Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-10-07
CHINA PAINTING.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR AM
BILIOUS ART WORKERS.


to Select in Order to Achieve Success
Tho Study of tho Effect of Shadows and
Their Treatment.
Amateur china painters are notori'
ously ambitious-perhaps presumptuous
would be a better word. Even the
veriest tyros attempt with assurance
that highest attainment of all art, the
portrayal of the human form, forget
ting that knowledge Of free-hand
drawing and anatomy, coupled with
quick eye for expression, Is as neces-
sary to the success Of the china paint
er as to the artist in oils, or water col
ors, or pastels, or crayons, or any other
medium. Absolute correctness in draw
ing and modelling Is the first requisite,
as defects in these particulars cannot
be rectifed by any number of subse.
Quent paintings after the piece is once
fired.
Elizabeth Halsey Haines, in her arti-
Giles on figure painting now running
through the Art Amateur, warns be-
ginners against attempting to paint
cherubs, under the delusion that it does
not matter about the expression. She
says: Each tiny toe and finger has
as much expression of its own, distinct
from the other four, us has mouth
or a nose" In this caution she echoes
the methods of the best teachers at
Dresden and Paris, who would not
think Of allowing beginners to struggle
with cherubs. AS a first study, SIM
pie head, say of young girl, is recon-
mended, with very few accessories
about it.
The Dresden colors are preferable to
the French for figure painting, and the
following simple palette Is given as
that used by the most celebrated teach
er Of figure-painting in Dresden:
Ivory yellow, canary yellow, superior
yellow brown, finishing brown, sepia,
black, light blue, dark blue, blue green,
dark green, relief white and relief vel
low. These, with Dresden thick oil
and Glove oil asm ediums, and the or
binary brushes, palettes, etc, used In
china painting, form a complete outfit
1t will be far better If the beginner
In figure painting will confine first eff
forts to monochrome. For this pur-
pose use sepia, shading it with finish
Ing brown mixed with sepia. Very
beautiful effects are obtained by these
two simple colors.
The colors must be rubbed to the
right consistency, on the palette, with
the mediums before using, and dipping
the brush in the mediums while work
ing Is to be avoided as much as posi-
Bile. Take up the color on one of the
medium-slzed brushes, and lay 1t deli
cately wherever the shadows fall on
the face and neck. Then, with one of
the small stipplers, holding it as you
would a pen, stpple lightly towards
the high-lights until all the parts are
covered, taking care to leave the high
lights on cheeks, chin, nose, forehead
and eyelids well defined. Here word
Of caution-never put dry stippler to
the work. Wet the palm Of the hand
with alcohol and pass the stippler
across it until the hand is dry. If the
high-lghts are not sufficiently sharp,
take a clean brush, moisten it with
turpentine and press it with cloth;
then dip it lightly in the thick oil, and
brush it over the palette until pliable.
With this, a little of the color may be
safely removed. This must be done
with a very deft touch. The sharp
high-ught on the nose may be defined
with brush handle sharpened to
point Now proceed with the remand
er Of the figure, never covering more
ground than can be blended before the
color dries, and always stopping at
point where the color can be joined
without discovery. After the whole
figure is thus gone over, remove with
a pointed stick the color from the eye
balls, and paint the eye, carefully OBJ
serving the high-lights, and adding a
touch Of black to the sepia for the
pupil. Next lay in the shadows of the
hair broadly, and use the stippler very
lightly, but do not Obliterate entirely
90, 81 hoo
and eyebrows, but never draw line
feet. II there be draperies paint them
with a large brush, in free strokes,
gently blending the half tones with
the strippler, but leaving the shadows
and extreme high-ights well defined.
Now go back to the hair, which will be
by this time sufficiently dry to shade.
Do this with fine, delicate lines, break
ing them at the high-lights and follow
ing the wavy lines as Indicated in the
study. Carry the lines beyond the
color laid, to give an appearance Of
lightness, especially about the forehead
and where there may be stray locks.
For the first study put only simple
shadow behind the head. To do this
lay few broad strokes Of color on
either side of the head at a little dis
lance from the outline, and Stpple up
to it; then blend outwardly until the
shadow is lost on the white ground
and fades away towards the top of
the head.
At this stage dry the painting over
a lighted saucer of alcohol, and when
cold remove all rough particles of paint
and any specks of dust with your nee
die, and pass the eraser laid almost
fat lightly over the surface. This oper-
alton Is one requiring great care.
After the first fire shake little
powdered pumice stone over the paint
Ing and rub 1t gently with the finger,
thus reducing any unevenness of paint
left by the brush. Dust off all the grit
and then proceed with the second
painting In the same way as at first,
but with more delicate touches, and
carefully strengthen the shadows. A
monochrome figure should be COM
pleted in two paintings and flrings:
figures in natural colors will require
four, five or six according to the finish
of the work.
Japanese in Hawaii.