Ladies' manual of art; or, profit and pastime. / A self teacher in all branches of decorative art, embracing every variety of painting and drawing on china, glass, velvet, canvas, paper and wood the secret of all glass transparencies, sketching from nature. pastel and crayon drawing, taxidermy, etc.

by Anonymous

Photographs from casts, medals, bas-reliefs, afford excellent models for copying in monochrome painting. Copies of photographs on oval plaques are done with red brown, heightened with bitumen. Raphael’s female figures on plaques for sconces, are copied in light grey, retouched with brown grey, on a ground of very light carmine No. 1.

China Painting.

PAINTING THE HEAD IN COLORS ON PORCELAIN.

Set on the palette, at intervals of about an inch, some ivory yellow, yellow brown, flesh No. 1, flesh No. 2, light grey, brown 108, blue-green, and the other colors.

The drawing having been traced with chalk, you proceed to sketch it in, which should always be done in the same color as the object. For the flesh take some flesh No. 1 at the tip of your brush, and indicate very lightly the outline of the eyes, the nostrils, the corners of the mouth, and the ears; but above all, take care not to make a line all round the face, as the effect produced in the firing would be exceedingly bad. Paint likewise the face, the neck, and inside the fingers, but especially not on the side of the light, which must detach itself by the local tint only.

With the ivory knife mix one-third flesh No. 1 with two-thirds ivory yellow; this forms the flesh color for the local tint. Prepare also a little yellow brown for the reflected lights. These two tints are to be applied almost simultaneously, one next to the other. Commence always from the top of the head, and only when the sketched outline is dry, otherwise the local tint will remove it. This tint must be laid on very thin; apply it quickly with precision and without deviation of the brush, that is, without discontinuation of tint; look at the china sideways, and if the color is deficient in any place remedy that at once. Finally, the tints are made even by dabbing, and the flesh color is gently blended with the yellow brown by means of a very small fitch brush.

For faces high in color, yellow browns should be used with the reds, and some violet of iron.

While the first tint is still wet, and before dabbling, the flesh color should be strengthened with some flesh No. 1 beneath the arch of the eyebrows, the cheeks, and the lower part of the chin.

Cast shadows are commenced with yellow brown, and retouched with brown 108. Strong shadows are made of violet of iron, and the edges of blue-green and light grey.