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THE ART OE GRECIAN PAINTING. 
[No. 2.] 
STRETCHING AND VARNISHING.-WHITE SPOT 
PLAGUE. 
Numerous subscribers to tlie Florae Cabinet, 
having expressed an earnest desire to receive lessons in 
the art of Grecian, Oriental, and other fancy painting, 
the writer cheerfully accedes to the request of our edi¬ 
tor, to furnish frequently, a lesson in one, or other of 
these arts ; and although every effort will be made to 
render the explanations as clear, and the descriptions | 
as lucid as possible, there may sometimes, perhaps, be 
certain points which some may not perfectly under¬ 
stand ; in such a case we earnestly request that any 
one desirous of further information will candidly say so, 
when, either by private letter, or through the columns 
of the Cabinet, the matter will be made the subject 
of clearer explanation. 
Before proceeding to give any directions, we would 
urge all those about to practice in these branches of 
art-work, to make up their minds to much patient and 
persevering effort; for although a fine picture is a 
beautiful object, painting is not an art to be prosecuted 
with merely a few hours application. 
Grecian painting presents many favorable points, 
which must recommend it; for although (asin all art), 
one who possesses a certain natural genius and rare 
artistic discernment has very much in his favor, still 
as the engraving to bo worked up has all the lights 
and shades blended and pencilled upon it, the artist, 
if only a tyro in painting, can so touch the parts as to 
produce a very pleasing picture; and one with even an 
average idea of color, by examining a good chrorno, 
oil painting, or even a colored lithograph, can scarcely 
fail to make something oven far more beautiful than 
this; while the patient and untiring devotee who will 
practice perseveringly, and carefully and industriously 
touch and retouch, day after day, and week after week, 
will in the end produce a painting so fine and so ar¬ 
tistic withal that none, save an experienced artist, will 
be able to detect that it is a Grecian painting, finished 
upon the outside, instead of a genuine oil painting. 
Is not such an issue worth striving for? From a long 
and varied experience we can answer “ it is ! ” and as¬ 
sure you that you may, by closely following the direc¬ 
tions to be given you month after month, be able to 
wreathe your Grecian “Madonna Della Scala,” or 
“ Beatrice de Cenci” in laurel, and cry “ Eureka! ” in 
an exultant voice, and our last words of salutatory 
are “never say die.” 
The implements and articles necessary for Grecian 
painting, are Tube paints, (Windsor & Newtons, are, 
we believe, the finest,) viz : Flake white, Naples yel¬ 
low, raw and burnt umbers, Indian red, Venetian red, 
vermilion, rose madder, crimson lake, Vandyke brown, 
raw and burnt sienna, Italian pink, chrome yellow, 
deep chrome, yellow ochre, ivory-black, verdigris, 
emerald green, Prussian blue, cobalt, and megilp. 
The colors must be the fine English oil tube paints, 
and may be obtained with all other materials and im¬ 
plements named, at almost any art-material emporium. 
Beside the colors, are required Grecian varnish, mastic 
varnish, spirits of turpentine, drying and pure sweet 
oils of best quality, palette, palette knives, one-inch 
flat varnish brush, one-inch flat bristle brush, for the 
varnishes, (never use one for the other,) half-dozen 
sable ( r c unel’s hair brushes, soft sponge, cups for 
cleansing brushes, hand rest, and if possible, a regular 
easel; also some soft cloth, or rags, for cleansing the 
loral Intifiiiiei mitl Pictorral 3HE 
ooie 
•oiiijiartiori. 
palette, &c. Varnish costs from 25 cents to $1 per 
bottle, according to size ; bleached oils, from 15 to 25 
cents per bottle; brushes can be procured by the dozen 
in assorted sizes, averaging 121 cents per piece, thfe 
miniature pencils, 5 cents, the large flat varnish brushes, 
25 cents. Boxes of materials for Grecian and Antique 
painting, can be procured for $2, $3, $4, $5, and $8, 
according to size and number of articles contained. 
The varnishes, &c., may be made if preferred, and we 
will add the formulas, although, it will be wiser to 
procure the regular varnish, unless it is certain the in¬ 
gredients are pure and fresh. 
Grecian Varnish .—3 ounces fir-balsam; 2 ounces 
fourth-proof alcohol. Mix well, and add 1 ounce pure 
spirits turpentine. (If the alcohol is not pure, it will 
not cut the balsam.) 
Mastic Varnish . — Dissolve (without heat) six ounces 
of bruised mastic in twelve ounces of rectified spirits of 
turpentine; when well dissolved, strain into another 
bottle, cork it, and place it in the sun ; after a few 
hours, if examined, a precipitate will be found; pour off 
the clear, upper part in another bottle and keep corked. 
The engraving having been selected, have a 
stretcher made of pine about one inch thick, and from 
half an inch to two or more in width, according- to size 
of picture, (as in oil paintings,) have one side made 
smooth; the inside of this frame must be exactly the 
size of the engraving, showing no white margin; but 
upon no account, cut away the margin until the frame 
has been laid upon it, when cut carefully away to the 
outer edge of the stretcher; now paint the smooth side 
of the stretcher -with nice flour paste, in which a very 
little dissolved glue has been stirred; and having the 
engraving laid upon a table face dowm, press the pasted 
side of the frame firmly upon it, then turn it carefully 
over, and with a pad made by rolling, a cloth or nap¬ 
kin firmly together, press every part of it until all 
wrinkles are removed, and the entire wet surface is 
evenly pressed all around the edge of the frame, then 
having made a napkin or piece of muslin quite damp, 
lay it over the picture, that it may be as damp in the 
centre as around the edges, and dry off simultaneously, 
in order to prevent cracking from the shrinking. 
This done, lay the whole away until perfectly dry. 
When this is accomplished, pour on the back of the 
engraving some Grecian varnish, rubbing it in with a 
stiff bristle brush, until the entire surface is wet, but 
not enough so as to filter through in spiots upon the 
engraved side ; (the whole success of the operation de¬ 
pends upon this stage of it being done properly, and it 
is therefore highly important to attend to it carefully;) 
saturate the entire surface, but do not let it be dripping 
wet ; rub it in thoroughly, yet so gently as not to tear 
holes in the paper ; repeat this at intervals of ten min¬ 
utes or so, four or five times ; when thoroughly trans¬ 
parent, place it in some place secure from dust, heat, 
or molestation, for eight or ten days ; during this inter¬ 
regnum however, examine it occasionally, and if any 
opaque spots appear, saturate with spirits of turpen¬ 
tine, and then with the varnish, persevering in this until 
there is no sign of a white spot, which is the terror and 
plague of the Grecian painter, insomuch that it is 
called the “white spot plague.” The only remedy for 
this dire disease is, doses of turpentine administered 
freely ; then a thorough rubbing with varnish. 
Frequently this disease will appear long after the 
varnish has dried; and sometimes after a picture is en¬ 
tirely finished, framed and hung, the proud artist will 
be amazed some bright day, when upon the point of 
exhibiting the charming acheivemcnt of his or her 
artistic skill, to find that her lovely Madonna has been 
attacked suddenly with the “ plague,” which has made 
a distressing scar upon her ruby lips, or turned Jtter 
waving brown hair to a grizzly white. Now do not 
let this warning frighten you, nor make you less 
anxious nor eager to commence your cherished plan 
of possessing some rare gems, but do let it make you 
exceedingly careful in the matter of preparing your 
engraving ; in this you cannot be too diligent, iu this 
you cannot be over careful nor over Particular, for upon 
it depends (as I said before,) your future success, (in a 
great measure.) It is no light matter to carefully finish 
a beautiful painting, and mouths after, find it full of 
blemishes, all arising from the one hasty or careless 
step taken in the beginning. I speak what I do know ! 
and it were time and space well devoted, did this en¬ 
tire ai’ticle only succeed in preventing one single as¬ 
pirant after artistic honor in the field of Grecian art, 
from the chagrin, disappointment and real sorrow 
which must follow the failure in a pursuit upon which 
one has perhaps spent many hours, and expended en¬ 
ergy and ardent anticipation ! Once again, therefore we 
repeat the warning, never to hurry over this portion of 
the preparation in order to get on to the more pleas¬ 
ing part of coloring. Clear the engraving thoroughly; 
examine often and closely, and repeat the bathing with 
turpentine and rubbing with varnish, until the entire 
picture is perfectly transparent. When ready to paint, 
the under or wrong side will appear like one even 
glossy surface, and when held to the light, not a single 
thick or white sjiot, nor even a hint of one must appear. 
When the turpentine is applied, allow it to remain on 
for a half hour, then examine and repeat if necessary; 
doing this until the spots disappear, which they must 
and will do eventually; then apply a generous coat of 
varnish and dry once more for a week or two. 
Mrs. C. S. J. 
PRETTY ORNAMENTS. 
Make a cross of wood, just as large or small as you 
like, with a square piece of wood for the base, cover 
with dry green moss, or green and gray lichens, put 
on with glue; around the edge of the top of the base, 
put a row of small white shells, and you will have a 
very pretty thing to see. To make a cornucopia, cut 
out of pasteboard the shape of a cornucopia, two pieces 
alike, sew them both together leaving the top open, 
then cover with lichens, glued on one side only, and 
tack to the wall. This is very pretty filled with dried 
grasses, pressed ferns and autumn leaves, with the 
bright berries of the bittersweet. A star cut from 
pasteboard and covered with moss or lichens is also 
pretty. Wreaths and crosses made of bittersweet 
berries, make very neat little ornaments. Butternut 
shells sawed in round pieces, are very handsome glued 
on any wooden ornaments and varnished. Grape 
stems tied on something firm and dipped in melted 
white wax in which is vermilion, make very handsome 
picture frames, looking like coral. Pressed ferns in 
groups of three are very pretty pinned on the wall, 
just over or under a picture. The gray wreaths of 
the clematis are very pretty to twine around or over 
the top of picture frames. A moss cottage cut from 
pasteboard pieces that will form a house when put 
together, with places cut out for door and windows, 
and sloping roof, one side of the roof to come in front, 
cover all with dry moss or lichens glued on, put a gay 
piece of woolen or flannel on the floor for a carpet, 
and paste some pieces of colored paper inside of the 
windows for curtains, to come half Way down, glue the 
house to the centre of a square piece of wood, cover 
this also with moss, cut out of pasteboard iu long 
strips, a fence, or better still, make a rustic one of 
small twigs, and put around the edge of the board. 
Make a fine pebble path, from the door to the gate, 
and it is complete. 
