DOI Heft:
No. 317 (August 1919)
DOI Artikel:Hurst, Hugh: Dazzle-painting in war time
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21358#0109
DAZZLE-PAINTING IN WAR-TIME.
TO the lover of the ship for the ship's
sake the appearance of our docks in
the great ports during the war may perhaps
have come as somewhat of a shock, but to
the artist the transformation from a mono-
tonous uniformity to a scene presenting a
pageant-like array of strong colour and
strange designs this change can have been
nothing but a joy. Certainly it has proved
to many painters not merely a stimulus to
record one outward aspect of the war,
but a direct source of inspiration towards
design and colour. It was the artist who
in devising means for saving tonnage pro-
vided, by accident as it were, these splendid
scenes of fleets clothed in their war-paint,
such as were never before and, possibly,
may never again be seen. 000
Although the accompanying drawings
naturally lose some of their effect by being
reproduced in black and white, to the
uninitiated they may perhaps appear suffi-
ciently bizarre. Those who were not
fortunate enough to see the docks at one
of our great ports during the war may
imagine the arrival of a convoy—or, as
frequently occurred, two at a time—of
these painted ships, and the many miles of
docks crowded with vessels of all sorts,
from the stately Atlantic liner to the hum-
bler craft bearing its cargo of coal or
palm oil, each resplendent with a variety
of bright-hued patterns, up-to-date designs
of stripes in black and white or pale blue
and deep ultramarine, and earlier designs
of curves, patches, and semicircles. Take
all these, huddle them together in what
appears to be hopeless confusion, but which
in reality is perfect order, bow and stern
pointing in all directions, mix a little sun-
shine, add the varied and sparkling reflec-
tions, stir the hotchpotch up with smoke,
life, and incessant movement, and it can
safely be said that the word “ dazzle ” is
not far from the mark. 000
On the many misty and grey days of
winter perhaps even more strange effects
were to be found, for then the pale colours
would merge into nothingness, weird
patterns of black and dark blue stand out
"H.M.T. ‘MAURETANIA'’ ENTERING HALF-
TIDE DOCK AT LIVERPOOL.’’ WATER-COLOUR
BY LIEUT. L. CAMPBELL TAYLOR, R.N.V.R.
93
TO the lover of the ship for the ship's
sake the appearance of our docks in
the great ports during the war may perhaps
have come as somewhat of a shock, but to
the artist the transformation from a mono-
tonous uniformity to a scene presenting a
pageant-like array of strong colour and
strange designs this change can have been
nothing but a joy. Certainly it has proved
to many painters not merely a stimulus to
record one outward aspect of the war,
but a direct source of inspiration towards
design and colour. It was the artist who
in devising means for saving tonnage pro-
vided, by accident as it were, these splendid
scenes of fleets clothed in their war-paint,
such as were never before and, possibly,
may never again be seen. 000
Although the accompanying drawings
naturally lose some of their effect by being
reproduced in black and white, to the
uninitiated they may perhaps appear suffi-
ciently bizarre. Those who were not
fortunate enough to see the docks at one
of our great ports during the war may
imagine the arrival of a convoy—or, as
frequently occurred, two at a time—of
these painted ships, and the many miles of
docks crowded with vessels of all sorts,
from the stately Atlantic liner to the hum-
bler craft bearing its cargo of coal or
palm oil, each resplendent with a variety
of bright-hued patterns, up-to-date designs
of stripes in black and white or pale blue
and deep ultramarine, and earlier designs
of curves, patches, and semicircles. Take
all these, huddle them together in what
appears to be hopeless confusion, but which
in reality is perfect order, bow and stern
pointing in all directions, mix a little sun-
shine, add the varied and sparkling reflec-
tions, stir the hotchpotch up with smoke,
life, and incessant movement, and it can
safely be said that the word “ dazzle ” is
not far from the mark. 000
On the many misty and grey days of
winter perhaps even more strange effects
were to be found, for then the pale colours
would merge into nothingness, weird
patterns of black and dark blue stand out
"H.M.T. ‘MAURETANIA'’ ENTERING HALF-
TIDE DOCK AT LIVERPOOL.’’ WATER-COLOUR
BY LIEUT. L. CAMPBELL TAYLOR, R.N.V.R.
93