# Cyclopedia of Painting/Graining Grounds

GRAINING GROUNDS.
Maple. White lead tinted with a very little vermilion and about an equal quantity of lemon chrome. Some prefer yellow ochre only, others ochre and raw umber in the proportion of four ounces ochre and one ounce umber to thirty pounds of lead.
Medium Oak. Add French ochre to white lead in the proportions of about one hundred and twenty of lead to five of ochre. Add a little burnt umber.
Mahogany, Dark. Four pounds of medium Venetian red, one pound of orange chrome yellow and one pound of burnt umber, or a little less burnt umber may be used according to the strength.
Mahogany, Light. Mix six pounds of pure white lead with one pound medium Venetian red and five ounces of burnt umber.
Light Oak and Birch. Eighty parts of white-lead to one of yellow ochre produces a good ground, but sixty pounds of white lead, half a pound of French ochre and one ounce of lemon chrome is sometimes preferred.
Dark Oak. Sixty parts of white lead and one part of golden ochre may be used, or the following mixture if preferred. Six parts of white lead, one part of French ochre, one part medium Venetian red and one part of burnt umber.
Satinwood. Mix six ounces of lemon chrome to fifteen pounds of pure white lead and add a little deep English vermilion.
Pollard Oak. Tint one hundred parts of white lead with twenty-seven parts of French ochre, four parts of burnt umber and three and three-quarter parts medium Venetian red.
​Pitch Pine. Tint sixty parts of white lead with half part medium Venetian red, and quarter part of French ochre.
Italian Walnut. One part of French ochre mixed with ten parts of pure white lead and quarter part of burnt umber and medium Venetian red give this ground.
American Walnut. Thirty parts pure white lead tinted with nine parts of French ochre, four parts burnt umber and one part medium Venetian red.
Antique Oak. Thirty parts pure white lead tinted with nine parts of French ochre, four parts burnt umber and one part medium Venetian red.
Ash. White lead tinted with a very little vermilion and about an equal quantity of lemon chrome. Some prefer yellow ochre only, others ochre and raw umber in the proportion of four ounces ochre and one ounce umber to thirty pounds of lead.
Birch. Eighty parts of white lead to one of yellow ochre produces a good ground, but sixty parts of white lead, one-eighth of a part of French ochre and one-sixteenth part, of lemon chrome is sometimes preferred.
Knotted Oak. Sixty parts of white lead, nine parts of French ochre and three and one-half parts burnt umber.
Rosewood and Dark Mahogany. Four parts of medium Venetian red, one part of orange chrome yellow, and one part of burnt umber, or a little less burnt umber may be used according to the strength.
The graining ground mixtures must be taken as an average arrived at from comparison of the methods employed by different painters in various parts of the country. As has been explained, the mixtures given are those which may be considered an average, and a variation of them may be made according to individual taste and judgment.
GRAINING COLORS.
It will be understood that the method of obtaining a graining color varies just as much as it does in the case of the ground color, according to the opinion of the painter. The following are given as what may be safely followed to get an average good result:
Light Oak. Mix one-third burnt umber with two-thirds raw sienna, and add a very little drop black.
Bird's Eye Maple. Mix raw umber and raw sienna with a little Vandyke brown or ivory black.
Ash. Same as light oak.
American Walnut. Burnt umber to which is added a little Vandyke brown will give a good graining color for walnut.
Mahogany. Burnt umber, burnt sienna and Vandyke brown with the addition of a little crimson lake for over-graining, will answer well for mahogany.
In producing the color for ordinary use, such as, for instance, Anaglypta or lincrusta or other relief material, mix Venetian red with equal parts of burnt umber and burnt sienna, and even add a little orange chrome to give brightness.
Rosewood. Vandyke brown, with the addition of a little black, should be used, and rose pink may be added if desired.
Pollard Oak. Mix burnt umber Vandyke, raw and burnt siennas and add a little black or ultramarine.
Cherry. Use raw and burnt siennas and raw umber.
Chestnut. Mix raw sienna, Vandyke and raw umber with a very little burnt sienna.