Hints for painters, decorators, and paper-hangers. / Being a selection of useful rules, data, memoranda, methods, and suggestions for house, ship and furniture painting, paper-hanging, gilding, color mixing, and other matters useful and instructive to painters and decorators. Prepared with special reference to the wants of amateurs

by An Old Hand

Graining.—The art of imitating the grain of the more expensive woods has been brought to a great degree of perfection, but of late years so many unskilled workmen have undertaken to imitate the natural grain of wood with such imperfect results, that this beautiful branch of painting has fallen into partial disuse. A few remarks, therefore, to the uninitiated may not be inappropriate in this work. Mahogany, satinwood, rosewood, mottled and walnut roots, maple, and some others, are frequently imitated; and it is seldom that a house is finished without some graining being introduced. The imitation of the above-mentioned woods are best performed in ground distemper (water colors) which are always preferable and more economical purchased ready prepared. Oak, chestnut, ash and similar long-grained woods, are best executed in oil-color, particularly for outdoor work. For drawing rooms, delicate party colors are preferable, as they harmonize better with the neutral tints on the walls or delicate tinted papers. The process of graining is very simple. To be an accomplished grainer, practice and an artistic taste is very necessary. Too frequently the imitation is overdone, the shading too deep and obtrusive, and the work made too glaring with figure and varnish, has an unnatural appearance; a grainer should always avoid attempting to over-do nature. The following is an approved method:—The surface on new wood should be prepared with three coats of oil paints for the ground color, and regulated in shade by the color of the wood to be imitated, making due allowance for the graining tint that is to cover it. The ground colors should always be perfectly dry before the graining is commenced. The painter then preparing small quantities of the colors he requires, applies it thinly and evenly over the surface and proceeds to wipe out with his thumb and a piece of white cotton cloth the figure of the grain. Some grainers use rubber instead. We cannot here explain all the different processes for the imitation of the grain of wood. Many painters have a method of their own, which from long practice produce excellent results. In some cases, graining in distemper may be adopted with great success for indoor work, and if the colors are put on thin, so that the varnish will penetrate through into the ground color, this kind of graining is as durable as oil-color, and is susceptible of being made far more beautiful, and soft looking in the imitation of mottled woods. For blending distemper colors, a badger’s hair blender should be frequently used to soften down and blend the tints where necessary; but for blending oil-color, in order to produce an elongation of the grain, we have found a flat varnish brush, kept moderately damp and clean, preferable to the badger’s hair. When the work is dry, the shades necessary for some woods should be laid on in distemper-color (some use thin oil-colors) and then covered with two coats of good oil varnish. Common varnish should never be used on outside work.

Oak Graining.—In oak graining the color is made in the following manner:—Procure some finely-ground burnt umber and raw sienna (or Vandyke brown and raw sienna if a dark oak be required), and thin with equal parts of linseed oil and turpentine. Add a large quantity of patent dryer to make it stand the comb. The color is now ready for use. The graining color is brushed over the work in the ordinary way with a pound brush, care being taken not to put too much color on, else it is liable to look dirty. A dry dusting brush is now used to stipple with, which, if properly done, will distribute the color evenly. It is now ready for combing. First take a medium or coarse-cut gutta-percha comb, and draw it down one side of the panel, then use a finer one to complete it. This comb will leave the marks of the grain in clear unbroken lines from top to bottom of the panel. We now take a fine steel comb and go over the whole of the previous combing; but in drawing this comb down, we either move it in a slanting or diagonal direction across the previous combing, or draw it down with a quick and short wavy motion and curl. Both the former and latter motions will break up the long lines left by the gutta-percha comb into short bits, which, of course, represent the pores or grains of the real wood. Next take out the lights of figuring or veining. This is effected by means of a piece of washleather, held tightly over the thumb nail. Every time a few lights are wiped out the leather should be moved slightly, so that the same part of the leather will not be used twice, thus ensuring clean work. There are various methods of doing this, but they require much more practice. When the figures are all wiped out they will require to be softened. By softening we mean the imitation of those half shades seen upon and about the figures in the real wood. These are imitated by doubling a piece of washleather into a small roll, and with the side of this the grain is partly wiped away or softened. Care should be taken not to wipe off the whole of the grain. If the operator has a piece of the real wood to look at occasionally he will be materially assisted. As soon as the oil color is dry it should be over-grained. This is effected in water color. Next go over the work with a bit of sponge and soap to prevent it “cissing.” Before laying on the over-graining, wash out the sponge and wipe the work. It is now ready to receive the color. Grind up finely a little vandyke brown in water, and dilute it with table-beer and water. It is then ready. Take a flat hog-hair brush, 3 in. to 4 in. wide, dip it in the color and draw it over the work, in most cases in the direction of the combing, but occasionally crossing. The hair of the brush, being thinly placed, will separate into patches, and hence the color will be deposited in streaks, resembling the natural gradations which the wood presents. If you have not a brush of this kind a sponge may be used to put in the streak and to soften off. Then dry varnish in the usual way.

Spirit Graining for Oak.—2 lbs. whiting, ¹⁄₄ lb. gold size, thinned down with spirits of turpentine, then tinge your whiting with vandyke brown and raw sienna ground fine. Strike out your light with a pitch or piece of rubber dipped in turpentine, tinged with a little color to show the lights. If your lights do not appear clear, add a little more turpentine. Turpentine varnish is a good substitute for the above mentioned. This kind of graining must be brushed over with beer with a clean brush before varnishing. Strong beer must be used for glazing up top graining and shading.

Old Oak in Distemper.—To make an exceedingly rich color for the imitation of old oak, the ground is a composition of stone ochre or orange chrome and burnt sienna; the graining is burnt umber or vandyke brown, to darken it a little. The above colors may be used for oil as well.

Pollard Oak.—Ground color, a mixture of chrome yellow, vermilion and white lead, to bring it to a rich light buff. The graining colors are vandyke brown and small portions of raw and burnt sienna and lake, ground in beer or vinegar. Fill a large brush with color and spread it over the surface to be grained, and soften with a badger hair brush. Take a moistened sponge and dapple round and round in kind of knobs, then soften very lightly, after which draw a softener from one set of knobs to the other while wet, to form a multiplicity of grain, and finish the knobs with a hair pencil, in some places in thicker clusters than others. When dry, put the top grain on in a variety of directions, and varnish with turpentine and gold size; then glaze up with vandyke and strong beer. Finish with copal varnish. This is for distemper only.

Mottled Mahogany.—The ground is prepared with the best Venetian red, red lead, and a small proportion of white lead. The graining colors are burnt sienna, ground in beer, with a small portion of vandyke brown. Cover the surface to be grained, soften with a badger hair brush, and while wet take a damp sponge and go over the lights a second time, in order to give a variety of shade; then blend the whole of the work with the badger softener. Put the top grain on with the same color. When dry, varnish. For distemper only.

Rosewood.—Mix vermilion and a small quantity of white lead for the ground. Take rose-pink, tinged with a little lamp-black or vandyke brown, and grind very fine in oil, then take a flat graining brush, with the hairs cut away at unequal distances, and cut down the grain as if wending round a knob. When nearly dry, take a graining comb that is used for oak, and draw down the grain. This will give it the appearance of nature. Then varnish. This makes an excellent and durable imitation.

Another for Rosewood.—This ground is prepared with vermilion and small quantities of white lead and crimson lake. When the ground is dry, and made very smooth, take vandyke brown, ground in oil, and with a very soft tool spread the color over the surface in different directions, forming a kind of knots. Before the work is dry take a piece of leather, and with great freedom strike out the light veins; having previously prepared the darkest tint of vandyke brown or gum asphaltum, immediately take the flat graining brush with few hairs in it, called a top grainer, and draw the grain over the work and soften. When varnished, the imitation will be excellent.

Curled Maple in Oil.—Prepare a rich ground by mixing chrome yellow, white lead and burnt sienna. For the graining color, grind equal parts of raw sienna and umber with a little burnt copperas and turpentine, and mix it with a small quantity of grainer’s cream, thin the color with oil; then fill a tool and spread the surface even and rub out the lights with sharp edge of a piece of buff leather, wiping it frequently to keep it clean; soften the edges of the work very lightly, and when dry, put on the top grain with burnt umber and raw sienna ground in beer with the white of an egg beat into it. Varnish.

Curled Maple in Distemper.—Prepare a light yellow for the ground, by mixing chrome yellow and white lead, tinged with Venetian red. The graining color is a mixture of equal portions of raw sienna and vandyke brown, ground in beer. Spread the surface to be grained in an even manner; then with a piece of cork rub across the work to and fro, to form the grains which run across the wood; soften, and when dry lightly top grain with the same color. Varnish.