Ackermann's, 96, Strand, or 191, Regent Street, and at Newman's, Soho Square, prepared in the best way, either in cakes, or in tin boxes of various sizes, who also supply paper and every thing that may be required for drawing. I am, &c. D MY DEAR SIR; UPON the supposition that the pupil has obtained, agreeably to the instructions contained in my last Letter, the necessary materials for commencing a coloured drawing, I will in this endeavour to convey to him such information as will, I trust, make the application of them easy, compared with the difficulties he would otherwise have to encounter. In the first place his paper must be well strained, and if two sheets are pasted and joined together they will afford a greater probability of success in the difficult process of painting a sky, for then they will remain perfectly flat when wetted, which will upon some occasions be necessary; whereas a single sheet in this state will rise in waves, and not only impede his progress, but will also increase the difficulty so much as to make it almost impossible for a beginner to succeed. The manner of straining a single paper has been already described in Letter IV; it therefore only remains for me to point out the method of pasting two sheets together, in order that the practitioner may not be at a loss for any thing he may require to enable him to proceed with facility, and which he can accomplish, with but little trouble, by wetting with a sponge the side of each paper to be pasted until it becomes tolerably flat, and then the paste, which ought to be rather thin, well boiled, and recently made, should be passed with a hog's hair brush evenly over the damp side of each, and the sides thus pasted, fitted correctly together, and then pressed from the centre to the extremities, either with a soft linen cloth or silk handkerchief, by which means all the air contained between them will be driven out*. This should be re * It will be necessary to avoid the wrong surface, which is usually distinguished by holding it in an horizontal position against the light, when any defects will be apparent. peated first on one side, and then on the other, turning the paper occasionally until all the bubbles disappear and they become as one sheet, when it will be necessary to fasten it immediately to the board with glue as already directed. When the paper is perfectly dry, the pupil may proceed by making a clear but delicate outline of his subject with a pencil, and afterwards repeat it with a light gray tint by means of a small brush. Cobalt, mixed with a little Indian Red, will make the tint for the extreme distance, which must be but faintly marked, and if on one side of the pencil lines these will afterwards be more easily effaced, otherwise the gum in the colours will be apt to fix the pencil lines. Light Red, or Brown Madder, may be substituted for the Indian Red in the nearer parts. I am, &c. LETTER VIII. MY DEAR SIR; THE intention of the second outline marked with gray, is that the first pencil outline may be rubbed out, otherwise it will mix with the colours and destroy their purity. The gray outline, however, being but faintly marked will disappear as the drawing proceeds, or it may be softened or washed out, if necessary, with a brush. The subject being now prepared to receive the colour, the sky will be the first part to consider, as the general tone of the picture ought to be regulated by it. But here I must pause to observe, that it will be a complete waste of time for the artist to begin before he has formed some scheme, of which he has a clear perception, for the general treatment of his subject, and with which all the |