KNCAUSTIC PAINTING. 431 



fcnd the gum.water and mastich are quite boiling, without taking 

 them off the fire, add five ounces of white wax, broktn into small 

 pieces, stirring and beating the different ingredients to ;ether, till 

 the wax is perfectly melted and has boiled. Then take the com- 

 position off the fire, as boiling it longer than necess;iry would only 

 harden the wax, and prevent its mixing so well afterwards with 

 water. When the composition is taken off the fire, and in the 

 glazed earthen vessel, it should be beaten hard, and whilst hot 

 (but not boiling) mix with it by degrees a pint (wine measure) or 

 sixteen ounces more of cold spring water, then strain the romposi. 

 tion, as some dirt will boil out of the gum. mastich. and put it into 

 bottles : the composition, if properly made, should be like a cream, 

 and the colours when mixed with it as smooth as with oil. The 

 method of using it is to mix with the composition, upon an earthen 

 palette, such colours in powder as are used in painting with oil, 

 and such a quantity of the composition to be mixed with the co- 

 lours as to render them of the usual consistency of oil colours ; 

 then paint with fair water. The colours when mixed with the 

 composition may be laid on either thick or thin, as may best suit 

 your subject, on which account, this composition ~Is very advanta- 

 geous, where any particular transparency of colouring is required, 

 but in most cases it answers best, if the colours be laid tin thick, 

 and they require the same use of the brush as if painting with body 

 colours, and the same brushes as used in oil painting. The co. 

 lours, if grown dry, when mixed with the composition, may be 

 used by putting a little fair water over them : but it is less trouble 

 to put some water when the colours are observed to be growing 

 dry. In painting with this composition the colours blend without 

 difficulty when wet, and even when dry the tints may easily be 

 united by means of a brush and a very small quantity of fair 

 water. When the painting is finished, put some white wax into 

 a glazed earthen vessel over a slow fire, and when melted, but not 

 boiling, with a hard brush cover the painting with the wax ; and 

 when cold take a moderately hot iron, such as is used for ironing 

 linen, and so cold as not to hiss if touched with any thing wet, and 

 draw it lightly over the wax. The painting will appear as if under 

 a cloud till the wax is perfectly cold, as also whatever the picture 

 is painted upon is quite cold : but if, when so, the painting should 

 not appear sufficiently clear, it may be held before the fire, so 

 far from it as to melt the wax but slow/ : or the wax may bt 



