Question About Newspaper Artists'.

[Homeschooler]

I'm curious about what a civil war era sketchbook looked like, particularly what the newspaper or "special" artists used. I'm also curious on how newspaper artists got more sketchbooks, pencils, etc., while out in the field. Would the newspaper send them art supplies or would the artist have to buy the supplies from a town or city?

 

[RedRover]

A general statement...

From a post-war description of 1893 of some of the leaders in the field...

Here's A.R. Waud sketching at Gettysburg after the battle...

 

[BartlbyAdams]

A general statement...

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From a post-war description of 1893 of some of the leaders in the field...

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Here's A.R. Waud sketching at Gettysburg after the battle...

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Alfred Rudolph Waud - Artvee

View public domain artworks by Alfred Rudolph Waud on Artvee.

artvee.com

Full collection of Mr. Alfred Waud's illustrations. Truly remarkable works.

 

[JOHN42768]

Alfred Rudolph Waud - Artvee

View public domain artworks by Alfred Rudolph Waud on Artvee.

artvee.com

Full collection of Mr. Alfred Waud's illustrations. Truly remarkable works.

Thanks for posting. Half way through. Very talented artist.

 

[BartlbyAdams]

I have had trouble finding a way to get access to the London Illustrated Newspaper that has some truly astounding pieces as well. I've only collected one of them & getting the actual article has been challenging.

 

[Homeschooler]

A general statement...

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From a post-war description of 1893 of some of the leaders in the field...

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View attachment 569561
View attachment 569563
View attachment 569564
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Here's A.R. Waud sketching at Gettysburg after the battle...

View attachment 569557

Thanks for posting! Very good information about the artists and the illustrating process.

 

[Homeschooler]

Alfred Rudolph Waud - Artvee

View public domain artworks by Alfred Rudolph Waud on Artvee.

artvee.com

Full collection of Mr. Alfred Waud's illustrations. Truly remarkable works.

Very cool! There's another collection of Waud's post-war work at the Louisiana Digital Library.

 

[Rhea Cole]

I'm curious about what a civil war era sketchbook looked like, particularly what the newspaper or "special" artists used. I'm also curious on how newspaper artists got more sketchbooks, pencils, etc., while out in the field. Would the newspaper send them art supplies or would the artist have to buy the supplies from a town or city?

Have I got a deal for you.

When what we would call the art director of Leslie's Illustrated retired he carried what we would call the morgue with him. The Becker Collection has over 300 special corespondent drawings with him. Read more here.

Link:

Browse Items · The Becker Collection

The Library of Congress has a collection of Civil War drawings. The site is easy to use. Read more here,

Link:

Research Guides: Documentary Drawings in the Library of Congress, 1776-1970: Civil War Drawings

This guide gives an overview of about 4,000 Prints & Photographs Division drawings by American and international artists including eyewitness drawings from the American Civil War. Research strengths, search strategies, and related resources are covered.

guides.loc.gov

Adolph Metzner was not a special corespondent. He was a soldier. The drawings submitted to Leslie's & Harpers were self censored. Metzner drew what he saw. The Library of Congress collection covers a wide variety of subjects. Read more here.

Link:

Artwork from the Western Front: Adolph Metzner Civil War Drawings | Picture This

As an admirer of Civil War drawings, a recently digitized collection of drawings by Adolph G. Metzner piqued my interest. The difference in style from many other drawings of the time, along with the richness of color, drew me in to learn more about this man and his artwork. Born August 13, 1834...

blogs.loc.gov

Winslow Homer was a remarkable draftsman. His were more formally composed than his peers. Read more here.

Link:

https://dn790002.ca.archive.org/0/items/winslowhomer183600home/winslowhomer183600home.pdf

These collections are a comprehensive representation of the work submitted by the special correspondents.

 

[Library Lady]

Oh my! The book shown below was left for me yesterday on the desk in the "office" for the book side of the used book and record shop where I volunteer. Unfortunately, it was more than a bit beat and at 11 x 15 x 1.5 inches and 512 pages hardbound would have been difficult to transport and/or mail for my Civil War book sale activity so I didn't buy it. We put it in a collection of books for a collage artist whose works are made out of/from books. She was invited to a program out East that seeks US history-themed works, so we thought it would be perfect for her.

Edited to add: Since copy/paste of images is now not working for me, either, we'll do it this way.

Frank Leslie's Illustrated History of the Civil War - Reference Book - Fairfax Press from Fairfax Press

The World's Largest Selection of tabletop games!

www.nobleknight.com

 

[Bruce Vail]

A general statement...

View attachment 569558


From a post-war description of 1893 of some of the leaders in the field...

View attachment 569560
View attachment 569561
View attachment 569563
View attachment 569564
View attachment 569566



Here's A.R. Waud sketching at Gettysburg after the battle...

View attachment 569557

Here is a rendition of an artist's portfolio of the era:

 

[Rhea Cole]

The Next Question…

How Were The Drawings Turned Into The Printed Page?

After the intrepid members of the "Bohemian Brigade" had observed a scene, made their drawing, refined it & sent it off to the publisher, then what? Read more here.

Link:

A History Quivering with Life: Civil War Drawings | Picture This

Imagine an expanse of hilly countryside. Fill it with with hundreds, perhaps thousands of men, battling to the death. Now put yourself into that scene. Listen to the clash of metal as swords and bayonets meet, the boom of cannons firing, the voices yelling. You’re in danger: there are bullets...

blogs.loc.gov

Link:

The Civil War Sketches of Alexander Simplot | Wisconsin Historical Society

The Civil War sketches of Alexander Simplot were reproduced as engravings for use in newspapers.

www.wisconsinhistory.org

The sketches were rendered onto end grain blanks made up of blocks of apple wood by skilled woodblock engravers.

Link:

"How Illustrated Newspapers Are Made," Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (1856) | Visual Culture of the American Civil War

As a professional artist, I have always been deeply impressed with the observational skills & draftsmanship of the Bohemian Brigade special corespondents. They were the best in the world at what they did. Today, we understand that their ability to take in a scene, remember it & render it is facilitated by hyperphantasia.

That describes a direct link between the frontal cortex and the visual cortex in the back of the brain. Spacial Hyperphantasia where the subject can, in effect, watch vivid full detailed movies of past experiences occurs in (+/-) 1 % of the population.

Marvelous as that is, the results would have been confined to a sketchbook or portfolio without the exquisite craftsmanship of the woodblock engravers that converted the images into printing plates.

Link:

Woodcut, Woodblock, and Wood Engraving, Defining the Medium favored by Albrecht Dürer and Katsushika Hokusai

A closer look into woodcut printing mediums that were popularized by artists from all over the world, like Durer and Hokusai.

news.masterworksfineart.com

You might imagine that after photographic processes replaced wood block engraving the craft would have died out very quickly. Not so, read more here.

Link:

Wood Engraving - Letterpress Commons

wood engraving tools and techniques for letterpress printing

letterpresscommons.com

 

[Trooper "D"]

I'm curious about what a civil war era sketchbook looked like, particularly what the newspaper or "special" artists used. I'm also curious on how newspaper artists got more sketchbooks, pencils, etc., while out in the field. Would the newspaper send them art supplies or would the artist have to buy the supplies from a town or city?

Newsprint. China White and Charcoal pencils. Regular pencils with pen knife and emory board. Gum rubber eraser. Big drawing board like made today. Clips and rubber band to stabilize paper to board. Their own tent with easel or portable draughting board. Straight edges. T Square. Watercolors. Brushes. Wash Payne's Grey. Watercolor paper. All the pencils and brushes roll up in a cloth or leather wrap. Various sizes bound sketchbooks.
That should get ya started.

 

[Trooper "D"]

The Next Question…

How Were The Drawings Turned Into The Printed Page?

After the intrepid members of the "Bohemian Brigade" had observed a scene, made their drawing, refined it & sent it off to the publisher, then what? Read more here.

Link:

A History Quivering with Life: Civil War Drawings | Picture This

Imagine an expanse of hilly countryside. Fill it with with hundreds, perhaps thousands of men, battling to the death. Now put yourself into that scene. Listen to the clash of metal as swords and bayonets meet, the boom of cannons firing, the voices yelling. You’re in danger: there are bullets...

blogs.loc.gov

Link:

The Civil War Sketches of Alexander Simplot | Wisconsin Historical Society

The Civil War sketches of Alexander Simplot were reproduced as engravings for use in newspapers.

www.wisconsinhistory.org

The sketches were rendered onto end grain blanks made up of blocks of apple wood by skilled woodblock engravers.

Link:

"How Illustrated Newspapers Are Made," Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (1856) | Visual Culture of the American Civil War

As a professional artist, I have always been deeply impressed with the observational skills & draftsmanship of the Bohemian Brigade special corespondents. They were the best in the world at what they did. Today, we understand that their ability to take in a scene, remember it & render it is facilitated by hyperphantasia.

That describes a direct link between the frontal cortex and the visual cortex in the back of the brain. Spacial Hyperphantasia where the subject can, in effect, watch vivid full detailed movies of past experiences occurs in (+/-) 1 % of the population.

Marvelous as that is, the results would have been confined to a sketchbook or portfolio without the exquisite craftsmanship of the woodblock engravers that converted the images into printing plates.

Link:

Woodcut, Woodblock, and Wood Engraving, Defining the Medium favored by Albrecht Dürer and Katsushika Hokusai

A closer look into woodcut printing mediums that were popularized by artists from all over the world, like Durer and Hokusai.

news.masterworksfineart.com

You might imagine that after photographic processes replaced wood block engraving the craft would have died out very quickly. Not so, read more here.

Link:

Wood Engraving - Letterpress Commons

wood engraving tools and techniques for letterpress printing

letterpresscommons.com

This info is integral to my field artist's impression and Living History. I haven t seen it before I don't think. If I could get my hands on a field offset printer....now that would be nice.
Thanks for posting this

Cheers!

 

[Rhea Cole]

Here is a link to a book that you will want to read., 'The Bohemian Brigade, Civil War Newsmen In Action." Read book here.

Link:

Bohemian Brigade Civil War Newsmen In Action : Louise M. Starr : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

This is an excellent article. It includes a quote that I have found handy, "… the Union army used 10 different types of saddles…." referring to how the illustrators checked the accuracy of their drawings with soldiers on the spot. Read more here.

Link;

Soldiers of the Press - Essential Civil War Curriculum

 

[Rhea Cole]

I was an artist / illustrator in Peace Corps Ecuador in the 1970's. I carried a sketchbook with me at all times. I have been a living history volunteer at Stones River since 1994. Drawing in the field isn't always easy.

I don't have any idea why the recent upgrade on CWT or my phone rolls images to the right.

I would suggest that you carry a hard bound sketchbook. It will be easy to handle & have a period appearance.

A gunner's leather bag is just the right size. Put a piece of 1/4" plywood in it as a backing. That makes a very practical field desk.

You will want to join "Our Bohemian Brigade" private Facebook group.

 

[Rhea Cole]

As far as media goes, keep it simple. En pleinaire drawing is challenging. You will have to work very quickly with a solid graphite pencil to block in the scene & figures. Work loose as you develop the shapes.

I do not recommend trying to ink over the pencil in the field. A quill pen & ink is awkward at any time. One gust of wind & it is Buster Keaton's impression of an artist at work.

Carry an iPhone in a pistol holster. It is readily at hand & to put back.

Use a pair of tabletop metal easels from Michael's to ink loose preliminary pencil sketches .

Here is a sideways view of my set up.

Here is the pleinaire sketch side by side with the photo. I have become very fond of using this brand of sumi brush marker.

It looks & feels like a real brush. Unlike other brands I have tried, it holds its point. Also find it at Mechael's.

This is my canvas haversack from Blockade Runner in Wartrace TN & the Bristol paper spiral bound sketchbook that fits it nicely.

Here is a birthday present still on the box.

I am in no way attempting to make a photo realistic illustration. I don't erase the pencil lines after I ink it. I really like having the process a part of the image.

Do post images of your work. We need to add a Bohemian Brigade to CWT.

RC

 

[Homeschooler]

Thank you all for the information, it is really helpful. My mom joined the Facebook group. Here are some examples of my work.

I usually don't sketch during reenactments because I portray a soldier, but I'm interested in doing a sketch artist impression.

 

[Trooper "D"]

I was an artist / illustrator in Peace Corps Ecuador in the 1970's. I carried a sketchbook with me at all times. I have been a living history volunteer at Stones River since 1994. Drawing in the field isn't always easy.

I don't have any idea why the recent upgrade on CWT or my phone rolls images to the right.


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I would suggest that you carry a hard bound sketchbook. It will be easy to handle & have a period appearance.

A gunner's leather bag is just the right size. Put a piece of 1/4" plywood in it as a backing. That makes a very practical field desk.

You will want to join "Our Bohemian Brigade" private Facebook group.

Those are nice. I illustrated some things also. Impractical to be a soldier and illustrator for 3 days. Those guys lived in the field and had plenty of time to sketch around.

 

[Trooper "D"]

Thank you all for the information, it is really helpful. My mom joined the Facebook group. Here are some examples of my work.View attachment 569829 View attachment 569830 View attachment 569831 View attachment 569832 View attachment 569833


I usually don't sketch during reenactments because I portray a soldier, but I'm interested in doing a sketch artist impression.

Really good stuff. I'm impressed. When I was young I would constantly be drawing human forms. I got so natural with it that my little sketches in the margins of school notes surprise me today. I also like to leave the construction lines. It gives a sense of movement with a dynamic figure or scene. I tried taking photos and then blowing up the image on xerox machines to get the images together as one. Not so good with that. Inkjet copiers are awesome though. Rough sketch on drawing paper and then copying onto watercolor paper with the ability to adjust size and then dry wash watercolor paint and fill in the lines where detail is lacking with assorted ink sizes. It works great and if that one doesn't float yer boat you can always start over with the original. Slap them into dollar store frames and behind the glass they looked great. Finance your impression with some Pre made stock. Hard to sell at events while soldiering also. Find a time and place to hawk your wares.
What size are these sketches?
Sorry. I don't mean to Lord over your. I just get excited with reenactors and then and extra push for artists and musicians. Take and us what you will or ignore my blathering. Its up to you.
Good luck for sure.

 

[Peace Society]

Winslow Homer in particular, and probably artists in general, would make sketches at the site and then go home and work up a painting. Their sketch notes might be enough to re-spark memory years later.