“Speaking of highlights and shadows, it is first necessary to have clearly in mind what these two terms mean. Placing a lamp on a table against a wall which has baseboard and cornice moulding will show us in a minute. Stepping back from the lighted lamp, notice the tope edge of the baseboard. See how the raised or jutting edge of the board catches the light pouring down from the lamp? From the cornice lighted in the up glow we can also see the flash of light catching the raised edges.
Highlights are the attempt to catch these lights on scenery, and thus trick the eye into believing that these painted lines are actually raised edges.
Shadows are those painted lines imitating the shadow that would be cast if the painted projection were real.”
Excerpt from “Painting Scenery, a ‘handy book’ for amateur producers” (Leslie Ann Jones, 1935, page 80-81)
The images below are from the Scottish Rite Cathedral scene in Pasadena, California (1900)
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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