Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1985 - 30

Book Reviews / from page 27 ...

Graphics jor the Perjorming Arts

almost incestuous pattern of innuences,
however, are the genuinely distinctive styles
and techniques of these artists; innuences
are obviously transcended as each one
evolves his or her own hallmarks. Indeed,
for the health of American theatre, one of
the most promising, implicit messages of this
book is that these artists are not content to
settle into narrow, repetitive patterns but
continue seeking a variety of fresh approaches and techniques.
The obverse of Aronson's relatively informal approach designed for accessibility
and readability, however, is a certain randomness in providing data. True, a chronological list of productions for each designer
is provided at the end of the book, but there
is no bibliography of publications by or
about these artists, and one often has to
guess at details such as a designer's age or
date of birth. Moreover, an Index would
certainly have been welcome to facilitate
access to the many specific artists (not only
designers), productions, and organizations
that are mentioned. Specifically, there is no
List of Illustrations. The illustrations themselves are generally first rate and well reproduced, but occasionally Aronson cannot
avoid the inadequacies of scenographic documentation in our theatre. For example,
although David Mitchell is described as a
"foremost proponent of projected scenery,"
there is no illustration that clearly indicates
this.
The book makes engrossing reading, but
there is a certain confusion of impressions;
the work of the designers tends to blur in the
memory. Aronson should have risked being
less objective to the extent of providing
some additional overview that would differentiate among these artists according to
stylistic, conceptual, or technical tendencies. Similarly, the study would have benefitted from a more systematic indication of
affinities between the work of these desioners and the pioneering landmarks of artists
like Craig, Appia, the Futurists, Constructivists, and artists of the Bauhaus. Aronson
does not ignore this entirely-allusions to
Brecht are frequent - but he should have
followed through with it more thoroughly.
Putting aside carping criticism, we can
celebrate the appearance of something virtually unique in American publishing: a
substantive and skillfully wrinen account of
a spectrum of our outstanding scenographic
artists, whose achievement are all too often
slighted in our theatre' obsession with peronalities and hits.
Jarka M. Burian
State niversity of I ew York, Albany

Theatre Design & Technology I

by Harvey Sweet. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1985. ISB 0-205-08300-5,281
pp., ill., 532.95 paper.
Harvey Sweet's new book on graphics,
which has a chapter on figure drawing and
costume rendering contributed by Deborah
M. Dryden, details the essential tools and
techniques used for the creation of theatrical design drawings. Filled with many illustrations, including a four page color insert, the book is a primer which takes the
novice from the initial steps of drawing a
basic noor plan through some of the m;re
advanced techniques used by accomplished
designers in the construction of threedimensional renderings.
Sweet carefully lays out the chapters in
a logical progression. In the early chapters,
the author gives detailed descriptions of the
tools, techniques, and conventions used in
mechanical drawing, and he provides many
examples of actual elevational and plan
views of theatrical senings. In Chapter
Four, he takes the novice through the complex procedure of transferring a noor plan
into a three-dimensional, perspective elevation. Although this method has been described in other technical theatre texts,
Sweet's straightforward writing style and
step- by-step method make it easily comprehensible for the novice artist.
The author's skill at simplifying complex
techniques is also evident in the chapter on
"Light and Shadow" with a lucid explanation of the angle of incidence and renectance (that is, the angle at which a ray of
light strikes an object is equal to the angle
at which it reflects). His discussion is bountiful with many intriguing sketches and examples that show how to graphically plot an
object's shadow on a nat or perpendicular
surface. By using illustrations of the color
wheel and figures showing contrast, gradation, and saturation, as well as three sample
renderings, the author does an adequate job
of describing the mixture of color. In the
final chapter, he discusses freehand pencil
strokes and how to accomplish a graded
wash with watercolors, as well as pen and
ink drawing methods and acrylic painting.
There are a few minor problems with
Sweet's work. First, the book begins with a
tedious chapter describing some of the basic
equipment and materials. There are lengthy
descriptions of drawing boards and Tsquares followed by photographs of them,
which even a novice might find toO basic or
unnecessary. Occasionally, Sweet seems to
overemphasize the definition of the tools,
although he does not neglect to define their
use. This imbalance transforms into dogmatism when Sweet, who should be conce~-
trating on the techniques of drawing, admonishes his reader in his first rule of
"Rules for Mechanical Drawing" to "not

SITT I Fall 1985

eat or drink at the drawing table." Also, ir
the color section there is no step- by-ster
method of coloring a realistic rendering.
Since there is much discussion of paintinl'
techniques, perhaps the author should hav~
guided the reader through a very simplified
color rendering.
In contrast, in her chapter on figur~
drawing and costume rendering, Dryden
brieny outlines the tools and contributes an
effective lesson on figure drawing and costume rendering. She begins by defining th~
proportions of the human body, and continues with concrete observations on the
features of the face, hands, and feet. Finally, Dryden discusses body balance and contour, successfully illustrating the connections between body pose and clothing.
At the end of each chapter are student
exercises, and in the back is a bibliography
and appendices, which include sample
drawings, photographs and renderings.
Most notable here is that the author has included the "USITT Graphic Standards
Board Recommendations for Standard
Graphic Language in Scene Design and
Technical Production," which, as it~ inclusion suggests, should be adopted by any aspiring theatrical artist.
This work can be recommended as a
good basic text to introduce the novice to
the standard practices used in creating, as
well as reading, the drawings associated
with the performing arts. Because it is
sharply focused on standard drawing techniques, it can also be recommended as a
good reference book for designers.
0
Tom Mikotowicz
Brooklyn, .Y.
continued on page 30 ...

CORRECTION

The Cleveland Playhouse
The cap(ion accompanying (he plan
oj (he Cleveland Playhouse complex
(Summer 1985, p. 14) should have read:
Studio One and Founders Hall is
between (he Drury and (he BolfOn.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1985