Prepared half a dozen pieces of canvases in the following manner: after they were stretched, I wet the surface and ground the surface smooth with a pumice stone. Then covered the surface with paste in which was a little Venice turpentine - about a quart of paste to 2 tablespoonfuls of the turpentine - and a pinch of vermilion to color the paste in contrast to the canvas. When dry use the pumice stone. Then cover the surface with white lead, rather thickly ground. In a few days it will be dry enough to use the pumice stone to level all roughness. Perhaps one more coat of color will be required. In all these processes, from the employment of the paste to the last coat of paint, the palette knife must be used in order to level the surface.