The theory and practice of painting in oil and water colours, for landscape and portraits : including ... a manual of lithography

Front matter

THE THEORY AND PRACTICE

PAINTING

OIL AND WATER COLOURS,

Preface

The chief effect of improvement in arts and sciences is seen in their simplification, and consequently greater diffusion, giving increased advantages to subsequent writers, who may condense more than their predecessors, and at the same time be equally well, or better understood. The business, therefore, of an Author, is to endeavour to keep pace with the philosophical attainments of the age, which continually require increased precision, a shorter method of reasoning, and logical deductions as conclusive as those which are purely geometrical. Such deductions, however, cannot be hoped for, or even attempted, in a work on Painting, as there is no written language in which pictorial ideas can be definitely expressed. Perhaps the Author, influenced by this diflEiculty, may be thought too brief in those places which relate to the philosophy of the art; but if, where

Vi PUEFACE.

he may not have succeeded in conveying definite ideas, he may have supplied matter worthy of thought, he trusts that his work will be of some benefit to the Amateur, the Artist, and the general reader.

An extensive Theory of Painting was not intended by the Author in the present work, but rather one, which, being divided into short and comprehensive essays, or sections, might be easily remembered by the student. These and the chapters devoted to the practical parts were originally constructed for the benefit of his own pupils, in order to save their time as well as his own labour in tuition, and he has found it answer his most sanguine expectations ; and also, if he may venture to judge by the demand for a Fifth Edition, he would hope that it has rendered equal services to others.

The Author has endeavoured to place some things in a new point of view ; and although he has borrowed freely, he believes that much original matter will be found useful towards directing the student to a right method of estimating the difficulties of this art, and for assisting to remove most, if not all, by showing that the mind must perform what too many think is to be accomplished by the hand.

In the practical part, a copious set of tints has been

PREFACE.

vii arranged as an index, in order to save as much as possible the time usually devoted to the elementary department of colouring: to these the student can refer, as he v^ould to a dictionary, for the explanation of a vs^ord. The assistance afforded by a few careful inspections of this Index will make the student acquainted with a greater number of mixed colours than he would probably acquire in a practice of many months; but the Author does not attempt the difficult task of entirely superseding the necessity of a teacher, in the practical part, believing it impossible to lay down in writing a code of rules sufficient to supply the place of oral communications, or to explain the manner of doing some things, that depend on a facility of hand acquired by long practice, and which must be seen to be understood.

A Manual of Lithography is added, with the usual mode of printing the stones, &c., perhaps a httle more minutely than might seem required in a country like England, where the great division of labour renders every one so complete in his own department, that it is infinitely better to purchase the materials ready prepared, than to attempt to make them; but in India this is not the case, and it has been the Author's wish in thus detailing all the operations, that his pupils,

Vlll . PREFACE.

whilst there engaged in the duties of their honourable and arduous profession, may be able to establish a press whenever it may be necessary, and wherever a stone of moderate qualities can be found, as superior quality is not required for the common and more generally useful purposes of lithography.

Contents

PACK

Explanation op Terms used in Painting .... 1

Intboductoky and General Remarks 6