New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-02
MORE ABOUT WATER COLORS.

THE EXTRAORDINARY DIsAGREEMEArs OF
ARTISTS.
The contributor OF the Para rnphs amateur water.
color painting printed In these columns March 10
says:
Il am glad II with my few suggestions gathered
from visits to different artists have started discus
sion as to the best methods In wate?cOors. No two
artists to agree the subject, and yet valuable
hints may he obtained from all. The artist writing
In The Tribune OF March 20 takes exception to the
plan OF immersing the paper In water for several
hours claiming that thereby the size of the surface Is
impaired But artist Of high repute Is equally
arbitrary, advising that old paper is far better than
new, providing II has been KEPT In a dry place, on
account OF the absence OF size USED I'm IT'S manu-
facure, which lime Causes to evapOrate A third
artist says In choosing your paper, wet II with
your tongue, and you can readily tell IL II has been
well sized whether does absorb water, which
is the main point An artist, IN commenting
the article I'm last Sundays Tribune. says: The adj
vice in reference to FASTING the paper to the al
ready mounted cartoon paper Is good, but still / like
my way even better. use a canvas, mounted a.
for oil, In place Of panels OF wood and this
paste my wet paper with the paste made Of -four and
cold water. 1t Is quick and satisfactory
"'Begin,' says one artst-a landscape painter-'by
passing general tint Of yellow Ochre the paper,
in order to give 1t a yeiOw-white tint Beware OF
yellow Ochre' says another; 1T Is a heavy color
whose use Is dangerous in vater-colorsl II you de-
sire to destroy the crude white tone OF your paper.
pass all 1t wash OF cadmum-eXceedingly weak,
however, as you do not wish to color the paper
"'Cadmium!' cXcaims his neighbor, In disgust,
why that has a fatal tendency to turn black on
exposure to the air-it becomes oxidzed, and must
be used sparngly Substitute Indian yellow. Ochre,
or SIENNA
".Reserve the whites in your sky, which ought
never to be Obtained by erasing, advises another; 1t
Is impossible ~itb sponge, India rubber or bread 10
eace color, and have your paper equal In brilancy
that Of the untouched paper 1t Is bother to make
the reservaoIs-of that am fully aware-but with
light penc-strOke you encircle such places, and
when your picture finished the marks be easily
rubbed OUT
And right IT. the face Of this another artist Says
Nonsense! You can always get rid OF any color by
using a clean, wet bristc brush, and, II necessary,
absorbing the moisture with bottcr. Or you can
take out any spot you wish to Obliterae with wet
linen rag, or by wetting the paper and using India
rubber.
"'In water-colOrs,' says one who surely ought to
know 1T is necessary lead of correctly for
rectiOn Is not possible! Better throw the sketch
away and begin over again.
Sand almost before the echo OF his voice has died
away n friend at my elbow says: Remember this.
You can never spoil watercolor. The more you rub
out the better! 1t gives atmosphere?
"The writer In sundays Tribune evidently has no
sympathy with BODY c0lorlsts ana yet one ad'ocae VI
the transparent school Insists that transparent coors
do not suit the background OF a landscape. lie IL
fatty contradicted by teacher OF art who says: In
rendering distances and mountains only transparent
tones should be usedv
And one who takes a middle course advises for
faint far away distances blue but lest 1t turn TO
green on your yellow sky trea. II TO small dose OF
Chinese white, though not enough to suggest body
cOIO-o 49,.
ON one point, however all seem to agree-and that
effects distances and middle distances always
PAINT on a wet surface. i always paint with my
paper fiat and puddle of water it, exaggerates ono
artist laughngly And am told that the pupils Of
one OF our celebrated city artists protect themselves
with mackntoshes before they begin work, ana then
hold their wet panels In their laps
.And now one more artist to quote, who comes -
as a sort OF peacemaker comforter: One must not
think that principles absolute In water coor more
than In other things all processes are good 80 the emo
be obtained, and the way In which another works Is
only valuable because 1t Is his way An English
writer herself artist declares TO reach the sum.
mis- of the hill Excellence there are many paths ana
each person chooses the way which seems TO hin ire
hest 1t does not 70 me to matter much how
you do a thing, provided you do 1t well'