WATERCOLOUR (n.)

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8 quotations

Quotation

Painting may be performed either with water colours, or with oyle colours.
First I will speake of water colours, wherein I shall observe two things.
First, the diversitie of colours, and preparations. Secondly, their mixture, and manner of laying them on the ground.
First of the first, the diversitie of colours and their preparation.
Colours are either simple or compounded, meerely tinctures of vegetables, or substances of minerals, or both : the simple colours are such as of themselves, being tempered with the water or oyle, doe give a colour. The compounded are such, whose ingredients do exceed the number of one. Vegetables are rootes, juces, berries, and such like things as grow out of the earth. Minerals are such as are dig’d out of the earth, as earth, and stones, &c. All which follow in order, as well their preparations, as description. First note that every colour to be ground, ought first to be ground with the gall of a neat : then let them dry of themselves in a cold place, afterwards grinde them with gumme water for your use.
Now I am to come to the second thing observable (to wit) the mixture and laying the colours on the grounds, which is thus: your colours prepared for use, ought to be tempered according unto direction, still observing a meane : and to that end, mixe them by little and little, till the colour please you ; first you must lay on the ground colour, and let it dry throughly : then with a small pensill, pricke on the second colour, else it will be apt to run abroad, nor can you worke it so well, to make it seeme lively, as you may by pricking it one, specially in small peeces. 

Conceptual field(s)

MATERIALITE DE L’ŒUVRE → couleurs

Quotation

Of Limning in Water-Colours
The True Order and Names of Colours, the means to prepare them for the Pensill and to clense them from their corrupt mixtures, wherewith they are Sophisticate.
We name them
Seaven (though in truth the first and last White and Black are no Colours ; but Elements.)
Whites,
Ceruse ;
White-Lead.

Reds,
India-Lake.
Read-Lead, or Mene.

Yellows,
Masticoate.
Oker of England.

Greens,
Sap-green.
Pinck.
Bise-green.
Cedar-green
.

Blews,
Indico.
Ultramanue.
Bise-blew.
Smalt


Browns,
Umber,
Spanish-brown
Terra lemnia or
Cullins earth

 
Blacks,                                   Ivory burnt.
Cherry-stones burnt.             Lamp-blacke.
 
{Colours not usefull.} In this account or number of Colours, I name not
Vermilion ; Verdigreece ; Veraiters blew and green ; and severall other Colours, frequent with Painter-stainers, but in our work unnecessary, useless, & dangerous ; both for their Minerall qualyties, coorse and gross bodies, not to be mixt with our Colours, of a more fine subtile, and transparent Quality.
We do not admit of divers others ; as
Saffrons, Litmus, Russet, Brasill, Log-woods ; nor of Colours, extracted from Flowers, juice of Herbs or Roots ; more proper, for washing, or Colouring, Prints, Cards, Maps.

Conceptual field(s)

MATERIALITE DE L’ŒUVRE → technique de la peinture
MATERIALITE DE L’ŒUVRE → couleurs

Quotation

{Of Painting in Oyle.} Painting in Oyle is done, I confess, with greater judgment, and is generally of more esteem, then working in water colours; but then it is more Mechanique, and will rob you of overmuch time from your more excellent studies, it being sometime a fortnight, or a month ere you can finish an ordinary piece. I have known Michael Janss of Delf in Holland, the most excellent Painter of all the Low-Countries, to have been (at times), a whole half year about a picture, yet in the end to have blurred it out (as it is his manner) for some small disresemblance, either in the eye or mouth ; so curious is the workmanship to do it well : beside, oyle, nor oyle colours, if they drop upon apparel, will not out ; when water colours will with the least washing.

Conceptual field(s)

MATERIALITE DE L’ŒUVRE → technique de la peinture

Quotation

As for Vermillion, Verdigrease, Orpiment, &c. they are too course and gritty to use in water colours ; Turnsoile, Litmus blew, Rosset, Brasil, Logwood, Saffron, are more fit for washing prints then curious Limning.

Conceptual field(s)

MATERIALITE DE L’ŒUVRE → couleurs

Quotation

Of Landskip.


{
Landskip.} In drawing Landskip with water colours ever begin with the Skie, and if there be any Sunbeams, do them first. 
{
Purple Clouds.} For the Purple Clouds, only mingle Lake and white.
{
Yellow.} The Sun-beams, Masticot and white.
{
Note 1.} Work your blew Skie with smalt only, or Ultramarine.
{
Note 2.} At your first working dead colour all the piece over, leave nothing uncovered, lay the colour smooth and even.
{
Note 3.} Work the Skie down in the Horizon fainter as you draw near the Earth, except in tempestuous skies, work your further Mountains so that they should seem to be lost in the Air.
{
Note 4.} Your first ground must be of the colour of the Earth and dark ; yellowish, brown, green, the next successively as they loose in their distance must also faint and abate in their colours
{
Note 5.} Beware of perfection at a distance.
{
Note 6.} Ever place light against dark, and dark against light (that is) the only way to extend the prospect far off, is by opposing light to shadows, yet so as ever they must loose their force and vigor in proportion as they remove from the Eye, and the strongest shadow ever nearest hand.

Conceptual field(s)

GENRES PICTURAUX → paysage