Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-02-18
In W0MAN'S BEHALF.
WOMEN AS ILLUSTRATORS.
The Making of Pictures odera broad
Field for Those Who Are Capable.

WOMEN AS ILLUSTRATORS.
The Making of Pictures ofers broad
Field for Those Who Are Capable.
The first point to be emphasized to any
one who contemplates taking up Illus
trating for the press MS means OF live
lihood, is the absolute necessity OF pos
sessing n good knowledge of drawing
us a requisite and Indispensable qualifi-
cation at the very outset Otherwise,
there is nothing which justifies the
choice of this MS profession. More
over, without the previous requirement
of at least the first principles of art, it
is both useless and foolish to expect to
achieve success 1t is best and kindest
to be entirely frank and decisive in
this statement from the beginning
A certain facility of execution with
the pen, and the exercise of that care
in the finish of drawing, however
slight and slSetchy it may be, which is
n distinguishing mark of professional
workmanship, is likewise necessary;
and also, finally that which can only be
gained by each individual, gradually,
often through failures at first, namely,
n practical knowledge of how the draw
ings will come out under various condi-
tions, and of the technical details, which
must be duly regarded, in order to en-
sure satisfactory reproductions. For
instance, it is obvious that illustrations
for high class of magazine, which will
be printed on good paper, in the best
manner possible, must require differ
ent method of treatment from those
destined for n newspaper hastily turn
ed out by the thousand, on very absorb
ent paper, with common printers ink.
For the latter the lines must be SIM
pie, fine, clear, unbrolen, vigorous and
sufficiently far apart not to blur to-
gether in the printing. The shading
should be very slight. A glance at the
city dailies will show at once what is
meant bearing in mind that the origi-
mails are always drawn considerably
larger, in order that they may be re-
duccd in the reproduction, and there
fore that the lines are made by the art
list much further apart than they APP
pear when published.
The improvements in the photo en-
craving process, and the comparative
cheapness of reproducing drawings by
this method, in late years, have greatly
increased the demand for pen draughts-
mon, and there is always an opening
for any one, women equally with men,
who can turn out really good work.
Perhaps more even might be said for
the chances of those whose drawings are
of undoubted merit. Editors frequently
complain of the difficulty of getting the
work satisfactorily accomplished, and
profess themselves willing, SO to speak,
to pay any price to a really competent
artist, while they are obliged to reject
by the score the utterly unsuitable
drawings submitted to them, because a
practical eye can see at glance that i,
would be impossible to reproduce them
with any good result apart. from the
consideration of their artistic value.
While the woman who seeks to illus
trate should have the artistic values o.
her work in mind, she must not forge
the market for which that piece o
work is intended.
Now, few words of advice as X
finding market for the work in thu
beginning. We will imagine that tn,
reader is possessed of the first two re
quisites mentioned above, namely, ;
knowledge of art in general, and o
pen-drawing in particular, but that a
present the third-practical experienc,
lis entirely lacking. This, therefore
it is the primary object to obtain at an,
cost; and in the beginning the amour
OF actual pecuniary return should be
very secondary consideration; success
being reckoned according to the expe
riencc gained rather than by the dol
lars earned Later, this period;
period of apprenticeship-will be ampl,
made up for by the prices which reall.
good work always commands. II
worth while to be patient, provided
can be felt that something is learne,
from every drawing made. Moreover
, where a worker is really capable an
energetic, using to the utmost every or
, portunity for gaining experience an
/ making progress, it will be found tina
one thing leads to another, once star
J has been made in actual practical work
| A good method of obtaining steady en-
? ployment is from photo-engraving con,
panies, which have varied class c
> work pass through their hands Apal
: from the reproduction of bona .fde per
! drawings, they are often called upo
!, to initiate more expensive processes
For instance, many illustrations ar
c made to resemble wood-cuts SO closel
q as to be almost indistinguishable frc'
them. For examples of this, study tn
!. advertisement pages of the principe
;, monthly magazines. The drawing
), have to be made by copying the lin
y, shading peculiar to wood engraving
and although in many cases this r.
quires little more than mechanic;
:, skill, there are so few, comparativel,
), who can do them successfully. that tt
work is very well paid, and any or
competent to undertake it would fir
!. no lack of employment
With regard to obtaining perm
ment position with magazine or new
. paper, it must naturally be greatly
. matter of chance, however capable Il
y artist, whether such position be v
g cant Those not living in any of Il
u large cities will often have better o
q portunity of getting an opening with
. local publication, because there wou
' be less competition to encounter. Tn
. might possibly be only a stepping stol
" to something better, meanwhile pro
i ing the occasion for testing the powe
and developing the capabilities of o.
q thoroughly in earnest In submittil
y work to an editor, try to look
u things from his point of view Do n
IS send him drawings that anyone of col
s mon sense must Judge unsuitable
g unworthy, and expect to have the
accepted. In dealings with him
II businesslike, clear and to the poll
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