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NEEDLES AND BRUSHES

stroke to the kind of foliage to be delineated. There is great room for study of color in foliage and specific directions are of course impossible. Generally grass green may be used for the dominant color, modified with mixed yellow for the high lights and with brown green for the shadows, and if these are dark, adding a little deep blue. Reflections of trees in water can be painted with black green mixed with grass green. Any light browns may be used for the earth, modifying them as necessary with black. Very pretty landscapes may be done in monochrome. Brown or black are the best for these. They have the appearance of sepia or India-ink drawings, and afford the opportunity for very good study in light or shade, and also give room for real artistic work. Some of Landseer's heads of animals afford excellent study for these monochrome plaques. One advantage black and white has over color is that color often draws one's attention away from the drawing. Having to depend entirely on the execution of your picture for effect, you obtain a far greater power over your brush in using black only than you are likely to obtain if you can cover up defects effectively by combinations of color.

No one should attempt painting heads unless they can draw accurately. Bad drawing is never so perceptible as in figures. Having your design very accurately sketched, the first step in painting a head is to put in the back ground with a mixture of one third ivory black and two thirds sky blue. Have the tint dark near the head, gradually diminishing it in intensity until it is lost in the white of the china. The local tint of the face is made of one third flesh red No. II. and two thirds ivory yellow. This tint can be blended with a small dabber. Then put in the hair; if dark, use dark brown and shade with black mixed with the brown; if light, use yellow brown or sepia, modified with black. If very light, use yellow ivory for the first wash, and shade with sepia and