[Illustration]
An elegant, easy and profitable method of arranging autumn leaves to
make beautiful household articles, such as flower vases, work boxes,
etc. Gather yellow withered leaves, perfect in form, press them between
the leaves of a book. Rub the surface of the article to be ornamented
with fine sand-paper, then give it a coat of fine black paint. When this
is dry, rub smooth with pumice stone, then apply two other coats.
Arrange the leaves according to taste, gum them on the under side, and
press them on the piece to be ornamented.
Now dissolve some isinglass in hot water, and brush it over the work
while the solution is warm. When dry, give it three coats of copal
varnish, allowing time for each coat to dry, and the work is completed.
THE ART OF PAINTING
—OR—
STAINING GLASS.
[Illustration]
Glass-painting is not only restored, in our day, to the perfect fullness
of its ancient splendor, but also has acquired, through the giant
strides of the science of chemistry, and the great progress latterly
made in the arts of design, an amount of technical and æsthetical power
far exceeding whatever could formerly be called to its aid.
Notwithstanding this advantage, however, the art has not yet reached
that wide state of diffusion which, from the exquisite effects it is
capable of producing, and deserves, and which it attained in the olden
time, even with its then more limited capabilities.
The obstacles which, on the revival of the art, have interposed to check
its further extension, and therefore to diminish also the general demand
for its productions, are much rather to be attributed to those in whose
hands it rests, than to anything properly belonging to itself; they
originate in fact less in the art than with the artists.
One of the principal causes of the earlier decay of glass-painting was
that its rules being based so entirely upon empirical principles, those
who practised it were accustomed to consider the knowledge they had
acquired in the thorny path of tedious and long continued experiment as
their most valuable personal property, forming at once the means of
their subsistence, and the foundation of their future artistical fame.
They therefore not only kept the information they had gained profoundly
secret during their lives, but even carried it with them to their
graves, in preference to leaving it behind them to be made use of by
their scholars.
Glass-painting or staining may be defined to mean the art of painting on
transparent glass, (either colorless or already colored in the process
of its manufacture), with vitrescible metallic colors, which are
afterwards burnt into the surface of the glass on which they are laid,
leaving it more or less transparent.
All colors used in glass-painting are oxides of metals, or other
metallic combinations. They may be divided into two principal classes:
1. Those whose coloring base, or the oxide, is laid upon the glass
simply in its original combination with an earthy vehicle.
2. Those whose coloring base, or the oxide, must be made to adhere by
the help of a glassy body, namely, the flux.
The colors which require a flux may be divided again into,
1. Those in which the oxide unchanged, but only _mixed_ with the flux,
is attached to the glass.
2. Those in which the oxide requires to be vitrified, by previous
_fusion_ with the flux, before it is laid on the glass.
The last may be called _fused colors_, all others _mixed colors_.
The classification before given may be made clearer by the following
explanatory remarks. Glass-painting is distinguished especially from
other illuminating processes in that the colors and the foundation on
which they are laid must, in this art, be fused together in the kiln.
Now, some few colors combine with the surface of the glass, at the
temperature of fusion, without further previous preparation than the
simple laying on, wherefore these give to the glass only a coloring
cementation or stain. Others, on the contrary, in consequence of their
peculiar nature, can only be made to combine with the glass by fusing
them upon its surface, into another thin sheet or layer of colored
glass. This is done by means of the _flux_, a vitreous compound, which
fuses more easily (_i. e._ at a lower temperature) than the foundation,
the glass plate.
=The Process of Laying the Colors on the Glass.= The manipulation and
the process of laying the colors on the glass varies, in some measure,
according to the different kinds of glass-painting, which therefore call
for the first explanation.
Either the colors may be laid upon a single sheet of glass, upon which
the whole figure with all its principal colors and intermediate tints
are burned in (Peinture en apprêt); or,
The figure may be composed of various pieces of _pot metal_ (glass
already colored in its manufacture), and only the outlines and shadows
painted on, the glass pieces giving the colors for the peculiar places
where they are inserted (Mosaic glass-painting); or, both these methods
may be combined in one and the same picture, by composing it partly of
pieces of colored _pot metal_ and partly of white and painted glass,
fixed together,
=Peinture et Apprêt.= For painting on a single sheet of glass, the
following rules must be observed.
A pure white glass must be chosen for the purpose, free from air specks
or bubbles, and especially difficult of fusion, as the whole labor would
be lost if it were attempted to burn in the colors upon a ground which
fused as easily as themselves. It is practicable, as the examples of the
ancients show, to paint on what would appear the commonest glass with a
good result, provided that it does not contain too much lead, and
thereby become too easily fusible.
Before the operation of painting, the glass plate must be rubbed to a
sufficient extent with pure lime, slaked by exposure to the air, in
order to clean it perfectly.
The ground or foundation must then be laid over the whole surface of the
plate, which may be done in two different ways. Some artists simply dip
a piece of clean linen cloth, or a flat camel-hair pencil, in oil of
turpentine, and brush the pane of glass with it equally over its
surface, while others give to the whole a thin clear ground of black
glass-painting color, in such manner as not to destroy its transparency,
but at most to give it the form of a dead ground glass. Both methods
answer the purpose of covering the glass with a viscous surface, which
takes the design and the colors better than a polished ground; the
latter prepares the glass at the same time for the painting effects
which are to be obtained upon it.
In both cases the ground which has been laid on must be most carefully
leveled over, and brought to as thin a coat as possible with a large
hair pencil, and must be dried quickly, taking great care to preserve it
from dust, etc.
Painting on one sheet requires only one pattern drawing or cartoon,
which, however, may be used in two ways. Either the glass sheet,
grounded and dried as above directed, may be laid upon the drawing, and
the outlines, as seen through the glass, traced lightly with a fine
pencil, and with black or other glass color corresponding to the ground.
Or the drawing may be placed reversed on the sheet, and all the outlines
marked over with a steel or ivory style. If this latter method is used
upon a ground of simple turpentine, the back of the drawing must
previously be rubbed over with black lead, so that the traced lines may
appear dark on the light ground.
In both cases, the drawing, whether it is placed upon or under the
glass, must, for the sake of convenience, be fastened to it with pieces
of wax at the four corners.
For properly carrying out the process of laying on the colors, a desk or
easel is necessary, which should be capable of being placed in an
inclined position by means of props, and should be formed by fixing a
glass plate in a wooden frame, so that the light may pass through the
painting. Sometimes during the progress of the work, the glass which is
being painted may be removed from the easel and laid upon a sheet of
white paper, in order better to show the effect of certain colors.
The vehicle with which the pigments are laid on is generally oil. Some
artists use exclusively water, but this alone is an insufficient medium
for binding the metallic bodies to the glass, particularly if, as in the
case of fused colors, they are somewhat coarse in their nature, and
require to be laid on in thick layers. They then easily loosen from the
plate before the firing, and render the process of laying on much more
difficult. It is an important advantage, that with oil the edges are
more sharply defined, and the parts already painted may be again touched
over when dry without danger of loosening the ground.
It must be understood that when it is wished to make use of water, the
plate must either not be grounded at all, or only with a glass-painting
color worked up with water.
The most suitable kind of oil for the purpose is rectified oil of
turpentine, somewhat thickened by standing, and to which a little oil of
lavender is added. This preparation gives the mass the necessary degree
of viscosity, and also prevents the color on the palette from drying up
and thickening too quickly.
The palette should be of thick sheet glass, ground rough by rubbing with
a glass muller and fine sand.
Preparatory to mixing with oil for laying on, those colors which require
a flux must (unless a different process is specially indicated) be
ground fine in water with the flux, and again dried. But the fused
colors, _i. e._ those in which the oxide has already been vitrified with
the flux into the state of a transparent glass, should for the purpose
of laying on, only be coarsely granulated; for the finer these are
ground the more likely is their transparency and perfection to be
impaired when burnt in.
Those pigments which are laid on in their simple combination with an
earthy vehicle, and without flux, as for example the yellow and red
colors prepared from silver, form an absolute exception to the use of
oil, and must, for laying on, be stirred up with water to the
consistency of a thick cream.
The first of these three kinds of pigments should, as a general rule, be
laid on in a thin, the latter two in a pasty, state. The depth of tone
of the color depends, with all three, upon the degree of thickness in
which the pigments are laid upon the glass.
The laying on of the fused colors is accompanied with more difficulty
than that of the other kinds. The latter are simply laid on with the
pencil, in the same manner as with other kinds of painting, and the only
care necessary is that the coat may be perfectly even and regular,
therefore for large surfaces a wide smooth pencil or driver is usually
employed. The colors prepared from silver must be treated differently,
and laid on the glass at least to the thickness of the back of a knife.
But the fused colors must be brought upon the surfaces to be covered in
the state of a thick flowing mass, moist enough to run, but consistent
enough to lie upon the glass. For this purpose small portions must be
laid on and spread out with a pencil or small spoon, and made to flow to
the circumscribing outlines, by inclining the sheet in the proper
directions. If any part of the surface thus covered is required to take
a darker tone of color, the plate must be kept for some time at an
inclination in the corresponding direction, so that the color may thus
accumulate thicker on that part. By this process many gradations of tone
may be obtained from one and the same pigment.
The remaining rules for the laying on of the pigments are those which
principally result from the different methods of painting on one sheet,
of which there are principally three.
Either the whole picture may be brought out in its outlines and shadows,
on one side of the sheet, with black, brown or gray color, and
illuminated with the proper colors in the proper places on the other
side.
Or simply the manner of ordinary oil painting may be adopted with the
glass colors, and the picture treated as by an artist in oil.
Or, as is now most customary, both methods may be united, the artist
making use of each in certain places, according to the requirements of
the object he has in view.
For these three methods the following common rules will serve.
The shadows and dark colored outlines, and that which is called in oil
‘under painting,’ should be drawn on the front side of the glass, or
that which is turned towards the spectator.
The illuminating colors, especially the principal ones, should be laid
on the back or reversed side.
Intermediate tints, and gradations by shading, should generally be
placed on the front side, but sometimes, when they alternate with each
other, necessarily must lie on both; as they cannot be put in contact on
one and the same side without danger of running into each other, and
making a false color.
The silver yellow and red colors, before alluded to, must always be
placed on the back or reversed side.
In some particular cases colors may be laid on corresponding places on
both sides of the glass, in order to produce certain effects by the
light falling through the two together. Thus, purple on one side and
gold yellow on the other, give a magnificent fiery scarlet; blue and
yellow, according to their respective intensities, give different shades
of green; the latter, again, with blue on the opposite side, serve for
excellent distance colors. And finally, by the mixture of several
colors, the most diversified intermediate tints may be obtained, so that
glass-painting in its present state may be brought to assimilate with
oil painting in its power of producing varied effects.
In order to put a new tone of color on a surface already marked with
outlines, etc., it must first be dried by a gentle and equal heat, (to
avoid the warping of the glass), and again painted immediately after it
has cooled. Or the black lines first laid on may be at once burnt in,
and where possible, with these any yellow shades also which may be
required, after which the painting, then fixed, may be further worked
upon without danger of damage. The residuum of the unfluxed yellow color
may be removed after burning, and again used. This color must never be
put over any other, nor over dark shadows, unless these are previously
burnt in, but always require a carefully cleaned surface of glass to lie
upon; otherwise it would combine with the flux of the under color,
whereby the earthy residuum would be fixed, and the transparency and
beauty of the whole destroyed.
All pigments must be laid on somewhat darker than in other kinds of
painting, as they lose in depth by burning.
When a pigment has overrun its outline, the superfluous quantity must be
removed, when dry, with a knife.
By taking away the ground with a style of fine grained wood, pointed in
front and smooth at the back, (a tool used in etching), the most
effective lights may be obtained.
Should the colors not appear quite dull and dry, but shining and greasy,
after the drying of the picture, this is caused by the misuse of the
oil, which is always dangerous to the beauty of the pigments in firing.
It is neither necessary nor advisable to allow more than one day for the
drying of the colors; the burning in should be proceeded with at the
expiration of the time named.
Lastly, during the work, the greatest cleanliness must be observed
throughout, the pencil and palette must be kept perfectly clean, and the
painting preserved from dust, etc., for which reason it is not advisable
to paint in a laboratory or melting room, where the presence of vapor,
dust, and impurities of many kinds cannot be avoided.
=Mosaic Glass-Painting.= The before mentioned rules for laying on the
colors will apply also to the method of forming designs with colored
pieces of pot metal, or partly with these and partly with painted white
glass. It remains to say something more in reference to the employment
of the cartoons, and the cutting and arrangement of the glasses in this
branch of the art, which, however, is but little practiced, since the
leaden bars in a picture calculated for a near view are detrimental to
the effect.
[Illustration]
Mosaic glass-painting requires two cartoons. One of these, a finished
and colored one, is used by the artist as a pattern, and serves to
determine the arrangement of the piece of glass according to their
several colors, and the manner of introducing the leaden ribs to fasten
them together, according to the outlines of figures. Each piece of glass
proposed to make part of the picture, must be distinguished by a
separate number.
The other cartoon, which consists only of the black outlines of the lead
jointing, and whose several parts are numbered to correspond with the
first, is to be cut up in pieces according to the outlines, and the size
of each piece diminished all round by one-half the thickness of the lead
bar of the jointing, so that the pieces of glass may be exactly cut to
the proper dimensions.
The cutting of the glass may either be done by the diamond, or by
tracing the line of division with a red-hot iron, after having made a
small incision at its commencement, or by cutting with scissors under
water, which, however, is not a safe process.
With overlaid glass, _i. e._ pot metal, several sheets or layers laid
upon each other from the frit, as for example, red and white, blue and
white, etc., it is possible to produce many effects of shading by
removing more or less of the colored glass sheet, according to the
outline, by grinding with emery. Or the colored sheet may be ground
through to the white glass, and thus colored ornaments may be given on
white ground, especially for the representation of damasked materials.
Also, the white parts thus exposed may have a color given them at
pleasure on the opposite side, in order to produce many kinds of
effects, or to avoid the necessity of using many pieces when the
introduction of another color in that of the pot metal is indispensable
for the effect required.
The colored pot metal may be painted with intermediate tints of its own
principal color, or even in order to produce certain effects, may be
covered on one of its surfaces with another color. Thus, a fiery red may
be obtained by covering a red overlaid glass on its white surface with
the yellow silver color, and burning it in, or a shade of green by a
similar use of the same pigment on a blue overlaid glass. In these
operations the widest latitude is left to the talent and practice of the
artist.
[Illustration]