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)

If a person who cannot draw, is desirous of painting a bunch of
grapes on velvet, he must mark the outline of one grape, and cut
it out with a pair of scissars ; this must, of course, be done accu-
rately, without being ragged at the edges. The brushes for this sort
of work, should be a little larger than those used for painting without
the stencils, and cut rather more ssat at the end. If the crimson is dry
in a saucer, a little of the liquid Prussian blue may be poured into a
very shallow- saucer, and a tint made with the crimson and blue, the
colour required. The brush must be scarcely wet with the colour
when applied to the stencil pattern, otherwise the edge will blot, and
leave a hard line upon the velvet. The brush should always be made
to move towards the velvet, and from the pattern.
In stenciling it will be better to commence with the light tint first,
as directed in colouring on paper. For instance, if the peach, given in
Lesson XII. should be required, it will be necessary to make a
pattern for each side of it, from the division in the centre. Place the
sirst pattern on the smallest division, take a little of the bright yellow
in a small saucer, and, scarcely wetting the yellow brush, go over the
whole space left uncovered by the tracing paper, letting the hand
always move from the paper towards the centre of the work, and not
brushing backwards and forwards, as that will not only cause the
pattern to be torn, but also make the space appear muddy, as the
colour dries almost as soon as it is put on, and if caught again by
bringing the brush over it, it will appear muddy and discoloured.
The student will find it extremely easy so to work the brush on all
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