Part 3
The preparation of ceilings for whitewashing (or kalsomining as this operation is sometimes pretentiously called) is an operation requiring some skill and knowledge of “how to do it.” A dirty ceiling, which has been subjected to successive coats of whitewash, whether of lime, or of whiting and glue-size, cannot be made solidly and smoothly white by additional whitewashing. The mass has become spongy, and sucks up the water so quickly that the material cannot be evenly distributed. In such case the only way is to begin anew, to go at once “down to hard pan” by removing all the previous applications by washing and scraping. This is best effected with a broad-bladed square-pointed putty-knife, keeping the ceiling wet meanwhile. Plaster (hard-finish) is not of uniform density, and some spots are much more absorbent than others. To remedy this a mixture of soft soap and alum, dissolved in water, should be applied with a broad kalsomine brush.
It is not assumed that mere verbal instructions can teach the art of whitening or tinting walls and ceilings in water-colors. To produce good results, great skill in preparing the materials and dexterity in manipulation are required; and such work should be intrusted only to competent hands. A mass of unsuitable material may be cheaply put upon a ceiling; but when the same shall require repainting, the cost of labor will be greater in removing the previous coating, than will be the whole cost of repainting. These remarks, too, apply equally to all kinds of painting; and reference is made to the whitening and tinting of ceilings only, because of the general impression that this kind of work may be performed by anybody.
The materials and tools used in painting are too costly to wasted and worn by incompetent handling. “Painting just to keep the gardener or hostler out of idleness,” will prove in most cases a left-handed economy. Such experiments are prudent only when the services of skilled workman cannot be obtained.
=Taste in Color.=--In rooms to be lived in, simple white for color of walls and paint, as well as any extremely dark treatment, should be avoided. The walls of rooms should be such backgrounds as will best suit the complexions and dresses of the larger number of people. Delicate white intensifies by contrast any unpleasantness or want of perfection; extreme dark would make people look white and ghastly. Neutral colors will be found the best--generally some grey or cool color that will contrast with warmth of complexions. On no account let an absolutely pure color be used for general surfaces. Nature provides no such color in pigments. Her yellows are greenish or reddish, and so on. Nor does she use it to any extent in inanimate nature. So much so that you will find that if you have much difficulty in describing a color, you may be certain it is good; the more difficulty the more beauty. Nature trusts mainly to gradations of tone, using vivid color in small quantities only, as in the touches on bright flowers and butterflies. This teaching of nature will be found seconded in the pictures of the greatest artists, and in following such teaching, it is necessary to consider the object to which (in domestic work, say) the rooms are to be devoted. A drawing-room, it is agreed, should be light, festive and gay; dining-room at once more sober, and with more depth and warmth, as befits its uses. You must also consider the light and shade; openings, and the positions of them; for these may (or may not) effect for you contrast of tone, and may even touch the question of the good sense of your whole scheme of decoration.
In a lecture delivered before the British Architectural Association, on this subject, the lecturer suggested that in the treatment of a drawing-room the walls should be a light neutral grey, fawn color, or pale green (not dark, but not white). Dados are suitable for all rooms, even drawing-rooms. They may be made of wood, painted as the room doors, or of stamped leather, or of the French paper imitations of stamped leather. A frieze does not interfere with the heads of sitters, and adds much interest if it has its sentiment or story. If flowers form part of your decorations, have no relief, no imitation of nature’s light and shade. A wall must be a wall; if, neglecting this, you introduce illusions to the eye, the sense of solidity will not be suggested. The Japanese decorate on correct principles, with truth to the idea derived from nature, and truth in art, adaptation of representation to materials and method. As regards the woodwork there should be no graining anywhere; its aspect, however well executed, is repulsive. Real woods are always beautiful. Plain painting may be darker or lighter than the general wall surfaces; both will look well. The doors may have stencilled decorations in angles of panels; birds or butterflies, or plants, or any beautiful natural objects will supply motives. The ceilings should rarely be wholly white, except of halls or where the light is defective. Papered ceilings look well. The use of gold is generally satisfactory; it reflects a warm tone on everything below. Put a good amount of color on a ceiling--not, however, making it so dark as to bring it too close to the eye. The carpet must be either lighter or darker than the walls. This is following out the artist’s rule, to make either background or foreground run into the figure. If this is not done in painting, a woman in white satin, for instance, against a dark floor and dark walls, will look like a cut-out figure stuck on, and the same sort of result would occur in rooms. As in ordinary life dresses are dark in color, where a light wall tone has been recommended, the carpet will have to be darker than the walls. Not too vivid in color, however, and of course, no flowers, ferns, birds’ nests, and such like fearful things. _Furniture and hangings_ should not be too much alike in color; have, say, the carpet one tone, the coverings of the furniture another, and the curtains and other hangings a third. Have summer and winter hangings and furniture coverings; those for the former light and cheerful, the others with more warmth, and suggestive of comfort and home life. A table-cloth, occasional chair, or a rug, may supply a bit of effective contrast with prevailing hues of hangings, etc., and a spot of vivid color in a vase or some small hanging will complete the formal decoration of the room.
=Graining.=--The art of imitating the grain of the more expensive woods has been brought to a great degree of perfection, but of late years so many unskilled workmen have undertaken to imitate the natural grain of wood with such imperfect results, that this beautiful branch of painting has fallen into partial disuse. A few remarks, therefore, to the uninitiated may not be inappropriate in this work. Mahogany, satinwood, rosewood, mottled and walnut roots, maple, and some others, are frequently imitated; and it is seldom that a house is finished without some graining being introduced. The imitation of the above-mentioned woods are best performed in ground distemper (water colors) which are always preferable and more economical purchased ready prepared. Oak, chestnut, ash and similar long-grained woods, are best executed in oil-color, particularly for outdoor work. For drawing rooms, delicate party colors are preferable, as they harmonize better with the neutral tints on the walls or delicate tinted papers. The process of graining is very simple. To be an accomplished grainer, practice and an artistic taste is very necessary. Too frequently the imitation is overdone, the shading too deep and obtrusive, and the work made too glaring with figure and varnish, has an unnatural appearance; a grainer should always avoid attempting to over-do nature. The following is an approved method:--The surface on new wood should be prepared with three coats of oil paints for the ground color, and regulated in shade by the color of the wood to be imitated, making due allowance for the graining tint that is to cover it. The ground colors should always be perfectly dry before the graining is commenced. The painter then preparing small quantities of the colors he requires, applies it thinly and evenly over the surface and proceeds to wipe out with his thumb and a piece of white cotton cloth the figure of the grain. Some grainers use rubber instead. We cannot here explain all the different processes for the imitation of the grain of wood. Many painters have a method of their own, which from long practice produce excellent results. In some cases, graining in distemper may be adopted with great success for indoor work, and if the colors are put on thin, so that the varnish will penetrate through into the ground color, this kind of graining is as durable as oil-color, and is susceptible of being made far more beautiful, and soft looking in the imitation of mottled woods. For blending distemper colors, a badger’s hair blender should be frequently used to soften down and blend the tints where necessary; but for blending oil-color, in order to produce an elongation of the grain, we have found a flat varnish brush, kept moderately damp and clean, preferable to the badger’s hair. When the work is dry, the shades necessary for some woods should be laid on in distemper-color (some use thin oil-colors) and then covered with two coats of good oil varnish. Common varnish should never be used on outside work.
=Oak Graining.=--In oak graining the color is made in the following manner:--Procure some finely-ground burnt umber and raw sienna (or Vandyke brown and raw sienna if a dark oak be required), and thin with equal parts of linseed oil and turpentine. Add a large quantity of patent dryer to make it stand the comb. The color is now ready for use. The graining color is brushed over the work in the ordinary way with a pound brush, care being taken not to put too much color on, else it is liable to look dirty. A dry dusting brush is now used to stipple with, which, if properly done, will distribute the color evenly. It is now ready for combing. First take a medium or coarse-cut gutta-percha comb, and draw it down one side of the panel, then use a finer one to complete it. This comb will leave the marks of the grain in clear unbroken lines from top to bottom of the panel. We now take a fine steel comb and go over the whole of the previous combing; but in drawing this comb down, we either move it in a slanting or diagonal direction across the previous combing, or draw it down with a quick and short wavy motion and curl. Both the former and latter motions will break up the long lines left by the gutta-percha comb into short bits, which, of course, represent the pores or grains of the real wood. Next take out the lights of figuring or veining. This is effected by means of a piece of washleather, held tightly over the thumb nail. Every time a few lights are wiped out the leather should be moved slightly, so that the same part of the leather will not be used twice, thus ensuring clean work. There are various methods of doing this, but they require much more practice. When the figures are all wiped out they will require to be softened. By softening we mean the imitation of those half shades seen upon and about the figures in the real wood. These are imitated by doubling a piece of washleather into a small roll, and with the side of this the grain is partly wiped away or softened. Care should be taken not to wipe off the whole of the grain. If the operator has a piece of the real wood to look at occasionally he will be materially assisted. As soon as the oil color is dry it should be over-grained. This is effected in water color. Next go over the work with a bit of sponge and soap to prevent it “cissing.” Before laying on the over-graining, wash out the sponge and wipe the work. It is now ready to receive the color. Grind up finely a little vandyke brown in water, and dilute it with table-beer and water. It is then ready. Take a flat hog-hair brush, 3 in. to 4 in. wide, dip it in the color and draw it over the work, in most cases in the direction of the combing, but occasionally crossing. The hair of the brush, being thinly placed, will separate into patches, and hence the color will be deposited in streaks, resembling the natural gradations which the wood presents. If you have not a brush of this kind a sponge may be used to put in the streak and to soften off. Then dry varnish in the usual way.
=Spirit Graining for Oak.=--2 lbs. whiting, ¹⁄₄ lb. gold size, thinned down with spirits of turpentine, then tinge your whiting with vandyke brown and raw sienna ground fine. Strike out your light with a pitch or piece of rubber dipped in turpentine, tinged with a little color to show the lights. If your lights do not appear clear, add a little more turpentine. Turpentine varnish is a good substitute for the above mentioned. This kind of graining must be brushed over with beer with a clean brush before varnishing. Strong beer must be used for glazing up top graining and shading.
=Old Oak in Distemper.=--To make an exceedingly rich color for the imitation of old oak, the ground is a composition of stone ochre or orange chrome and burnt sienna; the graining is burnt umber or vandyke brown, to darken it a little. The above colors may be used for oil as well.
=Pollard Oak.=--Ground color, a mixture of chrome yellow, vermilion and white lead, to bring it to a rich light buff. The graining colors are vandyke brown and small portions of raw and burnt sienna and lake, ground in beer or vinegar. Fill a large brush with color and spread it over the surface to be grained, and soften with a badger hair brush. Take a moistened sponge and dapple round and round in kind of knobs, then soften very lightly, after which draw a softener from one set of knobs to the other while wet, to form a multiplicity of grain, and finish the knobs with a hair pencil, in some places in thicker clusters than others. When dry, put the top grain on in a variety of directions, and varnish with turpentine and gold size; then glaze up with vandyke and strong beer. Finish with copal varnish. This is for distemper only.
=Mottled Mahogany.=--The ground is prepared with the best Venetian red, red lead, and a small proportion of white lead. The graining colors are burnt sienna, ground in beer, with a small portion of vandyke brown. Cover the surface to be grained, soften with a badger hair brush, and while wet take a damp sponge and go over the lights a second time, in order to give a variety of shade; then blend the whole of the work with the badger softener. Put the top grain on with the same color. When dry, varnish. For distemper only.
=Rosewood.=--Mix vermilion and a small quantity of white lead for the ground. Take rose-pink, tinged with a little lamp-black or vandyke brown, and grind very fine in oil, then take a flat graining brush, with the hairs cut away at unequal distances, and cut down the grain as if wending round a knob. When nearly dry, take a graining comb that is used for oak, and draw down the grain. This will give it the appearance of nature. Then varnish. This makes an excellent and durable imitation.
=Another for Rosewood.=--This ground is prepared with vermilion and small quantities of white lead and crimson lake. When the ground is dry, and made very smooth, take vandyke brown, ground in oil, and with a very soft tool spread the color over the surface in different directions, forming a kind of knots. Before the work is dry take a piece of leather, and with great freedom strike out the light veins; having previously prepared the darkest tint of vandyke brown or gum asphaltum, immediately take the flat graining brush with few hairs in it, called a top grainer, and draw the grain over the work and soften. When varnished, the imitation will be excellent.
=Curled Maple in Oil.=--Prepare a rich ground by mixing chrome yellow, white lead and burnt sienna. For the graining color, grind equal parts of raw sienna and umber with a little burnt copperas and turpentine, and mix it with a small quantity of grainer’s cream, thin the color with oil; then fill a tool and spread the surface even and rub out the lights with sharp edge of a piece of buff leather, wiping it frequently to keep it clean; soften the edges of the work very lightly, and when dry, put on the top grain with burnt umber and raw sienna ground in beer with the white of an egg beat into it. Varnish.
=Curled Maple in Distemper.=--Prepare a light yellow for the ground, by mixing chrome yellow and white lead, tinged with Venetian red. The graining color is a mixture of equal portions of raw sienna and vandyke brown, ground in beer. Spread the surface to be grained in an even manner; then with a piece of cork rub across the work to and fro, to form the grains which run across the wood; soften, and when dry lightly top grain with the same color. Varnish.
=Bird’s Eye Maple in Oil.=--The ground is a light buff, prepared with white lead, chrome yellow and a little vermilion or English Venetian, to take off the rawness of the yellow. The graining color is equal parts of raw umber and sienna, ground in oil to the proper consistency. Spread the surface of the work with this color, and having some of the same prepared a little thicker, immediately take a sash tool or sponge and put on the dark shades, and soften with a badger hair brush; before the color is dry put on the eyes by dabbing the dotting machine on the work, or by striking the colors short and sharp with the tips of the fingers, then blend slightly the eyes in one direction only. When dry, put on the grain with the camels hair pencil on the prominent parts to imitate the small hearts of the wood. The same graining colors to be ground in here for distemper.
=Walnut in Oil.=--The ground is formed with ochre, Indian red, umber, and white. The graining coat is similar to that described under the oak heading, and is prepared with vandyke brown; and for the darker shades, fine ivory-black; the wiping out and blending to resemble that in mahogany; the fine dark veins of ivory-black to be lightly and wavily drawn over the work after it is blended. It is then ready for the varnish.
=Satin-wood in Distemper.=--This ground is prepared with white lead, stone ochre and small quantities of chrome yellow and burnt sienna. The graining color is one-third of raw sienna and whiting, ground in pale ale, very thin; then spread the color over the surface to be grained. While wet soften, and have ready a wet roller or mottling brush, in order to take out the lights; blend the whole with the badger hair brush, and with the same color put on the top grain. Varnish.
=To Imitate Granite in Oil.=--For the ground color, stain your white lead to a light lead color, with lamp-black and a little rose-pink. Throw on black spots with a coarse brush or graniting machine. A pale red also, and fill up with white before the ground is dry.
=Another for the Same.=--A black ground; when half dry throw in vermilion, a deep yellow, and white spots.
=Marble.=--For _White Marble_, get up a pure white ground, then hold a lighted tallow candle near the surface, and allow the smoke to form the shades and various tints desired. This will make a very handsome imitation. _Black Marble._--Imitation is made by streaking a black surface with colors, using a feather and pencil. Another plan is to get up a smooth black surface; then take the colors, green, yellow, red, white, etc., ground thick in gold size, and streak the surface with a stick or hair pencil. Allow it to dry, and apply a heavy coat of lamp-black and yellow ochre mixed, mixed rough stuff. When all is hard, rub down to a level surface with lump pumice-stone, varnish and a beautiful variegated marble will be the result.
=Red Marble.=--For the ground put on a white tinged with lake or vermilion; then apply deep red patches, filling up the intermediate spaces with brown and white mixed in oil; then blend them together; if in quick drying colors, use about half turpentine and gold size. When dry, varnish, and while the varnish is wet, put in a multitude of fine white threads, crossing the whole work in all directions, as the wet varnish brings the pencil to a fine point.
=Jasper Marble.=--Put on a white ground lightly tinged with blue; then put on patches of rich reds or rose-pink, leaving spaces of the white ground; then partly cover these spaces with various browns to form fossils, in places running veins; then put in a few spots of white in the centre of some of the red patches, and leaving, in places, masses nearly white. When dry use the clearest varnish.
=Blue and Gold Marble.=--For the ground color put on a light blue; then take blue, with a small piece of white lead and some dark common blue, and dab on the ground in patches, leaving portions of the ground to shine between; then blend the edges together with a duster or a softener; afterwards draw on some white veins in every direction, leaving large open spaces to be filled up with a pale yellow or gold paint; finish with some fine white running threads, and a coat of varnish at last.
=Black and Gold Marble.=--This description of marble is very chaste, and is in great demand. The ground is a deep black, or a dead color, in gold size, drop black and turpentine; second coat, black japan. Commence veining; mix white and yellow ochre with a small quantity of vermilion to give a gold tinge; dip the pencil in this color, and dab on the ground with great freedom some large patches, from which small threads must be drawn in several directions.
In the deepest part of the black a white vein is sometimes seen running with a number of small veins attached to it, but care must be taken that these threads are connected with and run, in some degree, in the same direction with the thicker veins. If durability is not an object, and the work required in a short time, it may be executed very quickly in distemper colors, and when varnished, it will look well.
=Compound Colors.=--The following tints can be formed by mixing the colors as below. The shades can be made to suit any taste by the exercise of a little judgment in proportioning the colors:
_Cream._--White lead, yellow and red.
_Drab._--White, Prussian blue and vermilion.
_Fawn._--White, stone ochre and vermilion.
_Flesh._--Lake, white lead, and a little vermilion.
_Grey_, Pearl--White lead, Prussian blue, and a very little black.
_Grey_, Flaxseed.--White lead, Prussian blue, and a little lake.
_Gold._--Massicot, or Naples yellow, with a small quantity of Realgar and Spanish white.
_Green_, Light willow.--White, mixed with verdigris.
_Green_, Grass.--Yellow pink with verdigris.
_Green_, Pea.--White lead and chrome or Paris green.
_Green_, Dark.--Black and chrome green.
_Green_, Olive.--Prussian blue and French yellow; mix to the tints required. This is a cheap and handsome color for outside work, such as doors, carts, wagons, railway cars, etc.
_Jonquil._--Yellow, pink and white lead. This color is only for distemper.
_Lead._--Prussian blue and white, with a light shade of white.
_Olive._--For distemper, use indigo and yellow pink mixed with whiting or white lead powder.
_Olive._--Red, green, or black and yellow.
_Pearl._--White lead, Prussian blue and red.
_Purple._--Dark red mixed with violet.
_Purple._--White, Prussian blue and vermilion.
_Red_, Dark.--English Venetian, red lead and litharge.
_Red_, Light.--Venetian red, and red lead in equal parts.
_Red_, Deep.--Vermilion, with a very small quantity of red lead.
_Stone._--White, with a little spruce ochre.
_Straw._--White lead and yellow.
_Snuff._--Yellow, sienna and red.
_Slate._--White lead, black, red and blue.
_Steel._--Ceruse, Prussian blue, fine lac and vermilion.
_Salmon._--White lead, yellow and red.