Page:The Art of Modeling Flowers in Wax.djvu/17

 Having selected the necessary materials, procure a natural flower of simple formation; take the pattern on paper. This is done by separating the petals and taking one of each size, placing them upon paper, and passing a brush with any dark color over the natural petals lying on the white paper. It will, by this means, trace the exact size of the petal white, then cut the colored part off, which will leave the pattern. Count the number of the different sizes, and write it on the pattern; then observe if the texture of the natural flower be thick or thin; it the former use thick wax, if the latter the thin wax. Place the pattern on the wax and cut round the edge of the pattern, turning the wax toward the scissors, by this means smoothing the edge. To prevent the wax sticking to the scissors, press them on a wet sponge, or damp them with a little water. The sponge is the better, as the water has a tendency to run from the scissors to the wax, unless great care be taken.

After you have cut the requisite number of petals, observe if the stem of the flower is thick or thin, stiff, or supple; use the thick wire for the former, and if thin take the fine wire.

There is a medium sized wire used for such flowers