The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-10-05
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SATURDAY. OCTOBER >, 1901
LINES OF THE FACE.
THEIR RELATION TO THE BEARD AND
THE MUSTACHE.

A Knowledge O! Drawing on the
Part of Men, Says Woman Artist,
Would Have the Eject OF EnhRnc-
ing Masculine Good Looks.
"a knowledge of drawing on the
part Of men would have the effect OF
increasing their good looks" said a
lady teacher Of that art recently. "and
it would make presentable many a
man whose appearance is not calculat-
ed TO excite admiration. 1t sounds an
odd combination, drawing and beauty,
does it not? Nevertheless II is fact"
To the natural request for an expla-
nation she replied:
The first principles Of drawing are
geOmetrlcal lines and curves. These
lines and curves occur In everything
A potter in criticising an ugly shaped
Jug will most probably tell you that its
lines are bad Most of those who dab
BILE in drawing and gain certificates
merely learn to make these lines and
curves without acquiring the slightest
knowledge Of their effect.
Here is an example. just take this
pencil and draw a face. Oh, anything
will do. But be sure TO make two
straight lines over the eyes for eye
brows. That's ii. See how serious that
expression is?
Now rub out those straight lines and
in their places make two curves with
the ends upward That face has an ex-
preston of intense surprise, hasn't II?
If you had made curved eyebrows with
the ends down in the first instance, the
difference between the two would have
been more striking.
We'll. the human face has its lines
and by studying them our men could
improve their appearance. The most
elementary eXpedient is to adapt the
mustache and beard to the lines Of the
face. and l must here tell you that
lines in technical language include
both straights and curves. Such an ex-
pedient is within the reach Of all. and
there IS no need for me TO remind you
that the whSkers make a tremendous
difference in a mans appearance.
Take a man with an aquiline nose,
clear cut features and broad brow,
then imagine this individual with
long. dropping mustache; why, It accen-
tuates the whole 'droOp Of the face
and spoilS II. Such a man should have
a small pointed beard and mustache
with ends pointing slightly upward.
"The exact opposite is also frequently
met with. 4 man with features that
have a distinct upward tendency VIII
wear a muSiache with ends that are
turned up and so long that they seem
10 be thinking of joining the eyebrows.
Men with mustaches that display an
inclination 10 grow long ends think that
these ends should be permitted to grow
and that they must be trained upward.
That strikes them as the only proper
way. But TO suit the lines of the face
those ends should in many cases be
cut of. and in others they ought to be
trained downward.
"Whiskers, again, are allowed to
grow whether they suit the face or not.
Often a fine, vigorous, manly face is
contradicted by an insipid little mus
tache worn over a firm, clear cut
mouth. the expression Of which 1t does
much to alter. 1t is quite a pity to see
such fine lines spoilt in that way. The
Wearer cultivates the hirsute append
age merely because it is the fashion for
men TO have a mustache. You talk
about women being slaves TO Dame
Fashion, but in the matter of your
whiskers you men are worse slaves
than we are 10 dress.
Now don't run away with the notion
that | advocate general shaving Some
men who are clean shaved ought not to
be. The lines Of their faces simply de-
mand that of which they are depriying
their countenance every morning. 1t
requires a strong, very intellectual face
to do without beard or mustache. The
latter is an absolute necessity for hid
ing the bad lines of some mouths that
would if left totally uncovered spoil the
whole face.
Women as a rule are more careful or
their lines and choose hats and other
things to match. Men also study their
dress more than the hair on their faces,
but a knowledge of drawing would cor
rect many mistakes in hats, collars and
other masculine accessories.
"In the matter Of color we rather
pass from the domain Of drawing and
mere lines and tresDass into the realm
Of painting. but l cannot resist saying
that both men and women, especially
the former, would be all the better
looking If they knew more about the
blending of cOlOrs, because they would
not then choose hues which do not har-
monize with their compilations. | have
known a man with red hair to wear
red tie because red ties were fashiona-
able
1--WE are all going I'm for art and the
beautiful nowadays, and you men are
not handsome as a body. You could
make yourselves more handsome by at
tending to such easily managed details
as / have pointed out. See that your
sons learn drawing. Week