The evening times., 1898-07-09
HOW TO PAINT
SHADOWS
It Is Expensive, But Requires
No Training.
Arrange Plants So That Their Out
Then Trace with . Brush.

They call it shadow ornamentation. II
requires no training. The outfit is in
expensive. If you want to ornament your
walls with frescoes In bed. get a pot OF
red paint and a paint brush. If you pre-
fer black or green, or blue or yellow. take
your choice and purchase paint of your
favorite color: Then darken the room to
be decorated. light a lamp. and study out
the general outlines of the fresco work
that you propose to try and paint on the
wall.
To get the outline OF the Ornamental
ton. place a plant 10 front of the light
SO that q shadow is thrown on the wall.
Study the shadow until you have an
outline that suits your artistic fancy. II
one plant does not throw a pretty shad-
ow try another. Or. If your plants do
not throw shadows that meet with your
approval. discard the plants and try the
effect of some cut flowers or tree
branches. II both have pretty features
and you can't choose between them, try
the effect of combination of both, IL
you have sufficient wall space. The most
interesting part of the new idea in orna-
mentation Is the scope it gives for exer-
cising natural taste In the arrangements
of the outline.
IL Is necessary TO use Tor shadow
fng" those plants that throw large
and many-branched outline. as other
wise the prettiest effect will not be OBJ
tained when the fiiling-in is done. The
more delicate the tracery work the
better, and II Is therefore we'll to select
flowers like begonias. ferns or branches
like those OF the horse-chestnut tree.
However. the selection of the plan,
to be used to throw the shadows can
be left to the taste of the artist. 1t is
impossible to advise. as so many
plants are equally good for this pur-
pose. Having decided on the ground
work. the next thing to do is to paint
the outline of the shadows very method
icaily. This is the most important
part OF the work. and great care should
be taken over it. as upon the outlining
depends the success Of the fresco. The
filling-in is comparatively easy. Go
very carefully around the outlines of
the leaves and branches. following the
veins and tracing the outlines of the
leaves and blossoms carefully.
When you have done this the rest of
the work can be finished In the day
time. when the light will enable you
to work with less strain on the eye
sight. Having the outline before you.
you will be able to judge of the APP
pearance of the work when completed.
You will be surprised and delighted at
the result even at this stage. 1t is not
all plain sailing. Some necessary part of
the plant will fail to show in the shadow
in spite of the most painstaking care to
have the light just right. This leaves room
for artistic effort on the part of the one
doing the decorating, and this TO many
will prove the most fascinating feature
of the whole undertaking. To merely
daub in an outline in a perfunctory way
will not suit the individual with an ar
tistic soul 1t Is the finding out that what
has all the appearance of the finest art
work when completed can be accomplished i
with so little training that proves the
chief charm to the one who tries the
effect of this frescoing by shadow.
In painting in the outlines great care
must be exercised to follow the lines cor
rectly. A warning Is here given that
what will appear very plain when the
shadow Is painted In outline will seem
an incomprehensible arrangement of lines
when the plant has been removed. and
the work of painting in the outline is be-
gun on the following day. With care.
however. II will be found to be an easy
matter to follow the lines correctly.-San
Francisco Report.