Color Theory – Drypigment.net

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Tyne Theatre & Opera House Conference, 2 August 2024.

My week at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, culminated with a conference on Friday, August 2, 2024. “Theatrical Scene Painting in the 19^th Century: The Artist and the Picture Frame” was the second theatre conference held at the venue.

*Photograph by Mike Hume of Historic Theatre Photos*

The first conference occurred less than a year before (Sept. 13-15, 2023), with 120 delegates attending from the UK, Europe, Canada, and the United States.

*Second Annual Conference at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House, 2 Aug. 2024.*

Both events were organized by David Wilmore of Theatresearch and Rachel Snape, Heritage & Development Project Manager at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House. This year, the entire conference took place upon the stage, with delegates facing the auditorium. An Act Drop was hung (in reverse, facing the upstage wall), to set the stage for the delegates. The painting was from the brush of Deborah Mitchell in 1997, replicating an earlier curtain painted by Ernest Howard for the Royal Theatre Opera House, Northampton, 1896.

*Backside of Northampton Act Drop painted by Deborah Mitchell.*

The morning panel featured three papers.

Raymond Walker (left) explored the visual aspects of Victorian scenery and how it evolved during the 20^th century. Dr. David Wilmore (center) explored the original portraits for Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Ruddygore”, now on display at a private theatre (Normansfield). Karen Thompson (right) examined the Normansfield Scenery Collection and its conservation.

After lunch we were invited back to the stage for a stage machinery demonstration. The sloats in the stage cuts supported three of the eight ground rows I painted for the venue. The previous evening David Wilmore and Colin Hopkins (Project Site Manager & Stage Carpenter) led a crew to install the ground rows.

*Colin Hopkins attaching a ground row to a sloat. Photograph by Mike Hume of Historic Theatre Photos*

*Preparing a ground row for attachment to the sloats.* Photograph by Mike Hume of Historic Theatre Photos

The afternoon panel in my presentation, “Scenic Art, Past & Present”, Grit Eckert’s presentation “We are still here!!! Scene Painting – a Historical Study and still a Theatrical Trade”, and Prof. Christina Young’s “19^th Century Scottish Scenic Painters: Paint Frame to Picture Frame”.

As promised to those who could not attend the conference, here is my Powerpoint with text:

My name is Wendy Waszut-Barrett and I come to you as a theatre historian, scenery preservation specialist, scenic designer, and – most importantly – scenic artist. My presentation will look in detail at the paint medium used by 19^th century scenic artists and its capabilities. Then I will explain how I became so passionate about the history of scenic art and how both past and present research has altered my understanding of theatre history.

Each aspect of my career creates a lens through which I view theatre history. For me, the phrase, “Preserving the Past” goes far beyond the conservation of historic artifacts; it also applies to the preserving the theatrical trades.

Although many scene painting techniques remain well-documented in various publications and memoirs, much has been lost from contemporary application – more specifically, the institutional memory in most scenic studios. I am going to shed some light on nineteenth-century scene painting practices. Understanding the nuances of the distemper painting system helps us appreciate the metamorphic nature of stage settings created by 19th- and early-20th-century scenic artists.

Distemper paint solely consists of two ingredients: color (dry pigment paste) and binder (cooked and diluted hide glue). It really is an amazing artistic medium. In dry form, both pigment and glue can be stored for decades, weathering a wide range of temperatures. There is also no waste during the painting process, as dried piles of pigment paste on a can be quickly reconstituted with water.”

In 1903, American scenic artist, Grace Wishaar (pictured on the left) explained “Distemper is a really beautiful medium. You can produce such fine effects with it! But it’s very tricky unless you know JUST how to handle it.”

Over a decade later, her colleague Frank Atkinson wrote the following statement about distemper paint in his scene painting manual “.. distemper colors change greatly in value as they dry out…the student must not let a few failures discourage him. True ‘color deductions’ will come with experience.”

In 1924, Joseph Harker described distemper paint in his publication “Studio and Stage” as ”a peculiarly difficult medium to handle” explaining “In some instances the color, when applied, dries several degrees lighter in tone than it was originally, while in others remains unaltered. Considerable skill, if I may put is so baldly, is therefore needed in the direct painting with this medium and no fixed rules can be laid down for overcoming the characteristics I have mentioned. Long and pain staking experience is alone capable of solving each fresh color problem as it arises.” For over 35 years, I have been challenged with each distemper painting project. That being said, there is no other paint I would rather use for stage settings.

Every time I pick up a brush and paint a backdrop, I become part of the scenic art timeline, continuing the legacy of those who came before me. I still prefer painting stage scenery with distemper paint. Nothing feels quite so pure to handle, or reflects stage lights quite so well.

Let’s look at how the paint was prepared. Pigment arrived at the scenic studio in three forms – dry powder, compressed block, or wet pulp. Blocks of dry color necessitated grinding prior to their transformation into a paste.

Pigment paste was placed on a scenic artists palette and mixed with diluted hide glue, also called “size water” or “working size” or just size – hence some artists referring to this as “size painting.” Both color and binder necessitated careful preparation, the tasks completed by skilled individuals. In larger studios, “Color men” supervised preparation and distribution of colors, as ill-prepared pigment paste (pigment granules that weren’t fully dissolved) could compromise an entire composition.”

Making size from hide glue was also a skilled task, each batch affected by heat and humidity. Water is added to dry hide-glue granules, or a slab, and slowly-cooked to a honey-like consistency, then diluted with water.

Here is an example of a scenic artist’s palette, filled with bowls of pigment paste, and a size warmer below. The pigment paste and size water were mixed together on the large palette, then immediately applied to the fabric. The preparation of pigment paste, cooking of size, and set-up of a palette takes time. However, the actual distemper painting process makes up for any lost time in the set-up.

As presented in my paper last year, there were two prominent scenic art traditions at play in 19^th century; each defined by the viscosity (or thickness) of paint and its application. There was the use of transparent glazes (depicted in the left images) and opaque washes (depicted in the right).

Distemper was applied to scenery in two ways – “up” on a vertical frame or “down” on the floor. Both versions were transported to the United States, and referred to as “English” method (for up) and the “Continental” method (for down). Painting a drop that was tacked to the floor require long handles, or bamboo poles that extended the handle of a brush. Tacking backdrops to vertical frames often meant that either the frame or bridge upon which the artist stood on was movable.

Where do I fall within the framework of scenic art history? I am a hybrid. I was trained in the Midwestern United States using distemper paints (in the form of opaque washes) on a motorized frame at University. However, as a freelance scenic artist, pre-mixed paints and the continental method (floor) were preferred.

This is the motorized paint frame that I use in the States. My past eight shows have featured distemper settings.

Distemper paint and vertical paint frames were made for each other. As distemper paint permeates each underlying layer, drips are not an issue, even when the viscosity looks like milk. Distemper paint permeated the underlying layer, so even a drip will soon reabsorb into the fabric. Some contemporary (pre-mixed) color may reactivate, but not to the same extent as distemper paint – there is more of a layering effect which will cause pre-mixed paints to run.

From a paint process standpoint, a motorized paint frame allows the artists to quickly and accurately lay in vertical lines without a straightedge. It is an extremely quick way to paint lines.

Which means that painting vertical drapery folds is extremely effective, as you can play with the viscosity of paint for translucent effects.

Here is a view from the back of the frame, to show how thinly the paint is applied to the muslin.

Backlit with a simple white light, muslin painted with distemper can take on the appearance of glowing silk.

Here are three of the distemper palettes that I use while painting scenery, all ranging in size for the scale of the project. I have tweaked the traditional methods to use large baking pans – easier clean-up.

Regardless of what type of paint is used for stage settings, scenic art is more. It is a way of seeing and applying color.

That being said, distemper paint is the easiest was to teach color theory and scenic illusion for the stage.

The success of scenic illusion for the stage is understanding the nuance of each color, strategic color combinations, and economy of brush stroke.

I want to get us all on the same page in terms of color, as painted illusion necessitates the alternation of warm and cool colors. The three primary colors are yellow, red, and blue. Each primary and secondary color also has a characteristic – warm or cool.

The easiest example to see warm versus cool is yellow. I don’t want to get caught up in any specific color name – as they are dependent on suppliers. On the left is a warm yellow, and on the right is a cool yellow.

Of supreme importance in painting is the true understanding of value – going from light to dark. The success of painted illusion is based on the contrast of value

Scenic artists paint for a distance. This means that their artwork is intended to be viewed from afar – any careful blending will make a painted composition appear “fuzzy” from a distance. That is why a scenic artist contracts both value and hue. The audience’s eye needs to work, so the scene will appear more dimensional and realistic. When you examine the painting close-up, it all falls apart into dashes and dabs – an economy of brushstroke.

There is a rule of three for value selection – light, medium and dark, to work up any object. This contrast applies to foliage, architecture, drapery painting, etc. making the painted details remain visible at a distance.

Light, medium and dark values also alternate warm and cool colors. For example, the dark base is predominantly cool, the mid-tone warm, and the highlight cool.

Even when applying the same value, some compositions – such as foliage- with place warm and cool colors next to one another. This helps give definition to the shape. This strategic color placement helps reflect stage light and accentuate painted details, providing dimensions.

Here is a drapery example (on your left) of over blending, painting that shows a lack of contrast in both value and color. It can make the subject look fuzzy from a distance. The drapery painting on the right shows the contrast of value and color; draperies that will have definition when viewed from a distance.

And if we take color out of the composition, we can still see the difference and need for contrast with value for an object to remain visible from afar.

Many 19^th-century, and early-20^th-century, scenic artists were visionaries, They fully understood how painted illusion was supported with stage machinery and lighting. Pause – Scenic art is an interactive art form, partnering with various stage lighting systems.

Scenic artists understood the characteristics of various lighting systems, adjusting the color and value accordingly. Here is an example of scenery produced for electric light – blue, red and white, a popular combination from the 1890s to 1920s.

This all goes back to the color selection and application of distemper paint. The use of a warm and cool consistently creates a color that will reflect stage lights. Strategic color combinations increase the opportunities to reflect light – supporting day to night transitions on stage. So if you have a blue sky, you always make sure there is a small amount of warmth added (orange, red, etc.).

It was through documenting and preserving historic scenes that I realized so many backdrops could function as translucencies.

Here is an example from 1902. You can see hoe the view from behind the drop (on your right) reveals how little color was applied to the fabric.

This practice continued into the 1920s, despite stylistic changes.

Here is another comparison with a view from the front and from behind – to show how thin the paint is applied to the fabric. Those white areas on the left are stage lights shining through the fabric.

Here is a distemper detail that I painted for a Haymarket Opera Company production in Chicago, Illinois – L’amant anonyme by the Chevalier de St. George. I firmly believe that the key to distemper painting is how little pigment is used and the body of the paint – whether it is dense or flowing. Very thin paint, or low viscosity, will appear opaque with front lighting, but will remain extremely flexible. That is how I was able to pack eight 27’ ground rows, ranging in high from 30 to 60 inches in a standard suitcase. Although the scene appears quite opaque, there is very little pigment applied to the fabric. When you stand behind the scenes you recognize how thin each layer of paint was applied.

Another painted detail from the same show. In many cases, we have forgotten how much we can do with any ordinary white light source placed behind a distemper drop. And this has to do with the viscosity and layering of colors. The image on the left shows a section of distemper drop under work lights. The image on the right is the same painting, but with a standard white lamp behind the painting. Underlying colors are revealed – transitioning the entire palette without the necessity of colored light. No glass or gels. Again, this is the metamorphic nature of distemper paint that supported 19^th century scenic illusion and spectacle.

Another detail with a gelled incandescent on the right. This is more of what we are used to. But when we combine colored front lights and illumination from the backside – possibilities are endless and the whole scene glows.

Another example of a translucency – one created with distemper paint – not dye; one that we are more familiar with in contemporary effects. This one shows how a sky can transition to sunset without the use of dyes.

Many audiences have never experienced the magical allure and metamorphic nature of distemper settings on stage.

This beauty, however, can instantaneously be destroyed with poor lighting.

When lit poorly, painted legacies from our past resemble dull-colored and thread-bare rags at best. Side light will especially accentuate wrinkles. Front light erases wrinkles in an instant.

In some cases, however, seeing is believing. Here is an 11-second video showing the transition from side light to front light.

This is nothing fancy, just a shift in direction. Keep this in mind the next time you encounter a deteriorated backdrop, because with proper lighting, some of the most damaged scenes can look fresh.

So why am I so passionate about the history of scenic art? It all started in college. As I took one scene painting class after another in college (same distemper painting class, different levels), I repeatedly queried my professor about early women scenic artists. His response – “They were all boys, get over it.” This was not a subjective statement, or one intending to put me in my place. My teacher was teaching what he had been taught. His statement, however, really lit a flame inside me. I decided to learn everything I could about scenic art, the people, and the processes.

Part of this quest involved extracurricular studies and museum exhibits. In 1989, I received an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) grant to process an historic scenery collection – the Great Western Stage Equipment Company, established in Kansas City, Missouri, ca. 1920s. I worked in the Performing Arts Archives, part of the University of Minnesota archives. This UROP grant was followed by another – Holak Collection. The second collection contained designs from two primary firms – the Chicago-based studio of Sosman & Landis Studio and their affiliate studio New York Studios.

The acquisition of these collections, spearheaded by my mentor, Prof. Emeritus Lance Brockman, was contingent upon their open access and use by students. Copy work was critical to his scenic art program. This meant that University students could request a design, set up their watercolor palette, and replicate the composition in the reading room. In addition to copying historic designs, I enlarged them on 5’ x 5’ flats – using traditional materials and exploring painting techniques. His future hope was to digitize the collection so that theatre students, academic colleagues, and professionals would have free access to all of these materials.

From 1999-2000, I worked with these two collections, and a previous, the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Minneapolis, MN, to create an online digital database. I was in charge of layout, contents, text, content and assigning metadata to over 3000 artifacts.

I still return to the collection, examining details of many designs. This project has continued to inform my own research.

Assigning meta data, replicating designs, and preserving historic stage scenes have all helped me make a series of immediate connections while working on site. It is my continued work with these collections over 35 years has allowed me to immediately locate many original designs for extant curtains. For example, when I unrolled a drop curtain at the Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, last January I remembered that the design was part of the Twin City Scenic Collection in the database, and quickly located the file in the scenery database.

For me, the past continues to informed my present, as a theatre historian, scenic designer, and artist. I still have that fire burning, a drive to learn all I can, while I can.

Such was the case when I catalogued and repaired the scenery collection at a 1912 Theatre in Santa Fe, New Mexico. From 2002-2005, I led a crew of eighteen local hires to preserve this 74 drops over the course of three years. I was also leading the preservation of a sister collection in St. Paul, Minnesota – same design, same scenic studio, but installed in 1911.

From 2016-2018, I worked with photographer and one-time scenic artist, Jo Whaley, on the publication “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre.” Jo and I were the volume editors; I was also one of three contributing authors.

We were granted permission to photograph all of the scenes with original costumes and properties. Again, these were scenic designs that I first encountered in 1990 while processing the Holak collection. The descriptions, installations, sizes, signatures were all engrained in my memory.

This is one of the reasons that I am so adamant to share my research, to help jog the memories of others, whether they be theaters owners, back stage crews, or the descendants of scenic artists and designers; many historic theaters do not understand that they are part of a much larger network. It also re-frames our understanding about scenic artists, painting process, and liberties taken from design to installation.

I am going to conclude with a topic that I introduced last year during the conference, English Scenic artist Harley Merry, aka Ebeneezer Brittain. He worked as a performer and scenic artist, emigrating to the United States in the late 1860s. I bring Merry to your attention, as it brings another aspect of the scenic art trade into focus. After moving to America, Merry was integral in organizing serval groups, including the Protective Alliance of Scene Painters in America.

This organization became the current scenic art union known as United Scenic Artists. Recently, the Union produced a video about their history, still listing these men as…

There is no doubt that each was skilled, but this group does not comprise the best that America had to offer at the time.

They only represent a small number of scenic artists working in a few specific regions. The picture is very telling, especially when you start realize those nationally-renowned scenic artists missing from the picture.

For me, these men represent those who had…

…the most to lose without establishing a protective alliance and keeping OTHER scenic artists out.

Artists like Mabel Buell. It was not until 1918 that women were allowed to join the Union – 2 years before women were able to vote. Mabel A. Buell’s late entry makes it appear that women were just beginning to enter the scenic art field; few and far between. This perpetuated misconceptions that the scenic artists were primarily white men.

It’s important to understand that when Mabel joined the Union, she was not only a scenic artist, but also was a scenic studio owner. Both she and her mother worked as scenic artists, as did her father and brother. As in many cases, it was a family affair.

By the way, this is Mable directing her employees (center picture). At times her staff numbered over twenty people.

When Mabel joined the Union, she was described as the “only girl in the profession.” Buell continued to be listed as such in the early 1920s. By this time GENERATIONS of women had worked as scenic artists. Some were wives, some were daughters, some were sisters, and some entered the profession all on their own.

Here are three examples of women scenic artists identified as the “Only” over the course of two decades. On the left is Grace Wishaar, listed as the only woman scenic artist by 1901 She had been painting for over a decade at this point. On the right is Irene Kendrick, listed as the FIRST and ONLY scenic artist in 1909. In the center is Mable Buell – pictured in the 1921; still listed as the only woman scenic artist in America throughout that decade.

Well, that wasn’t necessarily the case – Here are a few names women scenic artists from the mid-19^th to early 20^th century.

Although there are many, many more. These were women who painted stage settings and were listed as such in census reports, city directories, and newspaper accounts. Not all scenic artists were listed as such.

I believe historians try their best to represent the world as it was. However, at some point, the contributions of generations of artists were left out of theatre history. Aesthetic shifts, new design movements, and innovative technology continue to be credited to a select few.

The use of “ONLY” to describe a female scenic artist in newspapers, sends an underlying message – they are not a threat. After all, there is only one. The same language was used to describe scenic artists who were people of color.

Over the past few years, I have identified women, indigenous people, and people of color who worked as scenic artists in the 19^th century. Many of these discoveries occurred while writing the 120 biographies of Soman & Landis studios). This research is for my upcoming book, “Sosman & Landis: Shaping the Landscape of American Theatre.”

Today, online databases provide massive amounts of information about individuals who worked as scenic artists. We are now able to identify thousands of individuals whose contributions to theatre history were either forgotten or ignored. This means that we are responsible for reframing the history of scenic art and theatre history.

Women and people of color who were often not counted, but they were present, they contributed to our shared theatre industry.

WE can no longer solely teach theatre history from the same books that have been used by generations of students.

WE are completely in control when choosing the lens through which we depict our industry’s past, present, and future of our industry.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Tyne Theatre & Opera House Distemper Painting Workshop: Drapery Project, Day 3

The final day of the Distemper Painting Workshop focused on drapery painting and value.

*Title photo for Drapery Presentation. Tyne Theatre & Opera House, 2024.*

The goals for the day were maintaining a consistency of color and contrasting value. As previously explained, a contrast of value supports scenic illusion for the stage (large-scale paintings that are viewed from a distance). Drapery painting is the perfect example to discuss painting for a distance. Typically, the goal of this exercise is to use a thicker mixture of paint, focus on value and aim for a consistency of color.

For years, I have observed that many scenic artists take pains to carefully blend each fold in a drapery composition. Unfortunately, this ultimately destroys the painted illusion from a distance; the subject loses definition. Careful blending only works well when examining a painting from close-up, such as in Trompe l’œil murals in residential and commercial settings. The smallest details and smooth transitions that make Trompe l’œil a success are not visible on stage. Painted illusion for the stage necessitates a great contrast of both hue and value. Again, we want to make the audience eyes work; therefore, making the painted illusion appear more realist from afar. Scenic art is more akin to fresco painting on ceilings; they are also large-scale artworks intended to be viewed from a distance. Throughout my travels, I document the treatment of fabric on figures in ceiling murals. Most recently, I visited the Painted Hall in London. Here is an example of a drapery, showing a sharp division of value and alternation of warm and cool colors (see yesterday’s post for more detail color characteristics).

*Detail from mural at the Painted Hall, London.*

There is a distinct division of value; a sharp contrast between dark, medium, and light colors. This is what accentuate the folds of the fabric. To illustrate my point about the over-blending of drapery folds, I share two examples.

The scenic artist’s careful blending does not suggest a lack of skill, but a lack of understanding when painting for a distance. Drapery folds really need to be accentuated to remain visible from far away.

Here is how I decipher drapery painting; it is an approach that is based on my documenting thousands of extant backdrops over the years.

Again, it is the rule of three for value – dark, medium, and light. From a distance, the darkest value suggests the color, a mid-tone identifies the shape, and a highlight identifies the fabric type.

For my presentation, we looked at a variety of drapery examples where I identified the three values, again and again.

This is not meant to suggest that only three colors can be used, but it is the basic approach. In the end, some folds are accentuated with a final shadow wash, and some highlights get a “flash” (hot twinkle).

Highlights are extremely important in the end. If they are indecisive (“smudgy” and “worm-like”), it is difficult to determine either the type of fabric, or the weight of the folds.

Here are some photographs, capturing a few moments of the drapery painting project. A special shout to Mike Hume of Historic Theatre Photos for his willingness to document process.

*Drapery Painting Projects at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House, August 1, 2024. Photograph by Mike Hume.*

*Caroline Shelley adding shadows. Photograph by Mike Hume.*

*Erin Heming adding highlights. Photograph by Mike Hume.*

*Michael O’Reilly laying in drapery folds. Photograph by Mike Hume.*

*Laura O’Connell of Birmingham Rep. laying in drapery folds. Photograph by Mike Hume.*

*Completed project by Claire Thompson of Nottingham Playhouse.*

*Claire Thompson holding up project to show transparent effect.*

*Completed projects by Laura O’Connell of Birmingham Rep*.

*Laura O’Connell and Paul Westcombe showing transparent nature of the project.*

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Distemper Painting Workshop: Color and Process, Day 1

I was asked to teach a three-day distemper scene painting class at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House last fall. The workshop would coincide with my delivering new ground rows to the theatre. It was scheduled immediately before the 19th-century Scenic Art conference on August 2, 2024.

Flyers advertised:

The Tyne Theatre & Opera House are offering a 3-day distemper painting workshop with scenic painter Wendy Waszut-Barrett. The course will take place in Newcastle from Tuesday 30 July – Thursday 1 August 2024. Over 3days participants will learn historic painting techniques and create 2 paintings using distemper. All equipment including painting frames, brushes, pigments, gloves, etc. will be provided. A maximum of 12 places are available.

Day One: Introduction to Distemper Painting/Distemper Paint Preparation/ Colour Theory/English and Continental Methods

Day Two: Seascape Project

Day Three: Drapery Project

I have continued to fine-tune both the timeline and projects for my distemper painting classes; it has taken me years to come up with a framework for this type of workshop. First and foremost, it is extremely important to devote one entire day to color theory and experiencing the nuances of distemper paint.

I always try to start with a presentation about color; selection, mixing and application. Revisiting color theory as a group places all the students on the same page. It levels the playing field before trying to replicate any artwork, or understand a new application technique.

*Title slide for my presentation on the first day at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House, 2024.*

My rationale is that when you discuss color as a group, it is much easier to understand the various characteristics.

Here is my 2023 color theory presentation for CITT, if you want to see a previous workshop example: https://drypigment.net/2023/11/13/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-painting-workshop-at-citt-in-toronto-august-15-16-2023/

I tweak my color theory presentation for each class. It helps me grow as an instructor, allowing me revisit my own thoughts each time. I was extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful group of students and one stellar assistant (pictured below)!

Distemper Painting Workshop Students (from left to right): Laura O’Connell, Grit Eckert (assistant), Caroline Shelley, Erin Fleming, Claire Thompson, Emily Hackett, Michael O’Reilly, Megumi, Paul Westcombe, Yvonne Dick, and Constanza Dessain.

As promised to the class, here is the color theory section of my presentation.

One of the easiest ways to teach color theory for painted illusion on stage is using distemper paint. Pure color (pigment paste) is combined with diluted hide glue (size).

*The ingredients for distemper paint: dry pigment and hide glue*

Mixed on the scenic artist’s palette, it was immediately applied to the fabric. The constant mixing of strategic color combinations worked with various lighting systems to promote special effects on stage. This is why so most extant drops could transition from day-to-night scenes.

It is VERY important to not get caught up in the name of any one color, as it is the characteristic that’s important – warm or cool.

The easiest way to show color characteristics is with yellow. On the left is a “warm” yellow, and on the right is a “cool” yellow. It is very important to know the various characteristics of the colors that you are planning to mix.

*Warm yellow (left) and cool yellow (right)*

The characteristic greatly affects the result in a color wheel or when mixing neutrals.

Here is an example of a color wheel with primary and secondary colors clearly marked on the ring. However, it will shift if a warm or cool yellow is combined with a warm or cool red to produce an orange. This ultimately affects the creation of neutrals.

For example, green will shift if blue is combined with a warm yellow or cool yellow.

Also, combining blue with orange produces wonderful variations for shadows that reflect both warm and cool lights.

We are familiar with spattering a drop to make sure that it will glow on stage, as some contemporary colors look “dead” under certain lighting conditions. That is never the case with distemper painting, as the actual painting process ensures that every color will reflect light.

For example, a blue sky, always has a little warmth (orange/red/burnt sienna) added to the color, and this allows a sky to transition from a beautiful sunrise to midday to sunset. The same can be said for mixing shadow colors and washes, whether applied as a transparent glaze or an opaque wash.

This (orange/blue) color combination appeared on historic scenery in North American, the UK, and Europe. Here is an example from the Stadsschouwburg (Municipal Theatre), Kortrijk, Belgium.

*Matching colors to replicate a composition at the Stadsschouwburg, Kortrijk, Belgium.*

Working with a minimal color palette in the beginning works best for understanding distemper paint. I love to show Tobias Mayer’s color triangle from 1758. It looks at a unique combination of primaries (blue, red, and yellow). In the end, it is important to select four colors (blue, red, yellow, and dark) when exploring strategic color combinations for the stage.

Once strategic combinations are understood, we move on to the application and an economy of brush stroke.

Here is an example of a floral detail from a palatial courtyard scene.

There is a basic contrast of value that must be used for painted illusion on stage. This is crucial when painting for a distance. The audience’s eye really needs to work.

When a subject is finely painted, with careful blending, like in the art of trompe l’oeil, it does not read well from a distance. I will later go into depth about this when we get to the drapery painting project.

The flower below shows a selection of dark, medium, and light colors without any careful blending. There is a distinct contrast of color and value.

Each of these values also alternates between warm and cool. The dark-medium-light values alternate cool-warm-cool or warm-cool-warm.

Even when the same value is used (pictured below), there is an alternation of warm and cool. The strategic color placement for the foliage allows the object to shift under stage lights and appear more realistic from a distance. It reads better from the audience and does not appear flat.

Our first exercise explored both color and painting process.

Here are a few examples of my own color swatches. Before any distemper painting process, I familiarize myself with the colors, even if I have used them before. This often includes a “draw-down” so that I also know how far a color will stretch.

I divided the first project into four quadrants. The intent was for the students experiment with color and viscosity of the distemper palette.

The first step helps facilitate a basic understanding of mixing pigment paste and size. Creating basic color swatches helps us understand not only the color’s characteristic, but also how far the color will extend when thinned out.

*Swatches that I keep on the wall in my studio.*

I believe that everyone needs a moment to experiment with a new type of paint – where the stakes are very low. It is too much to expect students to immediately replicate a stage scene with distemper paint; too much new information actually creates an obstacle to learning. This is the moment to “play” without any self-judgement.

The second quadrant of the first project was to test the opacity and value of each color. It was an opportunity to also experiment with neutrals that would be used on the upcoming projects. I firmly believe that if you know the range of your color palette (what colors can be achieved), you are one step ahead of the game.

Typically, the next two quadrants of the first project would be two color wheels. However, for this class we jumped into base coats – practicing for the next two projects.

In the end, this proved invaluable, as each student had a chance to work with color combinations and application techniques that would be used in both their seascape and drapery projects.

*Constanza Dessain testing colors on the first day of the workshop.*

We learned a lot that first day while overcoming a few obstacles. The stage lighting proved to be a bit of a challenge, as did the fabric weight.

*Starting to experiment with distemper paint on the first day.*

I will start with the fabric and pigments.

Although not quite what I expected, the workshop fabric was the same texture and weight that I have encountered with dozens of historic drops, c. 1890-1920.

It was a cross between a theatrical gauze and very thin cotton sheeting. The silver lining was that each composition could function as a transparency – another great learning opportunity!

Here are the slides that I added in my presentation to address this particular aspect/challenge of the projects:

I first explained the similarity in materials that I had documented throughout my career. Mill stamps are a delight to find on an extant scene. The fabric delivered for the workshop was almost identical to that used by J. M. Deeds Scenic Studio in Spokane, Washington, in 1915.

*Fine sheeting (c. 1914) produced by Delta Mills in North America was very similar to the fabric purchased for the workshop.*

As is the case with most painted scenery, when lit from the front, it all looks opaque. In many cases, it even looks like the painting is on the thickest canvas available. And here is where I want to take a moment and comment on industry standards and variables.

We take it for granted that the scenery fabrics in current use have remained mostly unchanged over the years. That is simply not the case; nor was it the case a century ago. Materials are always dependent upon location, supply, demand, budgetary parameters, and world events.

I agree that there was some consistency in larger metropolitan areas. This was primarily due to client expectations, suppliers and distributers. However, not everyone delivered scenery to prominent New York or London venues.

There was a whole other world where skilled scenic artists in distant locals used a variety of materials. In more rural settings, a wide range of cloth was employed for theatrical scenery, yet the inferior fabric did not detract from the painted illusion.

Here is a detail of extremely thin fabric beneath a distemper painting from the scenic studio of J. M. Deeds in Spokane, Washington, c. 1915.

*Delta Fine sheeting beneath a layer of distemper paint. Painting by J. M. Deeds Scenic Studio, Spokane, Washington, USA.*

This type of fabric was popular for its versatility under various lighting conditions. For example, it was popular for the revelation of a hidden artifact. The detail below shows a 1915 example of a transparency in the center of a treasure chamber scene at the Masonic Theatre in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This is a 1915 drop manufactured by Sosman & Landis Scenic Studio of Chicago, Illinois.

*Fine sheeting (similar to theatrical gauze) used by Sosman & Landis for Masonic scenery in 1915.*

Here is another early-20^h-century example from a theatre in Quincy, Illinois. This was a 1912 transparent drop (same function as a contemporary scrim) manufactured by Toomey & Volland Scenic Studio of St. Louis, Missouri.

*View from behind a transparent drop (left) and painted detail on the front (right)*. *Masonic Theatre by Toomey & Volland Studio, Quincy, Illinois*, c. 1912.

And lastly, here is a transparent drop that was produced by Becker Bros. Scenic Studio of Chicago in 1930 for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Moline, Illinois.

*View of the auditorium from behind the transparent drop.*

*Front of the same transparent drop painted at Becker Bros. Studio in Chicago, Illinois, for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Moline, Illinois*, c. 1930.

Unlike contemporary scenic paint on shark tooth scrim, when holes are filled in the open-weave fabric, it does not destroy the scenic illusion on stage. One could argue that unless the majority of holes in a shark tooth scrim are filled, the entire scene will still successfully function as a transparency on stage.

Here is another view of the same drop from the wings.

*Transparent drop produced by Becker Bros. Studio in 1930.*

The scenic studios of Sosman & Landis, Toomey & Volland, and Becker Bros. were major theatrical suppliers in large metropolitan areas. In the end, the weight of the fabric was often concealed by the skill of the scenic artist. Using a less-expensive fabric also increased the overall profit margin for many studios. As we learned in the workshop, it paints up quite well.

Here is how the our first day of class went after my PowerPoint presentation… We initially worked as a group, cooking size in the morning. Flints Theatre Chandler (https://www.flints.co.uk/ ) supplied the rabbit skin glue (https://www.flints.co.uk/product/all/adh098500 ) and dry pigment (https://www.flints.co.uk/products/haussman-dry-scenic-colours?page=1 ) for this workshop.

To cook the rabbit skin glue on the stage, we used a double boiler on a hot pot, placed on a metal table. You can successfully use a variety of appliances that use indirect heat – this is just one method. I have often picked up crockpots to cook glue too.

A side note on selecting animal glue… I personally used a combination of hide glue and technical gelatin (high-clarity). In the past I worked with the chemist at Bjorn Industries . The company offers a variety of hide glue grades, ranging in strength and clarity. Their is also a quaint family-owned aspect to the company, with their products being delivered in a Ziplock bag.

*Hide Glue that I use for distemper painting in the US.*

For the Distemper painting workshop, we used the following HATO pigments:

Lemon Yellow, Chrome Yellow, Indian Yellow, Raw Sienna, True Orange Medium, True Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Turquoise Blue, Crystal White.

*I selected Indian Yellow for the workshop, as it was the closest to the orange that I use for distemper painting.*

And two pigments from Mylands: Burnt Umber and Raw Umber.

Everything went well, but I really missed my two standard colors: a cool red (one to counter the warm red) and a really dark brown (Van Dyke). Although black was available, I refuse to place that on my scenic art palette (unless it is for a sign painting project). That is a whole other discussion and has to do with stage light.

Fortunately, the Raw Umber was uncharacteristically dark, almost filling the Van Dyke gap. Despite this minor deficit, the projects did not suffer from a lack of color options.

I am also going to address pigment quality and availability. For me, even poor-quality dry pigments are better than pre-mixed scenic paints.

I also consider sustainability when planning a scenic art project. The distemper paint system is a relatively green process with very, very, very little waste. In its dry form, color and hide glue can be stored for decades. Dry pigment paste that dries on a palette, or in a pail, can also be reconstituted, again and again. The only waste is size water that has turned. However, the shelf life of size can be greatly extended if stored in glass, left uncovered, and refrigerated. It can easily keep for up to a month in proper conditions.

I’ll start with a note on the Flints website concerning their Dry Scenic Colors:

Flints have struggled to maintain a regular supply of good quality Dry Powder Pigments so we have now decided to stock this excellent range from Germany. Haussmann have been producing these fine pigments for many years, so we are very confident that we will be able to provide you with a consistent range of excellent quality scenic powder pigments with some really vibrant bright colours plus a good selection of earths. A hand painted colour chart is available for a nominal sum. Please note, the Raw and Burnt Umber pigments are now from an alternate supplier, as Haussmann are no longer able to supply them. We have elected to do this in order to ensure we can supply an adequate range.

It is wonderful that Flints carries dry colors, and there are many pros to using the distemper painting system. Here is a slide that I included in my presentation:

Also, if you are looking for a color that is not carried by a theatrical supplier, check out the fine art world.

*Dry pigments used by Waszut-Barrett in the US.*

Here are a few other dry pigment suppliers:

Sennelier (https://www.sennelier-colors.com/en/Pigments_17.html )

Gamblin (https://gamblincolors.com/oil-painting/color/dry-pigments/ )

C. Robertson & Co. (https://www.croberson.co.uk/other-brands/cornelissen.html )

Lutea (https://lutea.be/en/ )

Bulk Apothecary (https://www.bulkapothecary.com/pigment-powder-colors/ )

Rublev Colours (https://rublevcolours.com/products/ )

This is not a finite list, and dry pigment is available from numerous art stores, including Dick Blick, Jackson’s, Jerry’s Artarama Art Supplies, Etsy, Archsupplies, and more. Dry pigment is far easier to purchase now, and more readily available, than thirty years ago.

Throughout the duration of the Distemper Painting Workshop, the stage lighting proved to be a challenge, in term of both temperature and direction. However, we were able to rearrange the frames and add some lighting booms to resolve some of the issues.

By the end of the first day, we recognized that two rows of projects created very poor lighting conditions in some areas.

*The first configuration of project frames.*

We opted to have a single row of frames, placed directly between two main light sources hanging above the stage. This provided a general wash that equally illuminated all of the projects. It also allowed students to view their projects from the auditorium.

*The second configuration of project frames. This worked beautifully!*

Additionally, we placed a sheet of black plastic between the frame projects, blocking light from the other side, as the fabric was so thin. This was Grit Eckert’s idea, as she was reminded of some scenic studios who used black behind the vertical frame when painting transparent scenes.

I want to take a moment to thank Grit for her amazing assistance throughout the entire workshop. She was there to document the process, as well as lending a helping hand whenever needed. It would not have been possible to run this class as smoothly as it went without her assistance.

*Grit Eckert helping me cover the ground rows.*

My next post will look at seascape projects, and why this type of exercise may be the best introduction to distemper painting.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1070 – “Colors Vibrate the Same as Music,” P. Dodd Ackerman, 1921

In the midst of both global and personal strife, P. Dodd Ackerman explored a new stage aesthetic at home and abroad. Newspapers would later report, “Mr. Ackerman, as early as 1912, saw the coming of the modern decorative art into the theater of this country, an art that had been in vogue for some time in Germany, Austria, Russia, and to a degree in France and Italy. Feeling that the time would come when scenic painting and theater decorations would respond to the modernist movement and, in order to be fully prepared when this movement came, he went abroad to study” (New York Tribune, 27 March 1921, page 48).

By 1920 Ackerman remarried and was on a different trajectory with new wife and young son in tow; he was becoming part of a theatre movement.

On May 1, 1921, the “New York Tribune” included an article about color theory for the stage, interviewing P. Dodd Ackerman (page 4).

“Colors Vibrate Same as Music, Designer Says” was the heading for the article.

Here is the article in its entirety:

“P. Dodd Ackerman Explains How Scenic Art is an Accessory to the Drama.

“There have been more radical changes in scenic painting for the stage in the last three years than in fifty years previous,” says P. Dodd Ackerman, who painted and designed scenery for “The Broken Wing,” now running at the Forty-eighth Street Theater.

“Where in the past color was thrown indiscriminantly on canvas and shadow lights were employed to give the outline of figure, all of which seemed to produced the illusion of naturalness, this situation no longer holds. Psychology, that science of mind which but a few years ago was understood by only the elect but to-day is understood by millions, has exerted an influence on the painting of scenery for theatrical use. It has brought about a realization that color affects human beings and synchronizes with human emotions if properly applied, and by this same token can create a disturbing element that makes for discord.

“Colors vibrate the same as music tones. The effect of color on the emotions of an audience is a subject that has long been a problem for serious study by the producer of plays, the costumer and the scenic artist. Why red should be the color to indicate danger or green safety no one knows, but still the fact remains that such is the case. Whether red, with its suggestion of fire, or green, of verdant fields, has anything to do with this still remains a matter of speculation. The emotional vibration sent out by red of the prismic ray is known to scientists to be the most powerful and excitiative, while the blue and violet are the most sedative. Lumière, the greatest of all authorities on color influence, after a series of tests covering many years, described the effects of color as the engine that propelled the various phases of human emotion to a perfect consummation of desired results.

“With the stage production reaching its present state of artistic perfection, the scenic artist can no longer paint his scenery merely to represent the outward appearance of the requirements in the manuscript. He must read the manuscript as carefully as the producer, who determines on his reading whether he is willing to make a presentation of it. The artist must make a serious and analytical study of the script and determine the predominating emotion of each act and choose his color scheme for the scenery in order to attain a perfect synchronization of color and emotion. By this means alone can a happy blending of scenery and dialogue, together with the acting of the company, produce the effect hoped for by the author and the manager to obtain complete success for their efforts.

“Speaking in an elementary way, for the purpose of providing simple experiments of color influence, the reader can easily determine the effect of amber in creating depression. By the use of pink exhilaration is promoted. A room done entirely in green simulates morbidity, while on the other hand blue is soothing. It has been discovered that the deeper and darker the tones of blue used as a decorative color scheme the more soothing and peaceful and cam is the influence on human emotion. Brown is a non-emotional color. It creates a sense of firmness and solidity. These suggestions can be utilized to as good advantage in home decoration as they have been in stage scenery. A sombre setting, with a flash of color, upsets synchronization of emotion, with the color scheme of a setting, just as awkward words clash in a musical score with notes intended to be complementary thereto.

“Lighting is so closely allied with stage settings that if there is not a unity of purpose between the two the audience gets the discord, which in this instance is unpleasing to the eye. In consequence thereof the play fails to satisfy and good acting is curtailed of effect.”

To be continued…