Nature and Art, October 1, 1866.] 
151 
OIL PAINTING WITHOUT A MASTER. 
So that although the lips will appear quite clearly 
defined in shape, yet the outline will have no line 
or sharp edge to mark it, but one part will melt 
into the other imperceptibly. The same must be 
done to the division between the lips, also the lower 
edge of the under lip, the outline of the face, neck, 
&c., where the hair or background comes in contact 
with it ; the lines of the eyelids, Ac., and even the 
eyeballs and pupils of the eyes, or they will not look 
liquid and clear, but have the appearance of the eyes 
of a painted doll. The edges of all shadows that 
have been left hard in the former painting, must be 
treated in the same way ; using, of course, the same 
colours that each part has been painted with. In 
short, do not let a single line or sharp edge remain 
without this stippling. At the same time, be most 
careful to preserve the true shape of all the features 
and the shadows, or the picture will look woolly. 
Experience, and a good copy, will show what I 
mean, and the pupil cannot fail to see the necessity 
of this careful stippling. 
I should recommend the copying of one or two 
good pictures, before trying from nature, as it is 
very puzzling at first for a beginner to find out all 
the delicate gradations of shade and tint that really 
exist, until the eye becomes educated, as it were, 
and learns to see what variations of tone and colour, 
shadow and half-tint, are to be found in what at 
first appeared only one smooth, unbroken surface. 
Be careful to paint the picture, up to this point, a 
much lighter and cooler tone than you intend it to 
be when finished, as the glazing will darken and 
enrich the tints every time it is applied. 
The hair may now be painted in again, according 
to its colour; light hair, with raw umber and white; 
dark, with raw umber and black, or burnt sienna 
and black, &c. ; very light golden hair, with a little 
yellow ochre added to the raw umber, and the 
lights put in with white ; the dress and background 
may also be finished a little more. Then let the 
picture dry thoroughly. 
Third painting. Now scrape the picture over 
carefully with the palette knife to remove any 
rough, uneven patches of paint or any dust that 
may have stuck to it ; but this must not be done 
unless quite dry, and if the picture has been laid 
aside for some time so as to get dirty or smoky, 
wash it with a clean sponge dipped in water, and 
wipe it dry with a silk handkerchief, but do not use 
soap. When quite dry, the painting may be begun 
by rubbing drying oil over the part to be worked 
upon, as before, and it should then be glazed ; but 
this must not be attempted unless it is as dry and 
hard as possible. 
Now mix a very small quantity, just a touch, of 
rose madder or lake, and the same of yellow ochre, 
on the palette with as much copal varnish as will 
make a mixture just tinged with a rich orange-red, 
which the rose madder and yellow ochre will give, 
if in proper proportions, and with a large dry hog’s 
hair brush, take up some of this mixture and paint 
it hard and evenly all over the face, going over into 
the background and dress, Ac., and up into the 
hair, without fear, as it will give harmony to the 
Avhole. The flesh tints will then be slightly dark- 
ened and enriched, and the shadows become more 
transparent. Then put out on the palette the same 
colours as at the first painting, mixed with copal, 
and begin painting into the glazing, while wet, 
with the flesh tints thinly as before, putting 
vermilion and white on the cheeks and lips, in 
short, all the colours again in every part of the 
picture as in the first painting. Imitate now as 
much as you can the finished tints of the copy, or 
of nature ; paint the bright lights again, as the 
glazing will have taken off their sharpness and 
touch, also the whites of the eyes, as they will have 
become too much tinged with the red of the glazing. 
Of course I need not say that all parts of the 
figure, neck, hands, and arms, Ac. , must be painted 
in the same way as the face. And now a little 
blue and white with a touch of raw limber to pre- 
vent it- looking harsh, may be used where much 
'blue or grey is seen in the copy, only take care not 
to let it get mixed with the vermilion, for that would 
make a blackish purple tint, very unlike nature. 
There is always a grey tint at the edge of the 
warm shadows, which should be put in with blue, 
raw umber, and white (if not already left by the 
ground shining through the flesh tint), and a little 
yellow ochre and white, where yellow prevails in the 
flesh tints, if the glazing has not been sufficient to 
give the required yellow tone (which it ought to have 
been). This finishing, refining, and retouching into 
the wet glazing will be enough for one day’s painting. 
Fourth painting. Glaze the hair with such 
colours as will give the tinge of colour required, 
but take care that the part 'to be glazed is per- 
fectly dry, and remember that no white must ever 
be mixed with the glazing, only painted into it 
after it is rubbed on the picture, or it will look 
milky instead of transparent. Paint in the lights 
of the hair with white mixed with yellow ochre or 
raw umber, Ac. Burnt sienna is useful sometimes 
to glaze auburn hair, or very warm golden hair, 
but always, while the glazing is wet, paint into it 
with opaque colour (not all over it of course). 
There are many tints in the hair, as from the bright- 
ness of its nature it reflects all the surrounding 
colours ; therefore look carefully what are re- 
flected, and add them Avhen painting into the 
glazing. Glaze also the dress iioav, which, even if 
Avhite, will need a glaze of a yellowish tinge, and 
paint white again into it, and bluish-grey or 
yellowish-grey into the shadoAvs, according to them 
colour. I should obserwe that the glazing must not 
be entirely lost in the after painting, only improved 
by it, and this glazing and repainting may be re- 
peated as often as the picture seems to need it, only 
taking care that it is quite dry, orthe first glazingwill 
be rubbed up and spoil the picture, and never at- 
tempt toAvijm out Avet glazing — it Avill often make the 
picture smeary and sticky, and give endless trouble 
in trying to recover what lias been lost. If you are 
dissatisfied Avith the tint, leave it and paint into it 
Avhile Avet, until the tone you had lost is restored 
again as much a's it can be ; it Avill give you trouble 
no doubt, but it is better than trying to wipe it off. 
