dding colour with the brush where the lines are too
fine, and by taking it away with needle or stick where they are too
coarse; make it by these means exactly like the copy, and this is all
you need do. But as an example of the degree of correctness attainable
(and therefore to be demanded) are here inserted two illustrations
(figs. 25 and 26), one of the example used, and the other of a copy made
from it by a young apprentice.

[Illustration: FIG. 25.]

[Illustration: FIG. 26.]

CHAPTER IV

Matting--Badgering--How to preserve Correctness of
Outline--Difficulty of Large Work--Ill-ground Pigment--The
Muller--Overground Pigment--Taking out Lights--"Scrubs"--The Need
of a Master.

Take your camel hair matting-brush (fig. 27 or 28); fill it with the
pigment, try it on the slab of the easel till it seems just so full that
the wash you put on will not run down till you have plenty of time to
brush it flat with the badger (fig. 29).

Have your badger ready at hand and _very clean_, for if there is any
pigment on it from former using, that will spoil the very delicate
operation you are now to perform.

Now rapidly, but with a very light hand, lay an even wash over the whole
piece of glass on which the outline is painted; use vertical strokes,
and try to get the touches to just meet each other without overlapping;
but there is a very important thing to observe in holding the brush. If
you hold it so (fig. 30) you cannot properly regulate the pressure, and
also the pigment runs away downwards, and the brush gets dry at the
point; you must hold it so (fig. 31), then the curve of the hair makes
the brush go lightly over the surface, while also, the body of the brush
being pointed downwards, the point you are using is always being
refilled.

[Illustration: FIG. 27.]

[Illustration: FIG. 28.]

[Illustration: FIG. 29.]

It takes a very skilful workman indeed to put the strokes so evenly side
by side that the result looks flat and not stripy; indeed you can hardly
hope to do so, but you can get rid of what "stripes" there are by taking
your badger and "stabbing" the surface of the painting with it very
rapidly, moving it from side to side so as never to stab twice in the
same spot; this by degrees makes the colour even, by taking a little off
the dark part and putting it on the light; but the result will look
mottled, not flat and smooth. Sometimes this may be agreeable, it
depends on what yo