To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
THE curious Art of Limn∣ing or Painting in Oil, has in all Ages been wonderful∣ly admited and approved, as the Master-piece of other Arts and Sciences, wherein Art so exact∣ly
imitates Nature, that Mo∣tion only seems to be wanting; and many such rare Pieces have been Drawn, that they have at the first blush deceived the Eyes of the Curious, who have taken them for real Living Beings, and though the Eye and Hand are mainly required herein, the one to direct, and the other to operate, yet the Mind or Ima∣gination must furnish out a great part of the curiosity, having Ideas, or the true shape of things always in a readiness.
This cannot be done hastily, but must be done by a steady practice and curious Observati¦ons, and the first in this under∣taking, is to prepare your self with suitable materials, and a∣mongst others French Chalk Red and White, that it may be cut into curious taper Pencils, to Draw the out strokes of any
Figure you design, Sallow wood so burnt that you may do the like by it, and if these strokes hit not at first to due propor∣tion, they may be rubbed out with the Feather of a Mallard's Wing, and so till you find them right, then go over your strokes with a strong well pointed Pen∣cil, either of Red or Black Lead: To make the Impression more Even and Regular, it will be proper to have Pens made of Raven or Crow Quills to finish the finer strokes, also a Rule and Compass with three feet, to take in and out at the points as you have occasion, the one of White or Red Chalk, the other of Black Lead, and a third of any other Pastile, and these in most Drawings are pro∣per to mark out equal distances after; the drawing of the out∣strokes; there are other things
required, which in their proper place I shall speak of.
Being thus far entred, come a little nearer to the Practice, and make your entrance on it with plain Geometrical Figures, such as are the Circle, Square, Oval, Cone, Triangle, Cylin∣der, which at first use your self to mark out with your Rule and Compass, till you can readily do it with your Hand, and these will much assist you in the be∣ginning of this curious under∣taking, the Circle well made will direct you in Orbicular forms, as the Globe of the Earth, Spherical World, Moon Sun, and the like; is very pro∣per in confining the Picture you are to Copy; the Oval gives you directions for the Mouth and Face, the Foot of a Wine∣glass, the Mouth of a Well, and the like; The Cone assists
in Drawing Columns, Spires, top of Towers, Steeples, &c. The Triangle is of admirable use in making the half Face; the Cylinder gives you assist∣ance in drawing Columns, Pil∣lars, Pilasters, and other things belonging to Architecture; the Poligon may be also used for Ground-Plats, Fortifications, &c. and Angles and Arches in Prospective.
These things premised, try to Draw several sorts of Fruits and Flowers, as Grapes, Cher∣ries, Peaches, Apples, Apri∣cots, Tulips, Pinks, &c. also Insects, Trees, Branches, and the like, and from these pro∣ceed to practice on Birds, Beasts, &c consider well their propor∣tion, colour, slowness, swistness, fierceness, and many other things natural to them, and the better at first, till your Mind
〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉
〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉
can well frame such Ideas, it will be proper to have good Drawings to imitate, and so go on by degrees to other things, as Fish, Melions, Roots, Oranges, &c. and by no means mistake their sutable lively co∣lours, not proper form; and then you may venture on Hu∣mane Faces and Bodies, where∣in lyes the excellency of this Art.
When you come to Draw a Face you must well weigh and consider in what posture it must be done, whether side-ways, upward, forward, or downward, touching lightly the Features, where the Nose, Eyes, Mouth and Chin ought to stand, then go more perfectly over them, for the Circles, Squares, and
Triangles used in this matter, may sufficiently guide you where the Nose, Eyes, Mouth and Chin should stand; but in taking the Features, observe with a stedfast Eye, the princi∣pal Muscles in the Face, which in persons of years appear very much, and there is usually to be observed a threefold propor∣tion in a Face, as in the •••••• place, from the top of the Fore∣head to the Eye-brows, in the second place from thence to the bottom of the Nose, and lastly from thence to the bottom of the Chin, observing in this case a due proportion in the length of the Forehead and Nose.
In a full Face, the distance between the Eyebrows, consists of the length of one Eye, but where there is a side, or three quarters Face, the distance must
be lessened answerable to the proportion, the Nostrils must be placed directly against the nether corner of the Eyes, and if the Face you Draw be Plump or Fat, the Cheeks must swell; but consider, in a Lean Face the Jaw-bones stick out, and the Cheeks fall somewhat in.
In a smiling countenance, the Corners of the Mouth turn somewhat upwards, and in a sour frowning countenance, the Forehead is bending, and Wrin∣kles appear on the upper part of the Nose.
In Drawing a fore-right Face, you must make a perfect Oval, divided by two Lines in∣to three equal proportions, in the first part place the Eyes, in the second the Nostrils, and in the third the Mouth, keep∣ing the Eyes an equal distance from each other.
In Drawing an upright Head, you must make it in equal divi∣sions, with three lines every way, either upwards, down∣wards, higher or lower, divi∣ded as the former.
To Draw the shortened or enclining Face, observe how the Lines agree, and so in their proper places you may Draw the Mouth and Nose, and the rest of the parts after you have brought your hand a little into practice; and note, whatso∣ever proportion the Face bears, your out-strokes must be form∣ed accordingly.
As for the Nose, you must among other things, particu∣larly observe the roundness, hollowness, and Indentings of the Nostrils.
As for the Hands, their Po∣••ures are various, but a true measure must be observed in it,
according to the proportion you Draw, as likewise the Arms as far as they appear bare, then proceed to Draw the Feet with measure and without, but for these it will be requisite to get Drawings to practice on at first, then practice Drawing Feet and Legs conjunct or separate, and proceeding from the Members, draw the other parts of the Bo∣dy, and practice first on a Child, wherein there is more case, because they are of a Fat∣ter and Plumper Face and Body, the Sinews, Lines and Muscles, not appearing as in Men and Women.
In Drawing, begin at the Head, and so proceed by de∣grees to the Feet, running it lightly over at the first, and as you see occasion, encrease the fulness, let the parallel Joints and Sinews be equally propor∣tioned,
as also the Muscles, and their Attendants, and exactly opposite, and the Motions of the Body be answerable to each other, and the Limbs a true Symetry, one not being larger than the other, nor longer where Nature requires it not.
In Shaddowing, observe to cast them ever one way, as in the figure of a Woman, if you begin the Shaddow at the left Cheek, you must continue the like on the left side the Neck, Body, and all other parts, un∣less the Light side of it requires to be Dark, by reason some other Body standing between the light and it, as put the case three Men stand together, the middle Figure must be darken∣ed by the foremost, unless the light by facing it comes between them.
Observe that all Shaddows,
the further off they are, grow fainter, and circular Bodies must have a circular Shadow, according to the light that makes it.
In Drawing a Figure stand∣ing, Draw that Leg the Body stands firm upon strait and stea∣dy, or else the Figure will seem to decline, as if it were falling.
As in naked Figures, the out∣lines are required to be Drawn first, so do it in Drapery or Clothing, leaving spaces within for your greater or lesser Folds, and break them into lesser, that may be contained within them, and the closer the Garment sits to the Body, the smaller and narrower must be the Folds, and in Shadowing the Innermost, it must be the harder, and the outermost the softer, continue the great Folds, but as for the lesser, break them off where oc∣casion
requires it; and the finer the Drapery is, the finer and sharper must the Folds be, and the Shadow the stronger and finer to the Eye, always obser∣ving that the Garment that sits close, as the Body Coat of a Man, or Breasts of a Woman and the like, require no Fold∣ing, but rather with a sweet Shadow represent that part of the Body, that the Garment ap∣pears to cover, as Womens Breasts with a sweet round Sha∣dow, and the like.
The next thing to be consi∣dered, the Cloth primed, and the Drawing put on, is the pre∣paring your Colours, which in Oil Painting must be with Lin∣seed Oil, unless for Linnen,
and then Walnut Oil is a great deal better, for it will not turn yellow as the other in time will, when mixed with curious white.
You must Grind your Colours on a Stone with a Muller, till they are as fine as Butter, &c. The Colours proper to be used in Limning are,
The Blacks; Sea-cole black, Ivory black, Lamp black, and Earth of Collen; the White, White Lead; the Green; Ter∣ravet, Verditer and Verdi∣greace; the Yellow, Spruce Oaker, Pink or Piment, and Masticot; the Blues, Smalt, Biss, Indico, and Ultramarine; the Reds, Red-Lead, Vermil∣lion, Lake, Indian-red, and Ornatto; the colours indisse∣rent are Umber, Spanish∣brown, burnt Spruce.
These are the chief to be laid in Oil, but Ivory, Spruce-Oaker
and Umber must be burnt before they are ground; and as for Masticot, Ultrama∣rine, Masticot, Vermillion, Smalt and Orpiment, you may temper them on your Pallate without grinding, though grind∣ing is better, because it mixes them the better with the Oil, and makes them dilate and spread more easily: And what of these are to be burnt, per∣form it in a Crucible, taking care they be not overburnt, to lose their Tincture.
Take care in the next place to get good Pencils of all sizes, proportionable to your Work, a Palate or Board to lay Colours •••• whilst you are using them, •••• Easle to place your Cloth up∣on or against, and a straining Frame, to which it must be nail∣ed, a Mollstick or Stay, made of Brasil, or some ponderous
Wood, not subject to bend, a∣bout a yard long, at one end tye a ball of ravelled Cotton, with a Leather over it, so that with your Left-hand, holding it against the Work, you may support your right Arm with it, whilst you are Working.
To make a Violet colour, take Indico, White Lead and Lake, mix them well, and the more or less of each quantity, will make it deeper or lighter.
A Lead colour make of White and Indico, well mixed and tempered together.
For a Scarlet colour, take Lake, Red-Lead, and a small quantity of Vermillion.
For a Flame colour, take
Red-Lead and Masticot heigh∣tened with white.
For a Light-green, take Pink and Smalt, and as you see occa∣sion lighten it with white.
For a Purple colour, take Spanish brown, Indico, and white, well tempered toge∣ther.
For a Bay colour, mix Spa∣nish brown and white.
For a Murrey colour, mix Lake and White; and so by of∣ten tempering Colours, and Practice, you may find out the rest.
Having thus far proceeded, it will be time to begin your Work, and having laid your Ground for the general Com∣plexion, and Drawn the Out-Lines, which you must do with
Lake and White mingled, Drawing very faintly, that if there be any fault it may be rubbed out and amended; the proportion of the Face Drawn, add to the former colour a small proportion of Red-Lead, tem∣pering it faintly to the colour of the Cheeks and Lips, the tip of the Chin and Ears, about the Eyes and Roots of the Hair, placing red shadows, and the shadows must not be put in with the flat of the Pencil, but with small touches, after the manner of hatching, and in this wise go over the Face, and cover the Ground-work, with these and the like shadows, but in the dead colours your curiosity need not be great, only strive as near as you can to immitate Na∣ture, for the roughness of the colours may be mended at the second operation.
Having duly placed and pro∣portioned your red Shadows, proceed to put your faint blue ••hadows about the Corners of ••he Eyes, and Balls, &c. and the greyish blue under the Eyes, and about the Temples, work∣ing them sweetly and faintly o∣ver by degrees, beginning the Shadow as the Light falls, as likewise the hard Shadows on the dark side of the Face, under the Eye-brows, Chin, Nose and Neck, with strong touches or those places, so pass to the light side of the Face, and bring all your Work together to an equal roundness; yet at this time give not perfection to any particular part, but well view the Work, and consider how near you come to the Life, not only in likeness, but posture, colouring, &c.
Having now wrought the faint Shadows into the red Sha∣dows, you may take a touch •••• the Hair, disposing it in such Curls, Folds, &c. as best con∣tribute to Grace and Ornament, only drawing it with Colours sutable to the Life, and deepen it somewhat more strongly in the deepest shadowed places, and so desist from your first Operation.
The Party to be drawn in this second Sitting, must take the place and posture as before, and now you must take a more curious survey of the Lines and Features, and as you drew them over roughly before, now is the proper time to sweeten them with the same Colours, by
Working and Drawing them one into another, so that no rough edge or lump of Colour may appear, and you must do this with a Pencil sharper than the former, to render the sha∣dow smooth and soft.
This done, proceed to the Back-side of your Picture, and if there be a Curtain required, and it be supposed of Blue Sat∣ten, then temper Bice with your Oil, and draw the out-lines of the Curtain, as also your Picture, and lay it over very thin and airy with a large Pencil, that it may be the whole ground, in∣tended to be done with Blue, and then lay it over again with a substantial Body, with the same colour, doing it swiftly that no part of the Colour may dry before it be all finished, and in the same manner you may lay the backside with any colour.
This done, lay your Linnen of a fair white, and your Dra∣pery flat, with the Colour you intend it, then view the Face again well, noting what sha∣dows are too light or too deep, and labour to reduce the several shadows to their perfection, then draw the Lines out of the Eye-lids, and Shadow the en∣trance into the Ears, the deep∣ness of the Eye-brows, and all the most material marks and notes in the Face, do this with a curious sharp Pencil, then heighten the Hair, deepening it as it appears in the Life, cast∣ing over the ground some loose Hairs, which will not only make it look airy, but seem as if the Picture stood a distance from the Curtain.
In shadowing the Lines, which must be done curiously, use black, white, and a little
blue, deepen the black with Ivory-black, and put to it a little quantity of Indico or Lake, and so the second Operation is finished.
Herein where you find any defect, or judge it reasonable, you must give strong touches, taking curious heed for the rounding of the Face, which will now be better accomplished than before, observing diligent∣ly what yet may conduce to si∣militude, as Moles, Scars, Casts with the Eyes, drawing of the Mouth, and the like.
For Garments or Ornaments, the Ground for Blue being laid with Bice, the deepening must be Indico, and a little Lake, the Lightening white, very fine, faint and fair, and for the grea∣ter
ornament, the Light may be mixed with Silver or Gold, but of Drapery more particular∣ly in Mezzatinto Painting, for Pearl colour the Ground must be White and Indico, and the Shadow Pink and Black; if the Body requires to be in Armour, let Leaf Silver be the Ground, and when it is well dried and burnished, work the shadow with Silver, Umber and Indico, and the shadow on the Silver as the Life directs.
For Gold Armour, lay Shell-Gold for the Ground, or Li∣quid Gold, and shaddow it with Lake, English-Oaker, and a mixture of Gold.
To do this, make a mixture of a small quantity of White, and twice as much Lake and
Vermillion, temper them well with the flat of a Knife upon the Pallat, and let it be used as the deepest Carnation in the Face, then adding a little part more of White, reserve that for a lighter Carnation, and yet a third part being reserved, add more White to it till it comes to the lightest colour in the Face, and so proceed to prepare the faint shadows.
In doing this, take Smalt, and mix it with a little White, which may conveniently serve for the Eyes, then separate the greatest quantity, and add to the rest a little Pink, and these well tempered will be sufficient for the greenish shadows in the Face, then proceed to prepare your deep shadows, do it with Pink, Ivory-black and Lake, a like quantity of each, temper them well together, and if the
Complexion you Draw, requires redder shadows, add more Lake; if bluer or greyer, more black, if yellower, more Pink.
Having prepared your Palat with sutable Colours for a fair Face, consider again what o∣ther Colours are required; if the Complexion be more Brown or Swarthy, and in such cases temper the Colours as before, putting a little quantity of burnt Oaker amongst the Lake, and Vermillion and White, that it may amongst your heigh∣tened Colours appear Tawny; and in this case, temper so much Oaker as will just turn it; and for your very deep, and very faint Shadows, use the same as for the former Complexion.
For a Tawny Complexion use the same as before, however, prepare the Shadows, of burnt Oaker and Umber.
For a very black or dark Com∣plexion, prepare the Shadows as the foregoing, but as for your lightening, take Lake, Burnt-Oaker, with White and Black, however, but a little of the White must be put in at first, that by degrees it may be the better worked up, and observe that the single Shadows laid at first upon your Palate, and well tempered according to the fore∣going directions, serve as Sha∣dows for all Complexions.
These Garments, or Drape∣ry, require to be made sutable in their Colours; for Red therefore, lay the Ground with Vermillion, glaze it over with Lake, and heighten it with White.
For Scarlet, let Vermillion be the lightest, deepened with Lake, and heightened with In∣dian red.
For Crimson Velvet, lay a Ground of burnt Oaker, Ver∣million and Indian Red, glaze it with Lake, and touch it up with Vermillion.
For a sad Red, heighten In∣dian Red with White, and deepen with Black, Pink and Lake, well mixed together.
For Green, heighten Bice and Pink with Masticot, and deepen it with Pink and Indico.
For Green Velvet, lay the dead colour with a little White and Lamp-black, glaze it with Verdigrease, deepen with Pink and Indico, and heighten with White and Pink.
For Yellow, use Masticot, Umber and Yellow Oaker, lay the dead colour with Masticot
and White in the highest places, and with Oaker in the meanest, in the darkest with Umber, glazing when dry with Pink.
For Blue Garments, take In∣dico and White, first laying the White in its due place, and then your mean colour, viz. Indico and White, well tempered in their proper places, then deep∣en with Indico, and when dry, glaze it with Ultramarine.
For Black Garments, let the dead colour be Lamp-black and a little Verdigrease. and go over it when dry with a little Ivory-black, and when you have heightened it with White, go over the Work with Verdi∣grease and Ivory-black.
For Orange colour, mix Lake and Red-Lead, laying the light∣est part with Red-Lead and White, the mean part only with Red-Lead, and the deep∣er
with Lake, and if it be ne∣cessary you may heighten with White.
For a Cloth colour, let the Ground be Umber and White, and for the deeper Shadows Black and Umber, for the mean Oaker and Umber, and heigh∣ten it with Oaker and White, and so much for colouring Gar∣ments.
In this Work of Painting with Oil, begin with the Sky and Sun beams, and the lighter parts, and then the Yellow, which must be done with Masti∣cot and White, the next your Blue Sky with Smalt, leaving no part of the Ground uncover∣ed,
but lay the Colours smooth ••ll over, working the Sky downwards, towards the Hori∣••on, still suffering it to grow fainter as it enclines nearer to the Earth, and work the tops of Mountains and other Objects very remote, so faint as they may appear lost in Mist or Air, and as for the nearest and lowest Ground, it must be a dark brown Earth colour, enclining a little to Yellowish and Green, as the nature of it requires, the next a light Green, and so proceed gradually as they lose in their distance you must lessen their Colour, observing not to make any thing that is to be seen at a great distance, perfect or really, because you must imagine it is at such a distance that you can∣not well discern it, but express it in Colours weakly and faint∣ly; as your Eye Judges it may
be, always taking notice to place the Light opposite to the Dark, which will very much ex∣tend the prospect, and do it so that the Shadows may lose in their proportion of distance, their force by little and little, as they remove from the Eye, observing always to put in the strongest Shadows nearest; put no Moon nor Stars but in a Night-piece, for they are not otherways naturally proper, be∣cause they cannot be well seen in the day; if you imitate an over-cast Sky, where black Clouds threaten a Storm, the Shadows may be on the meeting parts of the Clouds, this may be also done with Colours mix∣ed with Water wherein Gum-Arabick has been dissolved.
If in any fair▪ Landskip you express the Light of the Sun, always observe throughout the
whole piece, that you cast the lights of your Trees, Rocks, Hills, Buildings, Ruines, and all other things expressed in it that way; observe also to lessen your Bodies proportionable, as they are nearer or farther distant, and carry it off so far that the Earth and Sky, or Water seem to meet, Rivers as they run to a distance must lessen their Streams, so Ships or Boats, and the like.
As for Living Creatures, Beasts, Fowls and Serpents, or Insects you must consider their proportion, shape and colour, and get Draughts or Patterns, which will be better than Print∣ed Directions, and these kinds being numerous, for brevities sake I must omit to treat of them.
In undertaking this curiously lay the Prints flat ways in warm water, of the finest and thine: Paper, for that which is rough and thick will not do near so well, if at all, let them soa•• well, and your Glass being very white and thin, go over it with Venice Turpentine spread thi•• with a pliable Knife, and dab i•• all over with your Finger, tha•• the Turpentine may seem rough.
This done, take the soaked Print and lay it on a clean cloth even, then press it with ano∣ther; to take out the Water then lay it on a Glass, the Prin•• next it, beginning at one end
stroaking outwards the part al∣ready fixed to the Glass, that neither Wind nor Water may ••e retained between, to wrinkle ••••, then with a little Spunge, or ••our Fingers, wet the backside, and lightly by degrees roll off ••he Paper carefully, without making holes, especially in the Lights, which are the tender∣••st, and when the Print ap∣pears very transparent on the backside, let it dry about two hours, then varnish it over with Turpentine or Mastick varnish, till you can see through it, and •• nights drying will prepare it to be worked on with Colours.
If you would have all the Pa∣per off, so that nothing but the Print should remain, lay it as before, with Oil of Mastick, and a little Turpentine, and a Brush will fetch off all the Paper.
As for the Posture to do any of this Work, the best is sitting to a true light, your Pencils must be fine, and in the first place glaze all the places that require, and if you would have them thin as they should be, and soon dry, mix varnish as they are laid on, and in four hours you may venture other Co∣lours.
In this Work glaze the near∣est and greatest Trees, Ground them with brown Pink, or if you fancy them greener, use distilled Verdigrease, and where the Leaves and Weeds that ap∣pear in some Landskips very sprightly and extraordinary green, must be glazed with di∣stilled
Verdigrease, and Dutch Pink, the Trees appearing far∣ther off with only the former; the Hills, Rocks, Mountains and Trees at the greatest distance, glaze with Smalt, a little Lake, and Verdigrease thinly mixed with Varnish; as for the Skies, use Ultramarine or fine Smalt, mixed with thin varnish, glaze it over two or three times with a large clean Pencil, and nimble strokes, if Buildings or Ruines of Buildings appear in it, finish them first, and the mixture of Colours, for these consist of Yellow, Black, White, and now and then a tincture of Red.
To finish Ground Trees and Skies, begin with the nearest and largest Trees, do over the lightest Leaves with white Pink and a little Smalt, and neatly do over the darkest and nearest Leaves, with a little Pencil dip∣ed
in Varnish, and those Tree▪ you would have very beautiful, Paint with a mixture of Verdi∣grease, Yellow Masticot and White, the darker parts with white Verdigrease and Pink, as also those Trees you glaze with Verdigrease only, they being very light mixed with White.
As for the Skies and Fore∣skips, if any Clouds appear, let them be touched with Var∣nish, and a light colour mad of White Lake and Yellow Oaker; touch also with these the light parts of Hills, likewise Towns, and the remotest di∣stance; then mix White ar•• Smalt, as light as conveniently may be, and Paint over the Sky add a tincture of Lake for the dark Clouds; let the Colours lye even and thin, and where finished, give it time to dry, to
make it look more lively, set ••he Picture against the light, that the Shadows may appear.
In Painting a Face, where there are deep Shadows, glaze and touch them thinly with crown Pink, Lake and Varnish, also the black Ball, and white Speck of the Eye, as you will be directed by the Print, the round white Ball must likewise be of a convenient colour; if the Lips are to be of a curious Red, glaze them with Lake or Cazamine, and then begin with the dark side of the Face, and Paint the Shadows with the Co∣lour more Red than usual, to do this, Yellow Pink, Vermil∣lion
and White are most proper and note, no Varnish must be used in Painting Flesh colours except in glazing the Shadows for the Varnish drys so fast that you cannot sweeten the Shadows of the Flesh.
After this give a few touches on the strongest light of the Face, as the Forehead, top of the Nose by the Eyes, Chin and Mouth, which colour must be made white with pale Masticot, or Yellow-Oaker, and a little Vermillion mixed, according to the Complexion intended, then mix that colour a little darker, and lay it on all the Face that before you had not very carefully painted, yet that for the Mouth and Cheeks must be somewhat redder.
Now with a fine clean Pencil that has been worn a little, hatch and sweeten the Flesh co∣lours
and Shadows sweetly to∣gether, taking care to cleanse ••our Pencil as often as it is re∣••uisite, so that whilst the piece ••s moist and wet, you may re∣gulate Cheeks too pale, or any other defect.
If the Complexion be Swar∣••hy, mix the Flesh-colour with White, Brown, or Yellow Oaker and light Red, with agreeable ••hadows; and by this means ••ou may Paint naked Breasts, Bodies or Hands, always being ••areful that your Pencil be stea∣dily guided, for the least slip mars the Feature, and trespass ••ot on Features and Lines of a ••isagreeing Colour.
In this Painting you have no occasion to use Colours or Var∣nish near so dark as the Life, for the Print contributes to the darkening of it, as suppose yo•• was to Paint Black Hair, you mix black Red-Oaker with a touch of light Red or Lake, and these may well produce an Ash∣colour, and the Hair coloured with it, will show you a natu∣ral Black; if you would make the Curls stronger, with a ligh∣ter colour, touch the lightest part and the darkest with the contrary, which you may well see through, if the Colours ar•• not laid too thick.
If you are to Paint Cloth or Drapery, in a broken colour, observe carefully its mixture, however you must make three degrees of that colour, one the proper colour, another more light, and the last darker, for it must be for the darkest folds, and the lightest for the lightest pleats, and that between both for the other parts.
With a worn Pencil sweeten the Colour, so that the Folds may lye hard, and if you intend to make a Fringe, Imbroidery or the like, and to them with Shell or Powdered Gold or Silver, mix your Minerals with Gum∣water, having a fine Pencil to Hatch or Imbroider the Flowers,
and touch the Fringes and other Imbroderies before you glaze, after this manner. viz. I ima∣gine the changeable Draperies Ground to be Purple, and the light Yellow, then must I take a fine Pencil dipped in Varnish, and thinly touch all the lightest parts of the Folds with Yellow Masticot, if there be occasion to repeat it, for it must be granted the Colour must be ve∣ry thin with Varnish.
When dry I must glaze all over with Lake, Smalt, or Ul∣tramarine, once or twice with Varnish, and so it must dry, and then I mix three degrees of Purple colour, of Smalt, Lake and White, and lay them on as directed, and by these measures fitting your Colours sutable to your intention, you may Paint any other coloured Drapery, which in this little
Book I want room to particula∣rize.