parts must combine to produce that beautiful harmony we so much admire in nature; for he who depends upon his mechanical skill in the representation of individual objects, and relies too much upon what he imagines to be the nice finishing of parts, without considering them chiefly as a means to enable him to produce a whole, will never be able to complete such a picture as the eye of taste of taste can contemplate with satisfaction. Having felt that these few preliminary hints were necessary to induce the pupil to reflect before he entered upon so difficult a task as that of making a picture, I will resume the subject of colouring, and suppose that the student has chosen, for his first essay, the warm effect of a fine afternoon sky, and that he feels he retains the strong impression that nature has often made upon his mind when contemplating so calm and beautiful an appearance. Should he be so fortunate as to reside where he can refer to nature occasionally as he proceeds, he will then have the true

source of improvement before him. The warm colours for the sky will be Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Light Red, and Pink Madder.

The three

first will be greatly improved if they are rubbed in little saucers, and then diluted with water and allowed to remain in that liquid state undisturbed, when the upper part will shortly become very transparent and well suited to produce the mellow glow of the afternoon. But before the pupil dips his brush into them, he should reverse his drawing (which I hope will be upon an easel) to very near a perpendicular position, and then, with a clean flat brush, wet the part intended for the sky all over, and when it is in a damp state, the Yellow Ochre, taken with the same brush from the upper part, should be washed from below the horizon, and lightened gradually over that part where the blue will appear.

I am, &c.

MY DEAR SIR;

THE wash of yellow, described at the conclusion of my last Letter, should be repeated until the desired warmth is produced, for if put on too strong at the first it will appear dull and heavy when dry. As for the exact degree of warmth, no directions can be given, as it must depend upon the taste and feeling of the artist and the situation of the sun, as the glow will gradually increase as he approaches the horizon. When the yellow is dry (as each colour ought to be before the next is applied), a thin wash of Burnt Sienna may be carried over the whole of the sky, and afterwards a tint of Pink Madder from the upper part to the horizon, and as far below it as the yellow extends. Before the blue is applied

the paper must be wetted with the flat brush as at first, and when it is in a damp state, Cobalt with the addition of a little Pink Madder will make the tint. The drawing when dry must be returned to its right position and nearly horizontal, when the blue should be washed from the upper part of the sky, and lightened gradually as it approaches the horizon. Care must be taken not to make the tone of the warm part too red, but rather of the yellow or golden hue, which is by far the most agreeable; and to give it a more brilliant appearance, a wash of Indian Yellow may be finally passed over it. In this method the light clouds are not left or formed by the blue, but are produced after it is dry by various means. One method is to trace the forms of the light clouds with a brush and plain water, and then to press them gently for a moment with a soft linen rag to take up the superfluous water; and, having a piece of stale bread at hand, rub off the blue with it immediately, or it will become too dry to be

removed. If this should happen, the same course must be persevered in till the clouds appear sufficiently distinct. The clouds may also be rubbed off, when damp, with the rag only, or with India-rubber. The paper will, however, appear rough and the forms confused unless this is done with dexterity, which consists in rubbing gently at first, and increasing the force gradually until the paper becomes perfectly white, and the forms clearly defined. When it is desirable to have a blue or gray sky, with only a few light clouds, they may be painted, before the blue is put on, with pipe-clay dissolved in water; and, when dry, if the blue is carefully washed and carried partly over the pipe-clay, it will not disturb it, and it can afterwards be entirely removed with the crumb of stale bread. In my own practice, I either form the clouds with the blue, or wash them out after it is dry with a brush, which

I will describe in my next Letter.

I am, &c.