

1 have previously given you a 

 list of colours that I think you will 

 find useful ; now a word about 

 brushes. 



These form rather an expensive 

 item in our painting kit. A good 

 sable brush generally costs several 

 shillings, the price, of course, 

 varying with the size, but it is 

 better to get accustomed to using 

 rather a large one. I think, there- 

 fore, it would be a great ex- 

 travagance to advise beginners to 

 use highly-priced sables for the 

 purposes of study. The " Siberian Hair," 

 or " Mincat Hair" brushes, made, I think, 

 by Messrs. Reeves, will be reliable and 

 useful for first practice, and the luxury and 

 delight of the more expensive sables must 

 be postponed for more advanced work. 



For broad surfaces, backgrounds, etc., I 

 am very fond of a hog's-hair brush, and 

 these do not cost nearly as much as sable. 

 The length of life of a good brush 

 depends very largely on its treatment ; 

 with tender handling it lasts a long time, 

 but if it is heavilj- dug into the pans of colour, 

 or pressed hard against the bottom of the 

 water-pot, the sharp tin edge of the ferrule 

 will cut the delicate hair, and completely spoil 

 it. After use, the brush must be washed, wiped, 

 and stood in an upright position to drj", for 

 it is most essential that its point should be 

 preserved. I keep my brushes heads up, in an 

 old brown ci-eam-jug, and sometimes, when in 

 my absence from home my studio has had a 

 drastic cleaning up by inartistic hands, I have 

 found this position tidily reversed, with most 

 disastrous results. 



Your Position when 



N(jw as regards the position in which you 

 sit : for big bold work 1 would stronglj- advise 

 you either to sit or stand at an easel, rather 

 than work in a cramped position over a table or 



