The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-19

the figures. AS long of course, as an
artist works rigidly from a model, he
has no opportunity to slip in his own
personality; but when he conjures up a
character from his inner conscience and
especially when that character is suppos-
ed to be some one of approximately his
own age, the chances are two to one he
makes 1t look like himself, without being
aware of what he is doing. MIR. Gibson is
a firm believer in models, and NOWADAYS
rarely touches pen to paper unless one is
standing before him. but turn back to
some of his earlier work, when money
and models were not quite so plentiful
and YOU will find Mr. Gibson confront
ing YOU in dozens of thin disguises"
Fred Remington is another model artist
in every sense of the woodland, being
big and round and rosy, he bears no re-
sembiance to the lean, scrawny cowboys
Indians and soldiers that form the prin-
opal figures in his illustrations. They
are ali scruplously drawn from life. but
occasionally he throws in a few Access
sorry figures out of his head, and when
ever he does You are pretty sure 40 find
Remington in the group. Howard Pyle,
who is probably the most gifted of all our
American illustrators, is another good ex.
ample of what l mean. He is a smooth
shaVen, sedate, austere-looking gentle
man, and needs nothing but knee breeches
ana a Mapped coat to make him a per-
feet duplicate of the colonial characters
he loves so much to draw Arthur b.
Frost is, or at least used 20 be. rather
angular in frame and belongs 20 the
shrewd-faced, humorous New England
type that he depicts with so much re-
markable subtlety ! have seen his own
portrait, dozens of times in his larger
drawings A ka L
who is frankly caricaturist and grinds
out an immense amount of work for the
daily and weekly papers, has very little
use for models, and the consequence ts
that he draws himself continually. He
figures in all kinds of roles-millionalre
tramp, policeman. Bowery politician. mis-
sionary dude, pugilist, at-janitor and
iongshoreman; they vary as widely as
day and night, but throughout the series
Is the same lurking suggestion of Opper
When met him In New Orleans the other
day l told him would have recognized
him at once. by my portrait?" said he,
NO, by your pictures" l replied
How do you account for this odd ten
dency?" asked friend, who had been lis
tening with some interest. VERY east
ly, replied the other. When an artist
is working without a model as a guide. he
uneonsciously refers to himself for dc.
tails of the figure. He imagines how he
would stand In this or that pose. and
the consequence is he works at least a
suggestion of his own character into the
picture. This reminds me by the way.
that there is a good deal of mystery
about the mental Installation of artists.
and have never heard 1t clearly explain.
ed. Everybody who can draw, and espe-
cally those who can draw readily from
memory, can call up ar will a mora
or less distinct image before the minds
eye and. with some little effort, can
change the posture In any manner de-
scribed
THE subject has always interested M
and have talked with a great many
artists about e. / find that some exer-
else the faculty In one way and some IN
another one draughtsman, for instance.
gets his picture, as he expresses IL. by
lying down on his back and shutting his
eyes. Then he concentrates his mind upon