on this subject, the lecturer suggested that in the treatment of a
drawing-room the walls should be a light neutral grey, fawn color,
or pale green (not dark, but not white). Dados are suitable for all
rooms, even drawing-rooms. They may be made of wood, painted as the
room doors, or of stamped leather, or of the French paper imitations
of stamped leather. A frieze does not interfere with the heads of
sitters, and adds much interest if it has its sentiment or story. If
flowers form part of your decorations, have no relief, no imitation
of nature’s light and shade. A wall must be a wall; if, neglecting
this, you introduce illusions to the eye, the sense of solidity will
not be suggested. The Japanese decorate on correct principles, with
truth to the idea derived from nature, and truth in art, adaptation of
representation to materials and method. As regards the woodwork there
should be no graining anywhere; its aspect, however well executed,
is repulsive. Real woods are always beautiful. Plain painting may be
darker or lighter than the general wall surfaces; both will look well.
The doors may have stencilled decorations in angles of panels; birds or
butterflies, or plants, or any beautiful natural objects will supply
motives. The ceilings should rarely be wholly white, except of halls or
where the light is defective. Papered ceilings look well. The use of
gold is generally satisfactory; it reflects a warm tone on everything
below. Put a good amount of color on a ceiling--not, however, making it
so dark as to bring it too close to the eye. The carpet must be either
lighter or darker than the walls. This is following out the artist’s
rule, to make either background or foreground run into the figure. If
this is not done in painting, a woman in white satin, for instance,
against a dark floor and dark walls, will look like a cut-out figure
stuck on, and the same sort of result would occur in rooms. As in
ordinary life dresses are dark in color, where a light wall tone has
been recommended, the carpet will have to be darker than the walls. Not
too vivid in color, however, and of course, no flowers, ferns, birds’
nests, and such like fearful things. _Furniture and hangings_ should
not be too much alike in color; have, say, the carpet one tone, the
coverings of the furniture another, and the curtains and other hangings
a third. Have summer and winter hangings and furniture coverings; those
for the former light and cheerful, the others with more warmth, and
suggestive of comfort and home life. A table-cloth, occasional chair,
or a rug, may supply a bit of effective contrast with prevailing hues
of hangings, etc., and a spot of vivid color in a vase or some small
hanging will complete the formal decoration of the room.
=Graining.=--The art of imitating the grain of the more expensive
woods has been brought to a great degree of perfection, but of late
years so many unskilled workmen have undertaken to imitate the natural
grain of wood with such imperfect results, that this beautiful branch
of painting has fallen into partial disuse. A few remarks, therefore,
to the uninitiated may not be inappropriate in this work. Mahogany,
satinwood, rosewood, mottled and walnut roots, maple, and some
others, are frequently imitated; and it is seldom that a house is
finished without some graining being introduced. The imitation of the
above-mentioned woods are best performed in ground distemper (water
colors) which are always preferable and more economical purchased
ready prepared. Oak, chestnut, ash and similar long-grained woods, are
best executed in oil-color, particularly for outdoor work. For drawing
rooms, delicate party colors are preferable, as they harmonize better
with the neutral tints on the walls or delicate tinted papers. The
process of graining is very simple. To be an accomplished grainer,
practice and an artistic taste is very necessary. Too frequently
the imitation is overdone, the shading too deep and obtrusive, and
the work made too glaring with figure and varnish, has an unnatural
appearance; a grainer should always avoid attempting to over-do nature.
The following is an approved method:--The surface on new wood should
be prepared with three coats of oil paints for the ground color, and
regulated in shade by the color of the wood to be imitated, making due
allowance for the graining tint that is to cover it. The ground colors
should always be perfectly dry before the graining is commenced. The
painter then preparing small quantities of the colors he requires,
applies it thinly and evenly over the surface and proceeds to wipe
out with his thumb and a piece of white cotton cloth the figure of
the grain. Some grainers use rubber instead. We cannot here explain
all the different processes for the imitation of the grain of wood.
Many painters have a method of their own, which from long practice
produce excellent results. In some cases, graining in distemper may
be adopted with great success for indoor work, and if the colors are
put on thin, so that the varnish will penetrate through into the
ground color, this kind of graining is as durable as oil-color, and is
susceptible of being made far more beautiful, and soft looking in the
imitation of mottled woods. For blending distemper colors, a badger’s
hair blender should be frequently used to soften down and blend the
tints where necessary; but for blending oil-color, in order to produce
an elongation of the grain, we have found a flat varnish brush, kept
moderately damp and clean, preferable to the badger’s hair. When the
work is dry, the shades necessary for some woods should be laid on
in distemper-color (some use thin oil-colors) and then covered with
two coats of good oil varnish. Common varnish should never be used on
outside work.
=Oak Graining.=--In oak graining the color is made in the following
manner:--Procure some finely-ground burnt umber and raw sienna (or
Vandyke brown and raw sienna if a dark oak be required), and thin
with equal parts of linseed oil and turpentine. Add a large quantity
of patent dryer to make it stand the comb. The color is now ready
for use. The graining color is brushed over the work in the ordinary
way with a pound brush, care being taken not to put too much color
on, else it is liable to look dirty. A dry dusting brush is now used
to stipple with, which, if properly done, will distribute the color
evenly. It is now ready for combing. First take a medium or coarse-cut
gutta-percha comb, and draw it down one side of the panel, then use a
finer one to complete it. This comb will leave the marks of the grain
in clear unbroken lines from top to bottom of the panel. We now take
a fine steel comb and go over the whole of the previous combing; but
in drawing this comb down, we either move it in a slanting or diagonal
direction across the previous combing, or draw it down with a quick and
short wavy motion and curl. Both the former and latter motions will
break up the long lines left by the gutta-percha comb into short bits,
which, of course, represent the pores or grains of the real wood. Next
take out the lights of figuring or veining. This is effected by means
of a piece of washleather, held tightly over the thumb nail. Every time
a few lights are wiped out the leather should be moved slightly, so
that the same part of the leather will not be used twice, thus ensuring
clean work. There are various methods of doing this, but they require
much more practice. When the figures are all wiped out they will
require to be softened. By softening we mean the imitation of those
half shades seen upon and about the figures in the real wood. These
are imitated by doubling a piece of washleather into a small roll,
and with the side of this the grain is partly wiped away or softened.
Care should be taken not to wipe off the whole of the grain. If the
operator has a piece of the real wood to look at occasionally he will
be materially assisted. As soon as the oil color is dry it should be
over-grained. This is effected in water color. Next go over the work
with a bit of sponge and soap to prevent it “cissing.” Before laying
on the over-graining, wash out the sponge and wipe the work. It is now
ready to receive the color. Grind up finely a little vandyke brown in
water, and dilute it with table-beer and water. It is then ready. Take
a flat hog-hair brush, 3 in. to 4 in. wide, dip it in the color and
draw it over the work, in most cases in the direction of the combing,
but occasionally crossing. The hair of the brush, being thinly placed,
will separate into patches, and hence the color will be deposited in
streaks, resembling the natural gradations which the wood presents. If
you have not a brush of this kind a sponge may be used to put in the
streak and to soften off. Then dry varnish in the usual way.
=Spirit Graining for Oak.=--2 lbs. whiting, ¹⁄₄ lb. gold size, thinned
down with spirits of turpentine, then tinge your whiting with vandyke
brown and raw sienna ground fine. Strike out your light with a pitch
or piece of rubber dipped in turpentine, tinged with a little color
to show the lights. If your lights do not appear clear, add a little
more turpentine. Turpentine varnish is a good substitute for the above
mentioned. This kind of graining must be brushed over with beer with a
clean brush before varnishing. Strong beer must be used for glazing up
top graining and shading.
=Old Oak in Distemper.=--To make an exceedingly rich color for the
imitation of old oak, the ground is a composition of stone ochre or
orange chrome and burnt sienna; the graining is burnt umber or vandyke
brown, to darken it a little. The above colors may be used for oil as
well.
=Pollard Oak.=--Ground color, a mixture of chrome yellow, vermilion
and white lead, to bring it to a rich light buff. The graining colors
are vandyke brown and small portions of raw and burnt sienna and lake,
ground in beer or vinegar. Fill a large brush with color and spread it
over the surface to be grained, and soften with a badger hair brush.
Take a moistened sponge and dapple round and round in kind of knobs,
then soften very lightly, after which draw a softener from one set of
knobs to the other while wet, to form a multiplicity of grain, and
finish the knobs with a hair pencil, in some places in thicker clusters
than others. When dry, put the top grain on in a variety of directions,
and varnish with turpentine and gold size; then glaze up with vandyke
and strong beer. Finish with copal varnish. This is for distemper only.
=Mottled Mahogany.=--The ground is prepared with the best Venetian red,
red lead, and a small proportion of white lead. The graining colors are
burnt sienna, ground in beer, with a small portion of vandyke brown.
Cover the surface to be grained, soften with a badger hair brush, and
while wet take a damp sponge and go over the lights a second time, in
order to give a variety of shade; then blend the whole of the work with
the badger softener. Put the top grain on with the same color. When
dry, varnish. For distemper only.
=Rosewood.=--Mix vermilion and a small quantity of white lead for the
ground. Take rose-pink, tinged with a little lamp-black or vandyke
brown, and grind very fine in oil, then take a flat graining brush,
with the hairs cut away at unequal distances, and cut down the grain as
if wending round a knob. When nearly dry, take a graining comb that is
used for oak, and draw down the grain. This will give it the appearance
of nature. Then varnish. This makes an excellent and durable imitation.
=Another for Rosewood.=--This ground is prepared with vermilion and
small quantities of white lead and crimson lake. When the ground is
dry, and made very smooth, take vandyke brown, ground in oil, and
with a very soft tool spread the color over the surface in different
directions, forming a kind of knots. Before the work is dry take a
piece of leather, and with great freedom strike out the light veins;
having previously prepared the darkest tint of vandyke brown or gum
asphaltum, immediately take the flat graining brush with few hairs in
it, called a top grainer, and draw the grain over the work and soften.
When varnished, the imitation will be excellent.
=Curled Maple in Oil.=--Prepare a rich ground by mixing chrome yellow,
white lead and burnt sienna. For the graining color, grind equal parts
of raw sienna and umber with a little burnt copperas and turpentine,
and mix it with a small quantity of grainer’s cream, thin the color
with oil; then fill a tool and spread the surface even and rub out the
lights with sharp edge of a piece of buff leather, wiping it frequently
to keep it clean; soften the edges of the work very lightly, and when
dry, put on the top grain with burnt umber and raw sienna ground in
beer with the white of an egg beat into it. Varnish.
=Curled Maple in Distemper.=--Prepare a light yellow for the ground,
by mixing chrome yellow and white lead, tinged with Venetian red. The
graining color is a mixture of equal portions of raw sienna and vandyke
brown, ground in beer. Spread the surface to be grained in an even
manner; then with a piece of cork rub across the work to and fro, to
form the grains which run across the wood; soften, and when dry lightly
top grain with the same color. Varnish.
=Bird’s Eye Maple in Oil.=--The ground is a light buff, prepared with
white lead, chrome yellow and a little vermilion or English Venetian,
to take off the rawness of the yellow. The graining color is equal
parts of raw umber and sienna, ground in oil to the proper consistency.
Spread the surface of the work with this color, and having some of the
same prepared a little thicker, immediately take a sash tool or sponge
and put on the dark shades, and soften with a badger hair brush; before
the color is dry put on the eyes by dabbing the dotting machine on the
work, or by striking the colors short and sharp with the tips of the
fingers, then blend slightly the eyes in one direction only. When dry,
put on the grain with the camels hair pencil on the prominent parts to
imitate the small hearts of the wood. The same graining colors to be
ground in here for distemper.
=Walnut in Oil.=--The ground is formed with ochre, Indian red, umber,
and white. The graining coat is similar to that described under the oak
heading, and is prepared with vandyke brown; and for the darker shades,
fine ivory-black; the wiping out and blending to resemble that in
mahogany; the fine dark veins of ivory-black to be lightly and wavily
drawn over the work after it is blended. It is then ready for the
varnish.
=Satin-wood in Distemper.=--This ground is prepared with white lead,
stone ochre and small quantities of chrome yellow and burnt sienna. The
graining color is one-third of raw sienna and whiting, ground in pale
ale, very thin; then spread the color over the surface to be grained.
While wet soften, and have ready a wet roller or mottling brush, in
order to take out the lights; blend the whole with the badger hair
brush, and with the same color put on the top grain. Varnish.
=To Imitate Granite in Oil.=--For the ground color, stain your white
lead to a light lead color, with lamp-black and a little rose-pink.
Throw on black spots with a coarse brush or graniting machine. A pale
red also, and fill up with white before the ground is dry.
=Another for the Same.=--A black ground; when half dry throw in
vermilion, a deep yellow, and white spots.
=Marble.=--For _White Marble_, get up a pure white ground, then hold
a lighted tallow candle near the surface, and allow the smoke to form
the shades and various tints desired. This will make a very handsome
imitation. _Black Marble._--Imitation is made by streaking a black
surface with colors, using a feather and pencil. Another plan is to
get up a smooth black surface; then take the colors, green, yellow,
red, white, etc., ground thick in gold size, and streak the surface
with a stick or hair pencil. Allow it to dry, and apply a heavy coat
of lamp-black and yellow ochre mixed, mixed rough stuff. When all is
hard, rub down to a level surface with lump pumice-stone, varnish and a
beautiful variegated marble will be the result.
=Red Marble.=--For the ground put on a white tinged with lake or
vermilion; then apply deep red patches, filling up the intermediate
spaces with brown and white mixed in oil; then blend them together; if
in quick drying colors, use about half turpentine and gold size. When
dry, varnish, and while the varnish is wet, put in a multitude of fine
white threads, crossing the whole work in all directions, as the wet
varnish brings the pencil to a fine point.
=Jasper Marble.=--Put on a white ground lightly tinged with blue; then
put on patches of rich reds or rose-pink, leaving spaces of the white
ground; then partly cover these spaces with various browns to form
fossils, in places running veins; then put in a few spots of white in
the centre of some of the red patches, and leaving, in places, masses
nearly white. When dry use the clearest varnish.
=Blue and Gold Marble.=--For the ground color put on a light blue;
then take blue, with a small piece of white lead and some dark common
blue, and dab on the ground in patches, leaving portions of the ground
to shine between; then blend the edges together with a duster or a
softener; afterwards draw on some white veins in every direction,
leaving large open spaces to be filled up with a pale yellow or gold
paint; finish with some fine white running threads, and a coat of
varnish at last.
=Black and Gold Marble.=--This description of marble is very chaste,
and is in great demand. The ground is a deep black, or a dead color,
in gold size, drop black and turpentine; second coat, black japan.
Commence veining; mix white and yellow ochre with a small quantity of
vermilion to give a gold tinge; dip the pencil in this color, and dab
on the ground with great freedom some large patches, from which small
threads must be drawn in several directions.
In the deepest part of the black a white vein is sometimes seen running
with a number of small veins attached to it, but care must be taken
that these threads are connected with and run, in some degree, in the
same direction with the thicker veins. If durability is not an object,
and the work required in a short time, it may be executed very quickly
in distemper colors, and when varnished, it will look well.
=Compound Colors.=--The following tints can be formed by mixing the
colors as below. The shades can be made to suit any taste by the
exercise of a little judgment in proportioning the colors:
_Cream._--White lead, yellow and red.
_Drab._--White, Prussian blue and vermilion.
_Fawn._--White, stone ochre and vermilion.
_Flesh._--Lake, white lead, and a little vermilion.
_Grey_, Pearl--White lead, Prussian blue, and a very little black.
_Grey_, Flaxseed.--White lead, Prussian blue, and a little lake.
_Gold._--Massicot, or Naples yellow, with a small quantity of Realgar
and Spanish white.
_Green_, Light willow.--White, mixed with verdigris.
_Green_, Grass.--Yellow pink with verdigris.
_Green_, Pea.--White lead and chrome or Paris green.
_Green_, Dark.--Black and chrome green.
_Green_, Olive.--Prussian blue and French yellow; mix to the tints
required. This is a cheap and handsome color for outside work, such as
doors, carts, wagons, railway cars, etc.
_Jonquil._--Yellow, pink and white lead. This color is only for
distemper.
_Lead._--Prussian blue and white, with a light shade of white.
_Olive._--For distemper, use indigo and yellow pink mixed with whiting
or white lead powder.
_Olive._--Red, green, or black and yellow.
_Pearl._--White lead, Prussian blue and red.
_Purple._--Dark red mixed with violet.
_Purple._--White, Prussian blue and vermilion.
_Red_, Dark.--English Venetian, red lead and litharge.
_Red_, Light.--Venetian red, and red lead in equal parts.
_Red_, Deep.--Vermilion, with a very small quantity of red lead.
_Stone._--White, with a little spruce ochre.
_Straw._--White lead and yellow.
_Snuff._--Yellow, sienna and red.
_Slate._--White lead, black, red and blue.
_Steel._--Ceruse, Prussian blue, fine lac and vermilion.
_Salmon._--White lead, yellow and red.
_Walnut._--Tree color; two-thirds white lead and one-third red ochre,
yellow ochre and umber, mixed according to the shade sought. If veining
is required, use different shades of the same mixture. (See article on
graining).
_Yellow_, Light.--French yellow and white lead. A little red lead may
be used.
_Another._--French yellow, white and red lead.
_Another._--A mixture of a small portion of Prussian blue, French
yellow, white lead and Turkey umber and burnt vitriol, or litharge,
will produce different shades of yellow, according to the preponderance
of one of the above colors.
_Yellow._--Bright for floors, white lead, French yellow, chrome yellow
a little, some red lead and litharge; mix with equal parts of boiled
oil and turpentine and use it thin.
_Yellow_, Dark.--French yellow and a little red.
_Yellow_, Lemon.--Yellow pink, with Naples yellow. For distemper only.
MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS.
=For Iron.=--A good paint for preserving iron exposed to the weather,
is made as follows:
Pulverized oxides of iron, such as yellow and red iron ochres, or brown
hematite iron ores, finely ground, and simply mixed with linseed oil
and a dryer.
White lead applied directly to iron is thought to have a corrosive
effect. It may be applied over more durable colors.
Red lead, when pure, is very durable. An instance is recorded of iron
painted with it having been under water for nearly 50 years, and had
not been affected by rust.
Sheet iron, before being used for roofs or other outside purposes,
should be heated and dipped into hot linseed oil, which will penetrate
into it. Tinned iron in roofs has been found to corrode quicker than in
former years, owing to the more general use of coal.
=Paint for Rusty Iron.=--Black Japan varnish, mixed with turpentine,
to make it thinner if necessary, is one of the best preventatives; but
the iron must be dry when you put it on. If you can warm the iron when
painting it, so much the better. If not sufficiently opaque, you may
put in dry finely pulverized paint, such as lamp-black. Red lead, with
linseed oil is also a good paint for rusted iron; so are the mineral
reddish-browns which consist of oxide of iron; they become very hard,
and are used for the iron-work of the elevated railroads in this city.
=To Paint on Stucco.=--Great care is required in painting upon
stucco, for the work must not only be thoroughly dry, but free from
any liability of dampness; that is to say, the walls themselves must
be dry. It is, consequently, usual to allow the stucco to remain for
several months before it is painted; and this is especially necessary
when it covers over a large surface, as in the walls of churches,
chapels and theatres. If the paint be applied too soon, the work will
have a blotched appearance, and be probably filled with small vesicles,
formed during the evaporation of the water. When the work is dry, it
may be prepared by covering it with a coat of linseed oil, boiled
with dryer. This must be laid on very carefully, or the face will be
irregular. The color may then be applied, and four coats will not be
too much, the work being new. Persons are generally so anxious to have
their buildings finished, that they disregard the future appearance of
the work, and within a few weeks after the application of the stucco,
cover it with paint. But it would, in all cases, be sufficient to wash
the surface with distemper, as it would give a finished appearance to
the building, and make it less necessary to hurry the work. When the
work is sufficiently dry to receive the oil-colors the distemper color
should be removed by washing, and when the stucco is dry apply the
oil-color. The tints may be regulated by mingling different colors, as
in all other kinds of painting.
Plastered walls should not be painted until they are thoroughly dry,
and all settling in a new house has taken place. If painted too soon
they will blister.
Unseasoned wood should never be painted, as it stops the pores of the
wood and the sap acidulates, causing dry rot. Greasy surfaces must be
washed with water mixed with lime or soda, otherwise the paint will not
adhere to it.