Whittock, Nathaniel: The Art Of Drawing And Colouring From Nature, Flowers, Fruit, And Shells: To Which Is Added, Correct Directions For Preparing The Most Brilliant Colours For Painting On Velvet, With The Mode Of Using Them, Also The New Method Of Oriental Tinting ; With Plain And Coloured Drawings (London, 1829)

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From these colours an almost endless variety of tints can be produced
by combining one with the other, as will be shewn when applied in the
lessons. A number of camel-hair and sable pencils should be pro-
cured ; these must be chosen with care: the hairs should not be too
long, and when the brush is dipped in water and taken out again, the
hairs should form a point.
The best black lead pencils for drawing ssowers are those of a
moderate hardness ; many persons use the hardest that can be pro-
cured, but it is impossible to sketch freely with them, and if an
alteration is required, the marks made with a hard pencil are not
so easily removed.
The mode of straining paper on the drawing board is so well known
to all persons who have ever attempted to colour, that it would be
superssuous to describe it here ; particularly as ladies or gentlemen
who practise ssower drawing usually prefer Bristol card board.
It is the plan with many persons who teach ssower painting, to
make their pupils practise for a great length of time on curved lines,
forming a variety of uninteresting figures, in order to give freedom of
hand. This generally tires and disgusts the juvenile learner in the
commencement of his studies, and that which was intended to be a source
of pleasure and amusement becomes a task for ever after. On the
contrary, if a student is allowed to produce a ssower, however simple,
or roughly executed, he is pleased with his newly-acquired power, and
stimulated to exertion.

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