Sandpaper for fresh work and pumice-stone for old work. Always distrust the education of a painter in his trade who goes to work without a lump of pumice-stone, a sheet of sandpaper, a putty-knife, and a rag to wipe off the spatters—sparks, as the Irish not inaptly call them. Apropos of spatters! Every painter has seen (the result too of unpardonable negligence) plates of glass so covered with spatters, that to remove them would require more time than would serve to paint the woodwork of a “full-trimmed” window.
In priming work which is to be finished in oak, finely-ground French ochre is recommended. The objection to this pigment, that it does not work smoothly and easily under the brush, has arisen from its coarseness. Finely ground in boiled oil, it works as smoothly as white lead, and makes an excellent foundation for the succeeding coats.
For walls the first coat should be as dark in shade and as thin as practicable, the object being to stain the plaster as much as possible. Indeed, if the whole mass of plaster could be stained through and through, it would be desirable to so stain it.
The use of glue in wall painting is of doubtful propriety. It should never, under any circumstance, be put on until after the second coat, and then rubbed on with a rag, very lightly. In first-class work, however, its use is not recommended.
Plaster mixed with weak glue-size—which prevents its setting too rapidly—is the best material for stopping walls preparatory to painting, and each coat of paint should be carefully rubbed with worn sand-paper, before the succeeding coat is put on. For preparing walls a small pocket-trowel will be found a most serviceable tool, or a trowel-shaped putty-knife, which article has come into general use.
The preparation of ceilings for whitewashing (or kalsomining as this operation is sometimes pretentiously called) is an operation requiring some skill and knowledge of “how to do it.” A dirty ceiling, which has been subjected to successive coats of whitewash, whether of lime, or of whiting and glue-size, cannot be made solidly and smoothly white by additional whitewashing. The mass has become spongy, and sucks up the water so quickly that the material cannot be evenly distributed. In such case the only way is to begin anew, to go at once “down to hard pan” by removing all the previous applications by washing and scraping. This is best effected with a broad-bladed square-pointed putty-knife, keeping the ceiling wet meanwhile. Plaster (hard-finish) is not of uniform density, and some spots are much more absorbent than others. To remedy this a mixture of soft soap and alum, dissolved in water, should be applied with a broad kalsomine brush.
It is not assumed that mere verbal instructions can teach the art of whitening or tinting walls and ceilings in water-colors. To produce good results, great skill in preparing the materials and dexterity in manipulation are required; and such work should be intrusted only to competent hands. A mass of unsuitable material may be cheaply put upon a ceiling; but when the same shall require repainting, the cost of labor will be greater in removing the previous coating, than will be the whole cost of repainting. These remarks, too, apply equally to all kinds of painting; and reference is made to the whitening and tinting of ceilings only, because of the general impression that this kind of work may be performed by anybody.
The materials and tools used in painting are too costly to wasted and worn by incompetent handling. “Painting just to keep the gardener or hostler out of idleness,” will prove in most cases a left-handed economy. Such experiments are prudent only when the services of skilled workman cannot be obtained.
Taste in Color.—In rooms to be lived in, simple white for color of walls and paint, as well as any extremely dark treatment, should be avoided. The walls of rooms should be such backgrounds as will best suit the complexions and dresses of the larger number of people. Delicate white intensifies by contrast any unpleasantness or want of perfection; extreme dark would make people look white and ghastly. Neutral colors will be found the best—generally some grey or cool color that will contrast with warmth of complexions. On no account let an absolutely pure color be used for general surfaces. Nature provides no such color in pigments. Her yellows are greenish or reddish, and so on. Nor does she use it to any extent in inanimate nature. So much so that you will find that if you have much difficulty in describing a color, you may be certain it is good; the more difficulty the more beauty. Nature trusts mainly to gradations of tone, using vivid color in small quantities only, as in the touches on bright flowers and butterflies. This teaching of nature will be found seconded in the pictures of the greatest artists, and in following such teaching, it is necessary to consider the object to which (in domestic work, say) the rooms are to be devoted. A drawing-room, it is agreed, should be light, festive and gay; dining-room at once more sober, and with more depth and warmth, as befits its uses. You must also consider the light and shade; openings, and the positions of them; for these may (or may not) effect for you contrast of tone, and may even touch the question of the good sense of your whole scheme of decoration.
In a lecture delivered before the British Architectural Association, on this subject, the lecturer suggested that in the treatment of a drawing-room the walls should be a light neutral grey, fawn color, or pale green (not dark, but not white). Dados are suitable for all rooms, even drawing-rooms. They may be made of wood, painted as the room doors, or of stamped leather, or of the French paper imitations of stamped leather. A frieze does not interfere with the heads of sitters, and adds much interest if it has its sentiment or story. If flowers form part of your decorations, have no relief, no imitation of nature’s light and shade. A wall must be a wall; if, neglecting this, you introduce illusions to the eye, the sense of solidity will not be suggested. The Japanese decorate on correct principles, with truth to the idea derived from nature, and truth in art, adaptation of representation to materials and method. As regards the woodwork there should be no graining anywhere; its aspect, however well executed, is repulsive. Real woods are always beautiful. Plain painting may be darker or lighter than the general wall surfaces; both will look well. The doors may have stencilled decorations in angles of panels; birds or butterflies, or plants, or any beautiful natural objects will supply motives. The ceilings should rarely be wholly white, except of halls or where the light is defective. Papered ceilings look well. The use of gold is generally satisfactory; it reflects a warm tone on everything below. Put a good amount of color on a ceiling—not, however, making it so dark as to bring it too close to the eye. The carpet must be either lighter or darker than the walls. This is following out the artist’s rule, to make either background or foreground run into the figure. If this is not done in painting, a woman in white satin, for instance, against a dark floor and dark walls, will look like a cut-out figure stuck on, and the same sort of result would occur in rooms. As in ordinary life dresses are dark in color, where a light wall tone has been recommended, the carpet will have to be darker than the walls. Not too vivid in color, however, and of course, no flowers, ferns, birds’ nests, and such like fearful things. Furniture and hangings should not be too much alike in color; have, say, the carpet one tone, the coverings of the furniture another, and the curtains and other hangings a third. Have summer and winter hangings and furniture coverings; those for the former light and cheerful, the others with more warmth, and suggestive of comfort and home life. A table-cloth, occasional chair, or a rug, may supply a bit of effective contrast with prevailing hues of hangings, etc., and a spot of vivid color in a vase or some small hanging will complete the formal decoration of the room.