The Artist's Assistant, In the Study and Practice of Mechanical Sciences: Calculated for the Improvement of Genius. Illustrated with Copper-Plates (Birmingham, [ca. 1785])

2o3 THE ARTIST'S ASSISTANT.

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the oil every time it is ftirred, as is unavoidable
where no water is ule'a ; the W3ter likewife greatly
contributes to bleach the oil and improve it in other
refpecis.

The heft previous preparation of the piece to be
gilded, if it have not already any coat of oil paint,
is to prime it with drying oil, mixed with a little
yellow oker. to which alio may be added, a fmall
proportion of Vermillion. But where greater nicety
znd periefrion is required in the work, the wood
fhould be firft rubbed with fifh fkin, and then with
Dutch rufhes.

This priming being dry, the next partof the opera-
tion is the fizing the work ;. which may be done
either with tire fat oil alone (but diluted with drying;
oil, if too thick to be worked without) or with fat
oil and the japanners gold fize, either in equal quan-
tities, or in any lefs proportion, witli refpect. to the
gold fize. The difference betwixt the ufe and omiffion
o!" the gold fize, in this way of gilding, lies in two
particulars : the one is, that the fizing dries farter
according to the proportion of the quantity of the
gold fize to the fat oil, and is confequently fo much
the iooner fit to be gilded; the other is, that the
gilding is alfo rendered in the fame proportion, lefs
ihining. or gloffy, which is efieemed a perfection in
this kind o! gilding ; though taking awav the pre-
judice of fafhion, I fhould think the moit fhining,
the moft beautiful, and of the ftrongeft effect.

The Fat oil, or the compound of that and the gold
iize, mult be ground with fome yellow oker, and
then, by means of a brufh laid thinly over the work
1o be gilt ; but in doing this care muft be taken to pafs
tnc brufh into all the cavities, if the fubjeel be carv-

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