Charles W. Peale's way of preparing canvas: - Isinglass (fish-glue) pounded on a flat iron to small pieces - let it stand all night in water and in the morning put it on the fire to boil; there should be as much glue to the water as will after it is boiled and suffered to cool, form into jelly. The canvas must be wet and pumiced to get rid of the lumps of thread - and the jelly is laid on with a large spatula - Mr. Phas has a wooden one made for the purpose. When the size has dried on the canvas, cover the surface with the required colour and when that coat is nearly dry, flatten it with the spatula. In this process, no brush is necessary.