84 ANCIENT GRECIAN OR ENCAUSTIC PAINTING. 



appear sufficiently transparent or brilliant; for the oftener 

 heat is applied to the picture, the greater will be the trans- 

 parency and brilllanoy of colouring ; but the contrary effect 

 would be produced, if too sudden or too great a degree of 

 heat was applied, or for too long a time, as it would dravr 

 the wax too much to the surface, and might likewise crack 

 the paint. Should the coat of wax, put over the painting 

 when finished, appear in any part uneven, it may be reme- 

 died by drawing a moderately hot iron over it again as be- 

 fore mentioned, or even by scraping the wax with a knife: 

 and should the wax by too great or too long an application 

 of heat form into bubbles at particular places, by applying 

 a poker heated, or even a tobacco-pipe made hot, the bub- 

 bles would subside ; or such defects may be removed by 

 drawing any thing hard over the wax, which would close any 

 small cavities. When the picture is cold, rub it with a fine 

 linen cloth. 

 Wood, can- Paintings may be executed in this manner upon wood 

 vassy paste- (having first pieces of wood let in behind, across the grain 

 «er of Paris may of the wood, to prevent its warping), canvass, card, or plas- 

 tof^*^'^^" ter of Paris. The plaster of Paris would require no other 

 preparation than mixing some fine plaster of Paris in pow- 

 der with cold water the thickness of a cream ; then put it on 

 a looking-glass, having first made a frame of bees wax on 

 the looking-glass the form and thickness you would wish 

 the plaster of Paris to be of, and when dry take it off, and 

 there will be a very smooth surface to paint upon. Wood 

 and canvass are best covered with some gray tint mixed 

 with the same composition of gum arable, gum mpstich, 

 and wax, and of the same sort of colours as before men- 

 tioned, before the design is begun, in order to cover the 

 grain of the wood or the threads of the canvass. 

 A compositiou Paintings may also be done in the same manner with only 

 v/uhout wax. gum-water and gum mastich, prepared the same way as the 

 mastich and wax; but instead of putting seven ounces of 

 mastich, and when boiling, adding five ounces of wax, mix 

 twelve ounces of gum mastich with the gum-water, prepared 

 us mentioned in the first part of this receipt: before it is put 

 on the iire, and when sufficiently boiled and beaten, and 



a little 



