hints"
In the meantime the little dresser had|
combed the Shylock wig, and now handed
it to Irving, who seized 1t at the templesi
and drew it down on his head, and thenI
holding one hand on the part so as not toy
remove it again, pulled the poll" of thet
| wig downward with the other hand This.
| Is the only right way TO put on a wig
'The object of making mp is not to mask
the face, but to aid and emphasize its e.
preston. This is the most important
point in our art and should never be lost
sight of" he resumed, undergoing the un-
pleasant procedure of having his entire
face besmeared with cold cream, and then
carefully wiped off with a towel.
"The best material for boards is soft. raw
wool, like this" and he seized a small
lump of dark brown and mixed it with
lighter shade; mot put up IN braids as
very often sold at the wigmakers. Good
wool fpulled should not tear, even il
drawn in long strips to the thinness Of
spiders web" Holding the wool in the
left hand be modelled it with the right IN
til it had the desired shape of goatee and
slight mustache Then the boy dipped 4
nix of vvh To r,lt1 iptO hal .
the gaslight and applied it to Irving's chin
and upper lip.
"Only a few dots" Irving advised:
they are sufficient to attach beard
The extreme thinness, which allowed the
skin to shine through, added vastly to its
natural appearance.
And now the brows," calculated II
wing.
False browse" inquired, doubtfully.
They are as easily put on as postage
stamps on a letter." the little dresser al
lowed himself to remark. you simply
daub them with little spirit gum and
slap them in place.
Hush" said his master, with faint
smile. TO show you how far the change
OF single feature of a face can alter its ex-
preston. let Us consider the eyes; they
will do as well rs any other part"
And he suggested few methods of dis
guises. TO make an eye look obliquely
short line with brown running down az
the outside and up at the inside corner oil
the eye is drawn. To enlarge an eye q
brown line is drawn along the upper eye
lid. To counterfeit eyes that have been
weeping rose color is used, for the express
sion OF grief light gray (antimony). Eyes
brows that begin near the root of the nose
and slant upwards impart the cunning,
diaboilcal expression of Mephstopheles
strong black dot at the inside corner Of
the eye heightens this effect. The eye OF
mailman is represented by q red line
under the eye, also by reddening the
space between the upper eyeid and brow.
Sternness, such as is desirable in Shy
lock. may be acquired instantly in draw
ing two vertical lines between the eyes
by Tar the best advice was that the color
OF the brow should always be darker than
that OF the hair; and the color of the hair
darker than that of the beard or NOUS
tache.
You see, all that is needed to acquire
the principles of this art is TO watch stage
by stage the work of facial transformation
that any competent actor accompanies IN
an elaborate character role as, for instance,
ShviOCk."
Henry Irying's face Is less suitable for
entire changes than that of most actors. as
he has very strongly marked features. lie
IS never able to disguise himself COM
ptetely; he nevertheless displays marvel.
Gus skill and, of course lots of intelligence
and true artistic feeling in every one Of his
parts. Whoever has seen him in the last
act of Louis XI." must necessarily DO
greatly impressed by lrvlng's talent ior
making up.
He had now come TO the drawingd
wrinkles. The two between the eyebrows,
as mentioned above, and two from the
nostrlls 10 the corners of the mouth were
To ~ q
natural wrinkle he hrst drew sharp lines
with brown pencil, then rubbed i INTO
the complexion, powdered II with .
miniature puff, and labored on it until II
looked more like a shadow than a line.
Wrinkles can only be drawn where
the face suggests wrinkles, otherwise the
makeup turns INTO carlcature. Ins
whole secret of making up consists IN
knowing what TO leave out. A few dots
and lines with red or black at the eye
brows, nOstrils or corners of the mouth
are sufficient to change whole counte-
nance"
In making up the actor always con-
siders beforehand the size and arrange
ment Of illumination of the theater he's
TO play in. The lighter the theater is the
more careful he has TO be.
"a makeup exactly suited for the large
stage of the Drury Lane would appear
frightful daub il the Lyceum, " remarked
Irving.
The actor has also to consider q certain
central point OF observation; and irving
accomplished this by introducing into ms
dressing-r0om an expedient, the discovery
OF which IL credited 10 Charles Feehteh
lie arranged electric lights on either sids
Of his large makeup pier glass. by walk
ing toward or away from the mirror the
actor can study how his face will appear
70 the audience in various parts OF Ehs
theater