New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-26
VITER-COLOR HINTS.
AN ARTISTS EXPERIENCE. ,

An artist in watercOOr writes to the Trfbunes
Il noticed In your last sunday issue. March. II
some suggestions to amateur water-ooloF Deiuhrs,
more especially various methods Of preparing ~
paper for painting The breadboard' Is Just De
Of fun. as you get proper drawing UoaraS nom
all dealers IN artists materials. Perhaps NJ sSWn
method Is as good as any. Wkatman's pspsN ~
course II is the best made and the only paper suit-
BILE for painting In pure aquarelle. The eeuscho
artist need De particular In that respect1 any
Kind Of paper will do. / prefer Whatmans meGaum
weight and grain; rough surface admits o. hsele %
no finish. and is mostly selected by members o.
what Rrsldn calls the botist school. OF course. II
you wish to do a very large water-coer rough
paper Is not Objectionable. 1 hold however. that
M aQuarele should rarely exceed the half imperial
.ixe (22 by - inches about. An artist should %
able 10 express himself fully on such scale.
The artist who tscks IDS paper aiter being wette0
on the back OF frame Is rather wasteul OF his ma
terial. NV way, think, f. simpler and quicker NY
dra wing board is Just trhe larger than. say, the
half imperial sheet sponge the paper on both
sides and lay II fat on the board. l then apply
paste nour and cold water the edges OF the paper.
about half inch in breadth. then turn the paper
over and apply paste to the edge OF the board.
Next use a towel to press down the edges OF paper
OH the board firmly. The paper will now appear
Wet in the middle. but with the edges comparatively
dry The result Is that the paper will be stretched
tight as a drumhead In a few hours. when the
puinting Is finished "A thin kitchen knife will enable
YOU with "A little care. to lift the paper from the
board without sacrificing the edges which would b
necessary If boiled paste had been used.
As TO immersing whatman's paper in bathtuS
and soaking II for hours. | think 1t unadvisable; the
size is partly evolved by such process, and the Size
& what makes your paper bear out the color well.
The late Mr.. I'll. Collier an admirable English
land cape painter in pure transparent Mtercolorss
always made his sketches from nature on Whatman's
.yot simply fastening II fiat the board with draw
mo u,ns in e. studio he mounted II In this way
Sosking thoroughly piece OF cartoon paper two
heard turning over the edges Of the paper either gu.
inc 1, or tncking II the back OF the board. The
raroon piper having dried and stretched, be mOisene6
tho back OF his sketch and applied paste. II then
laid pasted side down the stretched cartoon, ana
I'm an hour or two II would become perfectly aat and
would stand all subsequent manipulations without
bulglng | believe the paste prevents the color sink.
ms TOO much in and thus bearing ont tee color better
The absorption Of color T. OF several aggrava.
tions which attend the water c00rlsts that is the
naintar I'm the medium the color becoming
duIl when dry and much lighter In tone than 1t
appeared when wet. The smart artist in the opaque
medium (gouache, has such difficulties TO conten6
with He paints his lights and does not leave them.
and Is content 10 let a tmru OF MS paper
remain Imprinted
True aqiarelle relies upon the inner light Of the
paper shining through all the nts, and the result N
ca pable hands is uminosity-the peculiar charm q
wat or color rr quality that Will. believe, again
In due time be looked for and appreciated