ART. III.
How to paint over or alter any part before the picture has been near the fire.
If the parts of the picture you want to retouch are large and the colouring dry, take a large soft hair pencil, and with water gently moisten those places, or the whole picture if you please, and repaint till your eye is satisfied. You mightpaint over, or alter any part without moistening, but on a first trial you would not so well see what you are about. While the picture is wet it appears very near what it will be when fixed; when it is dry it looks like a weak dead colouring in oil. You will see enough to judge of the general effect, but none of the tenderer half tints will appear discernable enough to judge of them with precision. In large pictures where the cloth will be required stronger, a picture is kept wet with great ease and security, by moistening it on the back with a large brush as often as there is occasion, for thewater will soon soak through the texture and take hold of the colours; there is no danger of disturbing them on the other side with the action of the brush, by reason of the substance of the cloth.