Encaustic: Or, Count Caylus's method of painting in the manner of the ancients. / To which is added a sure and easy method for fixing of crayons

by Jean-Henri Müntz

Though this system did not enter in the original plan of publication with the other, and I intended to withold it from the public a little longer, to see what reception the former should meet with; yet as it got vent by shewing it to few friends, and a gentleman offering me (in his opinion) a considerable reward to dispose of the secret in his favour only, I, to prevent some modern Pliny’s casting more direct reflexions upon me, without my having the skill of Apelles to uphold my reputation, at least thought proper to give them to the public both at once. To make discoveries that may be of infinite advantage to arts, subservient to private avarice, is the foible of a weak, jealous, and ill-natured mind.—Here follows the process; and first the preparation of the cloth.

ART. I.

Preparation of the cloth, or paper, for painting with crayons.

First method to prepare the cloth without paper.

Take any sort of linen cloth whose texture is pretty close and even, stretch it upon a straining frame and rub it on the back with a piece of wax, as directed under Art. the first, [page 26]. your cloth waxed, prepare any tint or colour you like, or judge best for a ground to work upon, let enter into the composition of this tint or colour, one half, or at least one third of chalk or whitening, mix and temper all with pure water; your tint ready, paint over your cloth with it on that side you are to paint upon, and lay the colour on pretty even and substantially; this colour or ground dry, bring the canvas near the fire, as under Art. the fourth, [page 35]. and the wax melting will fix that colour or ground, which when cool will be a fit and firm body to work upon with crayons. Note, if the quantity of wax should prove too small for the quantity of colour, apply with a brush on the back some wax dissolved in turpentine, as described in the next page, and bring the canvas again to the fire. It is essential in painting with crayons to have the first ground properly prepared.

Second method, to prepare cloth with paper pasted thereon.

Take linen cloth and stretch it upon a frame as the foregoing; then make a paste with fine wheat flour, or starch and water, and when the paste is near boiled enough, put in and mix with it of common horse-turpentine, about half an ounce to six ounces of paste, stir it well together, and let it simmer five or six minutes longer; then take it from the fire and set it by to cool a little, and while it is still tolerably warm, paste your paper (grey, blue or white) to the cloth in the usual manner, and set it by to dry.—In the mean time put wax, broken in small pieces, to dissolve in oil of turpentine near a fire, and in such proportion that, when dissolved and cold, it will be of consistence like a thin paste, and fluent enough to be managed with a brush.—When your cloth and paper is perfectly dry, hold it over or before a fire, at a convenient distance, and with a brush apply the dissolved wax on both sides to cloth and paper, and continue laying on wax till you perceive both surfaces equally shining, and there be no imbibed-like spot remaining; this done, let your cloth stand before the fire about half an hour longer, (or in summer in the sun,) and, the oil of turpentine evaporating, the wax will become firm again, and be fit to receive any tint or colour for a ground to work upon, which you must lay on and fix as the foregoing upon cloth without paper, and when cool you may go to work.

ART. II.

Of the crayons their preparation and use.

Preparation. There is no particular or uncommon preparation or composition required for encaustic, all crayons hitherto commonly used may be employed; some great lights only will be wanted for every set of tints; for what has been said on colours, and their growing deeper when fixed with wax, penciling system Art. II. [page 29], [30]. holds equally here; therefore every artist, that may be inclined to make a trial in this manner, will do well to make an essay of all his tints, by preparing a piece of cloth as directed in the foregoing article, and giving a few strokes of each crayon and fixing it, this will immediately shew what new tints will be wanted.