Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/344

336 flow freely from the brush, but yet have enough body in it to impart, when dry, a nice even white surface to the canvas.

In laying in the priming, the flat of the brush, not the edge, should first be moved up and down the canvas with as long a stretch as possible, then horizontally, and afterwards perpendicularly again. Repeat these actions till the canvas is well covered, finishing off horizontally. Begin at the top, and the splashes will become smoothened as you proceed downwards with the priming. Be very careful to well cover the canvas, for it is most vexatious to have to touch up those places that have been left bare or not sufficiently covered, and the surface never looks so clear, or is so fit to work on as when all the priming is done whilst wet. The same precaution, also, must be taken in the priming as in the sizing, namely, not to prime nearer than six inches from the bottom row of nails.

As soon as the priming is quite dry, proceed to take in the bight before spoken of which is done in the following manner: Suppose, for example, that the canvas is eight feet deeper than the frame. At the distance of three inches from the top, which must be allowed for the row of nails, measure eight feet downwards on each side of the frame, and there strike a line across with charcoal. Then, with a pair of carpenter's pincers, draw out all the nails except those in the top row. Now let an assistant take hold of the canvas at one end of line just struck, and one or two other assistants, according to the width of the canvas, are holding the parts that are between. Let all then pinch the canvas along the struck line into a straight fold, and afterwards lift that part simultaneously till it is just under the top row of nails, being careful that the canvas which is folding itself at the back is made to lie evenly, and with as few creases as possible. If the lifting has been properly performed, the canvas will not have shifted, either to the right or to the left, and will hang tolerably