146 THE BOOK OF THE LANTERN. 



In the first place, the worker must consider which of 

 his pictures will be benefited by a coating of colour, 

 for some subjects are very much better left alone, 

 and shown as untouched photographs. This is especially 

 true of such pictures as exhibit a mass of detail entirely 

 covering the glass ; a woodland scene, for instance, with 

 tangled masses of branches and underwood, and ferns in 

 profusion. On the other hand, if the subject be an open 

 landscape, with more than half of it consisting of white 

 sky, it is undoubtedly improved by being tinted. The 

 white sky receives, with great benefit, its natural tint of 

 blue, relieved by masses or feathery tufts of clouds, 

 which, if carefully introduced, can be made to look very 

 like the real thing. 



In the directions that I am now about to give, it may 

 therefore be taken for granted that all colour is to be put 

 on most sparingly, and that its' amount must not be suffi- 

 cient to obliterate the least detail in the photograph. Of 

 course, if a bad photograph is to be coloured instead of 

 being thrown into the dust-hole, which latter is by far the 

 better course, colour can be piled on to it to hide its 

 inherent defects, but this is only justifiable when the colour- 

 ing is a necessity, and there is no time to procure a better 

 photograph. 



Let it be understood that this work of colouring lantern 

 transparencies is not easy. It not only requires a steady 

 hand and good eyesight, but it wants artistic perception 

 also, at least, to do it well. I do not say that a knowledge 

 of drawing and painting is absolutely necessary to the slide- 

 painter ; but it is certain that he who understands the use 



