Make believe that you have heard of people living on a desert island, on which there is absolutely nothing for their comfort or enjoyment.
Distribute an equal number of pieces of wood, and ask your guests to cut out utensils for cooking, furniture, etc. Or give papers, and let each in the game draw articles, or take the papers and fold to shape articles. A limit of time must be named, and in the end, whoever has made or drawn or folded the greatest number of recognizable articles has won the game.
THE BUTTERFLY TEST.
Cut white writing paper in uniform size—eight in width by ten in length. Have as many pieces of paper as the number of painters, also several extra ones, as undoubtedly the butterfly makers would want to try again and yet again. One palette would suffice for a large company, for every one likes to watch the development of his neighbor’s work, almost as much as he does his own. But, of course, more palettes may be used if desired. Oil paints of divers colors must be placed on the palette, having a larger amount of the yellow paint than of any of the others, for not only are there more yellow butterflies, but yellow often conspicuously appears in almost every butterfly. As many palette-knives will be required as palettes. Brushes are not needed.
Put one butterfly on one piece of paper only. Fold the paper you use exactly in half, creasing it the longest way, thus giving it the appearance of an ordinary sheet of letter paper. This done, take the palette-knife and on its point and edge gather a little of the paint, putting the knife into the different portions, and so getting the colors which you desire. It is better to allow the paint to extend about half to two-thirds of an inch along the inside edge of the knife. All the paint you would need would not more than cover a five-cent nickel.
When the paint is on the palette-knife, open your sheet of paper, and in the exact centre of the inside crease, put the paint. This is done by putting the edge of the point of the knife directly in the crease, and pressing downward, and also a trifle towards the right.
Be satisfied with whatever leaves the knife the first time. Do not attempt to pick the paint off, or stick more on. Then carefully remove all paint from the palette-knife. For this you will need a small piece of soft cotton cloth. Where many people are at work several cloths should be in readiness.
The palette-knife now being clean, fold the paper over in the crease first made, being careful that you have folded it even, otherwise, the wings of the butterfly would be out of proportion, one being higher than the other. When the paper is folded you will distinctly see the blotch inside, and in this press heavily with the end of the palette-knife, starting at the crease and form an upward long arch, then press again from the centre towards the right, and arch in the same way, only proportionately shorter. The two arches should meet.
When you have pressed over and over again on the same places, and find that it is impossible to further spread your paint, open the sheet of paper, and inside you will see a butterfly delicately tinted and veined, his wings full spread as if to alight on a white clover, or other sweet-scented wild flower. In pressing out the paint you can more fully control the palette-knife, as well as protect the paper, if you put your fingers close to the paint. Sometimes a perfect butterfly is thus made the first time, but with a little practice any one may make butterflies as they will.
Before painting commences, each artist should draw from a receptacle a small paper, which will bear a number. This paper must be held until the prize is given, as an inexpensive prize would better be awarded to the one painting the most natural butterfly.