El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-07
VE RSbTILITY
BIC ASSET
To- ARTIST
Many Recognized Masters
Are Producing Work For
Illustrations.
GIBSON GETS BIG
PRICE FOR DRAWINGS
(By Frederick J. HaskIn.)

Washington, D. c.. Sept Each
year records an increase in the num-
! Der Of artists of reputation who are
turning their attention to illustration,
1 which offers far more in the way of
remuneration to the average artist
than any other form of art. It also
is the speediest way of becoming
known to the public, for while a sue
cessful painting may be exhibited at
number of academies and galleries
it will not be seen by the large ma
jor1ty of people until it has been re-
produced and used in some publica-
ton as an Illustration. Painters now
are realizing that it is frequently bet
ter to paint picture with a view to
having it used as an illustration than
merely to hang in a gallery and many
who are recognized as masters are
making a side line of illustrations to
which they devote quite as much at
tention as to their exhibition pictures.
Why Some Artists Fail.
The difficulty with the average ar
fist at the beginning of his illustrating
career is that he is so absorbed in his
own ideas that it is hard Tor him to
his idea must be subject to that of the
writer whose work he is supposed to
illustrate and also that he must con-
slider the limitations of the reproduce
ton process. A failure to understand
these matters is the cause of so many
do not illustrate and therefore are not
filling their true purpose, whatever
their artistic value
Despite the number of distinguished
artists whose names are attached to
magazine illustrations there yet are
some, especially the beginner who re-
CARDS the Illustration as a pot boiler"
to be abandoned as soon as he has es-
tablished a name which will give him
a different market for his pictures.
--1L
preached a magazine publisher asking
for work He was armed with in
fluentiaI letters of introduction and
the specimens of his work showed real
ability, so he was entrusted with
novel to illustrate. He was highly in
dfgnant that his work did not meet
with approval, but he portrayed the
heroine a petite blonde when she was
intended by the author to be a large
and handsome brunette The broad
shouldered smooth faced athlete, de-
scribed as the hero. appeared from the
artists hand as dapper Ht1le man
with a dark mustache- The whole
series of pictures was misleading and
therefore could not be accepted al
though little attention upon the part
Of the artist could have made them
ideal.
Big Prices for Drawings.
Book and periodical illustration is
comparatively young in America The
evolution of it can be traced in the
bound volumes of two or three of the
best known magazines whose publica-
tons go back over a half century 1t
is only about 80 years since photog-
raphy stepped in to give the illustra-
tor the advantage of firstclass repro
duction of his work which before that
had been dependent upon the more or
less uncertain hands of the wood en-
graver- The results so often were un-
satisfactory that good artist hesi-
tated to risk having his conception
spoiled. But now American nlustra-
tons are the finest in the world and
in no other country are such generous
sums paid to the artists producing
them.
The sum of $1,000 for single draw
ng sounds fabulous and yet the report
that a certain periodical paid $4,000
to Charles Dana Gibson for a contract !
involving the production of picture :
each. alternate week during the year |
never has been cOntradicted and there !
are a number of cases on record of |
$500 being paid for a cover page or |
inside illustration. Five hundred dol |
ars is not infrequently paid and $4,000 !
s not an unheard of price to pay an |
artist of repute for the drawings TO /
Illustrate a popular novel OF course, !
such prices do not come to the be-
ginner or the unknown artist, but the !
ield for illustration is broadening so !
S well worthy of consideration i
Versatility Means Much.
The names of such artists as the late !
edwin A Abbey and Howard Pyle, as
we'll as those of J. Pencil, Robert I
Blum and others who are still with /
is, will be recognized in the future as 4
he founders of the modern American
school of illustration since their in 1
1uence has been felt not only in the
United States but throughout Europe 4
II 81 - CaA hxvN
heir pen and brush drawings to be
sed for illustrations has been an in
piration to thousands of younger ar
lists following in their field. Many
f these forgotten pictures hidden in
he files of old magazines are being
fought out and treasured by young
Illustrators for their good qualities in
etail and treatment
The modern young illustrator begins
n his student days to collect material
here is no knowing to what field his
kill may be directed general IL
ustrator, like a cub reporter upon
arge newspaper, may have to cover
nything from fire to wedding and
lis versatility may mean countless dol
ars to him Later he may specialize
nd there is no profession in which
here is greater demand for specializa-
ion than in that of the illustrator. But
ne must be a capable all around
craftsman before ne Is likely TO De aDle
o have speciality. This tendency to |
pecialization has given us the Glib
on girl, the Frost farmer, the Rem
ngton horse and cowboy and many
'ther types which have made their
reator well known to the public. A
Dung man recently showed ability to
raw machinery so well that his en-
ines were a delight to railroad men.
prominent magazine sent him to
'anama and his pictures of the gil
antic machinery, much of which was
pecially built for the excavation of
he big ditch, have given to the world
fleets which no photographs could
roduce- He was able to catch the
cal spirit of the greatest engineering
eat in the world and to convey 1t to
IL through his drawings.
New Fields and Materials.
Sometimes an illustrator is fortu-
ate enough to be sent to some new
ield such as the South Sea islands, the
LlOndyke or some unfrequented part
f Europe This puts him in possess
ion of a new line of material and soon
is pictures are seen in many publ
atoms, for the editors of magazines |
re quite anxious to have new matter
I their Illustrations as their litera-
Continued on next pageJ.