The art of graining

Preface

The "Art of Graining" was compiled in 1890 and then published in Messrs. Cassell & Co.'s English technical magazine, Work. The manyevidences of its usefulness to British apprentices and painters which the author received at that time prompted its revision and re-issue in T/ie JVesfern Painter and subsequently in the present cheap volume form.

In the supplementary chapters various practical issues and processes are discussed, which have special bearing upon modern imitative work and decorative ideas. The illustrations, being limited to effects in black and white, were prepared for and are to be considered only as, aids to the descriptive matter. The supplement of actual painted grounds for graining may be taken as evidence of the useful character of the work and of the practical knowledge and experience of the compiler.

The author's obligations are hereby expressed to Messrs. Cassell & Co.

(lyimited), lyondon, for reserving to him the copyright in volume form, and

also to Harrison Bros. & Co., of Philadelphia, for contributing the valuable

painted supplement.

FREDERICK PARSONS.

Boston, Mass., Nov. 30, 1S95.

Table Of Contents

A Dininff Room Corner Frontispiece

List of Illustrations VII

Chapter I

Introductory— Graining in the Past— Its Popularity and Decline— Mr. Ruskin's Crusade Against Painted Imitations— His Eminent Opponents and Upholders of Graining — A Common -Sense View— Some Notable London Imitations— The Nature and Quality of Good Graining Grounds — of Graining Color — Preparation of Painted Woodwork — The Value of Samples of Woods to the Student— Scope of this Work 1- 7

Chapter II

Graining Quartered Oak in Oil Color — Grainers' Tools and Brushes (Illustrated)— Mixing Graining Color — Megilphing Oil Graining Color — To Grain Light, or Wainscot, Oak — The Selection of Figure — How to Use the Combs — Wiping out the Lights or "Champs" (Illustrated) — Softening the Figure 8- 14

Chapter III

Graining, Overgraining and Shading Oak Imitations — Patience and Practice — How to Grain a Four-Panel Door — "Rubbing In" — The Treatment of Panels, Stiles and Moldings — Varieties of Plain Combing — Sap or "Heart" of Oak, Its Use and Abuse— How to Wipe It (Illustrated) — Some Methods of Combing— The Purpose of Overgraining and Shading — The Tools Required — The Pigments— How to Overgrain in Water Color — Shading or Glazing Oak in Oil Color 15- 23

Chapter IV

The Durability of External Grained Work — Varieties of Color in Oak — The Relation of Color to Pigment — Grainers' Pigments and their Respective Qualities — The "Siennas"— Chrome — The Ochres— Umber- Vandyke Brown— Blues and Blacks — To Bind Distemper Graining Color— Grounds for Varieties of Oak, Light, Medium, Dark and Antique Oak (see painted supplement) 24- 28

Chapter V

The Drying of Graining Paints— Oak in Spirit Color— Its Advantages- Nature and Preparation— How to Use on a Door— The Veining Fitch —How Manipulated— Graining Oak in Distemper, or Water Color 29- 33

Chapter VI

"Water Graining"— Its Qualities and Application— Pollard Oak— Meaning of the Term— Tools Required— The Ground Color— First and Second Styles of its Execution (Illustrated)— The Final Glazing— Another Method of Imitation— Graining Pollard Oak in Oil— Root of Oak- Knotted Oak— How Imitated and Used (Illustrated) 34-40

THE ART OF GRAINING.

Chapter VII

Grained Furniture— Its Popularity for Cheap English Chamber Suites— The Preparation and Graining — Imitations Suitable for Furniture — Cheap Preparatory Methods — Finishing Furniture 41- 45

Chapter VIII

Varieties of Maple — Bird's-Eye Maple— Tools for its Imitation— Clean Working— Ground and Graining Colors— Using the Mottler and Badger— Making the "Eyes" and Overgrain— Graining Maple in Oil- Graining Pitch Pine in Distemper (Illustrated) — Pine Grained in Oil.. 46- 52

Chapter IX

Mahogany— Grounds for its Varieties— Baywood, or Inferior Mahogany- How Imitated in Water— Feathered, or Spanish Mahogany — Mottling and Cutting the "Feather" in Water Color— Overgraining and Overglazing — Satinwood — How Imitated 53- 57

Chapter X

Italian Walnut Wood — Its Original Source — Special Characteristics and Markings — Ground Colors— Graining Walnut in Water, or Distemper — The Graining Color — First and Second Stages of the Work (Illustrated) — How to Ti-eat a Walnut-Grained Door 58- 63

Chapter XI

Imitations by Plain Staining — Preparing the Wood — Mixing Oil Stains — To Make Oil Stains for Light, Medium, Dark and Antique Oak— Walnut Stain — Red Pine — Mahogany — Cheap Water Stains — Graining on Unpainted Woods — Wax Varnishing — Dull Polishing 64- 68

Chapter XII

Black, or Amer-ican, Walnut — Grained in Water— The Technical Value of the Badger— Rosewood — The Ground and Graining Colors — How Imitated in Water — Teak — Its Nature and Appearance — How Grained — Birch — Grained in Distemper — Silver Wood Imitation— Tulip Wood Amboyna, New Zealand Oak, or Yew — Purple Wood — Ebony Effects. . 69- 74

Chapter XIII

Inlaid Imitations — Their Origin — Suitable Designs for Inlaying (Illustrated) — Good Ornament and Color Contrast — Grounds for Inlays — Inlaid Floor Margins — Inlays for Dado Panels — For Door Panels — Executing Grained Inlays 75- 80

Chapter XIV

Marquetry Imitations — The "Stopping Out" Process — "Stopping" Varnishes — Color Harmonies of Woods — Complementary Colors Applied to Woods — Dye Inlays — How Manipulated — Imitating Ivory Inlays 81- 86

THE ART OF GRAINING.

Chapter XV

Graining Applied to Modern Decoration— "Lincrusta, " its Nature and Origin — "Anaglypta," its Special Features and Value— "Cordelova"—"Lignomur"— Woody Effects in Lincrusta— What "not to do"— How to Decorate Anaglypta in Wood, Metal and Leather Effects (with many Illustrations) — Tile and Majolica Finish to Lignomur and Cordelova— How to Use Metal and Bronzes 87-102

CHAPTER XV [.

Polishing and Varnishing Imitations of Woods— Varnishes — Expressed Oil Varnishes— Volatile Oil Varnishes— Spirit Varnishes— Their Various Practical Qualities and Commercial Values — Hardwood Finish — Fillers and "Hard Oil" Finish— Oil Polishing— Wax Polishing for Floors and Furniture— Shellac Varnishing — Varnish for Exterior and Exposed Work— Grained Work Should Be Varnished— Patent Fillers 103-109

Chapter XVII

Patent and Mechanical Aids and Tools for Imitating Woods — The Scope for Inventive Faculty — The Natural Imitator — Expert and "Commei'cial" Grainers — A Noted English Novelist on Graining — Graine)'s' Apprentices — Patent Rollers — Patent Graining Papers — Graining with Stencil Plates — Oak Overgraining Rollers — How Manipulated — Graining Crayons — Handicraft Appliances 110-117

Chapter XVIII

Art and Handicraft — Graining in the Light of Modern Progress — John Ruskin and his House-Painter Critics — John Ruskin's Influence on Graining and Decorative Art— The Recent Abuse by Biased Grainers and House Painters — A Definite Conception of True Art — Not Mere Handicraft — Imitation not Art — A Power of Poetic and Intellectual Expression — Ruskin a Great Art Prophet — Individuality or Style in Graining— Graining Justified by Utility— Some Flagrant Misapplications — Graining the Most Perfect Kind of Imitative Painting — Greater Modern Structural Shams— The Want of the Times in Art— 118-123

Chapter XIX

Artistic Coloring— Its Value in Graining— The Modern Grainer's Difficulties —Hard Woods and Harmonious Color Combinations for Light, Medium and Antique Oak— Maple and Satinwood— Black Walnut— Cherry- Mahogany— Whitewood— Ebony and Rosewood— Principles Worth Remembering— Modern Dining-Room Corner (see frontispiece)— A Practical Example of the Foregoing— Concise Notes and Recipes 124-129

THE ART OF GRAINING. vii CHAPTER XX.

PRACTICAL RECIPES FOR THE WORKMAN.

Interior Oil Gilding Size for Yellow Metals 127

To Gild Larg-e Surfaces in White Metals 127

Spirit Lacquers for Gold Colors 127

Painters' Lacquers and Glazes for Metals 128

Painted Majolica Imitations for Tiling- 128

Imitations of Old European Leathers 128

Effects in Imitation of Carved Wood 128

A Reliable Crystal Varnish for Metal 129

An Enamel Oil for Mixing with Varnish 129

A Reliable and Cheap "Japan" for Grainers 129

Bronzing Interior Metal Work 129

"Dead," or "Art," Black for Wrought Iron 129

Index To Illustrations

A Modern Application of Decorative Wood Imitations Frontispiece

Tools Used in Graining 2

Wiping Out the Figure in Quartered Oak 16

Figure in Quartered Oak when Overgrained 16

Wiping Out and Overgraining Sap 18

Pollard Oak, First Stage 35

Pollard Oak, Second Stage 35

Pollard Oak, Final Stage 37

Knotted Oak in Oil 37

Bird's- Eye Maple, First Stage .' 47

Bird's-Eye Maple After Overgraining 47

Pitch Pine, First Stage 49

Pitch Pine After Overgraining 49

Italian Walnut, First Stage 59

Italian Walnut, Mottle and Uudergraiu 59

Italian Walnut, Final Stage 61

Italian Walnut, with Top Grain, Unglazed 61

Imitations of Inlaid Woods 76

Painted Imitations of Marquetry 83

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Dadoes 88

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Dadoes 89

Lignomur Decorations 91

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Ceilings 92

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Ceilings 93

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Ceilings 95

Lincrusta Imitations of Graining Effects 96

Lincrusta Imitations of Metal Effects 98

Lincrusta Wall Paneling for Oak Effects 99

Lincrusta Dado for Oak Effects 101

Mechanical Aids to Graining 112

Callow's Patent Graining Plates in Use 114

THE ART OF GRAINING.