The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28


ent kinds of articles that are made from
this work II is also In the designs where
a person can display his ingenuity and
originality, for in this the work is similar
10 painting
LIGHT AND DARK SHADES.
'.Of course the work is coarse and there
is no attempt whatever at color, only
through the various shades of light and
dark. therefore the effect OF the whole
picture depends upon a graceful design.
These are taken from historical pictures
and are scrolls such as were used num-
bers OF years ago for the purpose OF deco
rating Indian heads and all kinds of In
dian designs are now becoming popular for
pipe racks. picture frames and things of
that kind that are used mostly in the
decorating of gentIemen's rooms. There is
now quite a unique thing being made in
the way Of a small bookshelf, the ends OF
which are on hinges so that they can be
closed down when not In use. On each end
there is burned the picture of some author.
such as Shakespeare, Milton, Scott or Gold
smith. The magazines are responsible for
the majority of the designs that are used.
And person furthermore has to have the
knack of taking part of one design and put
bic for different kinds of ornaments. As.
for instance, a design that is used for
picture frame would hardly be the thing
for fire screen. yet by taking part of the
design used on the fire screen and working
1t into part of another 1t will be very ap-
propriate for a picture frame. All of the
designs used must be Of antique character
because the work itself, being devoid Of any
hac
so anything that has a modern aspect does
no. look quite so well. There are, how
ever, many modern designs used. and when
got up in the right way they look very well.
Probably the reason for ancient designs be-
ing so exclusively used is that it is an
ancient art and very nearly everything that
is done now is copy of the old masters.
Such rank in art as this work now en-
Joys has been brought about principally
within the last ten or a dozen years.
Prior to that time-and it had much to do
with keeping this art in the background
the instruments used were too clumsy
TO be productive of any satisfactory re-
suits. So long the artist was dependent
upon repeated heating of his burning
point in a lamp or fire, only to have it cool
rapidly on application to the wood surface,
that caused the board to have all different
depths Of scars upon it. the art was sadly
neglected and slow in development. The
finest work produced was deemed little
more than a curiosity. When some in
gatous worker undertook to make use of
the surgeons thermo-cautery, an instru-
ment which understand is used for caut-
erizing. in a modified form, it became pos
sible to produce burnt-wood pictures with
scarce a suggestion OF the defects that
formerly characterized the work To-day
instead Of having great array of instru-
ments. as many might imagine by looking
at the work, the artist has an aluminium
point, or needle, as Ii Is more generally
called. mounted in a holder as easy to
manipulate a pencil and connected with
a small rubber hose with a naphtha bottle
and a bulb that serves as bellows With
the left hand the artist can occasionally
squeeze the bulb and thus keep at a white
heat the aluminium point, which is first
heated over spirit lamp. This equip
Inent is simple, convenient and effective
and provided only that the artist can prop
erly master the details OF drawing and his
sufficient skill in the manipulation of the
cautery to produce the proper effect of
light and shade, he has a means of pro-
ducing artistic effects comparable with
those produced in any form of fine art. OF
course, after the picture is burnt in with
the needle it has to be finished by a
smoothing process which takes much of
the rough effect away. In finishing often
snail glass Jewels can be inserted and also
the burnt work can be traced with either
oil or water-color paints, which gives it
the same appearance as inlaid work.
IN ACTUAL PRACTICE.
I'm actual practice there are few artists
who would undertake to burn in a picture
offhand on a wood surface. That method
OF procedure would be altogether too risky
He, therefore, outlines his picture with a
pencil. Indicating roughly the various
values of shade he wishes to produce with
the burnt lines, and then he traces his
pencil drawing with the cautery point, fill
ing in such details as were omitted from
the original sketch and developing his pic
ture by putting line here and line there
and massing his tones and shades so as to
produce the result desired. Now, much of
the artistic value and desired result de-
ponds upon the selection of woods In
truth this has more TO do with the success
in this work than the average person i'm
AGNES. for should the wood an artist is US
ing be the least defective his results will
invariably be bad. Only well-seasoned
stock. free from Knots and dark spots.
should be used. and the tone of the wood
should be selected with a careful consid-
Grafton Of the effect to be produced upon
IT. French poplar, oak. ash, holly, syca-
more, California redwood. mahogany and.
above all, Eastwood, the material most
commonly used. may all be effectively en-
ployed for different kinds OF work. The
wood that use almost exclusively is we'll
seasoned Eastwood. The ease with which IL
can be worked has made II a popular
favorite with almost every one doing this
work. but the woods of denser textures and
darker color often yield results that cam
not be equaled by the light materials.
These darker woods are so much harder
than the light materials that there are few
artists I'm this line OF work who feel equal
TO the task OF burning them, because it Is
like burning through stone to make any
impression on them. The work, however.
Is rather disagreeable. no matter what kind
of wood is used. from the fact that smoke
Is continually blowing in the artists face.
filling his eyes and lungs.
Miss Hogan went on to say that burnt
wood work is much more profitable than
painting from the fact that a picture or
design could be executed more quickly.