Light and Shade in Charcoal, Pencil and Brush Drawing by Anson K. Cross

Author:Anson K. Cross
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780486136226
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2012-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER V.

CHARCOAL DRAWING.

THE STUDIO AND FITTINGS.

The studio. — The studio should be a room not less than 20 feet square; one that is 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, or larger, is desirable. It should have a large window facing, if possible, slightly east of north; this direction should be determined by the North Star, as the compass points due north in very few places. The studio should be at the top of the building in order to avoid reflections from other buildings, and its walls should be very high. Rooms are seldom high enough for studios, and it is customary to extend their height by means of a skylight which faces north and has a window 6 or 8 feet high above the ceiling.

Studio light. — The length of the studio should extend east and west so that the principal window may face north and be in the center of a long side. The principal window should be about 10 feet wide, or wider, and extend from near the floor to the ceiling, where it should connect with that of the skylight whose angle should be about 70°. The roof of the skylight should be inclined and meet the ceiling at about the center of the room, or farther back if the ceiling is low. By means of the skylight the necessary height may be given to any part of a room which is to be converted into a studio. There should be no mullions or large framework to divide the window, which should extend unbroken from the top of the skylight nearly to the floor.

A room with simply a north window is very cheerless. If possible another window should be so placed that sunlight may enter the room; it should be so curtained that the light may be completely excluded at will.

Curtains. — The principal window should be provided with two or three curtains arranged to draw up from the bottom, and another set should be secured at the top to draw downward. Thus light of any amount may be obtained from various directions.

It is often desirable, especially when light reflects from other buildings, to soften the light by a screen made of cheese cloth or other thin white material, which may be arranged in the form of a curtain to roll or to slide upon wires. A curtain of this kind will often give a fair light when placed at a south window, but the north window gives the only light suitable for artists or students.

School studios. — Such a studio is suitable for the artist and also for art classes, and when school buildings are designed, such special rooms should be planned for the drawing-rooms. When they are to be used for still-life work a shelf about 15 inches or 20 inches wide may be secured to the east wall about 22 inches from the floor, or shelves may be supported upon movable screens. Pupils should work most of the time with the light coming

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