The first coat is composed of white lead mixed with linseed oil and a small quantity of litharge, the paint being rather thinner than would be used for general purposes, in order that it may soak well into the absorbent surface of the plaster. The next coat should also be thin so that the plaster may be thoroughly saturated. This will be only partially absorbed, and it will be necessary to make the third coat much thicker, mixing with it turpentine, and some of the coloring matter approaching the future tint of the room. The fourth coat should be thicker still and should be mixed with equal parts of oil and turpentine, together with the dry ingredient, sugar of lead, instead of litharge. The color should be much darker than that which is to constitute the finishing coat. All these coats must be laid on with the greatest attention as to smoothing, and they should each be thoroughly dry before the succeeding coat is applied, and should be well rubbed down with glass paper. The last coat which is to precede the flatting, however, should not be quite hardened before the finishing is applied for reasons previously explained.

The process of flatting has already been described.