If he [the artist/reader] feels strong enough to try and elaborate it thoroughly, by a regular first, second, and third painting, he may proceed at once on his canvas, prepared as it is by the colourman. But if he has only time for one painting, or is only making an oil-sketch, it will be best to 'prime' his canvas with an extra thick coat of warm white. It will give him good texture to work on -just as important a matter in oils as in water-colour -and it will prevent the colours sinking into the canvas when drying, and make them bear out as brightly as on paper. In this case proceed as follows: Mix a little cadmium or yellow ochre, and pink madder with a great deal of flake white, and two or more drops of turpentine, in proportion to the size of the canvas. The more turpentine, the faster all dries: it will probably be best to use as much as will leave the coat of 'priming' soft enough to be smooth nicely with the handkerchief. Use no megilp where the sky is to come, or anywhere unless you want shininess of surface; to which we ourselves strongly object, except in calm water, &c. If you have rich sunset or bright autumn tints in your mind, make your mixture, or part of it, warmer and brighter: in any case the result should be warm white, light yellow or pinkish. It depends on your full knowledge of what you mean to do, whether you should give any forms in grounding a picture thus. Much may be done by using transparent shade over a warm ground, or by painting local colour and detail over a ground of light; and vice versa by painting into heavy ground-shade. All depends on your hold of your facts. In all early work, abide strenuously to your first intention, I may say right or wrong. 'Error (or imperfect arrangement) perserved in becomes success.' Prepare enough warm white to cover your canvas, and paint it thickly on with a hoghair brush. This done, take a clean fine napkin or old pocket-handkerchief, and fold it lightly together, corners inwards, into a baggy shape, loose but smooth (something like the 'balls' or dabbers which are used to apply the ink to the types in a printing-press). Then beat the coat of warm white with very light repeated blows over its whole surface till it is perfectly even and equal all over. The lighter the strokes the finer the texture, but a certain amount of roughness where sky and distance are to come will do rather good than harm.,,,