

materials : What 



I kno%v 



> th. 



thymt blows, 

 Where oxlips and 

 the nodding 

 violet ({rows. 



one who imagines tliat with a chish)- t(.iich he has "suggested" his 

 meaning and created an "impression" — olten aiKitiier way of excusing 

 laziness. 



The Question 

 of Paper. 



If, as I earnestly hope, my readers have taken sufficient interest in 

 these little articles to be anxious to take up flower-painting thoroughl_\- 

 and seriously, and not merely as a desultory pastime, let us get to 

 matter-of-fact hard work and practicability. I''irst, a word as U) 

 id of pa])cr shall wc u.sc ? For earlier practice 

 with pencil it matters little ; 

 cartridge paper, note paper, any- 

 thing will do. But if we are 

 using water-colour it behoves us 

 to be more careful in our choice. 

 Whatman or '' O.W. ' are both 

 excellent papers, but the cheaper 

 makes arc rather thin in sub- 

 stance, and consequently liable tcj 

 cockle when a broad wash is put 

 on. This is very troublesome and 

 annoying, and it is necessary to 

 stretch the jiaper before using to 

 counteract this as much as possible. 

 The usual way is to damp the 

 whole surface of the paper with 

 a wet sponge, except about three 

 quarters of an inch of the edges 

 all round, which edges have been 

 previously carefully folded down 

 to prevent the water touching 

 them. Then, when the wet on the 

 surface has somewhat dried off, 

 leaving, however, the paper still 

 bank thoroughly damp, strong paste is put on the dry edges, which arc then 

 firmly fixed to the edges of a clean drawing-board. After the water- 

 colour is finished these edges are cut awa_\' with a sharp knife, and the 

 drawing comes off the board quite flat. 



This is the method usually adopted in schools of Art. Personally I 

 prefer working on paper previously mounted on millboard, which \ou 

 can buy ready for use. It is certainly more exjiensivc, but far more 

 satisfactory in working, for altiiough a paper stretched on a board in 

 the ordinar}' way may be quite fiat when it is thy, it has a nasty habit 

 of cockling when wet in the working, and this is very irritating to the 

 worker. 



g8 



