There is not space in this book to enter into the peculiarities and properties of these colors, which are fully discussed in several works and treatises. The colors here recommended are permanent in character, but chrome yellows, red lead and pure scarlet it is best to avoid, as they are not lasting. Pure scarlet is fugitive and the others in time turn black. “Winsor and Newton’s moist water colors” are the best for all illuminating purposes.
Good Bristol board with a fine firm grain, and having an ivory-like surface, but without gloss, is the best material for illuminating upon.
BRUSHES.
Few brushes are required for illumination, but from the peculiar character of the work, and the nature of the colors, &c., employed, it is requisite that the right kinds should be carefully selected. For general use, the red sable brushes in goose, duck and crow quills should be employed; say one goose, (for large grounds,) two duck (for ordinary work,) and three crow (for fine linings on initials, &c.) The red sable is preferable to the brown sable, or other hair, as being stronger and firmer at the point. An ordinary flat camel’s hair brush will suffice for damping the back of gold paper, washing over weak solutions of gum water or ox-gall, &c., &c.
When gold leaf is used, a soft camel’s hair brush (of swan quill size,) may be found useful for touching, smoothing, &c. For laying down the gold leaf, a very thin, flat brush is required, called a gilder’s tip.
Burnishers are made of agate, and the following metallic preparations are found useful in illuminating, viz: gold paper, shell gold, saucer gold, shell silver, saucer silver, shell aluminum, shell platina. Silver inevitably blackens. Aluminum is preferable to silver.
Besides colors, materials to work upon, pens, brushes, burnisher, tracer, and metallic preparations, there will be required an eraser, compass, rule, pencil, India rubber, sponge, cotton wood, some tracing paper and other small sundries. A bottle of gum water will be necessary, and also one of liquid ox-gall. A little of the former, mingled with water, is used to impart brilliancy to colors.