454 PAINTING OF PAPER HANGINGS. 



all the other part ; and this, being charged with the colours tem- 

 pered with their proper Tehicle, by letting it gently down on the 

 block, on which the; colour is previously spread, conveys it from 

 thence to the ground of the paper, on which it is made to fall more 

 forcibly by means of its wefght, and the effort of the arm of the 

 person who uses the print. It is easy to conclude that there must 

 be as many separate prints as there are colours to be print* (1. But 

 where there are more than one, great care must be taken, after the 

 first, to let the print fall exactly in the same part of the paper as 

 that which went before ; otherwise the figure of the design would 

 be brought into irregularity and confusion. In common paper of 

 low price, it is usual, therefore, to print only the outlines, and lay 

 on the rest of the colours by stencilling, which both saves the ex. 

 pence of cutting more prints, and can be practised by common 

 workmen, nor requiring the great care and dexterity necessary to 

 the using several prints. The manner of stencilling the colours is 

 this : the figure, which all the parts of any particular colour make 

 in the design to be painted, is to be cut out in a piece of thin lea. 

 ther or oil. cloth, which pieces of leather, or oil. cloth, are called 

 stencils ; and being laid flat on the sheets of paper to be printed, 

 spread on a table or floor, are to be rubbed over with th colour, 

 properly tempered by means of a large brush. The colour passing 

 over the whole, is consequently spread on those parts of the paper 

 where the cloth or leather is cut away, and give the same effect at 

 if laid on by a print. This is nevertheless only practicable in parts 

 where there are only detached masses or spots of colours ; for 

 where there are small continued lines, or parts that run one into 

 another, it is difficult to preserve the connection or continuity of 

 the parts of the cloth, or to keep the smaller corners close down 

 to the paper ; and therefore, in such cases, prints are preferable. 

 Stencilling is indeed a cheaper method of ridding coarse work than 

 printing ; but without such extraordinary attention and trouble as 

 render it fqually difficult with printing, it is far less beautiful and 

 exact in the effect. For the outline of the spots of colour want 

 that sharpness and regularity that are given by prints, besides the 

 frequent extralincations, or deviations from the just figure, which 

 happens by the original misplacing of the stencils, or the shifting 

 the place of them during the operation. Pencilling is only used 

 in the case of nicer work, such as the better imitations of the 

 Indfa paper. It is performed in the same manner as other paint- 



