DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19575#0144
O I L i5t
while It is frefil laid on, nor till well fpread all oVer with the
trowel, and fmooth every-where \ for otherwife it will cleave in
feveral places.
When it is dry, they lay on the colours as before-mentioned.
When the painter would paint upon wood, he firft brufhes it
very well with a brufh, and then lays on a layer of white, tem-
pered with pafte, before he covers it with Oil: But now cloth
is moft made ufe of, efpecially for large pictures, by reafon of
their more eafy carriage froili one place to another than wood,
which is heavy, and befides apt to crack.
Painters generally chufe ticking or the fmootheft cloth they
can get; and, when it is well ftretched upon a frame, they lay
on a layer of pafte-water, and then rub it over with a pumice-
flone to take off the knots.
The pafte-water ferves to fmooth down all the little threads
in the cloth, and fill the little holes, that the colours may not
pafs over them.
When the cloth is dry, thev lay on a colour that will not kill
the other colours, as red oker, which is a natural earth of fubftance,
and with which they fometimes mix a little white lead, that it
mav dry the fooner.
This colour is firft: ground with nut or linfeed Oil; and, to
lay it on of what thicknefs they pleafe, they have a great knife
for that purpofe.
When it is dry, they rub it over again with a pumice-ftone, to
fmooth it; then, if they pleafe, they lay on another layer, com-
pounded of white lead, and a little of the black of coal, to make
the ground greyifh ; and in both ways they put on as little co-
lour as they can, that the cloth may not break, and the colours,
that are to be laid on upon it, may keep the better.
If the primed cloth is not thus at firft oiled, but the painter
falls to painting at once, the colours will look better, and re-
main more beautiful.
In fome pieces of Titian and Paulo Veronefe, it is obferved
that their firft lay was of diftemper, on which they afterwards
painted with Oil colours; by this means their works looked the
more lively and frefh, for the diftemper attracted and imbibed
the Oil that was in the colours, and was the caufe that they re-
mained the more beautiful, the Oil taking: ofF a o:reat deal of their
vivacity.
For which reafon, thofe who would have their pieces keep
frefh, make ufe of as little Oil as they can, and keep their co-
lours the firmer, by mixing with them a little Oil of fpike, which
foon evaporates, but ferves to make them run the better, and
renders them more pliable in working.
Another caufe of colours loftng their beauty is when the pain-
K 2 ter
while It is frefil laid on, nor till well fpread all oVer with the
trowel, and fmooth every-where \ for otherwife it will cleave in
feveral places.
When it is dry, they lay on the colours as before-mentioned.
When the painter would paint upon wood, he firft brufhes it
very well with a brufh, and then lays on a layer of white, tem-
pered with pafte, before he covers it with Oil: But now cloth
is moft made ufe of, efpecially for large pictures, by reafon of
their more eafy carriage froili one place to another than wood,
which is heavy, and befides apt to crack.
Painters generally chufe ticking or the fmootheft cloth they
can get; and, when it is well ftretched upon a frame, they lay
on a layer of pafte-water, and then rub it over with a pumice-
flone to take off the knots.
The pafte-water ferves to fmooth down all the little threads
in the cloth, and fill the little holes, that the colours may not
pafs over them.
When the cloth is dry, thev lay on a colour that will not kill
the other colours, as red oker, which is a natural earth of fubftance,
and with which they fometimes mix a little white lead, that it
mav dry the fooner.
This colour is firft: ground with nut or linfeed Oil; and, to
lay it on of what thicknefs they pleafe, they have a great knife
for that purpofe.
When it is dry, they rub it over again with a pumice-ftone, to
fmooth it; then, if they pleafe, they lay on another layer, com-
pounded of white lead, and a little of the black of coal, to make
the ground greyifh ; and in both ways they put on as little co-
lour as they can, that the cloth may not break, and the colours,
that are to be laid on upon it, may keep the better.
If the primed cloth is not thus at firft oiled, but the painter
falls to painting at once, the colours will look better, and re-
main more beautiful.
In fome pieces of Titian and Paulo Veronefe, it is obferved
that their firft lay was of diftemper, on which they afterwards
painted with Oil colours; by this means their works looked the
more lively and frefh, for the diftemper attracted and imbibed
the Oil that was in the colours, and was the caufe that they re-
mained the more beautiful, the Oil taking: ofF a o:reat deal of their
vivacity.
For which reafon, thofe who would have their pieces keep
frefh, make ufe of as little Oil as they can, and keep their co-
lours the firmer, by mixing with them a little Oil of fpike, which
foon evaporates, but ferves to make them run the better, and
renders them more pliable in working.
Another caufe of colours loftng their beauty is when the pain-
K 2 ter