Pencilful

A ſmall vial of diſtilled verdigriſe, which is a fine ſea-green: 11th. Some gum Arabic diſſolved in water. Theſe particulars are to be had at colour ſhops: where the colours in lumps, or liquids, are generally prepared with a ſufficient quantity of gum in them; but thoſe in powders muſt have a pencilful or two of gum water put to them, when they are uſed.

“[…]Shall I give you the whole pencilful?” One blink. “Here it is. I’m pouring it between your lips. Try to swallow.”

We would suggest that quick-drying striping color, for fine lining, be ground stiff in oil, and then turpentine and japan be mixed, and kept in a small vessel, so that in the operation of striping each pencilful of color may be supplied with the quantity of drier requisite to insure its drying.

Take first a pencilful of quite pure water, and lead it along the top of your five-inch space, leaving a little ridge of water all the way. Then, from your supply saucer, put a pencilful of the mixed colour into the pure water; stir that up well with your pencil, and lead the ridge of pure water down with that delicatest tint, about half an inch, leaving another ridge all along. Then another pencilful from the supply saucer into the other, mixed always thoroughly, for the next half inch.

By this plan, dryer is added to each fresh pencilful of color, the pencil behaves better and the stripes run on as freely and with as good edges as when color is mixed with oil.

take up a pencilful of ink.

Believe me, this and her enclosed “letter”—over the writing of which she has sucked almost a whole pencilful of copying-ink lead—is the continued work of many evenings.

Lift a pencilful of dry gold on to the palette, now dip enough gold size to bind it, and a touch of turps to make it run freely.