G IX WATER-COLO' 



IB 



similar places upon which light falls. ' We will now rub out the 

 lights in the ky and on the water ; use a well-pointed brush, 

 perfectly cloan, and not too wet ; commence with the water by 

 drawing it horizontally over those parts which are to have the 

 groat*- -y (do a small portion at a time) ; aft -T w.iiiiir/ 



a inoiaent or two, to allow the w.-t to .-ink a little into the 

 coloured Around, press it with the blotting-paper, ami rub the 

 i with a piuco of india-rubber sharply and in the 

 direction in which thoy are damped ; also in the same way rub 

 out the forms of the light clouds, and afterwards with a light 

 tint make out tlioir shadows on the under parts away from the 

 -mi. Hy this method of treating the high lights, we gain more 

 transparency and atmosphere than can be obtained by the use 

 of Chinese white, which is so liable to make the effect heavy 

 and "painty." Lastly, all the darkest parts may now be 

 attended to, by commencing with the dark tall true, and bring- 

 ing down the colour with sharp bright touches on the wall, the 

 sides of the posts, the lines on the road, and the details of the 

 foreground. The iron railings on the wall ore to bo left, by 



again ; probably the colour left after the sponging will be 

 sufficiently near the mark : the same observation may be mad* 

 :>lied whore there in any other similar mutake in the 

 picture. We advise him then, at first, to begin lightly, M the 

 same parts can be easily gone over again with another careful 

 wash ; not to bo in a hurry, and especially attend to the draw- 

 ing. Thus after a few repeated trials, he will soon begin to 

 see his way, and discover that the tints be mixe* in hi* 

 experiments are without difficulty recognised in Nature ; after- 

 wards he will be prepared to repeat them with greater con- 

 fidence, and apply them to the several parts of his picture 

 at once, up to their proper strength, until at length he will 

 make his picture his palette by uniting the requisite colours, 

 taken fresh from the box, in their proper places while wet, or 

 by glazing the pure colours over one another when the under 

 colours are dry. 



We particularly advise the pupil to paint the subject of this 

 lesson in sepia first, according to the previous instructions : ho 

 is little aware how much he will gain by it in the execution, 



TREATMENT Of HIGH LIGHTS, ETC. EFFECT OF FINISHED DRAWING. 



which we mean the tone of tlie tree to be seen between the bars is 

 to be painted. If at any time the pupil should put on a tone or 

 colour too dark, or too brilliant for its position, it is easily 

 taken up with the blotting-paper before it is allowed to become 

 dry. 



We will now endeavour to give an exposition of the process 

 of painting the same subject in colours. In undertaking this 

 we acknowledge the difficulty we have to contend with, in 

 stating the exact gradations and strength of the tints. How- 

 ever minute we may be in our explanation, there will still bo 

 much that must be left to the judgment of the pupil. His first 

 attempts will probably be in many respects exaggerated ; that 

 is, he may through his inexperience begin the picture with too 

 powerful tints some may be too hot, some too cold ; but there 

 will be no cause for discouragement if he should make such 

 mistakes, so long as he recognises them and sees the side upon 

 which he has erred in short, he must expect to fail ; but there 

 is this encouragement accompanying failures, that when they 

 are understood they will gradually become less frequent ; it is 

 those who cannot perceive their faults who never improve. As 

 we can only give principles even whilst expounding the minutest 

 details, we depend upon our pupil's persevering practice of those 

 principles which must eventually produce results terminating in 

 success. Should he, for instance, commence by making his sky 

 too blue, he can sponge it out (it must be done without much 

 rubbing, or he will destroy the surface of his paper), and try 



and how greatly his judgment will be improved ; he will thus 

 be better prepared to imitate the depths and tones with the 

 colours. Place the paper on an inclination, and commence 

 from A A (Fig. 6) with a moderate tint of cobalt blue, making it 

 a graduated tint towards the horizon as far as B B ; if it is not 

 intended to rub out the light clouds, as explained in the sepia 

 drawing, they must bo left by dragging the blue colour loosely, 

 having regard to the forms of the clouds, over that part of 

 the sky where they are situated ; pass the same colour over 

 the water ; when dry, wash a light tint of yellow ochre over 

 the road, the wall, the banks on both sides of the river, and 

 over the lights of the tree the distance must not be touched 

 with this colour. When the sky is dry, mix a tint of cobalt, 

 a little lake, and very little sepia for a grey with which to painf 

 the clouds ; add a little more cobalt and lake to the hist tint, 

 and make out the principal shadows and darker details of the 

 toreground, those on the opposite bank, the wall, and the broad 

 shadows on the trees, principally representing all the deeper 

 tones which were produced in the sepia drawing and marked c c 

 in Pig. 6. Prepare a tint of gamboge yellow ochre and a little 

 indigo, and piss over the lights on the grass, on the aides of 

 the banks on both sides of the river, and the lights on the trees 

 at s s ; this nay be horizontally and sparingly repeated on the 

 surface of tho water at c ., as there would be a reflection of the 

 bank on the water. The worn path at g, made out with the grey 

 tint, must be left and pointed with broken touches, where it i 



