FACIAL EXPRESSION AND MOUTH MODELING. 177 



it a very little vermilion, or other suitable color, from your 

 Windsor & Newton oil-color tube. Oil colors mix very well 

 with hot wax ; but in using 1 it, it is necessary to keep the wax 

 well stirred with the brush, or the color will settle to the bot- 

 tom. 



Take a clean, dry bristle brush, of the right size (the flat 

 brushes are always best for wax), with a good, compact point, 

 dip it into the hot wax, stir from the bottom, and then, before 

 the wax on your brush has even two seconds in which to get 

 cool, apply it to the surface to be covered, with a quick, dex- 

 trous touch, sweeping it on broadly to keep it from piling up 

 and making- the surface rough. This wax business requires 

 genuine skill, and, after beginning 1 , one must not be discour- 

 aged because it does not " go right " at first, but try, try again. 

 After your hand has acquired the trick, the beauty of the re- 

 sults will amply repay your labor. 



It is very difficult to change the surface of a coat of wax after 

 it is once on ; therefore try to get it right with the brush. 

 Of course, if the color or surface doos not suit you, scrape it all 

 off, and "to 't again." To treat the roof of the mouth, the speci- 

 men must be turned upside down. At the point where the 

 black lip joins the pink gums, the two colors can be nicely 

 blended by letting the last layers of pink wax lap over a trifle, 

 upon the black, so that the latter will show through- the 

 former here and there, and give the line of demarcation a mot- 

 tled appearance, with the two colors thus blended together. 

 Much can be done by taking advantage of the transparency of 

 thin layers of wax when its color is light. 



After the wax has cooled, something can be done to smooth 

 the surface, and give it a very shiny appearance, by carefully 

 scraping the surface over smoothly with the edge of a knife, or 

 a sharp bone-scraper. The latter tool will be found of great 

 value in modeling a mouth in papier-mache, and also in trim- 

 ming up the wax after it has been applied. 



(~'/<'tnii)i.ff Glass Eyes. Always have the glass eyes of a fin- 

 ished specimen faultlessly clean and well polished, to give the 

 brilliancy of life. If paint gets on the glass, remove it with a 

 drop of turpentine, and polish afterward with a bit of cotton 

 cloth. Soni'.* of the old-fashioned taxidermists have the habit 

 12 



