, 1890-04-27

If wood is used, it is better to have a
close grained piece free Of knots, such as
sycamore, pear, lime or holly, the whittier
the better. Sycamore and holly are con
sidered the best, but they are in many
localities rather expensive. Wood Is
used for decorative panels for the walls,
for panels and borders for all kinds OF
furniture and for pictures. The back
ground Of the picture and the frame are
frequently Of different kinds of wood.
AS often, however, the same wood is
used and the picture extended to the
edge of the frame.
Leather is used for portfolios, blotters,
photograph holders, lamp mats, pillow
rolls, cushions, etc, etc. The leather
should be stiff and heavy, and the arti-
Gle. whenever possible. trimmed with
thongs of lighter and different colored
leather.
The work is very simple; me merely
draws with a platina pencil, or, rather,
pointed tool, which must be kept at a
regular heat, just as II any other draw
ing were being done with ordinary ma
~terials. Probably the worker will at
first be rather taken back at the broad,
round end of the pencil, and feel sure
that nothing can be done with it, but she
will soon be quite surprised at the fine
lines that can be made by using it side
ways, and as soon as she has learned to
regulate the hea of the same.
A great deal may be done with the or
binary kitchen poker, which should be
short and light in the handle; but it re-
quires n considerable amount of practice,
owing to its length and weight, to man
age this with dexterity. In addition to
Ii poker, six other tools will be found
convenient; these any ironmonger can
easily make. The irons are twelve inches
long, allowing two inches TO be sunk into
an octagonal wooden handle three and d
half inches long, making total lengtl
thirteen and a half inches.
Two small pokers may be made like A
one 1t inches in circumference, the othe
II inches. Four crooked like b ar,
useful; they are similar to n boys iroi
hoop stick, only the top must not b.
taken round, and where the curve begin
the iron should be fiat. The crook shoult
decrease in width and thickness at tn,
end, according to the size. The siN
should be as follows: No. 1, small poker,
II inches in circumference; No. Q, small
poker, II inches in circumference; No.
3, n ben iron stick, the crook being I
inch wide and ! inch thick; No. 4, crook
l inch wide, l inch thick; No. 8, crook
Z inch wide, I inch thick; No. 0, l inch
wide and Z inch thick.
The outline is sketched first in char,
coal, then fliCked off so as to leave only
a faint mark n drawing is a difficulty
the design may be traced by means OF
transfer paper, pressing lightly over the
outline with II fine point. Some of the
surface of the carbon paper should be
rubbed off with cotton wool before it Is
applied, and to the wood or leather. Thii
is to avoid leaving too much of n line in
Ia delicate parts, such as the n~ostrils,
eyes, etc, where the shading is light.
The designs should be rough and bold.
Heads of old men and women and ami
mails are the most effective. Beginner.
will find that the conventionally treated
dragons on the lamp mat design are not
difficult, while the read of a tiger, a lior
or a cat is also a good study with which
! to commence.