FANCY WOODS USED

Many of the pretty woods made into book racks and boxes are colored by artificial means. The Killarney woods are very pretty for these souvenirs, and are of three different hues. Raw sienna, laid on applewood in thin washes, will give the color of the lightest Killarney wood. R^w sienna for the first wash, burnt sienna for the second and successive washes, will supply the hue of the second Killarney wood. Vandyke brown and India ink mixed together and laid on as a first wash ; the black of the India ink settles in the grain of the wood and adds to the richness of the whole effect ; only when this wash of color is perfectly dry, lay on successive but thin washes of burnt sienna ; this will give the effect of the darkest Killarney wood. On this are painted various designs, as castle scenes, landscapes, and the flowers that are native to Ireland.

For painting in oil on white holly wood, purchase a few feet of holly

294 PAINTING.

wood one-eighth of an inch in thickness ; also five tubes of oil paints as follows : Vandyke brown, flake white, chrome yellow, crimson lake, per- manent blue ; also one fine oil paint brush. Saw out of the holly wood a frame about an inch and a half wide all around, sawing out an open- ing large enough for a photograph, and round all the corners. Sand- paper the wood thoroughly after the frame is finished. Now commence to trace a vine around the frame, then trace leaves and flowers, using a sharp-pointed pencil for tracing. Perhaps you have a pattern of a vine in one of your magazines, if so you can trace it off on white tissue paper and transfer to the wood by using tracing paper. Mix a little chrome yellow and Prussian blue together, and, after adding a very little tur- pentine, proceed to paint all the leaves. Mix a little brown with green, making an olive green, and with it shade the leaves after cleansing the brush thoroughly with turpentine ; trace the leaves with light lines of brown, also the branches of the vine. After the leaves are finished mix a little permanent blue and flake white and paint the flowers and buds. Use a little flake white to shade the flowers after they are painted blue. Vine the whole vine with Vandyke brown. Should you prefer, use crimson lake instead of blue for flowers ; always be sure and wash the brush well in turpentine before using for another color.

A number of fancy articles can be made from white holly wood and painted. Small clusters of flowers and landscapes can be painted on panels. One of the designs which always please is a trunk of a tree and branches ; on one of the branches is a mother owl with her wings spread over four baby owls, two on each side ; in her mouth is a field mouse, and underneath is painted, " Supper is ready." This, painted with Vandyke brown and flake white, is veiy artistic.