Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/343

Rh fast. This will furnish a horizontal line, parallel, of course, to the top and bottom of the frame. Now give a downward pull to the middle part of the canvas at the bottom of the frame till the seam before spoken of is level with the chalk line at the center and fasten it to the frame with a clout nail. In the same way pull and fasten the canvas at each side of the above point, at intervals of four inches, till the corners are reached, when the line in which the seam is ought to coincide with that shown by the chalk line. In doing this be careful not to pull the canvas sideways, but quite perpendicularly and so that no wrinkles should form. Strain out and nail down the sides, pulling them in a horizontal direction and not harder than is necessary to make the canvas lie tolerably flat. The work being thus far satisfactorily accomplished, remove the chalk line and commence sizing as follows: Heat some of the strong size before described, and with a two-knot brush apply it to the canvas, commencing at the top of the frame and working crosswise from one side to the other to the depth of about two feet. Keep the canvas tolerably well soaked with the size, and let no part remain uncovered, except about six inches above where the bottom row of nails are driven, so that the marks caused by the latter may be afterwards got rid of. Continue thus till the whole surface of the canvas is covered up to about six inches from the bottom nails.

When all the size that has been applied to the canvas is perfectly dry, proceed with the priming. The priming is made in the following manner: Take as much of the whiting that has been soaked in water as will suffice to cover the whole surface of the canvas, taking care that it is thoroughly dissolved and free from lumps. Drain the water well from it and mix it with strong size only. The priming should now be of such a consistency that when a brush full of it is drawn against the side of the pot or pail which contains it, it will run down and as much remain on the side as will leave no part uncovered. The priming should also