THE MODELLING OF TREES 387 



network of small cracks, especially if much paste be used, which 

 is often a valuable effect gained. Should the stones, however, 

 be of a very smooth waterworn character, such as are often 

 found upon beaches, dry flake white should be substituted 

 for the whiting, and this preparation will not crack, or, should 

 it do so, must be rubbed down with sandpaper until smooth ; 

 sometimes it will be found expedient to leave out the plaster 

 altogether. 



The making of artificial trees falls into the same category 

 of modelling by the eye and from the mould. The first or 

 fancy tree is a hollow irregular cylinder of paper pasted upon 

 cardboard as before directed, and fixed upon a base at any 

 angle, and upon this the bark is made, either with other pieces 

 of rough cardboard or paper, or both, if the model is intended 

 to have a fairly smooth bark, or with long strips of wadding 

 pasted or glued upon the cylinder to represent rough bark. 

 Afterwards such trees should be glued and sanded, and subse- 

 quently coloured dark in the crevices of the bark, and grey or 

 greenish grey with warm colouring here and there on the 

 highest points ; this helps the light and shade of the model, 

 and with touchings up of warm reddish ochre in the hollows 

 and so on to represent decayed wood, makes a fairly respect- 

 able imitation — when no natural trees are brought near it. 

 Another and much better method is to take nature for the 

 guide, and with the bole of a small tree, say a birch, as a 

 pattern, proceed to copy it carefully. Here, after the first 

 rough cylinder is made, tissue-paper is used to imitate the 

 bark, and, with careful colouring from the actual object, a fairly 

 correct imitation may be made. The actually correct model is 

 made in paper, as are the rocks, from a plaster of Paris 

 mould — usually in two pieces — taken of the tree trunk itself; 

 this is undeniably correct in form, and the remainder depends 

 upon the aptitude of the artist. Water-colours may be used in 



