liii :Hixi-J:s -io 



Liiijij 



^^ 



t- 



At one time I ahvaj-s mounted my 

 own paper. Taking a piece of Whatman, 

 and a stout sheet of millboard the same 

 size, 1 damped their surfaces with a wet 

 sponge or rag, and when these had 

 expanded with the water, and their 

 surfaces were sufficiently dry to take it, 

 I thinly covered them with a paste of 

 flour and water, or starch (the latter made 

 like the "boiled starch" used for laundry 

 purposes, only not so diluted with waterj, 

 and stuck them together. The paste had 

 to be ver\' evenly distributed over the 

 surfaces, without lumps, and the whole 

 carefully dabbed and stroked on the 

 painting surface to exclude any air- 

 bubbles formed between, before being 

 firmly tacked out round the edges on a 

 board and left to dr)\ 



There is a good deal of trouble 

 attached to this method, and when one 

 considers the time it takes, and the risks 



of spoiling or damaging the surface, I reall\- think it is not very 

 extravagant, when we contemplate making a finished water-colour, to 

 buy "Whatman's Mounted Board," or "ordinary millboard faced with 

 O.W. paper." These, as well as the unmounted papers, can be bought 

 in " students' " as well as " artists' " quality. 



Whatman is supplied in three surfaces, " hot pressed," " not," and 

 " rough." The former has a smooth, ivory-like surface, only suitable for 

 small, fine work. For all ordinary purposes I would recommend you to 

 use the "Not" paper, which has just enough grain and "bite" in its 

 surface to take the colour nicely ; while for big, bold work on a larger 

 scale the rough surface is delightful. 



If the drawing is to be framed on completion, it is absolutely necessary 

 that it should be worked on a mounted board, or it runs a very grave 

 risk of wobbling after. Often the board backing of new frames is put in 

 with rather green wood, and of course this, pressed as it is against the 

 back of the drawing, pulls it out of shape as the wood gradually dries. I 

 noticed the effects of this \zxy strongly on varnishing day at the Royal 

 Academy recently in the black and white room. Many beautiful 

 proofs of etchings, especially those on Japanese paper, were quite 

 distorted and wavy, and the Royal Academician who was respon- 

 sible for the hanging of that room told me that in some cases 

 this had been so bad that the artists had been obliged to have their 

 jjictures down, and to substitute new proofs in their places. 



■^. ; 



99 



