The record-union., 1893-06-03
FACIAL OUTLINES.
"Shadowgraphs" of Human ProfIes
Easily Sketched.
Astonishing Results Obtained From
the Shadows of Ball of
CrumpIed Paper.

Another and novel conceit in shadow
effects has been discovered by a clever
New York artist. 1t is to the effect that
wad Of paper crumpled up into ball
will always cast shadow whose outline
will be that of human face.
According to the American PreSSRtaR,
Thomas Edison, the wizard of electricity
first pointed out this eccentricity to Phil
Goatcher, the artist. Mr.. Goatcher, there
upon, showed it to an assem- blage of
brother artists, who promptly came to
the conclusion that things were slipping
away from them when a way had been
found by which the merest tryo in art
could get an outline for profile with so
little labor or application of talent.
tried it myself. The effect was really
astonishing. Try it yourself, and you
will also be- astonished. This is the way
to try it. Take a piece Of newspaper,
squeeze it into fairly symmetrical ball
and then throw it on a piece of hard
white paper placed under a brightly
burning gas jet so that the shadow will
be sharply defined. Then take a pencil
and trace the outline of the shadow. 1t
Will prove to be the outline of a human
profile. Toss it down as many times as
you like and trace the outline. 1t will
always be the drawing of human pro-
HE. Never anything else. 1t never misses
fire.
NEVER THE SAME FACE.
Mr.. Goateher says that either from one
end of the shadow or the other you can
trace 1t. You can try it thousand times,
II you like. Just touch in few lines Tor
suggestion, as roughly as you have a
mind To- To indicate tho auaS turro Of nos
tril, end of mouth or style of hair
though you will see that in most cases
either the hair or hat is suggested by
the shadow, and you will be astonished
to find what the least touch of imagina-
ton will do.
You may squeeze up any kind of paper
into any size Of ball and the thing works
as sure as Sunday. But the queerest part
OF 1t is that you never get the same face
twice. Nature herself is not more pro-
life in variety of forms and expressions
in human faces than is the ball in the diff
terlng characters of its shadowy protiIas
Some of them Will be as regular and
perfect as the highest type Of Caucasian
beauty, others touching the very limit Of
absurd distortion. Every profile will be
a study for physiognomist. 1t is draw
ing made easy with a vengeance.
HARD ON ARTISTS.
What is the use," said Mr.. Goatcher.
of spending half your life learning a
difficult art and then waking up some
line morning to find that some fellow
who doesn't know the rudiments has in
vented something that will do all the me-
chanlcal work either in painting or
sculpture while the artist lies stretched
on lounge enjoying his smoke and
looking at it?
but this is great thing for the car
toonists and other illustrators. For ex-
ample, they can spend half an hour toss
ing ball on the paper and sketching the
shadows, and by this means lay up a sur
prlslng stock of faces. each one delineat-
ing some special trait of human charac-
ter-a stock from which they can make
selections at any time. A new ball and
new shadows will always furnish fresh
additions to the collection. There is no
end to the variety"
GOOD AMUSEMENT ANYWAY.
Whether this system of getting profles
from shadows will ever be put to any
practical use is a matter Of very much
doubt in the minds of many artists to
whom l have mentioned the subject, but
one thing is certain, it is very pretty
and pleasant amusement for a dull half
hour. Children can sketch the faces as
well as grown-up people. 1t is diver
sion that can do them no harm and may
help to develop their sense of the artistic.