Let us try to define that quality which makes
an artist "tick.” Every bit of work he docs starts
out with the premise that it has a message, a pur-
pose, a job to do. What is the most direct answer,
the simplest interpretation of that message he
can make? Stripping a subject to its barest and
most efficient essentials is a mental procedure.
Every inch of the surface of his work should be
considered as to whether it bears important re-
lationship to a whole purpose. He sees, and his
picture tells us the importance of what he sees
and how he feels about it. Then within his pic-
ture he stresses what is of greatest importance,
and subordinates what must l>e there but is of
lesser importance. He will place his area of great-
est contrast about the head of the most im-
portant character. (OCR)