430 ENCAUSTIC PAINTING. 



darkness of the colours ; and to black there should be almost as 

 much of ihe powder as colour. 



* Having mixed the colours and no more than can be used before 

 they grow dry, paint with fair water, as is practised in painting 

 with water colours, a ground on the wood bein first painted of 

 some prop< r colour pr- pared in the same manner as is (' scribed 

 for the picture; walnut- tree and oak are the sorts of wood com- 

 monly made use of in Italy for this purpose. The painting should 

 be very highly finished ; otherwise, when varnished, the tints will 

 not appear united. 



" When the painting is quite dry, with rather a hard brush, pas. 

 sing it one way, varnish it with white wax, which is put into an 

 earthen vessel, and kept melted over a very slow fire till the pic. 

 ture is varnished, taking great care that the wax does not boil. 

 Afterwards hold the | icture before a fire, near enough to melt the 

 wax, but not to make it run ; and when the varnish is entirely 

 cold and hard, rub it gently with a linen cloth. Should the var- 

 nish blister, warm the picture again very slowly, and the bubbles 

 will subside. When the picture is dirty, it need only be washed 

 with cold water." 



The opinion given by the society upon the above is. The me- 

 thod made use of by Miss Greenland provides againt all inconve- 

 niencies ; and the brilliancy of the colours in the picture painted 

 by her, and exhibited to the society, fully justifies the opinion, that 

 the art of puiuting in wax, as above described, highly merited the 

 reward of a jjold pallet voted to her on this occasion. 



Another lady, Mrs. C. J. Hooker, of Ilottingdean, near Brigh- 

 ton, laid before the Society of Arts, in 1807, the following method 

 of preparing and applying a composition for painting in imitation 

 of the ancient encaustic painting. 



Put into a glazed earthen vessel four ounces and a half of gum 

 arabic, and eight ounces (or half a pint wine measure) of cold 

 spring water ; when the gum is dissolved, stir in seven ounce-* of 

 gum-mastich, which has been washed, dried, picked, and beaten 

 fine. Set the < arthen vessel containing the gum-water, and gum. 

 mastich, over a slow fire, continually stirring and beating them 

 hard with a spoon, in order to dissolve the gum-mastich : when 

 sufficiently boiled, it will no longer appear transparent, but will 

 become opaque, and itili like a paste. As soon as this is the . 



