FLOWER PAINTING IN WATER COLORS. 
A flower having been selected as a study, it must be 
placed as naturally as possible in a vase of water. The 
first object is a good outline. The greatest pains 
must be taken to draw carefully and correctly every 
part of the flower, beginning generally in the centre, 
particularly it is a full view which, is to be repre¬ 
sented. Every petal must have its own complete out¬ 
line, not only indicated, but carefully defined: and let 
it not be considered that the time thus occupied is lost, 
for the study of the flower thus carefully made will im¬ 
part so perfect an understanding of it as greatly to sim¬ 
plify the after process of coloring: and any attempt to 
finish a drawing, of which the outline is incorrect, will 
be simply time thrown away. 
A small brush, filled with a pale tint resembling the 
local color of the flower, is the best instrument with 
which to draw the outline; but until a little practice 
has given ease and readiness in use of the brush, an 
HB black-lead pencil will be found more convenient, 
as the markings from this are easily effaced. Care, 
however, must be taken that the lines drawn with the 
pencil are so pale as to be barely visible; for nothing 
can be more disagreeable to the eye, or more unnatural, 
than a dark line, which no subsequent operation of the 
brush can efface. If the outline be too dark, it must 
be lightened with a little bread before proceeding to 
color. 
The learner is advised not to begin by drawing more 
than may probably be finished before leaving the study, 
as a flower is generally far too much changed before the 
following day to afford an opportunity of its then being 
successfully completed. 
The outline being finis her!, the card must be lightly 
wetted in all parts intended to be colored, by passing 
the flat brush moderately full of water gently over it. 
If clear soft water cannot be procured, use boiled 
water. When quite dry, the flower should be washed 
smoothly over with a tint matching as closely as possi¬ 
ble the lighter tones of its own local color. This wash 
should be begun at the upper left-hand side, proceeding 
quickly to the right and downward. Beginners gener¬ 
ally experience a little difficulty in this process, at first; 
but if attention be paid to keeping the brush equally 
full of color until it is completed, the difficulty will be 
easily surmounted. 
Beginners frequently exhaust the color in the brush 
before filling it afresh; the consequence of which is, 
that the new supply of color flows back into the former, 
leaving, when dry, a distinct mark, which is not only 
undesirable, but impossible to be obliterated without 
sponging the whole entirely out with clean water, and 
recommencing. 
Fresh color must, therefore, be taken 'so frequently, 
that no difference can be perceived between the tint of 
that which^flows from the brush, and that which is 
already laid on; the large pool left when the wash is 
completed (so constantly a difficulty until dexterity in 
handling'is obtained), can be best disposed of by draw¬ 
ing the brush gradually to a fine point against the ex¬ 
treme outline. 
^ When the color thus laid on is perfectly dry, the 
shadows must be carefully painted in, pains being taken 
to match their color with that of nature. The shadows 
generally appear, in some parts, to be insensibly lost 
and blended with the pure color of the flower. Tins 
effect may be produced bv passing over their- edges, 
while still wet, a cleau brush, rather dryer than that 
with which they have been painted. The local color may 
then be deepeued where necessary, and the darker 
shadows may be worked upon until they are of the 
proper depth, and finished by small touches wherever 
great nicety is required. Somo artists endeavor to finish 
their works entirely with soft washes; while others exe¬ 
cute them completely with large or small touches 
(called "stippling”): but. perhaps, a middle course be¬ 
tween these extremes produces an effect more like 
nature than either. 
The leaves must be executed in the same manner as 
the flower. When of a glossy surface, and therefore af¬ 
fording brilliant lights as well as shadows, they must be 
washed over with a very pale shade of cobalt and In¬ 
dian-red mixed, the veins only being left (if they appear 
of a very bright green), and those lights which appear 
absolutely white. When this is dry, the local color, com¬ 
posed of chrome-yellow No. 1 and indigo, must be laid 
on carefully, the fights only being left. The shadows 
must then be painted in with the same color or a little 
gamboge and indigo, with a very small addition of In¬ 
dian-red; then the veins, if dark, with the same color; 
and the whole finished with small touches, where neces¬ 
sary, as directed for the flowers. Some leaves are of a 
silvery-grayish tone; for these the local color must be 
composed of cobalt and chrome-yellow No. 1, with an 
almost equal quantity of Indian-red. The shadows also 
must have a less proportion of yellow than those of 
brighter leaves. 
As a general rule, it is safer for the student to use 
transparent colors in the flowers themselves, unless 
some great and obvious advantage is to be gained by the 
use of white. When white is used, it should be the per¬ 
manent Chinese white, the only preparation which, to 
undoubted durability, adds facility in working. 
The common Primrose, being very simple, both in 
form and color, is a good subject for a first study, if it 
can be procured. The outline being drawn carefully, 
beginning in the centre of the flower, and all the parts 
intended for coloring wetted with clean water, it should 
be washed over with a thin tint of lemon-yellow, such 
as will match the depth of the larger portion of the 
flower, leaving only those parts, if any, which appear to 
be white or nearly so. [Windsor and Newton’s are the 
colors named in these descriptions.—E d.] The color 
must be softened into these with a clean brush, as al¬ 
ready explained. The color for the shadows must be 
composed of cobalt, pink-madder, and a very little gam¬ 
boge; the two former being mixed together first, and 
then the yellow added, always matching the tints used 
with those of the flower itself. When quite dry, the, 
yellow must be deepened where necessary, the green in 
the centre painted in with a little gamboge and indigo, 
and the deep yellow marks which surround it with 
gamboge alone. The local color for the leaves may be 
