Graining, or the art of imitating colored woods, while at one time very popular, is not so much in vogue at the present day, but yet is of sufficient moment to note carefully.

It is much more difficult than ordinary painting and necessitates the careful study of the grain, knots and coloring of the various woods to be imitated, as well as the careful observation of grained work done by others expert in the art.

The work first will, of necessity, fall far short of satisfactory appearance, but the art can readily be acquired by observing the foregoing, together with constant, painstaking practice.

The pigments used in graining are, white lead, and, in the main, the various earth pigments; umbers, siennas, vandyke brown, Venetian red, yellow ochre, together with drop black, and for mahogany and rose wood graining, vermillion and crimson lake.

The first step is to produce a good ground work which must be in tint or color to match the lightest parts of the wood to be represented. All pigments used should be ground finely in oil and of known purity. This applies particularly to the graining colors proper, where transparency and bright tones are essential to well appearing work. If the colors used are not of this sort, the work will present a muddy unsatisfactory appearance.

The color for the ground work may he mixed with raw linseed oil, three parts, turpentine, one part, with sufficient good liquid dryer to produce a hard surface, more turpentine may be used if desired.

Two coats of the ground color are necessary and each should be carefully sandpapered after it is thoroughly dry.

The paint must not be too heavy in body, lest in drying it form a skin on the surface which, on manipulating the various tools on the graining color, will rub off and thus spoil the work.

When the ground work is dry and properly prepared, the real artistic part of the work begins. The tools needed are an ordinary paint brush, which may be a pound brush, or a flat brush three to four inches in width. Special brushes, called grainers are made for this purpose; this brush is used to rub in the graining color. Next, a set of steel graining combs, twelve combs comprise a set; three, one inch wide; three two inches; three, three inches and three four inches in width. Each comb in a set varies in the size of the teeth from its companions, there being three kinds, having each fine, medium and coarse teeth. A painter's duster is also needed and plenty of soft linen rags used in wiping out the color to produce the lights. For special and particular work a badger hair blender, which is used to soften the glazing coat.

An oak or top grainer is another brush used sometimes to soften and imitate more closely various oaks, and is manipulated on the grained work after the glazing coat is put on. It produces a dimly perceptible grained effect on this coat.

In working on marble graining, the piped maple or top grainer is used as well as a camel's hair cutter.

In mixing the graining color, use largely turpentine with only sufficient linseed oil, (boiled oil and no dryer), or (a little dryer with raw oil) to prevent the color from setting too quickly. Rub in the graining color, which is mixed rather thin and not containing too much pigment, with a rather stiff brush as previously mentioned.

In making dappled work, comb the surface before going further, in the production of veined work, comb after wiping out the lights. The rags are used with the assistance of the thumb nail to wipe out the color to imitate the sap or veined work before mentioned.

Allow the work to stand over night and apply a glaze of water color which must be very thin and transparent. The glaze is made from the same pigments ground in water, as are used in oil on the graining coat, mixed in proper proportions to produce the desired effect. The glazing coat may be dispensed with and the job finished by applying one or two coats of varnish.