Set on the palette, at intervals of about an inch, some ivory yellow,
yellow brown, flesh No. 1, flesh No. 2, light grey, brown 108,
blue-green, and the other colors.
The drawing having been traced with chalk, you proceed to sketch it in,
which should always be done in the same color as the object. For the
flesh take some flesh No. 1 at the tip of your brush, and indicate very
lightly the outline of the eyes, the nostrils, the corners of the mouth,
and the ears; but above all, take care not to make a line all round the
face, as the effect produced in the firing would be exceedingly bad.
Paint likewise the face, the neck, and inside the fingers, but
especially not on the side of the light, _which must detach itself by
the local tint only_.
With the ivory knife mix one-third flesh No. 1 with two-thirds ivory
yellow; this forms the flesh color for the local tint. Prepare also a
little yellow brown for the reflected lights. These two tints are to be
applied almost simultaneously, one next to the other. Commence always
from the top of the head, and only when the sketched outline is dry,
otherwise the local tint will remove it. This tint must be laid on very
thin; apply it quickly with precision and without deviation of the
brush, that is, without discontinuation of tint; look at the china
sideways, and if the color is deficient in any place remedy that at
once. Finally, the tints are made even by dabbing, and the flesh color
is gently blended with the yellow brown by means of a very small fitch
brush.
For faces high in color, yellow browns should be used with the reds, and
some violet of iron.
While the first tint is still wet, and before dabbling, the flesh color
should be strengthened with some flesh No. 1 beneath the arch of the
eyebrows, the cheeks, and the lower part of the chin.
Cast shadows are commenced with yellow brown, and retouched with brown
108. Strong shadows are made of violet of iron, and the edges of
blue-green and light grey.
Paint the lips with flesh No. 1, retouch with No. 2, but above all, let
there be no outline either to the upper or to the lower lip, nothing but
a soft, flat, pale tint, strengthened a bit for the shadow.
Blue eyes are made with sky-blue and a minimum of blue-green, retouched
with blue-grey. Brown eyes, with yellow brown retouched with sepia or
bitumen. The pupil, raven black. The sparkle is left white, or is laid
on with a dab of permanent white.
Fair hair is begun with ivory yellow. The shadows are made with yellow
brown, and brown 108 graduated, and they terminate with grey and
bitumen.
Colored draperies are begun like the draperies in monochrome, a flat
general tint touched up again at once with the same tint to give
strength to the shadows. There is nothing prettier than pink drapery
shaded with blue, and yellow shaded with pink or capucine red. White
drapery is begun with an extremely light grey, mixed with green. Whites
are reserved, that is, the greatest possible part of the china is left
bare without paint to form the lights.
The beginner will do well if she paints a subject with several figures
in it, to ascertain which colors throw back, and which bring forward. In
the foreground, light colors; white, pink, light blue, lilac. In the
middle ground, blue, green, purple and red are used. For the background
there are dark blue, brown and dark green.
The ground is made with ivory yellow (for the lights), bitumen, grey,
and a little violet of iron. Trunks of trees are begun with yellow-grey,
greenish-grey, and bitumen.
The palette, set complete for figure subjects, includes the following
colors: Chinese white, sky-blue, light sky-blue, dark blue, deep
ultramarine Victoria blue, blue No. 29, (special for porcelain scales on
earthenware), brown No. 3, bitumen, brown No. 4 or 17, yellow-brown,
deep red-brown, sepia, light carmine A, carmine No. 2, deep carmine No.
3, light grey No. 1, grey No. 2, neutral grey, russet or warm grey,
silver yellow, permanent yellow, ivory yellow, (47 of Sevres), yellow
for mixing, (41 of Sevres), crimson lake, raven black, iridium black,
yellow ochre, purple No. 2, crimson purple, deep purple, capucine red,
flesh No. 1, flesh No. 2, deep flesh, orange red, grass green No. 5,
brown-green No. 6, dark green No. 7, deep blue-green, deep chrome green,
apple green, sap green, violet of iron, light violet of gold.
[Illustration]