PLAN No. 391. MADE COMMON PICTURES LOOK LIKE OIL PAINTINGS
Here is the way a man, who knew very little about drawing or painting, made any ordinary picture look like an expensive oil painting, and made a living by doing this work. He did it according to the following instructions:
“Take common window-glass the size of your picture and clean it well; take 6 ounces balsam of fir and 3 ounces turpentine; put them in a bottle and shake well together until thoroughly mixed. Now give one side of the glass a heavy coat of the mixture, then place the picture on with face side down; press the picture firmly and evenly on the glass, then give the back of the picture a heavy coat of the balsam mixture and rub with the fingers until it adheres firmly to the glass and the face of the picture is free from spots. After you have done this, put the picture where it will be free from dust until it dries; it is then ready for the paint.
“Brushes for painting the pictures should be artists’ round sable brushes with long handles, Nos. 1 and 7. Paint the dark part of the eyes first, dark or blue, as you may fancy; then color the cheeks and lips; after the dark part of the eyes is dry, paint the white part. Color the dress to suit your taste, but whatever part of the dress you want to be white you must paint first. Paint gold ornaments with yellow paint. Give the picture three coats of every color you use, letting each coat dry separately, leaving the flesh color until the last, letting the rest of the picture dry well before applying it, then give it three separate coats.
“For making lighter shade or color, add the light paint to the color drop by drop until you have the color you want. Paint on the back of the pictures. Use small pictures to practice on until you get the knack of it.”