Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1998 - 45

pose for him, but he found the whole
process dreary and uninspiring; eventually by scribbling away, he devised
some very idealized visions of Isadora
gliding through the clouds, prancing in
pools of light, and bouncing in the
\vings of an old-time theatre. (E. A.
Craig 207)
Thus, the first element of influence is discovered. The subjects for Craig's designs were
now dancers. Not only was he confronted \vith
drawing the female body but also capturing the
freedom of which no dancer had before accomplished. Before he worked \vith Duncan, his
subjects were set designs that were abstractions of strong architectural elements and costume designs conceived to complement his set.
E. A. Craig's statement concerning his
father's ability to accomplish the designs for the
Isadora Mappe is rather belittling. Craig's work
entailed more preparation than just "scribbling."
An examination of Craig's sketchbook of 1905, in
the Craig-Duncan ColleCtion, reveals more than a
hundred figure studies of tunic-clad dancers.
These were what was left after Craig edited the
collections. This is more than just "scribbling."
Because these drawings were done in charcoal, and meant to be studies and not finished
products, they reveal Craig's process in learning to draw Duncan dancing. ills beginning
sketches show still figures perpendicular to
the ground, with the majority of the weight at
the feet (Figs. I and 2). On later portfolio pages
(Figs. 4-8), the figures begin increasingly to
"move" and finally to "dance."
David A. Lauer, in his book Design Basics, states that movement can be discerned in
two-dimensional works by such techniques as
"repetition," "illusions of motion," "multiple images," "optical movement," "rhythm," "alternating rhythm," and "progressive rhythm."
(I32-45) Repetition, Lauer explains, "is the recunence of a motif of colors or textures, but
most often we think of rhythm in the conte},1 of
shapes." (I42) Craig achieves this idea in his
dra\ving in Figure 6. The waves in the background are repeated in the hem of tile cL'U1cer's
skirt and the bloused second layer of her dress.
Thus, Craig achieved an illusion of movement
througll his repetition of waved lines.
"Optical Movement" is anotiler technique
to create the illusion of motion. "Optical
movement is tile visual pattern ... [which] literally forces our eyes to keep moving about
the painting. This constant eye movement encourages. .. the dynantic quality in each image." (Lauer 135) Craig accomplishes the

One of the oldest de\~ces used to create
the illusion of motion, according to Lauer, is
that of repeating a figure. Craig's understanding of tltis principle can be noted in tile drawings in Figure 8. Essentially, the two figures are
striking tile same pose. Craig is shOWing the
pose from two angles, wltich gives the impression of movement.
The last technique for creating a sense of
motion is the use of progressive rhythm. L1uer
desClibes tltis element as tile "progression of
concenl1ic shapes timt establishes a rhythmic pattem." (I46) The result of this technique is sintilar to the pattem caused by a pebble tlu'own into

"optical movement" technique rather dranlatically in Figure 7. Craig's design of the five
dancers forces the eye to move around the
page many times to catch all the details of the
positions the dancers are striking. The drawing in these figures is also an excellent example of "Multiple Image" technique. Tltis is
accomplished "when we see one figure in an
overlapping sequence of poses; the slight
change in each successive position suggests
movement taking place." (Lauer 132) The figures in Figure 7 exemplify Craig's success with
tltis technique, as the figures overlap and illustrate movement in tile dance poses.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1998