LUCRATIVE BYWAYS OF ART.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 205, 23 May 1908, Page 11

LUCRATIVE BYWAYS OF ART.

A Melbourne girl who lias studied art with some success in London writos to tho " Argus" : —" In England tbero is naturally a much wider field than thore is in Australia for women trained in" any of the different branches of applied arts. But even then the competition is koen, thero being so many competent workers on tho ground, though, of oourse, from time to timo good opportunities are sure to present themselves. In tho world of art, fashion _ drawing has taken a prominent placo, and it needs its own particular qualifications. No amount of, artistic training will by itself make a fashion artist out of a woman who has no inborn sense of tho right thing in clothes, nor tho gift of tho spirit of the passing style or modo. : 'Of course, there are plenty of women who combine both these necessary qualities, and .'so long as _ women's papers increase this branch of art is likely' to follow suit; but still tho chances' of big .pay are not so numerous as thoy wero a few years-ago. Then, tho pioneers in this direction made incomes which ran into thousands a year, and thero are at the present moment many capablo workers earning from £300 to £700 per annum. For fashion drawing an art school training should be supplemented by a few months in tho studio of an artist in fashion who would, of co.urse,'. expect a'premium, of; from £20 and upwards, though it sometimes happens that a' jji'rl who shows special talent and tho capacity to do good work is taken on for tho help sho can givo in return for instruction. When this is through sho is fit to become a contributor to journals, and to design dresses or sketch costumcs. If she is lucky she gets a regular position with a fixed salary, and one of tho best paying and most.delightful of positions is that of designer to one of the big shops, but it needs a constitution of . iron, for tho work is never ending.' Ono has to bo prepared to go anywhere, Paris or Vienna, at a moment's notice, and at tho same timo every chango in a rival .establishment must be noted, and every effort niado to surpass : it. There, is a gambling element in this branch of tho business 'that makes it most fascinating."