The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-03-04

Amateur Painting in Oil the Present craza
Among Young Ladies--lfow to
Paint Flowers.

Faint Flowers.
The craze just now among young
ladies is for painting" said q society
man 10 reporter for the New York
Mail and Erpress. ''All the art schools
are full TO overlooking with pupils. and
young ladies who are unable 10 attend
them arc either taking private lessons
or ondeavoriDg TO become accom-
plishcd in this line Of work through the
medium OF books Of instruction and
patient, industrious practice ut home.
The art department of the Cooper In
stitute never was SO crowded as now,
and 4 vacancy there does not look
probable for from two TO three years to
come. In large number of the
schools, SO great has become the in
terest in tho art, professional artists
are taking part as instructors. The
regular technical schools connected
with the metropolitan Museum and
the Academy of Design have both be-
come of increased Importance. and at
trac. large attendance" said the repre-
sentative of large Fulton street firm
dealing in art materials to the reporter.
The craze is particularly noticeable
for painting in oil on brass. silk, vel
vet, plush, china, tapestry. etc. A set
of artists materials in oil costs from
IS to so, and, while the work is so
decidedly the fashion. great many
young ladies earn considerable PIN
money by what they paint, selling
their work 10 dealers in fancy articles.
Lustra-painting is Just now quite the
thing. Lately we have sold one thou
MI cote of luStr-o ,,ainta and tho 1n-
mand for them is increasing every day.
The designs chiefly painted are flowers,
fruit, and birds, aud they are especially
satisfactory on velvet or plush. The
lustra colors are not regular paints,
but are metallic colors, and on velvet
or satin they give very brilliant
efect-more so than tube paints. A
set costs $3.50. 1t is quite the fashion
to paint with them on portieres. Only
yesterday lady was in here with q
| pair of portieres which she had painted
that were worth fully SO. The rage
is especially for decorating room orna-
ments, such as plaques, vases, and
Limoges ware, the latter of which,
when painted in OIL has the full effect
of the imported ware, and az one-third
the cost. A new thing in this line are
rcliefs OF models. They are made III
| France, of white cardboard, and in
olude heads, figures, flowers, and ia
| fact every design for the student in
modelling. Their advantage lies in the
small expense, saving the buying of
casts, and that they do not break.
Would you give Inc some points on
amateur painting in oil?'
All that tho haninOOr
needs are a few colors Of tube paint,
several brushes. 4 palette, palette
knife, an easel. 4 little linseed oil and
turpentine, rest stick, and some can
vas, and few pieces of silk and satin.
| For painting flowers you want about q
dozen colors. These ought to be silver
white, ivory black, rose madden or
madden lake, vermilion. Naples yell
low, yellow ochre, cinnabar, green
in both light and medium, cobalt
burnt sienna. Italian pink, and bitumen.
! The best authorities advise beginners
| 10 paint flowers, from nature if posi-
bic, at first simple flower or spray.
A mode of getting the groundwork
often used is to stamp the flowers or
! figures in outline Oh the material from
| paper prepared especially for the pur-
pose. Henri Clarise, who has written
u good deal on the subject of learning
TO paint without teacher, says on
this subject: Study your shadows
carefully, shutting one eye and s9uint-
ing at your subject, as it were. Some
artists always paint in the principal
shadows first with neutral gray made
very thin with oil. Gray is made by
| g. a IL
black aud white, with little blue.
One will have TO experiment consider
ably at first i'll making grays, both for
shadows and backgrounds. Perhaps
tor a beginner it would be better TO
buy the neutral grays all ready pre-
pared, though they are apt 10 be cold.
that is. TO have rather too much blue
in them. When the shadows have been
painted in take flat sable brush and
take the general tones of the flowers,
ami paint from the center of the flower
10 the edge OF the petal, generally put
ting on the strokes firmly and not
working over. Some Of the paints will
not need oil, others you will lind quite
sticky, aud you will have to thin them
from time to time by dipping your
brush in the oil-cup If you wish to
mix colors, do so on your palette with
your palette-knife. The high lights
are generally put on last, and be very
sparing OF them; they are 10 be mixed
with white aud put on much thicker.
If you have flower picture TO copy. be
sure it is good one. Sketch it III
lightly; it is easier TO begin in the CEN
tire of the picture. also in the centre OF
the flower. and in drawing leaf if tho
centre line or middle rib is drawn first
the rest will come easier.