The most important of the painter's tools are the brushes: these are of all sizes, both round and flat, and are made chiefly of hog's-hair. The large round brush called the pound brush, and a smaller one called the tool, are those mostly used in plain work. The smallest hog's-hair brushes are called filches, and are used for putting in small work where the tool would be too large. The pound brush is used as a duster for some time previous to putting it into colour, whereby it is rendered much softer. The smallest brushes are the camel-hair pencils, with long or short hair, according to the work to be done. The variety of brushes used in graining will be spoken of when we come to that division of the subject.
The stopping-knife has a shorter blade than the palette-knife, and is pointed. It is used for making good the holes and cracks with putty.
Putty is made of common whiting, pounded fine, and well kneaded with lin seed oil, till it becomes about the consistence of stiff dough.
Grinding colours.—All substances employed for painting in oil require to be ground up with a small portion of the oil previous to mixing them with the whole quantity required for use ; for this purpose, they must first be pounded, and passed through a tolerably fine sieve, then mixed with a portion of linseed oil, just sufficient to saturate them ; a quantity, about the size of a small egg, is to be taken on the point of the palette-knife, and placed on the stone ; the muller is then placed upon it, and moved round about, or to and fro in all directions, bearing a little weight on it at the same time. This should be con tinued until it is ground perfectly fine, having the consistence and smoothness of butter. The colour must be occasionally trimmed from the edges of the stone and muller with the palette-knife, and put under the miller in the middle of the stone. When sufficiently ground, it is removed from the stone with the palette-knife, and a fresh quantity taken. It is not well to have much colour on the stone at one time ; it makes it more laborious, and will take a longer time to grind the same quantity equally well.
Mixing colours for painging,—Before the colours which have been ground can be applied to the work, they must be rendered fluid by the addition of linseed oil, or spirits of turpentine, or certain proportions of both. Wben a tinted colour is required to be mixed up, a small quantity of the proper tint should be first prepared on the palette, which will serve as a guide to mix the whole quantity by. With the ground white lead there should first be well mixed a portion of oil, and then the tinting colour should be added, as ascertained by the pattern on the palette. When these are thoroughly mixed and matched to the
proper tint, the remaining portion of the oil or turpentine is to be added ; this is better than putting in all the oil at once : it should then be strained through a piece of fine canvass, or a fine sieve, and should be about the consistence of cream, or just so as to work easily. If it is too thick, the work will have an uneven, cloudy appearance, and it will be hard to spread ; while, if it be too thin, it will be likely to run, or will require a greater number of coats to cover the ground, and render the work solid. The straining ought not to be neglected where the appearance of the work is studied.
Preparing work for, and manner of proceeding with, the painting. New work.— Clean the work, carefully removing all projections, such as glue, or whiting spots; this is easily done with the stopping knife and duster ; then cover over the knots with a composition of red lead, called knotting. The red lead has the property of drying very hard ; and if it was not used, the paint would not dry on the knots, and they would show through every coat. If the knots are very bad, they must be cut out. After knotting comes the priming, or first coat of paint. When the priming is quite dry, all nail-holes, cracks, and defects, are to be made vod with putty ; then proceed to the next coat, called the second colour; when this is dry, those places are to be stopped which were omitted in the last coat; according to the number of coats intended to be given. It ? be observed that second colour for new work is made up chiefly with oil, as it best stops the suction of the wood; but second colour for old work is made up chiefly with turpentine, because oil colour would not dry or adhere to it so well. The colour should be spread on as evenly as possible; and to effect this, as soon as the whole, or a convenient quantity, is covered, the brush should be passed over it in a direction contrary to that in which it is finally to be laid off; this is called crossing : after crossing, it should be laid of softly and care fully, in a direction contrary to the crossing, but with the grain of the wood, taking care that none of the crossed brush marks be left visible. The criterion of good workmanship is, that the paint be laid evenly, and the brush marks be not observed. In laying oft; the brush should be laid into that portion of the work already done, that the joining may not be perceived. Every coat should be perfectly dry, and all dust carefully removed, before the succeeding one is laid over it.