ENCAUSTIC PAINTFNO. 427 



on cloth, he directs it to be prepare ! by stietching it on a frame 

 and rubbing on* -ide Mveral films over -vith a piece of bees wax, 

 or virgin-wax, till it i-covr-rul with a coat o! wax of considerable 

 thickii"ss. In fin* lm.-n this is the only operation necessary pre- 

 vious to painting : bat coarse lotli n;ust be rubbed genMy on the 

 utiv. axed side with a pumice ston-, to take off all those knots which 

 would prevent the free and i curate working of the pencil. Then 

 the subject !>< to be painted ->n the unwaxed side with colours pre- 

 pared and tempered with wat< r ; and when the picture i* finished 

 it must be brought near the I; re, that the wax may melt and fix the 

 colours. Thi> method, however, can only be applied to cloth or 

 paper, through the substance of which the wax may pass ; but in 

 wood, stone, metals or Blaster, the former method of count Caylus 

 must be ob^erv d. 



Mr. Muntz has also discovered a method of forming grounds for 

 painting with crayons, and fixing these, as well as wafer-colours, 

 emplo\ed with the pencil. On the unwaxed side of a linen cloth, 

 stretched and waxed as before, lay an even and thick coat of the 

 colour proper for the ground : having prepared this colour by mix. 

 ing some proper pigment with an equal quantity of chalk, and tem- 

 pering them with water. When the colour is dry, bring the pic- 

 ture to the fire that the wax may melt, pass through the cloth, and 

 fix the ground. An additional quantity of wax may be applied to 

 the hack of the picture, if that which was first rubbed on .should 

 not be sufficient for the body of colour ; but as this must be laid 

 on without heat, the wax should be dissolved in oil of turpentine, 

 and applied with a brush, and the canvas be ag.iin exposed to the 

 fire, that the fresh uppiy of wax n.ay pass through the clolh, and 

 be absorbed by the colour ; and thus a firm and oo-l body will be 

 formed for working on with the crayon-. If * loth and paper are 

 joined together, the cloth must be first fixed to the str -ini'ig frame, 

 aud then the paper must be pasted to it with a composition of paste 

 made with wheaten flour, or starch, and water, and about a twelfth 

 part of its weight of common turpentine. The turpentine must be 

 added to the paste when it is almost sufficiently boiled, and the 

 composition well stirred, and ! ft to bimnier over the fire for five 

 or six minutes ; let wax be dissolved in oil of turpentine to the 

 consistence of a thin paste ; and when the cloth and pap T are dry, 

 let them be held near a fire ; and with a brush lay a coat of the 

 wax and turpentine on both sides of the joined cloth and paper, t 



