The artists repository and drawing magazine: exhibiting the principles of the polite arts in their various branches (2.1788)

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Oil colors are not in ufual practice heigh-
tened, by diluting them with oil as water colors
are with water ; but by mixing with one color
a pigment of a lighter nature, as light red
upon dark red ; yellow upon light red; white
upon yellow, &c. or fimply white. But if a
part mould be heightened beyond its due force,
it may be lowered by diluting fome fimi-
lar color with oil, and fas it is termed) glaz-
ing it over, till it is lowered to the tone re-
quired. Glazing is fometimes ufed on a more
important, or at leaft a more extenfive plan ;
as when great richnefs is wanted in fome par-
ticular color, as crimfon &c. after having
painted and finifhed it, the artifl glazes it over
with a coat of lake. Sometimes this is repeat-
ed, and the lights retouched : and infrances
have been where an artifl: has glazed a bright
white into a crimfon, by means of carmine
and lake, &c.

This operation is beft performed with colors
tranfparent in their nature, fuch as lake, &c,
but after all, it is not applauded by thofe
whofe fkiil enables them to produce an equal
effect without the practice.

Thofe painters who have attained nearer! to
a juft reprefentation of nature, have ufually
compofed on their palettes a number of tints
related to thofe of the fubject on which they

were