204.
PAINTING.
sence: this may be varnished with two layers of spirit of wine.8. To make a steel-colour, grind separately in essence white ce-ruse, Prussian blue , fine lac, and verdegrise. The tone requiredis procured by the proper mixture of these ingredients. Whenyou have fixed on the tone of colour, take about the size of a wal-nut of the ingredients, and dilute them in a small vessel in onepart of the essence and three parts of white oily varnish. N. B.This colour is generally made of white ceruse, of black charcoal,and Prussian blue , grinded in thick oil, and diluted in essence,which is the cheapest method of procuring it; but the former isthe most beautiful. <). for painting ballustrades and railings,dilute lamp-black with varnish and Vermillion ; giving two layersof it, and afterwards two layers of spirit of wine varnish. Sincethe discovery of oil-painting, and the knowledge that wood is pre-served by it, and especially since the discovery of a varnish with-out smell, and which even takes away that of oil, the painting ofapartments in oil has been with justice preferred. In fact the oilstops up the pores of the wood ; and although it does not altoge-ther resist the impression of moisture, yet the eflect is so littleperceptible, that it is to be recommended as the best method ofpreserving wood. 10. To preserve wainscotting in the most effec-tual manner from moisture, it is necessary to paint the wall be-liind it with two or three layers of common red, grinded and di-luted in linseed-oil. To paint the wainscotting itself, give a layerof white ceruse grinded in oil of walnuts, and diluted in the sameoil mixed with essence. This layer being dry, give two more ofthe colour you have adopted, grinded in oil and diluted in pureessence. If the mouldings and sculpture be wished painted in a■different colour, grind and dilute it in the same manner. Twoor three days after, when the colours are fully dry, give two orthree layers of the white varnish without smell, which also pre-vents the offensive smell of the oil-colours. Ah B. Those whobegin their operations in water-colours, if they find it more agree-able, may finish it in oil-colours as above. When the pores of thewood are well stopped by the prepared white, a layer of white ce-ruse grinded in oil of walnuts, and diluted in the same oil, mixedwith essence, may be applied. This will be sufficient, the woodbeing previously primed ; and afterwaids lay on your intendedcolour and varnish.
Of Painting (Economical in Oil with the polishedVahnish.
I. This is the best kind of oil-painting, owing more to the careit requires, than to the proceedings, for they are nearly the samewith those of simple oil-painting; the difference consisting only inthe preparation and manner of finishing. I. To paint wainscot-lings of apartments with the polished varnish, it is necessary, in thefirst place that the pannels be new. Then make the surface of thesubject which you mean to paint, very smooth and level, which isdone by a layer, which serves to receive the hard tint or polishedground and the colours. This layer ought to be of white, what-ever colour is to be afterwards applied. It consists of white ce-ruse, grinded very fine in linseed-oil mixed with essence. 2.Make the polished ground by seven or eight layers of the hardtint. In painting equipages, a dozen is necessary. The bard tint ismade, by grinding pure white ceruse, which has not been much cal-cined, very finely m thick oil, and diluting it with essence. Takecare that the layers of the hard tint be not only equal as to theapplication, but to the quantity of the white ceruse and the oil,and to the degree of calcination. Then, 3. Soften this groundwith pumice-stone. 4. Polisli it moderately with a piece of sergesoaked in a pail of water, in which is put some powder of pumice-stone finely grinded and passed through in a fine sieve. There isno occasion to spare washing, as this part of the operation will notspoil with water. 5. Choose the tint with which you intend todecorate your apartment; grind it in oil, and dilute it in essence ;pass it through a very fine silk, give two or three layers carefullyand thinly spread over the surface, as on this part of the operationdepends in a great measure the beauty of the colour. Alt sortsof colours may be employed in this manner in oil of essence. 6.Give two or three layers of spirit of wine varnish, if it is to wain-scotting ; if to the body of a coach, a varnish of oil is employed.If the varnish is to be polished, it is necessary to give seven oreight layers at least, laid on equally and u ith great precaution,not to be thicker in one place than another, which occasions spots.
7. It is again polished with pumice-stone reduced to powder andwater and a piece of serge. If the wainscotting has been paintedbefore, it is necessary to rub off the colour to the hard tint, whichis done with pumice-stone and water, or with a piece of linen dip-ped in essence.
II. There is a white painting in oil, called white varnish polish,which corresponds to the king’s white m water-colours, and isequal to the freshness and gloss of marble if it is applied to wood.To paint in this maimer, 1. Give a layer of ceruse grinded in oilof walnuts, with a little calcined copperas, and diluted in essence.But if it is applied to stone, it is necessary to employ oil of wal-nuts and calcined copperas alone. 2. Grind white ceruse veryfine in essence, and dilute it in fine white oil with varnish copal'.3. Give seven or eight layers of it to the subject. The varnishmixed with the while ceruse dries so promptly, that three layersof it may be given in a day. 4. Soften and polish all the layersas above. 5. Give two or three layers of white lead grinded in oilof walnuts, and diluted in pure essence, d. Give seven or eightlayers of white spirit of wine varnish, and then polish them.
To paint in varnish, is to employ colours grinded and diluted invarnish, either in spirit of wine or oil, on all sorts of subjects.Wainscotting, furniture, and equipages, are painted in this man-ner, though we shall confine ourselves to the first. 1. Give twolayers of white of Bougival , diluted ill a strong size boiling hot. 2.Give a layer of what the French call de blane apprit. 3. Fill upthe defects of the wood with mustich in water ; and when thelayers are dry, smooth them with the pumice-stone. 4. When thewood is smooth, suppose the paint a grey colour, take one poundof w hite ceruse, one drachm of Prussian blue , or of black of char-coal or ivory black ; put the white into a piece of leather, so tiedthat the colours cannot escape ; shake them till they are suffi-ciently mixed. 5. Put two ounces of colours into a quartern ofvarnish, mix them carefully ; give one layer above the white. 6.This layer being dry, put one ounce ol colours into the samequantity of varnish as above, and give a second layer. 7. To thethird layer give half an ounce of colour to the same quantity ofvarnish. 8. As eacli of these layers dry, be careful to rub themwith a piece of new coarse cloth, in such a manner, however, asnot to injure the colour. N. B. The three layers may lie givenin one day. 9. If a perfect lustre is wanted, add a fourth layerprepared as the third. 10. All other colours, as blue, &c. maybe applied in the same" manner. This method is the only one bywhich orpiment can be employed in all its beauty, but not with-out some of its inconveniences. Another method, of performingthis kind of work, is to apply the colours and the varnish withoutpreviously using the size and the white ground. This is ex-tremely expeditious, but it is easy to perceive it will want the po-lish and brilliancy of the other. We shall conclude this article bypresenting the reader with a few’ established rules for judging ofthe goodness of a painting. These rules, which are to be appliedoccasionally, are the following : 1. The subject must be finelyimagined, and, if possible, improved ip the painter’s hands; hemust think well as a historian, poet, philosopher, or divine, andmore especially as a painter, in making a wise use of all theadvantages of his art, and in finding expedients to supply itsdefects. 2. The expression must be proper to the subject,and the characters of the persons: it must be strong so thatthe dumb shew may be perfectly and readily understood:every part of the picture must contribute to this end ; colours,animals, draperies, and especially the actions of the figures, andabove all the hairs of the head. 3. There must be one princ'pa!light, and this, and all the subordinate ones, with the shadows andreposes, must make one entire and harmonious mass ; (he severalparts must be well connected and contrasted, so as to render thewhole as grateful to the eye, as a good piece of music to the ear.By this means the picture is not only more delightful, but betterseen and comprehended. 4. The drawing must be just; nothingmust be flat, lame, or ill-proportioned ; and these proportionsshould vary according to the characters of the persons drawn. 5.The colouring, whether gay or solid, must he natural, beautiful,and clean, and what the eye is delighted with, in shadows, as wellas lights and middle tints; and whether the colours are laid onthick, or finely wrought, they must appear to be doue by a light7 and