influenced by the colour of the light thrown upon them. The side of a white building, for instance, if illumined by the sun, will be tinged with yellow, and as that luminary approaches the horizon will appear of a golden hue, and the shadow side (if a deep blue sky should prevail) will tend very much to the bluish gray. The eye is also curiously affected by the primitive colours when viewed singly, for if it is directed for some time to a vivid red, and then returned immediately to any white or light gray object, each will appear of a greenish hue. The following simple experiments will, however, more fully exemplify this. Procure three large white cards and paint a spot, the size of a wafer, in the centre of each of them; the first with the brightest lake or red-lead, the second with pure gamboge or chrome, and the third with Cobalt blue; and if the eye is steadily directed for a considerable time to the first, the paper that surrounds the spot will appear of a greenish tint, the second will produce a blue, tending a little to

the violet, and the third a yellow, inclining to the orange; and it is very remarkable that the tint which surrounds each spot is composed of two colours, which, with the spot itself, complete the three primitive ones. I will now conclude with advising the student to embrace every opportunity of studying the works of some painter, the most eminent for good colouring; and if he can have access to those of Claude, they will be the best (at least of the old masters) at first, as they are not only beautifully clear and chaste, but retain more of their original purity of colour than many others. I have thought it better to advise him to refer to one master only for the present, in order to prevent the confusion that would arise in his mind as to which style he should follow. In a future Letter I will point out the various styles of the different masters.

I am, &c.

MY DEAR SIR;

As I intend in this Letter to point out the best method of using water colours, perhaps it will be well, before I proceed, to give a brief account of the progress that the art of water colour painting has made during the last thirty or forty years. The pupil will then perceive the great advantage he will derive from commencing with all the improvements of the present very advanced state of the art. Drawings during a long previous period were made simply with Indian-ink. After the outline, in some instances, had been carefully marked out with a pen, they were then slightly tinted with a few colours, and these were called washed or stained drawings. Smith, however (called Warwick Smith), who was

patronised by the late Earl of Warwick, and sent by him to Italy to study, and also to make drawings for him, greatly improved upon this meagre style of colouring by first forwarding his subjects with a gray tint composed with blue, red, and yellow, so far as to produce the general effect, having previously subdued the white paper, from the horizon downwards, with a slight wash of the same tint. His drawings thus prepared, he proceeded to colour them with a degree of force that had never been attempted before, in a chaste style, as he possessed an excellent eye, and a strong feeling for the true and sober hues of nature. Turner, at a subsequent period, made some beautiful small drawings for the late Dr. Monro, nearly, I believe, in the same way; but he soon afterwards commenced with pure colours upon the principle of painting, when the great superiority of his drawings, both for richness of colour, depth of tone, and artist-like treatment, soon became apparent. Girtin also, contemporary

with Turner, made some very fine drawings upon Dutch cartridge paper, which were coloured and finished from nature with a powerful feeling for breadth of effect, harmony of colour, and great force; but unfortunately for the arts he died at a premature age. This led the way to the great improvements made in water colour painting of late years, and since the establishment of the Water Colour Society, now in the thirty-first year of its existence, this style, which I trust is still progressively improving, has been, with some exceptions, adopted, and may now very justly lay claim to the title of painting. It is in this mode of applying the colours that I will endeavour to instruct the pupil, after stating the colours necessary for him to procure, which are as follows:-yellow ochre; raw sienna; burnt ditto; light red; Indian red; pink and brown madder; Vandyke brown; brown pink; gamboge in a lump, as it requires no preparation; Indigo and Cobalt blue. These may be had at