color from the natural object. I have found this method very helpful. Don't destroy first attempts; they may serve to keep up your courage in times of apparent failure; date these attempts, that you may note the progress made.
Painting, now-a-days, is used for decorating almost everything. It is so much more effective, for the time spent on it, than embroidery that, in this go-ahead age, it is not strange it should be popular. On silk and satin, decorative painting can be quickly executed by one who has a good eye for color, and command of the brush. The method is much the same as above described, only that some means often have to be taken to prevent the oil from spreading. Some use a mixture for this which can be obtained at the stores where artists' supplies are sold. Others paint over the design with oxgall, and others again find that by taking out their paints on blotting paper and using turpentine as a medium, all danger of this kind is averted. Satin, for painting, should be of a firm, even texture. The gloss on its surface is very trying to the eyes, and for this reason many have had to give up using it. Plush and velvet are also used to paint on. The aim must be to produce effective rather than delicate work. The plush must be firmly fastened on the drawing-board, the pile running downwards. The paint should be taken out on blotting paper, and about ten times as much will be needed as for ordinary painting. Use siccatif de Oourtray as a vehicle instead of megilp or turpentine. Sketch your design in Chinese white, and then press the colors down with a stiff bristle, poonah, or pounce brush, until they fairly take hold. Dog-wood, coreopsis, cactus and other large blossoms are most available for this kind of painting. Care should be taken that the shape of the plush left by the leaves or flowers laid on it is graceful.
