_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.