SCIOPTIOON MANUAL. 81 



The brushes should be sable, of moderate size, and 

 soft to the touch, and when charged with water, com o 

 to a good point without straggling hairs; some prefer a 

 flat brush instead of a round one. It is well to have a 

 sufficient number of brushes, and to use a different one 

 for each tint. A piece of cloth should be used for clean- 

 ing brushes and dabbers, as neatness is very essential to 

 success. An ordinary round-pointed pocket knife will 

 be found useful for removing color. Etching-needles 

 may be used for making minute touches of light, as on 

 spears of grass; winter, snow, spring, and moonlight 

 effects are produced chiefly by the skilful use of the 

 knife and needle-points, to remove the color and produce 

 strong white light in the picture. As pictures vary 

 much in style, it would be difficult to give directions 

 which would apply to all. Beginners should copy well- 

 painted lantern slides at first, as this would guide in the 

 colors to be used. Practice on waste pieces of glass 

 and noting the effect in the lantern, would also prove 

 beneficial and accustom the artist to regulate the tones 

 of the picture in the best manner. "When the picture 

 is finished, it should be protected by a thin transparent 

 varnish, such as photographers use, or a thin coat of 

 Canada balsam. To prevent scratching, a glass, the same 

 size as the picture, should be laid over it ; and to prevent 

 injuring from contact, a narrow rim of paper should be 

 interposed between the glasses; they can then be bound 

 or framed. 



" Aniline colors have been used for photographic views 

 with some success. They are brilliant and transparent, 

 but require careful use to prevent the tints running one 

 into the other.'' 



Comic slides are often painted in a coarser manner, 

 and oil paints are used. The method is very similar to 



