Tones

Often called shades, signify colors mixed with either white or black.

Tints are colors mixed with white.

Shades are colors mixed with black.

Tempera is a mixture of powdered colors with gum-water.

Distemper is a mixture of powdered colors with size.

Color Harmony In Grained Work

it is unquestionably essential that every painter should know what plain colors and tints may be used in harmonious contrasts or combinations with the various painted imitations of fancy woods. Green is entirely unobjectionable; indeed, it forms a pleasing contrast with light oak, satinwood, bird's-eye maple, chestnut and ash-but discords with mahogany, black walnut and rosewood. Blue is entirely harmonious with all these latter. Black harmonizes with all the woods, as does white; but white with the lighter colored ones is feeble and wanting. All the woods harmonize with each other except black walnut with mahogany and rosewood. Gold is good with all, but the contrast with the light colored ones is not so brilliant as with the dark-toned woods. The bright colors in these deaden the usually dull tones of the black walnut and detract from it thereby; whereas the contrast with the latter-named wood, with the light colored ones, improves and brightens all the contrasting tints and shades. Light and dark oak are best shown by themselves in contrast with each other, being too coarse in the grain to exhibit with good effect in combination with maple and satin-wood. In color harmony, generally, white and black harmonize with all colors but green.

Gold is good with every color, shade and tint, but especially rieh with green, black, purple, carmine and blue.

Chinese White

The following is recommended as the best way to prepare Chinese white:-Dissolve as much Roman alum in as small a quantity of hot water as is barely sufficient, and then mix it with two ounces and a half of honey. Set this mixture to evaporate to dryness in an earthen vessel, over a gentle fire. It will then appear like a spongy sort of coal, which being removed from the fire, must be pounded, and the powder placed in shallow crucibles or cupels, so that it may lie very thinly on them. Expose these to a strong red heat for an hour; after this, the powder must be pounded again, and being replaced in the cupels it must be exposed anew to a strong heat, and to a free current of air for an hour longer. Being then removed from the fire, it is reduced upon a porphyry slab to an exceedingly fine powder of an intense whiteness. It may be mixed with gum-water, in the same manner as other paints are usually treated, and it is not apt, like white lead, to turn to a dusty hue.

Mixing White Lead

To mix the white lead it should be placed in a can or pot, and an admixture of oil and turpentine being at hand, a small quantity should be poured over the white lead, and the whole stirred about with a stiff palette-knife or a stopping-knife, till the dilutent has become thoroughly incorporated with the white lead.

The mixture may now be stained to the required tint. For this purpose the staining color should be ground in oil, and added cautiously to the diluted white lead, some colors staining much more powerfully than others. The staining color should never be added in a powdered or dry state.

Varnish Green, For Venetian Blinds, Etc

The work must first be painted once or twice with a light lead color; when hard, grind some dry white lead in spirits of turpentine; afterwards take about one-third in bulk in verdigris, or navy green, which has been ground stiff in oil; then mix them both together, and add a little common oak varnish, sufficient only to bind the color. When this has been applied it will become hard in about fifteen minutes. Add more varnish to give a good gloss. Then go over the work a second time, and, if required, a third time. Thus you will have a beautiful green with a high polish. It possesses a very drying quality, enabling the work to be completed in a few hours. The tint may be varied according to taste, by substituting different greens; and if a bright grass-green is required, add a little Dutch pink to the mixture. This color is best used warm, as it gives the varnish a uniform appearance.