The times., 1899-05-28
CLOSE OF The ART
season In TOWN
Masters and Pupils Prepare
for Field Work.
Some Practical Hints to Students on
Working From Nature.
Washington Painters Represented
In the Paris SaIon-ChnrIes IL.
Davis and His Methods.

White umbrellas will soon dot the rural
landscape and artists will be scarce in
town. The portrait and figure painters
will be sketching the pretty summer girls
who swarm about the hotels at seaside
and mountain resorts, while the landscape
men VIII seek quiet out-of-the-way places
where they may refresh their minds with
renewed acquaintance with nature.
When snow and sleet and a wild wind
sways everything out of doors on dull De-
cember and January days it is all very
well to drag out portfolio OF studies from
nature and in the comfortable atmosphere
of city studio evolve some pleasant pic
ture OF summer twilight, or October's gay
color; but once summer is here your earn
est student is restless for the woods and
fields and the open air-the studio OF all
studios.
In the world of theories as to what
should be the painters attitude toward
nature when he goes out to study and get
motives it is difficult to sift out those
which may be generally applied and &C
cepted as practical theories. Much advice
to students is contradictory. This much is
certain, in the mind of the writer: 1t is
only safe TO be thoughtful and very much
in earnest. To those students fresh from
the schools who wish to do little practi-
cal work in the field the writer offers these
hints on working from nature. Though he
wishes il to be remembered that these are
but personal opinions based on experience
in working from nature, some reading, and
unnumbered discussions with other paint
ers on the subject, it is still true that
many man has been law unto himself
and the world has marveled at his achieve
ment.
To some men, rules are challenge
they defy them and become famous for
great work by sheer genius. Such men it
is unsafe to follow; the better course is
O methodical one. 1t is wise to dig, TO be
patient and be sure you master your
problem every inch OF the way. Here are
a half dozen "Dont's" which are worth
remembering:
Don't attempt to paint poetry before you
can paint portraits. Master the latter and
then your interpretations of your subjects
will have real value. Nothing is more
disheartening in a POLITICALLY rendered
landscape full Of tenderness, nice color,
and a fine appreciation of the beauty OF
the subject than to have the painting re-
veal the painful fact that the painter could
not paint simple portrait OF his subject,
though he tried never so hard. Innis gave
us some curious things-and Carot as well
that stood for trees. In the general ef-
feet they did very well, and were doubt
less best just so; but the same blots by
novice would lack that indefinable quality
that tells louder than words how well
these men knew the tree this blot stood
for How often the student wonders that
his trees should be so like Carot OF Innis
and yet miss some way totally the charm
OF those masters.
That they could not paint satisfactorily
a portrait OF the tree may not be all the
reason, but it is surely a large part of the
reason.
Don't paint too many things. One we'll
painted study puts you farther along than
many hastily painted sketches. no matter
how clever they may be, and then of these
clever things one soon tires no matter how
deep thrill they may have occasioned be-
fore they were dry. 1t is the carefully
painted study that surprises you and thrills
you with it's naturalness when you happen
to unroll it in the winter time.
Don't take too large a subject. A bit
OF landscape that you can faithfully repro
duce and get all the beauty it contains will
teach you more at the beginning than a
large composition over which you are
bound TO lose much time in trying to
keep together and preserve the relations.
These relations are everything. Masters
pin their faith on them When the true
relation is preserved it is more than the
true resemblance OF that part OF the pic
ture to the thing itself column might
be written on relations. Observe them
we'll.
Don't try to get everything in one pic
ture or study. If it is form" color or
atmosphere" concentrate your attention
on that particular feature and see to it
that the observer is not misled into think
ing you were seeking to tell of color,
when your idea of the beauty of the picture
was its atmosphere, or vice versa.
Above all do not trife with drawing do
that more thoughtfully than anything else.
Neglect of this develops dangerous habit,
difficult 10 correct later on.
Don't make studies in pastel unless, of
course. you never expect to work in any
other method Pastel is capable of great
things, and is certainly the easiest known
method but they are so fragile, and such
a care 1t only makes oil or water color
harder to learn later on. One is apt TO
grow impatient with the two latter meth
ods If he begins with pastels, but having
once mastered the material. oil or water
color goes as directly to the mark. Oil
and pastel are pretty sure to retain their
I
Pastels on the other hand must be kept
under glass, which is heavy, burdensome,
and breaks at the most unexpected times.
If not covered with glass the pastel is in
jured by the dust accumulation Of 4 day
and entirely ruined by the dust that will
settle upon it in a months exposure in the
studio.
Don't put off the painting too long If
you have made a careful pencil sketch OF
n This is the custom of Davis and
other able men. At the moment, make
careful pencil sketch of cloud forms and
masses-a black and white Interpretation
of the sunset On the back OF this draw
skeleton and fill il with careful notes of
the different eolors and tints as nearly
as they can be described in words. When
you have done this, don't postpone the
| painting. The very next day is the best
| time to begin, while your impression and
I memory OF the effect are distinct This is
| important, for in a week or two the PEN
ell sketch becomes practically useless. One
may think he remembers. but when one
| comes TO paint from the sketch, he discov
| ers that this and other sunset impressions
/ have become so mixed that it is mpossi-
| BILE to be true to the original first impress
sion. Such neglected pencil memoranda are
useless. and only confound the painter.
| They should be destroyed. Bear in mind
also that fine sunset sky is enough for a
| picture. A simple landscape. carefully
| painted as to mass and value, is all that
| is needed in good sunset or twilight ef-
| feet.
Bear in mind that the surest way to real
, excellence lies along the line of conscien-
tious endeavor to reveal what nature says
to you individually. Too strong an inter
! est in the work of this or that man inclines
one to be reminiscent. Ones things can
| IL loud dly Of ratTt and nnsQ