ELEGANT AND INGENIOUS ARTS, ETC.
Water-Colors—Potichomanie—Grecian Painting—Diaphanic Feather Flowers—Sea-Weeds—Botanical Specimens—Leaves—Plants—Fungi—Transferring—Etching—Staining—Leather-work—Games, etc.
1390. Home Pursuits, etc.—See Part III., [page 151.]
1391. Accomplishments.—These are very desirable for the household, because the inmates are made happier by refined and ingenious arts and pursuits, and are fitted to improve the taste of others.
1392. Children and young persons, of both sexes, should learn as many of these arts as they possibly can without neglecting duties. Pleasant modes of employing leisure hours save people from many temptations, and add much to the happiness of life.
WATER-COLORS USED IN DRAWING.
1393. Indian Ink.—The best is stamped with Chinese characters, breaks with a glossy fracture, and feels smooth when rubbed on the plate.
1394. Hair Pencils are made of camel's-hair; if they come to a point, when moistened, without splitting, they are good.
1395. Drawing Paper.—That made without any wire marks, and called wove paper, is the best; it is made of various sizes and thicknesses.
1396. To make a good White.—Clarify white lead with white-wine vinegar. After the powder has settled, pour off the vinegar, put the powder into a glass of water, stir it, and pour the water off while it is white into another glass; when it is settled, pour off the water, and an excellent white will be obtained. To this add gum enough to give it a gloss.
DIRECTIONS FOR MIXED COLORS.
1397. Ash Color.—Ceruse white, Keating's black and white, shaded with cherry-stone black.
1398. Bay.—Lake and flake white, shaded with carmine; bistre and vermilion shaded with black.
1399. Changeable Silk.—Red lead and masticot water, shaded with sap-green and verdigris.
1400. Another.—Lake and yellow, shaded with lake and Prussian blue.
1401. Cloud Color.—Light masticot, or lake and white, shaded with blue verditer.
1402. Another.—Constant white and Indian ink, and a little vermilion.
1403. Another.—White, with a little lake and blue verditer, make a good cloud color for that part next the horizon.
1404. Crimson.—Lake and white, with a little vermilion, shaded with lake and carmine.
1405. Flame Color.—Vermilion and orpiment, heightened with white.
1406. Another.—Gamboge, shaded with minium and red lead.
1407. Flesh Color.—Ceruse, red lead, and lake, for a swarthy complexion, and yellow ochre.
1408. Another.—Constant white and a little carmine, shaded with Spanish liquorice washed with carmine.
1409. French Green.—Light pink and Dutch bice, shaded with green pink.
1410. Glass Grey.—Ceruse, with a little blue of any kind.
1411. Hair Color.—Musticot, ochre, umber, ceruse, and cherry-stone black.
1412. Lead Color.—Indigo and white.
1413. Light Blue.—Blue bice, heightened with flake white.
1414. Another.—Blue verditer, and white of any sort, well ground.
1415. Light Green.—Pink, smalt, and white.
1416. Another.—Blue verditer and gamboge.
1417. Another.—Gamboge and verdigris. This is chiefly used for the ground colors of trees, fields, &c.
1418. Lion Tawny.—Red lead and masticot, shaded with umber.
1419. Murrey.—Lake and white lead.
1420. Orange.—Red lead and a little masticot, shaded with umber.
1421. Orange Tawny.—Lake, light pink, a little masticot, shaded with gall-stone and lake.
1422. Pearl Color.—Carmine, a little white, shaded with lake.
1423. Popinjay Green.—Green and masticot; or pink and a little indigo, shaded with indigo.
1424. Purple.—Indigo, Spanish brown, and white; or blue bice, red and white lead; or blue bice and lake.
1425. Russet.—Cherry-stone black and white.
1426. Scarlet.—Red lead and lake, with or without vermilion.
1427. Sea Green.—Bice, pink and white, shaded with pink.
1428. Sky Color.—Light masticot and white, for the lowest and lightest parts; second, red ink and white; third, blue bice and white; fourth, blue bice alone. These are all to be softened into one another at the edges, so as not to appear harsh.
1429. Sky Color for Drapery.—Blue bice and ceruse, or ultramarine and white, shaded with indigo.
1430. Straw Color.—Masticot and a very little lake, shaded with Dutch pink.
1431. Yellow Color.—Indigo, white, and lake; or fine Dutch bice and lake, shaded with indigo; or litmus smalt and bice, the latter predominant.
1432. Water.—Blue and white, shaded with blue, and heightened with white.
1433. Another.—Blue verdigris, shaded with indigo, and heightened with white.
1434. To prevent Colors from Cracking.—Boil two ounces of the best and clearest glue, with one pint of clear water, and a half an ounce of alum, till dissolved. With this temper those colors intended for the sky.
1435. To make a Solution of Gum.—Dissolve an ounce of white gum arabic, and half an ounce of double refined sugar, in a quart of spring water; strain it through a piece of muslin, and bottle it to keep it free from dust.
1436. To keep Flies from the Work.—Having prepared the gum water for the colors, add a little coloquintida.
1437. To prepare Alum Water.—Take four ounces of alum, and a pint of spring water; boil it till the alum is thoroughly dissolved, and then filter it through blotting-paper.
1438. To use Alum Water.—Before laying on the colors, take some of this water, hot, and with a sponge wet the back of the paper, which, if not good, must be wet three or four times, letting the paper dry each time before wetting it again. This will prevent the sinking of the colors, and give them additional lustre.
1439. To make Lime Water.—Put unslaked lime in a well-glazed pan; cover it with pure water, and let it remain for one day. Then strain off the water. This water will change sap-green into blue.
TO PREPARE WASH COLORS FOR MAPS.
1440. Blue.—Dilute Saxon blue with water; or to the solution of litmus add distilled vinegar.
1441. Green.—Dissolve verdigris in distilled water and add gum arabic.
1442. Or, dissolve sap-green in water and add gum.
1443. Red.—Steep Brazil dust in vinegar, with alum. Or, dissolve litmus in water and add spirit of wine.
1444. Or, steep cochineal in water, strain, and add gum.
1445. Yellow.—Dissolve gamboge in water; or French berries steeped in water the liquor strained, and gum arabic added.
TO MIX WATER-COLORS FOR ANIMALS.
1446. Horses, Black.—Black lightly laid on, shaded with Keating's black and bistre, heightened with masticot.
1447. Horses, Chestnut Brown.—Red ochre and black mixed together, shaded with black, heightened with red ochre and white.
1448. Horses, Gray.—Black and white mixed, shaded with black, white, and bistre; heightened with pure water.
1449. Lions.—Color much in the same manner as horses, adding lake in the ground color.
1450. Bears.—Brown ochre, red ochre, and black, mixed; shaded with bistre and ivory black.
1451. Wolves.—Spanish liquorice and black, shaded with black.
1452. Asses.—Black and white mixed; or, add a little brown ochre, shaded with black.
1453. Elephants.—Black, white, and Spanish liquorice, mixed; shaded with black and bistre; the inner part of the nose, vermilion and white, shaded with black.
1454. Monkeys.—Dutch pink and black, heightened with masticot and white: the face, black and bistre mixed, as also their feet; their bodies, shaded underneath with black and pink mixed with a little brown ochre.
FRUIT IN WATER COLORS.
1455. Apples.—Thin masticot mixed with verdigris, shaded with brown ochre.
1456. Cherries.—Vermilion and lake, shaded with carmine, heightened with vermilion and white.
1457. Grapes, Blue.—Dark purple shaded with blue; the bloom, bice.
1458. Grapes, White.—Verdigris and masticot mixed, shaded with thin verdigris heightened with masticot and white.
1459. Peaches.—Thin masticot shaded with brown ochre; the bloom, lake heightened with white.
1460. Pears.—Masticot deepened and mellowed with brown ochre.
1461. Strawberries.—White; draw it over with vermilion and lake, shaded with fine lake, heightened with red lead and masticot mixed, and then with white; stipple them with white and thin lead.
TO PAINT FLOWERS.
1462. Anemones.—A thin wash of gamboge shaded with bistre; or carmine and sap-green blended together. The stripes carmine, shaded with the same; indigo in the darkest parts, or stipple with it.
1463. Leaves.—Sap green, shaded with indigo and French berries; the stalk brown.
1464. Honeysuckles.—Inside of the petals, white shaded with sap-green, or gamboge and bistre.
1465. The insides are to be shown by curling the leaves back at the ends, or by splitting them.
1466. The outsides, a thin wash of carmine and lake mixed, shaded with carmine—indigo for the darkest shades.
1467. Stalks.—Sap-green and carmine.
1468. Leaves.—Sap-green, shaded with indigo and French berries.
1469. Roses.—A light tint of pure carmine, over which another equally light of Peruvian blue; proceed with the darker shades of carmine of the best sort.
1470. In the darkest part of the flower add a little indigo to give a roundness. If the seeds are seen lay on gamboge, shaded with gall-stone.
1471. Leaves.—Upper side, sap-green, shaded with indigo and French berries mixed; under-side, white indigo and sap green mixed, shaded with the same.
1472. Stalks.—Sap-green and carmine, shaded with indigo.
1473. Rose-buds.—A pale wash of carmine, shaded with a stronger wash of the same.
1474. Stalks and leaves, sap green with a slight wash of carmine.
BIRDS IN WATER-COLORS.
1475. Eagles.—Black and brown, shaded with indigo; feathers heightened by brown ochre and white; beak and claws saffron, shaded with bistre; eyes vermilion, heightened with masticot or saffron, shaded with vermilion.
1476. Geese.—Ceruse shaded with black; legs, black; bill, red.
1477. Owls.—Ochre mixed with white, in different shades; legs, yellow ochre.
1478. Pheasants.—White and black mixed; legs, Dutch pink, shaded with black.
1479. Swans.—White shaded with black; the legs and bills black; eyes yellow; a ball in the midst.
1480. Turkeys.—Back, black and white mixed, shaded off to a white underneath; sprinkled and shaded with black.
LANDSCAPES IN WATER-COLORS.
1481. Sketch the outlines faintly with a black-lead pencil. Then color.
1482. Colors.—The most useful are: lake, burnt ochre, gamboge, indigo, light red, sepia, Prussian blue, sienna, and burnt umber.
1483. The gray color is made of burnt umber, indigo, and lake; each rubbed separately in a saucer, and then so mixed in a fourth saucer as to produce the exact color—a warm gray. This is thinned for the light tints, as sky and distances.
Deeper is to be used for the shadows and near parts, softening with water till the exact effect is produced.
1484. Buildings are sometimes tinted with a mixture of lake and gamboge. Burnt ochre is also used. The shadows have an excess of lake.
1485. Breadths of Light are obtained by destroying the scattered lights with grays.
1486. Clouds are produced by a thin mixture of indigo and lake. They should be tinted with sepia. The lower or horizontal clouds are tinged with ultramarine.
1487. Figures are touched with lake and indigo.
1488. Force is acquired by adding sepia to indigo, in the cold parts, and sepia with lake to the glowing parts.
1489. Grass is washed with a mixture of burnt sienna, indigo, and gamboge; that in shadow has more indigo. Grass and bushes may be brought out by a tint of gamboge; distances may be heightened by lake.
1490. Hills, retiring.—Tint the whole with weak blue; then the nearer ones with indigo and lake; add a little gamboge to the next, keeping one subordinate to the other; the most distant being lost in the aerial tints.
1491. Land, distant.—Ultramarine and lake. Ground near is tinted with ochre.
1492. Road and Paths.—A mixture of lake, burnt umber, and burnt sienna. It may be tinted with ochre.
1493. Smoke.—Lake and indigo.
1494. Trees, distant.—Ultramarine, with a wash of indigo, gamboge, and burnt sienna, tinted with gray. The middle distance trees have a thin wash of burnt sienna and gamboge. Nearer trees a wash of burnt sienna, indigo, and gamboge. In the shadows more indigo is used.
1495. Opposing masses of trees are tinted with sepia and indigo.
1496. Windows.—Indigo and burnt umber.
POTICHOMANIE.
1497. This elegant accomplishment, which has become so extremely popular and fashionable, promises not only to supercede altogether many of those meretricious accomplishments which have hitherto absorbed the attention of our fair countrywomen, but to rank among the fine arts.
1498. Advantages of this Art.—It possesses many advantages: and the process is simple and easily acquired.
1499. It is an exceedingly pleasing and interesting employment, requiring no previous knowledge of drawing, yet affording abundant space for the exercise of the most exquisite taste.
1500. The time employed is richly repaid; the results produced are of actual value; articles of ornament and domestic utility being produced, in perfect imitation of the most beautiful Chinese and Japanese porcelain, of Sèvres and Dresden china, and of every form that is usual in the productions of the Ceramic Art.
1501. It furnishes an inexhaustible and inexpensive source for the production of useful and elegant presents, which will be carefully preserved as tokens of friendship, and as proofs of the taste and talent of the giver.
1502. Articles necessary in the Art of Potichomanie.—Glass vases (Potiches en verre,) of shapes suitable to the different orders of Chinese, Japanese, Etruscan, and French porcelain, Alumettes, &c.; cups, plates, &c., &c., of Sèvres and Dresden design.
1503. Sheets of colored drawings or prints, characteristic representations of the designs or decorations suitable to every kind of porcelain and china.
1504. A bottle of liquid gum, and three or four hog-hair brushes.
1505. A bottle of varnish, and very fine pointed scissors for cutting out.
1506. An assortment of colors for the foundation, in bottles.
1507. A packet of gold powder, and a glass vessel for diluting the colors.
1508. Directions.—We will suppose the object selected for imitation to be a Chinese vase.
1509. After providing yourself with a plain glass vase, of the proper shape, you take your sheets of colored prints on which are depicted subjects characteristic of that peculiar style.
1510. From these sheets you can select a great variety of designs, of the most varied character, on the arrangement and grouping of which you can exercise your own taste.
1511. After you have fully decided upon the arrangement of your drawings, cut them out accurately with a pair of scissors, then apply some liquid gum carefully over the colored side of the drawings, and stick them on the inside of the vase, according to your own previous arrangement—pressing them down till they adhere closely, without any bubbles of air appearing between the glass and the drawings.
1512. When the drawings have had sufficient time to dry, take a fine brush and cover every part of them (without touching the glass) with a coat of parchment size or liquid gum, which prevents the oil color (which is next applied) from sinking into or becoming absorbed by the paper.
1513. When the interior of the vase is perfectly dry, and any particles of gum size that may have been left on the glass have been removed, your vase is ready for the final and most important process.
1514. You have now to tint the whole of the vase with a proper color to give it the appearance of porcelain; for up to this time, you will recollect, it is but a glass vase, with a few colored prints stuck thereon.
1515. Select from your stock of prepared colors, in bottles, the tint most appropriate to the kind of china you are imitating (as we are now supposed to be making a Chinese vase, it will be of a greenish hue), mix fully sufficient color in a glass vessel, then pour the whole into the vase.
1516. Take now your vase in both hands, and turn it round continually in the same direction, until the color is equally spread over the whole of the interior: when this is satisfactorily accomplished, pour back the remainder. If the prepared color is too thick, add a little varnish to the mixture before applying it.
1517. If preferred, the color may be laid on with a soft brush. Should the vase be intended to hold water, the interior must be well varnished after the above operations, or lined with zinc or tin foil.
1518. If the Potichomanist wishes to decorate the mouth of his vase with a gold border, he can do so by mixing some gold powder in a few drops of the essence of lavender and some varnish, applying it on the vase with a fine brush; or he can purchase gold bands, already prepared for application, in varied sheets, suitable to the Potichomanie designs.
1519. Potichomanists have found the art capable of greater results than the mere imitation of porcelain vases, by the introduction of glass panels (previously decorated with beautiful flowers on a white ground) into drawing-room doors, and also into walls which, being panel papered, offer opportunities of introducing centre pieces of the same character as the doors; elegant chess and work-tables, folding and cheval-screens, panels for cabinets, chiffoniers and book-cases, slabs for pier and console-tables, glove-boxes, covers for books, music, albums, &c.
1520. The most common cause of failure is, that the drawings inside are not thoroughly pressed down.
GRECIAN PAINTING.
1521. Grecian Painting is the art of imitating oil paintings.
1522. This truly beautiful imitation, if well done, is so perfect that none save connoisseurs can discern, at sight, the difference.
1523. Engravings best suited to this style of painting are mezzotint or aquatint, though fine lithographs are used.
1524. Rule First.—Procure a frame one inch longer than the engraved part of the print.
1525. Second.—Cut the engraving the size of the frame, then make a stiff paste, and spread it thickly on the frame.
1526. Third.—Place the engraving face down and sponge it gently with water; then press the frame firmly and evenly down on; leave it till entirely dry (not by the fire), and it will become even and tight.
1527. To make the Grecian Varnish.—Take one part turpentine, two parts alcohol (90 proof), three parts balsam of fir, and mix.
1528. To use the Varnish.—Pour sufficient spirits of turpentine on the back of the picture to moisten it well, then put on the varnish and rub it thoroughly with a stiff brush, and continue to apply it until the picture is perfectly transparent.
1529. Spots.—Leave the picture for twenty-four hours, after which if white spots appear, showing that the varnish has not been effectual, repeat the process. Sometimes it has to be done several times.
1530. Drying.—Place the picture, face downward, where it will be free from dust, and leave it three or four days.
1531. Paints.—These are put on the back of the engraving.
1532. Eyes.—For blue eyes, permanent blue and white; for hazel eyes, yellow ochre and Van Dyke brown.
1533. Flesh Tints.—Flake white, with a very little vermilion and Naples yellow.
1534. Foliages.—Chrome yellow and Prussian blue, with any of the browns.
1535. Sky.—Clouds touched in with white; the rest permanent blue and white.
1536. Water.—The light parts with white, the rest the same as the sky. If a bright scene, and with trees, of a greenish brown.
1537. Hair and Eyebrows.—Yellow ochre and Van Dyke brown, or raw sienna.
1538. Backgrounds.—The most agreeable tint is a greenish brown.
1539. White Background.—Flake and silver white.
1540. Buff Background.—Naples yellow.
1541. Orange Background.—Chrome yellow, with vermilion.
1542. Blue Background.—Flake white and Prussian blue.
1543. Gray Background.—White, Prussian blue, and vermilion.
1544. Pink Background.—White and vermilion.
1545. Crimson Background.—Vermilion and white, with carmine.
1546. Green Background.—Chrome yellow and Prussian blue.
1547. Paints for the Front of the Picture.—Drying oil must be used with all the colors on the front.
1548. Shading for the Flesh on the Front.—Carmine and Van Dyke brown laid on lightly, and the edges touched off with the finger.
1549. Cheeks.—Carmine; soften the edges carefully.
1550. Lips.—Carmine, with a touch of vermilion.
1551. Hair and Eyebrows.—Yellow lake and Van Dyke brown.
1552. Draperies.—These are always painted on the back, and shaded on the front with Van Dyke brown.
1553. Backgrounds.—If plain, glaze with yellow lake.
1554. Foliages.—Yellow lake and Van Dyke brown.
1555. General Directions.—First—Lay the paint thickly on the back, and be careful to cover every part, but not to go over the edges.
1556. Second—When the painting is finished let it dry four days, and then cover the front with a coat of mastic varnish.
1557. Materials required, are a palette, palette-knife, flat varnish brush, three sizes of bristle brushes, three sizes of table brushes, drying oil, mastic varnish, spirits of turpentine, Grecian varnish.
1558. Colors used are oil colors in tubes. Those generally needed are silver white, Naples yellow, yellow ochre, brilliant yellow, vermilion, Prussian blue, raw sienna, ivory black, carmine, yellow lake, Van Dyke brown.
1559. If economy is an object, some of the above-mentioned materials can be dispensed with.
DIAPHANIE.
1560. This is a beautiful, useful, and inexpensive art, easily acquired, and producing imitations of the richest and rarest stained glass; and also of making blinds, screens, skylights, Chinese lanterns, &c., in every variety of color and design.
1561. In decorating his house, an American spends as much money as he can conveniently spare; the elegancies and refinements of modern taste demand something more than mere comfort: yet though his walls are hung with pictures, his drawing-room filled with bijouterie, how is it that the windows of his hall, his library, his staircase, are neglected?
1562. The reason is obvious. The magnificent historical old stained glass might be envied, but could not be brought within the compass of ordinary means. Recent improvements in printing in colors led the way to this beautiful invention, by which economy is combined with the most perfect results.
1563. A peculiar kind of paper is rendered perfectly transparent, upon which designs are printed in glass colors (vitre de couleurs), which will not change with the light.
1564. The paper is applied to the glass with a clear white varnish, and when dry, a preparation is finally applied, which increases the transparency, and adds tenfold brilliancy to the effect.
1565. There is another design, printed in imitation of the half-light (abat-jour); this is used principally for a ground, covering the whole surface of the glass, within which (the necessary spaces having been previously cut out before it is stuck on the glass), are placed medallion centres of Watteau figures, perfectly transparent, which derive increased brilliancy from the semi-transparency of the surrounding ground.
1566. To ascertain the quantity of designs required, measure your glass carefully, and then calculate how many sheets it will take. The sheets are arranged so that they can be joined together continuously, or cut to any size or shape.
1567. Practical Instructions.—Choose a fine day for the operation, as the glass should be perfectly dry and unaffected by the humidity of the atmosphere.
1568. Of course, if you have a choice, it is more convenient to work on your glass before it is fixed in the frame. If you are working on a piece of unattached glass, lay it on a flat table (a marble slab is preferable), over which you must previously lay a piece of baize or cloth to keep the glass steady.
1569. The glass being thus fixed, clean and polish the side on which you intend to operate (in windows this is the inner side), then with your brush lay on it very equably a good coat of the prepared varnish; let this dry for an hour, more or less, according to the dryness of the atmosphere and the thickness of the coat of varnish.
1570. Meantime cut and trim your designs carefully to fit the glass (if it is one entire transparent sheet you will find it little trouble); then lay them on a piece of paper, face downwards, and damp the back of them with a sponge, applied several times, to equalize the moisture.
1571. After this operation, arrange your time so that your designs may now be finally left to dry for fifteen minutes before application to the glass, the varnish on which has now become tacky or sticky, and in a proper state to receive them.
1572. Apply the printed side next to the glass without pressure; endeavor to let your sheet fall perfectly level and smooth on your glass so that you may avoid leaving creases, which would be fatal.
1573. Take now your palette, lay it flat on the design, and press out all the air bubbles, commencing in the centre, and working them out from the sides; an ivory stick will be found useful in removing creases; you now leave this to dry, and after twenty-four hours apply a slight coat of the liqueur diaphane, leaving it another day, when if dry, apply a second coat of the same kind, which must be left several days: finally, apply a coat of varnish over all.
1574. If these directions are carefully followed, your glass will never be affected by time or by any variations in the weather: it will defy hail, rain, frost and dust, and can be washed the same as any ordinary stained glass, to which, in some respects, it is even superior.
1575. It is impossible to enumerate the variety of articles to the manufacture of which Diaphanie may be successfully applied, as it is not confined to glass, but can be done on silk, parchment, paper, linen, &c., after they have been made transparent, which may be accomplished in the following manner:—
1576. Stretch your paper, or whatever it may be, on a frame or drawing board, then apply two successive coats (a day between each,) of diaphanous liquor, and after leaving it to dry for several days, cover it with a thin layer of very clear size, and when dry it will be in a fit state to receive the coat of varnish and the designs.
1577. Silk, linen, or other stuffs, should be more carefully stretched, and receive a thicker coat of size than paper or parchment; the latter may be strained on a drawing or any other smooth board, by damping the sheet, and after pasting the edges, stretching it down while damp. Silk, linen, and other stuffs require to be carefully stretched on a knitting or other suitable frame.
1578. Take great care to allow, whatever you use, time to dry before applying the liqueur diaphane.
1579. All kinds of screens, lamp-shades, and glasses, lanterns, &c., &c., may be made in this way, as heat will produce no effect upon them.
1580. The transparent pictures are successful, because they may be hung on a window frame or removed at will, and the window blinds are far superior to any thing of that kind that have yet been seen.
1581. Instead of steeping the designs in the transparent liquor at the time of printing them, which was previously done in order to show their transparency to the purchaser, but which was practically objectionable, as the paper in that state was brittle, and devoid of pliancy, necessitating also the use of a peculiarly difficult vehicle to manage (varnish) in applying it to the glass, the manufacturer now prepares his paper differently, in order to allow the use of parchment size in sticking them on the glass.
1582. The liqueur diaphane, which is finally applied, renders them perfectly transparent. In this mode of operation, no delay is requisite, the designs being applied to the glass immediately after laying on the size, taking care to press out all the air bubbles, for which purpose a roller will be found indispensable.
1583. The designs should be damped before the size is applied to them. We are of opinion that this art may be applied to the production of magic-lantern slides, dissolving views, and dioramic effects; though we are not aware whether such experiments have been tried.
FEATHER FLOWERS.
1584. The art of making feather flowers, though a very easy and inexpensive accomplishment, and yielding pretty ornaments for the mantel-piece or the chiffonier, is but little pursued.
1585. Many persons are under the impression that they can only be made from the feathers of exotic birds, and that these are expensive. But the following instructions will dispel this misconception, and remove the difficulty.
1586. Procure the best white geese or swans' feathers, have them plucked off the fowl with care not to break the web, free them from down, except a small quantity on the shaft of the feather.
1587. Having procured two good specimens of the flower you wish to imitate, carefully pull off the petals of one, and, with a piece of tissue paper, cut out the shape of each size, taking care to leave the shaft of the feather at least half an inch longer than the petal of the flower.
1588. Carefully bend the feather with the thumb and finger to the proper shape; mind not to break the web.
1589. To make the Stem and Heart of a Flower.—Take a piece of wire six inches long: across the top lay a small piece of cotton wool, turn the wire over it, and wind it round until it is the size of the heart or centre of the flower you are going to imitate.
1590. If a single flower, cover it with paste or velvet of the proper color, and round it must be arranged the stamens; these are made of fine India silk, or feathers may be used for this purpose.
1591. After the petals have been attached, the silk or feather is dipped into gum, and then into the farina. Place the petals round, one at a time, and wind them on with Moravian cotton, No. 4; arrange them as nearly like the flower you have for a copy as possible.
1592. Cut the stems of the feathers even, and then make the calix of feathers, cut like the pattern or natural flower. For the small flowers, the calix is made with paste. Cover the stems with paper or silk the same as the flowers; the paper must be cut in narrow strips, about a quarter of an inch wide.
1593. To make the Pastes of the Calix, Hearts, and Buds of Flowers.—Take common white starch, and mix it with gum water until it is the substance of thick treacle; color it with the dyes used for the feathers, and keep it from the air.
1594. To make the Farina.—Use common ground rice, mixed into a stiff paste with any dye; dry it before the fire, and when quite hard, pound it to a fine powder.
1595. The buds, berries, and hearts of some double flowers are made with cotton wool, wound around wire, moulded to the shape with thumb and finger.
1596. Smooth it over with gum water, and when dry cover the buds, berries, or calix with the proper colored pastes; they will require one or two coats, and may be shaded with a little paint, and then gummed and left to dry.
1597. Flowers of two or more shades or colors are variegated with water-colors, mixed with lemon-juice, ultra-marine and chrome for blue, and gold may also be used in powder, mixed with lemon-juice and gum water.
1598. The materials required are some good white goose or swan's feathers; a little fine wire, different sizes; a few skeins of fine floss silk, some good cotton wool or wadding, a reel of No. 4 Moravian cotton, a skein of India silk, the starch and gum for pastes, and a pair of small sharp scissors, a few sheets of colored silk paper, and some water-colors, with the following dyes:—
1599. To Dye Feathers Blue.—Into two pennyworths of oil of vitriol, mix two pennyworths of the best indigo in powder; let it stand a day or two; when wanted shake it well, and into a quart of boiling water put one tablespoonful of the liquid.
1600. Stir it well, put the feathers in, and let them simmer a few minutes.
1601. Yellow.—Put a tablespoonful of the best turmeric into a quart of boiling water; when well mixed, put in the feathers.
1602. More or less of the turmeric will give them different shades, and a very small quantity of soda will give them an orange hue.
1603. Green.—Mix the indigo liquor with turmeric, and pour boiling water over it; let the feathers simmer in the dye until they have acquired the shade you want them. (See 289.)
1604. Pink.—Three good pink saucers in a quart of boiling water, with a small quantity of cream of tartar. If a deep color is required, use four saucers. Let the feathers remain in the dye several hours.
1605. Red.—Into a quart of boiling water dissolve a teaspoonful of cream of tartar, put in one tablespoonful of prepared cochineal, and then a few drops of muriate of tin.
1606. This dye is expensive, and scarlet flowers are best made with the plumage of the red Ibis, which can generally be had of a bird-fancier or bird-stuffer, who will give directions how it may be applied.
1607. Lilac.—About two teaspoonfuls of cudbear, into about a quart of boiling water; let it simmer a few minutes before you put in the feathers. A small quantity of cream of tartar turns the color from lilac to amethyst.
1608. Black.—Use the same as for cloth.
1609. Crimson.—Dip in acetate of alumina mordant, then in a boiling-hot decoction of Brazil wood—and, last of all, pass through a bath of cudbear.
1610. Before the feathers are dyed they must be put into hot water, and let them drain before they are put into the dyes.
1611. After the feathers are taken out of the dye, rinse them two or three times in clear cold water (except the red), which must only be done once. Then lay them on a tray, over which a cloth has been spread, before a good fire; when they begin to dry and unfold, draw each feather gently between your thumb and finger, until it regains its proper shape.
1612. The leaves of the flowers are made of green feathers, cut like those of the natural flower, and serrated at the edge with a very small pair of scissors.
1613. For the calix of a moss-rose the down is left on the feather, and is a very good representation of the moss on the natural flower.
1614. To Preserve Sea-Weed.—This is a delicate process, and may be made like beautiful pictures.
1615. First Process.—Wash the sea-weed in fresh water, then take a plate or dish (the larger the better), cut your paper to the size required, place it on the plate with fresh water, and spread out the plant with a good sized camel-hair pencil in a natural form. Picking out with the pin gives the sea-weed an unnatural appearance, and destroys the characteristic fall of the branches, which should be carefully avoided.
1616. Then gently raise the paper with the specimen out of the water, placing it in a slanting position for a few moments, so as to allow the superabundant water to run off: after which place it in the press.
1617. The Press.—The press is made with either three pieces of board or pasteboard. Lay on the first board two sheets of blotting-paper; on that lay your specimens; place straight and smooth over them a piece of old muslin, fine cambric, or linen: then some more blotting-paper, and place another board on the top of that, and continue in the same way.
1618. The Finishing.—The blotting-paper and the muslin should be carefully removed and dried every day, and then replaced: at the same time, those specimens that are sufficiently dried may be taken away. Nothing now remains but to write on each the name, date, and locality.
1619. The Specimens.—You can either gum the specimens in a scrap-book, or fix them in, as drawings are often fastened, by making four slits in the page, and inserting each corner.
1620. This is by far the best plan, as it admits of their removal, without injury to the page, at any future period, if it be required either to insert better specimens, or intermediate species. Some of the larger Algæ will not adhere to the paper, and consequently require gumming.
1621. Another Way.—After well cleaning and pressing, brush the coarser kinds of Algæ over with spirits of turpentine, in which two or three small lumps of gum mastic have been dissolved, by shaking in a warm place; two-thirds of a small phial is the proper proportion, and this will make the specimens retain a fresh appearance.
BOTANICAL SPECIMENS, LEAF IMPRESSIONS, ETC.
1622. The plants you wish to preserve should be gathered when the weather is dry, and after placing the ends in water, let them remain in a cool place till the next day.
1623. When about to be submitted to the process of drying, place each plant between several sheets of blotting-paper, and iron it with a large smooth heater, pretty strongly warmed, till all the moisture is dissipated.
1624. Colors may thus be fixed, which otherwise become pale, or nearly white.
1625. Some plants require more moderate heat than others, and herein consists the nicety of the experiment; but I have generally found, that if the iron be not too hot, and is passed rapidly, yet carefully, over the surface of the blotting-paper, it answers the purpose equally well with plants of almost every variety of hue and thickness.
1626. In compound flowers, with those also of a stubborn and solid form as the Centaurea, some little art is required in cutting away the under part, by which means the profile and forms of the flowers will be more distinctly exhibited.
1627. This is especially necessary, when the method employed by Major Velley is adopted: viz., to fix the flowers and fructification down with gum upon the paper previous to ironing, by which means they become almost incorporated with the surface.
1628. When this very delicate process is attempted, blotting-paper should be laid under every part excepting the blossoms, in order to prevent staining the white paper. Great care must be taken to keep preserved specimens in a dry place.
1629. Skeleton leaves may be made by steeping leaves in rain water, in an open vessel, exposed to the air and sun. Water must occasionally be added to compensate loss by evaporation.
1630. The leaves will putrefy, and then their membranes will begin to open; then lay them on a clean white plate, filled with clean water, and with gentle touches take off the external membranes, separating them cautiously near the middle rib. When there is an opening toward the latter the whole membrane separates easily.
1631. The process requires a great deal of patience, as ample time must be given for the vegetable tissues to decay, and separate.
1632. A more Expeditious Method.—A tablespoonful of chlorid of lime in a liquid state, mixed with a quart of pure spring water.
1633. Leaves or seed-vessels of plants to be soaked in the mixture for about four hours, then taken out and well washed in a large basin filled with water, after which they should be left to dry with free exposure to light and air.
1634. Some of the largest species of forest leaves, or such as have strong ribs, will require to be left rather more than four hours in the liquid.
1635. Dwarf Plants.—Take a cutting of the plant you wish to dwarf, say a myrtle, for instance, and having set it in a pot, wait until you are satisfied that it has taken root; then take a cutting from it, and place it in a miniature flower-pot, taking care to fill it more than three parts with fine sand, the remainder with mould.
1636. Put it under a glass on the chimney-piece, or in any warm place, and give it very small quantities of water.
1637. Preserve Fungi.—Receipt of the celebrated botanist, William Withering, Esq., by which specimens of fungi may be beautifully preserved.
1638. Take two ounces of sulphate of copper, or blue vitriol, and reduce it to powder, and pour upon it a pint of boiling water, and when cold, add half a pint of spirits of wine; cork it well, and call it "the pickle."
1639. To eight pints of water add one pint and a-half of spirits of wine, and call it "the liquor."
1640. Be provided with a number of wide-mouthed bottles of different sizes, all well fitted with corks. The fungi should be left on the table as long as possible to allow the moisture to evaporate.
1641. They should then be placed in the pickle for three hours, or longer, if necessary; then place them in the bottles intended for their reception, and fill with the liquor.
1642. They should then be well corked and sealed, and arranged in order with their names in front of the bottles.
1643. Leaf Impressions.—Hold oiled paper in the smoke of a lamp, or of pitch, until it becomes coated with the smoke; to this paper apply the leaf of which you wish an impression, having previously warmed it between your hands, that it may be pliable.
1644. Place the lower surface of the leaf upon the blackened surface of the oil paper, that the numerous veins that are so prominent on this side may receive from the paper a portion of the smoke.
1645. Lay a paper over the leaf, and then press it gently upon the smoked paper, with the fingers, or with a small roller, (covered with woolen cloth, or some like soft material), so that every part of the leaf may come in contact with the sooted oil-paper.
1646. A coating of the smoke will adhere to the leaf.
1647. Then remove the leaf carefully, and place the blackened surface on a sheet of white paper, not ruled, or in a book prepared for the purpose, covering the leaf with a clean slip of paper, and pressing upon it with the fingers, or roller, as before.
1648. Thus may be obtained the impression of a leaf, showing the perfect outlines, together with an accurate exhibition of the veins which extend in every direction through it, more correctly than the finest drawing.
1649. This process is so simple, and the material so easily obtained, that any person, with a little practice to enable him to apply the right quantity of smoke to the oil-paper, and give the leaf a proper pressure, can prepare beautiful leaf impressions, such as a naturalist would be proud to possess.
1650. There is another, and we think, a better method of taking leaf impressions than the preceding one.
1651. Leaf Impressions in Ink.—After warming the leaf between the hands, apply printing ink, by means of a small leather ball containing cotton, or some soft substance, or with the end of the finger.
1652. The leather ball (and the finger when used for that purpose), after the ink is applied to it, should be pressed several times on a piece of leather, or some smooth surface, before each application to the leaf, that the ink may be smoothly and evenly applied.
1653. After the under surface of the leaf has been sufficiently inked, apply it to the paper, where you wish the impression; and after covering it with a slip of paper, use the hand or roller to press upon it, as described in the former process. (See 711, [page 176.])
1654. Impressions from Coins.—Melt a little isinglass glue with brandy, and pour it thinly over the medal, &c., so as to cover its whole surface; let it remain on for a day or two, till it has thoroughly dried and hardened, and then take it off, when it will be fine, clear, and as hard as a piece of Muscovy glass, and will have a very elegant impression of the coin. It will also resist the effects of damp air, which occasions all other kinds of glue to soften and bend, if not prepared in this way.
TRANSFERRING TO GLASS, WOOD, Etc.
1655. The process of transferring consists in causing the ink of a print, engraving, mezzotint, or lithograph, to adhere to the surface of glass, wood, cardboard, ivory, or earthenware, which is effected by cementing the face of the prints to their surface by means of some varnish or glutinous transparent body that will not dissolve in water, and then destroying the texture of the paper, so as to leave the ink upon the varnish and material operated on, in the same manner as if the original impression had been there, but of course reversed.
1656. Materials.—The body to which the print is to be transferred.
1657. Spirits and oil of turpentine; oil and varnish colors; seed-lac, white and transfer varnishes; oil of almonds; spirit of wine; a flat and a round brush, and a towel.
The Varnishes.—The seed-lac and white varnishes.
1658. The Transfer Varnish.—Take five ounces of the best spirit of wine, add four ounces of the purified Venice turpentine to it, and an ounce of picked mastic tears; put them into a bottle, shake constantly until the mastic and turpentine dissolve, and in a few hours it will be fit for use, but improves by keeping.
1659. To Transfer to Glass.—Procure a piece of the best crown-glass, as near as possible in size and shape to the print to be transferred, varnish it over with a mixture of equal parts of spirits and oil of turpentine, and lay the print on the glass, beginning at one end, and pressing it gently down with a towel in every part in proceeding to the other.
1660. If this is not done carefully, vesicles of air will be admitted between the paper and glass, and mar the effect. After pressing the print down with the towel, it is to be set aside to dry, which will take some time, varying according to the state of the atmosphere.
1661. When the turpentine has become perfectly hard, the paper must be moistened with water till it is thoroughly saturated, and the paper entirely removed by rubbing very gently with the forefinger in a circular direction, and then set aside to dry, when the impression will be found perfectly transferred, but reversed.
1662. If it is wished to preserve only the appearance of an engraving, a sheet of white paper or Bristol-board must be placed behind the glass; but if required to be colored, the operation must be completed with oil or varnish colors, in such a manner as may impart to it the semblance of a painting.
1663. To Transfer to Wood.—Procure a piece of wood of the required form and size; if flat, it should be newly planed, and rubbed down with pumice-stone and fine sand-paper to make it perfectly smooth and free from grease; if rounded or any other shape, it should be scraped with a piece of glass, then pumiced and sand-papered.
1664. Give the wood a coat of transfer varnish previous to transferring, and set aside for twenty-four hours to dry.
1665. This promotes adhesion of the print to the wood, and secures the latter from being soiled.
1666. Cut off the white margin of the print, then damp it by placing it face upward on the surface of some water in a shallow vessel, taking care to keep the face or printed side dry; when properly soaked, pass a sponge over the back, spread a coat of varnish over the whole of the face, and apply immediately to the wood.
1667. Rub down the whole gently with a towel, in the same manner as directed for glass, so that it may adhere properly. When this has been done, and while the back is yet moist, rub it carefully with the forefinger until half the thickness of the paper is removed, then leave it to dry.
1668. Then wet the finger only, and keep rubbing until the remainder of the paper is removed, and there is a thin white film over all, allowing the print to appear clean through; then let it dry, and bring out with a little oil of almonds; after which apply a coat of carriage-varnish, or the seed-lac and animi varnish used for white japan grounds, though we prefer the transfer-varnish ourselves.
1669. Great care and patience must be exercised during the process of rubbing off, to avoid scratching or tearing the print; if, however, any part is destroyed, it must be repaired with the same color.
1670. In this manner plain or colored prints may be transferred from paper to wood.
1671. When colored prints are transferred, they should be laid on vinegar and water (two-thirds of the former and one of the latter), to destroy the size which is in the paper, and remain twice as long as plain prints; then removed and placed between blotting-paper, and when the superfluous moisture has been removed, treated the same as the other prints.
1672. To Clean the Brushes and your hands after using the varnishes, rub with spirit of wine.
1673. To Transfer to Ivory.—Rub well with pumice-stone, and then transfer in the same manner as directed above.
1674. To Transfer to Card-board.—Remove the sizing on the surface by immersing in the vinegar and water mentioned above, then transfer as usual.
1675. To Transfer to Earthenware.—Give the article a thin coating of varnish, then transfer as directed above.
1676. Etching on Glass.—Mix in a gallipot a little sulphuric acid and lampblack to a thin smooth paste, and spread a layer of it on a piece of glass; upon which trace with a sharp-pointed instrument, (penetrating to the glass,) any design which may suggest itself.
1677. Then dissolve a little fluor-spar, coarsely powdered, in spirit of turpentine, and with a camel's-hair brush lay some of the solution upon the parts so traced; let it remain an hour or two; and you will find, on scraping off the paste, that the glass will be etched with whatever forms you have traced.
1678. Very pleasing drawings may thus be etched upon glass; and they may be rendered more effective by dusting the outline with a little vermilion.
EMBLEMATIC STONES.
1679. The Jewels of the Months.—In Poland, according to a superstitious belief, each month of the year is under the influence of some precious stone, which influence is attached to the destiny of persons born during the course of the month.
1680. It is, in consequence, customary amongst friends, and more particularly between lovers, to make, on birthdays, reciprocal presents, consisting of some jewel ornamented with the tutelar stone. It is generally believed that this prediction of happiness, or rather of the future destiny, will be realized according to the wishes expressed on the occasion.
1681. January.—The stone of January is the Jacinth, or Garnet, which denotes constancy and fidelity in any sort of engagement.
1682. February.—The Amethyst, a preservative against violent passions, and an assurance of peace of mind and sincerity.
1683. March.—The Bloodstone is the stone of courage and wisdom in perilous undertakings, and firmness in affection.
1684. April.—The Sapphire, or Diamond, is the stone of repentance, innocence, and kindliness of disposition.
1685. May.—The Emerald. This stone signifies happiness in love, and domestic felicity.
1686. June.—The Agate is the stone of long life, health, and prosperity.
1687. July.—The Ruby, or Cornelian, denotes forgetfulness of, and exemption from, the vexations caused by friendship and love.
1688. August.—The Sardonyx. This stone denotes conjugal felicity.
1689. September.—The Chrysolite is the stone which preserves and cures madness and despair.
1690. October.—The Aqua-Marine, or Opal, signifies distress and hope.
1691. November.—The Topaz signifies fidelity and friendship.
1692. December.—The Turquoise is the stone which expresses great sureness and prosperity in love, and in all the circumstances of life.
STAINING.
1693. General Observations.—When alabaster, marble, and other stones, are colored, and the stain is required to be deep, it should be poured on boiling-hot, and brushed equally over every part if made with water; if with spirit, it should be applied cold, otherwise the evaporation, being too rapid, would leave the coloring matter on the surface, without any, or very little, being able to penetrate.
1694. In grayish or brownish stones, the stain will be wanting in brightness, because the natural color combines with the stain; therefore, if the stone be of a pure color, the result will be a combination of the color and stain.
1695. Bone or Ivory.—In staining bone or ivory, the colors will take better before than after polishing; and if any dark spots appear, they should be rubbed with chalk, and the article dyed again to produce uniformity of shade. On removal from the boiling-hot dye-bath, the bone should be immediately plunged into cold water, to prevent cracks from the heat.
1696. Paper or Parchment is stained; a broad varnish brush should be employed to lay the coloring on evenly.
1697. Wood.—When the stains for wood are required to be very strong, it is better to soak and not brush them; therefore if for inlaying or fine work, the wood should be previously split or sawn into proper thicknesses, and when directed to be brushed several times over with the stains, it should be allowed to dry between each coating.
1698. To Varnish.—When it is wished to render any of the stains more durable and beautiful, the work should be well rubbed with Dutch or common rushes after it is colored, and then varnished with seed-lac varnish, or if a better appearance is desired, with three coats of the same, or shellac varnish.
1699. Common Work only requires frequent rubbing with linseed oil and woolen rags. The remainder, with the exception of glass, will be treated of in this paper.
1700. Alabaster, Marble and Stone, may be stained of a yellow, red, green, blue, purple, black, or any of the compound colors, by the stains used for wood.
1701. Bone and Ivory.—Black.—Lay the articles for several hours in a strong solution of nitrate of silver, and expose to the light.
1702. Boil the article for some time in a strained decoction of logwood, and then steep it in a solution of per-sulphate or acetate of iron.
1703. Immerse frequently in ink, until of sufficient depth of color.
1704. Blue.—1. Immerse for some time in a dilute solution of sulphate of indigo—partly saturated with potash—and it will be fully stained. 2. Steep in a strong solution of sulphate of copper.
1705. Green.—1. Dip blue-stained articles for a short time in nitro-hydrochlorate of tin, and then in a hot decoction of fustic. 2. Boil in a solution of verdigris in vinegar until the desired color is obtained.
1706. Red.—Dip the articles first in the tin mordant used in dyeing, and then plunge into a hot decoction of Brazil wood—half a pound to a gallon of water—or cochineal.
1707. Steep in red ink until sufficiently stained.
1708. Scarlet.—Use lac-dye instead of the preceding.
1709. Violet.—Dip in the tin mordant, and then immerse in a decoction of logwood.
1710. Yellow.—Impregnate with nitro-hydrochlorate of tin, and then digest with heat in a strained decoction of fustic.
1711. Second.—Steep for twenty-four hours in a strong solution of the neutral chromate of potash, and then plunge for some time in a boiling solution of acetate of lead.
1712. Third.—Boil the articles in a solution of alum—a pound to half a gallon—and then immerse for half an hour in the following mixture.
1713. Take half a pound of turmeric, and a quarter of a pound of pearlash; boil in a gallon of water. When taken from this, the bone must be again dipped in the alum solution.
1714. Horn must be treated in the same manner as bone and ivory for the various colors given under that heading.
1715. In Imitation of Tortoise-Shell.—First steam and then press the horn into proper shapes, and afterward lay the following mixture on with a small brush, in imitation of the mottle of tortoise-shell.
1716. Second.—Take equal parts of quick lime and litharge, and mix with strong soap-lees; let this remain until it is thoroughly dry, brush off, and repeat two or three times, if necessary.
1717. Such parts as are required to be of a reddish brown, should be covered with a mixture of whiting and the stain.
1718. Iron.—Black, for Ship's Guns, Shot, etc.—To one gallon of vinegar add a quarter of a pound of iron rust, let it stand for a week; then add a pound of dry lamp-black, and three-quarters of a pound of copperas; stir it up for a couple of days.
1719. Lay five or six coats on the gun, &c., with a sponge, allowing it to dry well between each. Polish with linseed oil and soft woolen rag, and it will look like ebony.
1720. Paper and Parchment.—Blue.—Stain it green with the verdigris stain given below, and brush over with a solution of pearlash—two ounces to the pint—till it becomes blue.
1721. Use the blue stain for wood.
1722. Green and Red.—The same as for wood. (See 717, [page 178.])
1723. Orange.—Brush over with a tincture of turmeric, formed by infusing an ounce of the root in a pint of spirits of wine; let this dry, and give another coat of pearlash solution, made by dissolving two ounces of the salt in a quart of water.
1724. Purple.—Brush over with the expressed juice of ripe privet berries. The same as for wood.
1725. Yellow.—Brush over with tincture of turmeric.
1726. Add anatto or dragon's blood to the tincture of turmeric, and brush over as usual. (See 716, [page 178.])
1727. Wood.—Black.—Drop a little sulphuric acid into a small quantity of water, brush over the wood and hold it to the fire; it will be a fine black, and receive a good polish.
1728. Second.—Take half a gallon of vinegar, an ounce of bruised nut-galls, of logwood chips and copperas each half a pound—boil well; add half an ounce of the tincture of sesquichlorid of iron, formerly called the muriated tincture, and brush on hot.
1729. Third.—Use the stain given for ships' guns.
1730. Fourth.—Take half a gallon of vinegar, half a pound of dry lamp-black, and three pounds of iron rust sifted. Mix, and let stand for a week. Lay three coats of this on hot, and then rub with linseed oil, and you will have a fine deep black.
1731. Fifth.—Add to the above stain an ounce of nut-galls, half a pound of logwood chips, and a quarter of a pound of copperas; lay on three coats, oil well, and you will have a black stain that will stand any kind of weather, and one that is well suited for ships' combings, &c.
1732. Sixth.—Take a pound of logwood chips, a quarter of a pound of Brazil wood, and boil for an hour and a half in a gallon of water. Brush the wood several times with this decoction while hot. Make a decoction of nut-galls by simmering gently for three or four days a quarter of a pound of the galls in two quarts of water; give the wood three coats of this, and while wet lay on a solution of sulphate of iron (two ounces to a quart), and when dry oil or varnish.
1733. Seventh.—Give three coats with a solution of copper filings in aquafortis, and repeatedly brush over with the logwood decoction, until the greenness of the copper is destroyed.
1734. Eighth.—Boil half a pound of logwood chips in two quarts of water, add an ounce of pearlash, and apply hot with a brush. Then take two quarts of the logwood decoction, and half an ounce of verdigris, and the same of copperas; strain and throw in half a pound of iron rust. Brush the work well with this, and oil.
1735. Blue.—Dissolve copper filings in aquafortis, brush the wood with it, and then go over the work with a hot solution of pearlash (two ounces to a pint of water), till it assumes a perfectly blue color.
1736. Boil a pound of indigo, two pounds of woad, and three ounces of alum in a gallon of water; brush well over until thoroughly stained.
1737. Green.—Dissolve verdigris in vinegar, and brush over with the hot solution until of a proper color.
1738. Mahogany Color.—Dark.—1. Boil half a pound of madder and two ounces of logwood chips in a gallon of water, and brush well over while hot; when dry, go over the whole with pearlash solution, two drachms to the quart.
1739. Second.—Put two ounces of dragon's blood, bruised, into a quart of oil of turpentine; let the bottle stand in a warm place, shake frequently, and, when dissolved, steep the work in the mixture.
1740. Light Red Brown.—Boil half a pound of madder and a quarter of a pound of fustic in a gallon of water; brush over the work when boiling-hot, until properly stained.
1741. Second.—The surface of the work being quite smooth, brush over with a weak solution of aquafortis, half an ounce to the pint, and then finish with the following:—Put four ounces and a half of dragons blood and an ounce of soda, both well bruised, to three pints of spirit of wine; let it stand in a warm place, shake frequently, strain, and lay it on with a soft brush, repeating until of a proper color; polish with linseed oil or varnish.
1742. Purple.—Brush the work several times with the logwood decoction used for No. 6 Black, and when dry give a coat of pearlash solution, one drachm to a quart, taking care to lay it on evenly.
1743. Red.—1. Boil a pound of Brazil wood and an ounce of pearlash in a gallon of water, and while hot brush over the work until of a proper color. Dissolve two ounces of alum in a quart of water, and brush the solution over the work before it dries.
1744. Second.—Take a gallon of the above stain, add two more ounces of pearl ash; use hot, and brush often with the alum solution.
1745. Third.—Use a cold infusion of archil, and brush over with the pearlash solution used for No. 1 dark mahogany.
1746. In imitation of Rosewood.—1. Boil half a pound of logwood in three pints of water till it is of a very dark red, add half an ounce of salt of tartar; stain the work with the liquor while boiling hot, giving three coats; then with a painter's graining-brush form streaks with No. 8 black stain; let dry, and varnish.
1747. Second.—Brush over with the logwood decoction used for No. 6 black, three or four times; put half a pound of iron filings into two quarts of vinegar; then with a graining-brush or cane, bruised at the end, apply the iron filing solution in the form required, and polish with beeswax and turpentine when dry, or varnish.
ORNAMENTED LEATHER WORK.
1748. An excellent imitation of carved oak, suitable for frames, boxes, vases, and ornaments in endless variety, may be made of a description of leather called Basil.
1749. The art consists in simply cutting out this material in imitation of natural objects, and in impressing upon it by simple tools, either with or without the aid of heat, such marks and characteristics as are necessary to the imitation.
1750. The rules given with regard to the imitation of leaves and flowers (1887) apply to Ornamental Leather Work.
1751. Begin with a simple object, and proceed by degrees to those that are more complicated.
1752. The tools required are ivory or steel points of various sizes, punches, and tin shapes, such as are used for confectionary. The points may be made out of the handles of old tooth-brushes.
1753. Before cutting out the leaves, the leather should be well soaked in water, until it is quite pliable. When dry, it will retain the artistic shape.
1754. Cut out an ivy or an oak leaf, and impress the veins upon it; then arrange these in groups, and affix them to frames, or otherwise.
1755. Leaves and stems are fastened together by means of liquid glue, and varnished with any of the drying varnishes, or with sealing-wax dissolved to a suitable consistency in spirits of wine.
1756. Wire, cork, gutta-percha, bits or stems of trees, &c., may severally be used to aid in the formation of groups of buds, flowers, seed-vessels, &c.
DYEING.
(SEE PAGES [74], [75], [76].)
1757. Dye Hair and Feathers Green.—Take of verdigris or verditer, of each one ounce: gum water, one pint; mix them well, and dip the hair or feathers into the mixture, shaking them well about.
1759. Cleansing Feathers of their Animal Oil.—The following receipt gained a premium from the Society of Arts:
1760. Take for every gallon of clean water one pound of quicklime, mix them well together, and when the undissolved lime is precipitated in fine powder, pour off the clean lime-water for use.
1761. Put the feathers to be cleaned in another tub, and add to them a quantity of the clean lime-water, sufficient to cover them about three inches, when well immersed and stirred about therein.
1762. The feathers, when thoroughly moistened, will sink down, and should remain in the lime-water three or four days; after which the foul liquor should be separated from them, by laying them in a sieve.
1763. The feathers should be afterward well washed in clean water, and dried upon nets, the meshes of which may be about the fineness of cabbage-nets.
1764. The feathers must be, from time to time, shaken on the nets, and as they get dry will fall through the meshes, and are to be collected for use. The admission of air will be serviceable in drying.
1765. The process will be completed in three weeks; and after being thus prepared, the feathers will only require to be beaten to get rid of the dust.
1766. Dyeing Eggs.—Wrap the egg in crimson silk ribbon (taking care that no part is uncovered), tack it on and boil it five minutes, and when it is divested of the ribbon the shell will be of a pretty mottled red; any colored ribbon may be used with a very pretty effect.
1767. Crystallization upon Cinders.—Saturate water, kept boiling, with alum; then set the solution in a cool place, suspending a cinder in it, by a hair or fine silk thread; as the solution cools, a beautiful crystallization will take place upon the cinder, which will resemble a specimen of mineralogical spar.
1768. Staining Grasses and Mosses.—Take some common powder-blue, mix with water, rather thin; take dry moss and dip it in, and let it soak a few minutes, take out and squeeze it—you will have a blue moss. Take light chrome yellow (as there are two sorts), mix with water, as before: with the same process you will have a yellow moss. Take some of the blue and some of the yellow, mix with water, as before, and you will have a green moss. You may have a variety of shades by adding or diminishing the yellow.
THE GAME OF DRAUGHTS.
1769. Rules of the Game.—The nine laws for regulating the game of draughts are as follows.
1770. Each player takes the first move alternately, whether the last game be won or drawn.
1771. Any action which prevents the adversary from having a full view of the men is not allowed.
1772. The player who touches a man must play him.
1773. In case of standing the huff ten minutes, the other may call upon him to play; and if, after that, he delay above five minutes longer, then he loses the game.
1775. In the losing game, the player can insist upon his adversary taking all the men, in case opportunities should present themselves for their being so taken.
1776. To prevent unnecessary delay, if one color have no pieces, but two kings on the board, and the other no piece but one king, the latter can call upon the former to win the game in twenty moves; if he does not finish it within that number of moves, the game to be relinquished as drawn.
1777. If there are three kings to two on the board, the subsequent moves are not to exceed forty.
LAWS OF CHESS.
1778. The rules given below are based upon the code published in "Walker's Art of Chess Play." The word piece frequently includes the pawn.
1779. If the board or pieces be improperly placed, or are deficient in number (except in the case of odds), the game must be recommenced, if the error is discovered before the fourth move on each side (the eighth move of the game.) If not discovered before this stage, the game must proceed.
1780. If the player gives odds, and yet omits to remove the odds from the board at the commencement, he may recommence the game, and remove the odds given, provided he discover his error before playing his fourth move.
1781. But if he has made his fourth move, the game must be played out; and should the player who agreed to give the odds win the game, it shall nevertheless be considered drawn.
1782. When parties play even, they draw lots for the first move of the first game. The first move is afterward taken alternately throughout the sitting, except when a game is drawn, when he who had the first move in that game still claims it, a drawn game being of no account.
1783. He who gains the move has also the choice of color. Each player uses the same color throughout the sitting. When a match is made for a given number of games, the move passes alternately throughout the match. A player giving odds has the choice of men, and takes the move in every game, unless agreed to the contrary.
1784. A player who gives the odds of a piece, may give it each game from the king's or queen's side, at his option. If he gives the odds of a pawn, he must give the king's bishop's pawn, unless otherwise stipulated.
1785. The player who receives the odds of a certain number of moves at the commencement, must not with those moves cross from his own half of the board.
1786. If a player, in his turn to play, touch one of his men, he must move that piece, if it can legally move, unless, when he first touches it, he says aloud, "J'adoube." No penalty is attached to touching a piece, unless it is your turn to move.
1787. If the player touch his king, with the intention of moving him, and then finds that he cannot do so without placing the king in check, no penalty can be inflicted on his replacing his king and moving elsewhere.
1788. [Otherwise?] If the player should touch a man which cannot be moved without placing his king in check, he must move his king instead.
1789. If a player about to move touch one of his adversary's men, without saying "J'adoube" when he first touches it, he must take that piece, if it can be lawfully taken.
1790. Should it not be taken, he must, as a penalty, move his king; but should the king be unable to play without going into check, no penalty can be enforced. It is not allowed to castle upon a compulsory move of the king.
1791. While you hold your piece you may move it anywhere allowed by the rules; but when you quit your hold the move is completed, and must be abided by.
1792. If you inadvertently move one of your adversary's pieces instead of your own, he may compel you to take the piece you have touched, should it be en prise; or to replace it and move your king, or to leave it on the square to which you have moved it, and forego any other move at that time.
1793. Should you capture one of the adverse pieces with another, instead of one of your own, the capture holds good, if your opponent so decides.
1794. If the player takes a piece through a false move, his adversary may compel him to take such piece with one that can lawfully take it, or to move the piece that has been touched, if such move does not expose the king to check, or he may be directed to move his king.
1795. If you take one of your own men, instead of one of your adversary's, you may be compelled to move one of the two pieces touched, at the option of your opponent.
1796. Mr. Walker thinks that the penalty should be to lose the man you have improperly taken off.
1797. An opponent has the option of punishing a false move, by claiming the false move as your move, by compelling you to move the piece touched, as you may think fit, or to replace the piece and move your king.
1798. The king must never be exposed to check by any penalty enforced.
1799. If you move twice running, you may be compelled to abide by both moves, or to retract the second.
1800. Unlimited time is allowed for the moves [unless otherwise agreed.] If one player insists upon the postponement of the termination of a game, against the will of his opponent, the game is forfeited by him who will not play on.
1801. When a pawn is moved two squares, it is liable to be taken, en passant, by a pawn, but not by a piece.
1802. If you touch both king and rook, intending to castle, you must move one of the two pieces, at the option of your adversary; or he may compel you to complete the castling.
1803. You cannot take a piece and castle at the same time; nor does the rook check as it passes to its new position; but it may check on its position after castling.
1804. False castling is liable to the same penalties as a false move.
1805. When a player gives the odds of a rook, he does not relinquish the right of castling on the side from which the rook has been taken, all other conditions being lawful, as if the rook were in its place.
1806. When you give check you must say so aloud.
1807. If check is not called on either side, but subsequently discovered, you must endeavor to recall all the moves back to the period when the check first occurred.
1808. You are not compelled to cry check when you attack the queen.
1809. If you cry check, and afterward alter your determination, you are not compelled to abide by the intention, provided you have not touched the piece.
1810. When a pawn reaches the opposite side of the board it may be replaced by any piece, at the option of the owner, and irrespective of the pieces already owned by him.
1811. Stale-mate is a drawn game.
1812. Drawn games count for nothing; and he who moved first in the drawn game moves first in the following.
1813. If you declare to win a game, or position, and only draw it, you are accounted the loser.
1814. When you have either of the following advantages of force, you are compelled to give check-mate in fifty moves, or the game is considered drawn:
1815. King and queen against king.
King and rook against king.
King and two bishops against king.
King, bishop, and knight, against king.
King and queen against king and rook.
King and rook against king and minor piece.
King and pawn against king.
King and two pawns against king and pawn.
1816. If you move after your adversary has made a false move, or committed other irregularity, you cannot claim the penalties.
1817. Spectators are forbidden to make remarks.
1818. Disputes to be referred to a third party.
EVENING PASTIME.
1819. Among the innocent recreations of the fireside, there are few more commendable and practicable than those afforded by what are severally termed Anagrams, Charades, Conundrums, Enigmas, Puzzles, Rebuses, Riddles, Transpositions, &c.
1820. Of these there are such a variety, that they are suited to every capacity; and they present this additional attraction, that ingenuity may be exercised in the invention of them, as well as in their solution.
1821. Many persons who have become noted for their literary compositions may date the origin of their success to the time when they attempted the composition of a trifling enigma or charade.
1822. Anagrams are formed by the transposition of the letters of words or sentences, or names of persons, so as to produce a word, sentence, or verse of pertinent, or of widely different meaning.
1823. They are very difficult to discover, but are exceedingly striking when good. The following are some of the most remarkable.
1824. Transposed Forms—Astronomers—No more stars; Catalogues—Got as a clue; Elegant—Neat leg; Impatient—Tim in a pet; Immediately—I met my Delia; Masquerade—Queen as mad; Parishioners—I hire parsons; Parliament—Partial men; Penitentiary—Nay I repent; Presbyterians—Best in prayer; Sweetheart—There we sat; Telegraphs—Great helps.
1825. Conundrums.—These are simple catches, in which the sense is playfully cheated, and are generally founded upon words capable of double meaning. The following are examples.
1826. If a person were looking at a conflagration by the names of what three great British writers, could he express his emotions?
1827. Dickens, How-itt Burns!
1828. The name of what class of persons, in Rome, might a bear be supposed to say when he was licking his paws after having eaten a little girl?
1829. Gladiator—Glad I ate her.
1830. Who first introduced salt provisions into the navy?
1831. Noah, when he took Ham into the ark.
1832. Why need a person never be hungry in the desert?
1833. Because of the sand which is there.—Sandwiches!
1834. Why is a clock the most modest thing in the world?
1835. Because it always keeps its hands before its face, and no matter how good its works are, it will run itself down.