Preparing to paint

The canvas is placed upon the easel in a good light, and the object to be painted being conveniently arranged, the outline and general proportions are sketched in upon the canvas with a stick of charcoal sharpened to a point. If mistakes are made, they are corrected by rubbing off the charcoal with a clean rag or a bristle brush.

When this drawing is sufficiently correct, if it is any thing very important, such as a likeness, it is better to "fix" the charcoal on the canvas before proceeding further. This is done by using fixative, and spraying it through an atomizer. Any ordinary fixative will do for this, as it is merely to keep the charcoal from rubbing off before it is painted over.  The little glass atomizers can be ordered from any dealer in colors, costing about 25 cents each.

Another way to secure the charcoal is to run through all the charcoal lines with a lead pencil ; this, however, takes much longer, and is not so satisfactory as to use the fixative. After the charcoal has been fixed, dust or blow off any superfluous particles. Now put out upon the palette, which has not yet been arranged for painting, some burnt sienna and ivory-black. A little turpentine is poured into one of the oil cups and fastened to the right-hand corner of the palette on the outside edge. The burnt sienna and ivory-black are mixed together till a tone of rich reddish brown is obtained ; a little turpentine is taken out of the cup with a brush and mixed with the color.

With a small flat-pointed sable-brush follow carefully the outlines of the charcoal sketch; then outline also the form of the shadows where they meet the lights, dividing them into simple masses, and with a flat bristle brush rub in a tone made of burnt sienna and ivory-black, diluted with turpentine so as to be very light and thin, entirely filling in the shadows with a flat, even tone. Do not attempt to put in any details, reflected lights, or half tints, but merely block in the whole in the manner described, leaving a strong simple effect of light and shade. All paintings, no matter what the subject, should be begun in this way. When the drawing is thus secured, and the shadows indicated, one is left free to give the whole attention to the color. If in using the burnt sienna and ivory-black any mistakes are made, the paint may be entirely taken off by clipping a rag into a little pure turpentine and rubbing it over the place.