CHAP. V.
Of the nature and preparation of paftils or crayons.
PASTILS or crayons are coinpolitions of colours, which are reduced to the tex-©re of chalk; and uled dry, in the form and manner of pencils, for punting on paper.
There is confiderable difficulty, ana nicety, ji die making, to bring them to that due tex- :ure or confidence, which admits of their
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freely on the paper, without being >ly or brittle as not bear to have the point to be duly lharpened: for, if they be rendered too cohefive by gums or fuch fub- fiances as give them tenacity, they will not call as they ought ; and, on the other hand, if the particles are not fufficiently bound to-» gether, they take no proper hold of the grain of the paper, but lye on it like dull ; and the pencils in this condition are apt continually tQ nave the points broken or moulder away on the leafl ufe, to an undue thicknefs. To pror- duce this fit texture, fo indifpenfibly requifite to the perfection of crayons, many fubflances have been ufed, to mix with the coloured pigments, and to give them the proper cohe-. rence : but, notwithflanding the repeated experiments that have been made by number^ of perfbns, for the improvement of this art, it is very rare to find a fet of fuch crayons as may be called good. They are not, indeed, to be at all produced, but by an exercife of fome judgment and fkill in the compofition of each particular * and there are few perfbns;, who either have fuch, or will exercife their fkijl and knowledge in fufficient degree ; and •therefore recipes are blindly followed ; which-, as the different parcels of each kind of fob- fiance differ greatly in the proportion of their qualities, though they may agree in the general oature of them j fometimes produce good, and fometimes bad crayons, by the very fome rules.. Whoever, thereforp, would be rnafter of a perfeCt fet of crayons, mull inform him* felf of the federal fubflances and their nature, which arp prefer for the compofition of them; and then, having general directions for the , manner, mult proportion and adjuft the quantity of the ingredients to each other, by actual trials of the effeCt; which may, never- thelefs, be done with veiy little trouble ; and without the danger of any lofs accruing from the greateft error in the compofition: fince the crayons can always be wrought over again, with fuch additions of thofe ingredients in which the proportion is defective, as will remedy the fault. I fhall, for thefe reafons, enumerate the feveral fubftances that are employed for forming crayons ; and Ihew what particular intentions they are to anfwer, and the method of managing them to effeCt that end; and then give the particular mixtures, which I believe to be belt for producing each kind of colour; with the neareft general proportion of the ingredients : but the adapting the quantities more exactly to each other, in every particular cafe, I muft leave to the operator; „who mult try the refult of his compofitions, by drying a fmall quantity of each fort formed into a crayon, after he has made the mixture : which being tried on the proper paper, if it appear faulty, the proportion of the ingredients muft be better adjufted, by adding more of that which appears to be deficient, till the due effeCt be produced.
All the colours, which are pigments, and can be reduced to an impalpable powder, may be ufed for forming crayons: but it is proper, neverthelefs, to be cautious, elpecially in more elaborate works and paintings of any value, with regard to fuch as are fubjeft to fly or change; particularly rofe pink, Englifh pink, lake, and Pruflian blue, which are apt to turn pale, and fometimes entirely lofe their hue: and with re-fpeét to white, the ufe of flake white, or white lead is bell avoided, on account of their fre-quently turning black ; as there are others which will even work better, and are no way liable to any fuch change. But neither lake, nor Pruflian blue, are to be wholly rejeéted for this purpofe, when they are known to be thoroughly good; as they will Hand extremely well when prepared in a right manner : only great care Ihould be taken to be certain of
the qualities of any parcel, before it be ufed j as the Far greateft part of the lake to be now met with will fly ; and the Pruflian blue turn pale and green in fuch manner as to vary the teint greatly from its original Hate.
Befides the coloured pigments, which ar^ ufed Amply, Ibme white fubftances are necef-r fary for the forming a proper body to fuch as- are of lighter teints: or where the colours are? to be diluted and weakned, as in ftraw colours,, pinks, carnations, G?c. There have been many’" different farts of bodies applied to this purpolè,
which, moll of them, by proper management^ maybe made toanfwer tne end. The principal- are flake white, white lead, tobacco-pipe clay^p'after of Paris, Spanifh or troy white, Am- ple chalk, and flarch: but pearl white, tha has been hitherto overlooked, is in fome cafe fuperior to any of them. In this application of white bodies, to form the ground or bafis ' of pale coloured crayons, the greateft care - fhould be taken, likewife, when carmine lake, or any coloured pigment prepared from parts of vegetables or animals are ufed, that the fub- ftance employed be fuch as will not prey upon or change the colour; which chalk, flake white, «id white lead, with the colours, are extremely apt to do, when they are mixt together with the addition of any moifture: but in all fuch cafes the pearl white, and plafter of Paris, fhould be ufed; and with refpedl to the latter, it muff be wholly free from lime, or it will be worfe even than the others. It is beft, indeed, in general to avoid any fuch mixture of thefe colours, by fub- ftituting the coloured earths, or other mineral fubftances, in the place of thofe prepared from vegetable or animal fubftances ; as they can fcarcely be affedted or changed by any matter ufed in painting; and will, in general, equally well anfwer the purpofe; except in the cafe of carmine ; the unrivalled brightnefs of which makes it neceflary for pinks, and carnations, as great purity and force of colour are there required.
Flake white and white lead are not fo frequently ufed, as the chalk and tobacco-pipe clay for the grounds of crayons : neither indeed are they fo fit for many purpofes; as they will not mix well with many of the coloured pigments; and are liable to form too brittle pencils when cut to moderate points; and the
*whitelead hasbefides, the dangerous quality of being fubjed: to have its whitenefs changed into the proper metallic colour of the lead: as we lee in many of the older drawings and (ketches where it has been ufed. The great whitenefs of the flake, neverthelefs, recommends it where touches of very great light are required : and it may not be amife, therefore, to have a crayon of it for fuch occaflons ; but it is bed: to omit wholly its ufe in all cafes, Where the other whites will anfwer the purpofe.
Tobacco-pipe clay was formerly in great ufe for forming the paler crayons: but it is much neglected now, except in thofe made for fale. For, befides its drying to be too hard, and not (pending ‘ freely on the paper, it gives the colours a heavinefs and deadnefs that may be ar voided by the ufe of other whites: to fome of which it is, therefore, on all accounts inferior.
It may however ferve for ordinary occaflons: as it will produce crayons by being Amply mixed with the coloured pigments: and therefore requires much lefs (kill and trouble to be compounded with them than the fofter whites, that demand the aid of fome binder or glutinous body to give them a due cohefion.
Plafter of Paris has alfo been frequently ufed for the bafis of pale crayons j to which purpofe- it is.in one refpedt well adapted: becaufe whem_ it is pure, that is to fay, made only of the=- powdered alabafter, it is very innocent witk»- refpeft to the more tender colours : but therm it is too eohefive, and -wants the flakinefs of " chalk j
(folk; which defeat has been attempted to be remedied by the dipping the crayons formed of it in olive or linfeed oil.
Spaniih or troy white, which as we have feen before, is chalk and alum calcined and wafhed over, is ufed by fome for a ground for the pale crayons. The difference in its effedt from Ample chalk wafhed over confifts only in its being left liable to prey on the colours made from the parts of vegetables or animals : but, as the pearl white, or plafter, are much lefs hazardous in that point than either, the ufe of it feems no way neceflary.
Chalk is the beft adapted by its texture tQ the forming the ground of pale crayons of any of the whites hitherto ufed : as it will caft more freely j and at the fame time retain a due cohefion, when mixt with proper binders or glutens, better than any of the other whites now in pradtice. It is, therefore, much the t>eft fubftance for mixing with all the coloured pigments which are not fubjedt to be changed j but with refpedt to fiich as are, the pearl whitej oxr plafter of Paris, fhould be fubftituted in its place. It is alfo the beft for forming white c*"ayons for common purpofes: which may be done by a very Ample treatment as below «Hredted.
Starch has been frequently ufed along with fcxne of the other whites for giving a due tex- kureto crayons : but it is no where neceflary, except in the cafe of white flake: and, as the prepared flake white of the fhops contains a large proportion» it is unneceffary when that is ufed : which will generally be the cafe ; as the lévigation of the white flake is too trouble-fome for thofe who do not make fuch matters their bufinefs.
The laft clafs of fubftances ufed in the com-pofition of crayons, and on which indeed prin- cipally depends their perfection, is the binders or glutens required to give pulverine bodies» of which the crayons are compofed, a due tena- city to render them capable of being formed into maffes that will bear the form and em-
ployment of pencils. There has been a va-riety of different matters applied to this pur-pofe ; mod of which may in fome degree ef-fect it j but the principal are alewort,—gum tragacanth,—gum Arabic,—fize,— milk,— oatmeal,—fugar candy,—olive oil,—and lin- ked oil.
The wort of ale or beer, either in its ori- ginal ftate, or rendered more thick by boil- ing, has been found to anfwer the end of a binder, for the forming crayons, where chalk
or earthy bodies are ufed, better than any of the others. As it gives them a proper coheflon, by its vifcidity, without drying to that brittle ftate to which the gums are fubjeCt. It is not» however, in the cafe of vermilion, and fome other fubftances, which have no cohefive at- traction of themfelves, fufficient alone to give the due tenacity ; and muft therefore be air- lifted by gum tragacanth, or fize, or fome ftich other vifcid matter.
Gum tfagacanth is ufed as a binder by dif* Solving it in the ale wort, or whatever fluid is employed for the tempering crayons. It is preferable, for this purpofe, to gum Arabic, or the other gums which diflolve in aqueous fluids: feecaufe it thickens in the water; and mixes it- lèlf equally throughout the whole fubllance of £he compofition when dry; whereas the others are apt to form a cruft on the outiide of the xnais ; and render the puftils or crayons of an unequal texture.
Gum Arabic has been alio ufed for tempering crayons in the fame view as gum traga- canth: but for the reafon juft given is much Inferior to it.
Size is alio fometimes applied to the lame purpofe in making crayons as gum tragacanth; and differs not greatly from it in its effed.
Milk has been ufed for the compofition of crayons, in the lame view as the ale wort, where only a fmall addition of cohefive power was required to be added to the (olid bodies which formed them: but it is only in fuch cafes, it can be of any avail; as the ale wort, or others of greater efficacy, are in moft cafes wanted.
Oatmeal, or rather the decodion of it, made, as in the cafe of water gruel and ftrained,. has likewife been employed for the fame end as milk ; and anfwers well enough in the cafe of the deep Pruffian blue, indico, and fuch bodies as are apt to dry gummy; becaufe though the decodion of oatmeal gives only a fmall degree of cohefionj yet it prevents that cetede-ffcence from the attraction of the parts of thoffc bodies on each other, which produces this" brittlenels, ÔliVe oil, as likewife the linfeed, have been
ufed to give the crayons a more flaky and chalkÿ texture, by dipping into it, after they have bêèn diriy heated* fifth as are mad foften' them ; and remove that unkindly cohei fion which prevents the flicking freely on tfte paper.
- I (hall here give fbme general inflruCtions, for the compounding crayons of the fèveral colours, and teints : but at the fame time miifl leave ft to the difcretion of the operator, to adjufl die exaCfc proportion of the binders or glutens by' aClual trial ; as the fubflances ufêd vary too much in the degree of their qualities in dif-
ferent parcels, to admit of any flandard pro- portion being given.
For forming white crayons for common pur-' pofes, chalk, in its natural Hate, is fuperior to any compofition: it fhould be chofen white,“ pure, and of the moll cohering texture: and' it mull be cut firfl into fquares, by means of* fmall faws, made for this ufe, of three inch« length, and a quarter of an inch in thick-. nefs; and afterwards formed into a proper peir-df Paris, or tobacco-pipe clay, cil Ihape, by taking off the corners with a penknife, and duly doping the point.
Of white crayons.
Where an extraordinary degree of white- nefs is required, a crayon may be made from flake white, as prepared by the colourmen 5 which being well powdered and mbiftned With milk to the confidence of a pafte, muft be formed in the pencil fliape, and then dried,: bpt without heat; as that would tend to injure the whitened by changing the colour of the flake in the fame manner as in- the production of mafticot. If die crayon thus made appear: to want tenacity, it muft be worked over again with a frelh quantity of milk ; or a little gum. tragacanth may be added to the milk. This: crayon, however, fhould not be ufed whefe chalk will be fufficiently bright: for all kinds, of cerufe, ais I obferved before, are fubjeCfc to have their colour changed by accidents hot eafily to be guarded againft.
Of red crayons.
For red Crayons of the "fcarlet hue, vermilion, and red lead, may be ufed, with ale- wort boiled, till it appear flightly glutinous to: the touch, arid further infpiflated by the ad-1 dition of gum tragacanth : the proportion of which may'he'-a feruple to a pint of the thick wort. With-this gluten, the vermilion, or red lead, muft be reduced to the ftate of a pafte, by grinding them together; and then formed into the proper fhape; and dried with a gentle heat.
Where the orange caft of red lead is not particularly wanted, it is fafer to ufe vermilion j for though red lead will Hand much better ufod this way, than in oil, yet the vermilion is foil more fecure, as nothing can change it without a burning heat.
The paler crayons of the lame colour may be made by mixing walhed chalk with any of thefe colours: which may be done in three proportions, the firft with an equal weight of the chalk, the focond with double the weight, and the third with treble: but if other teints are wanting, the proportion may be varied otherwife according to the occafion. Thefe compofitions fhould be formed in the manner abovementioned, by means of ale-wort in- foiflated by boiling; but the wort fooirid be thicker where the quantity of the chalk is Ids, according to the three proportions: becaufe after it has been moifoied, and is again dried, chalk has a conliderable cohelion of kfelf.
The fcarlet oker gives a fouler red crayon, but yet very ufeful, if it be compounded with the ale-wort infpiflated both by boiling, and the addition of gum tragacanth, in the proper manner directed for vermilion.
Scarlet oker may likewife be formed, by compofition with chalk, into paler teints in the feme way as vermilion.
Common Indian red may be, likewife, treated in a parallel .manner, and will give other teints of red.
Red oker requires no compofition ; but if it be chofen pure, and of a good colour, will afford ufeful crayons by the fame manage- or»ent as chalk.
Lake muft be ufed for crimfon crayons, and may be brought, when well ground with ale- 'W'ort, to a proper texture; but if, as is the na- ture of lome parcels, it appear too gummy, t^nake it up with the decoction of oatmeal instead of the ale-wort. It is proper to be very Oa.refill in the choice of lake for crayons: icr, as it is very apt to fly when not properly prepared, the confequence in crayon painting is in hich cafes very bad : fince it will much fooner change when ufed in that manner, than in oil.
The paler teints of the lake muft be produced by the admixture of feveral proportions °f white j in the fame manner, as the foregoing colours. The white employed fhould not, neverthelefs, be chalk, for the reafons before given j but pearl white, or plafter of Paris. ^ think the former much the beft : but in the impounding it into crayons with the lake, a Wronger binder is required than in the cafe of plialk. The ale-wort fhould therefore be well ,tolpiflated by boiling for thofe crayons, where die proportion of lake is greateft: but, for the ihers, it fhould be adequately rendered yet **iore vifcid by the addition of gum traga- canth.
It would be extremely proper to have crayons of carmine, if the price did not make the ufe of it too expenfive. Confidering that cir- cumftance, it is more expedient to ufe it rubbed in by the leather roller in the manner below directed, by which it may be conveniently laid oh where it may be neceffary.
A fmall crayon compounded of the beft and moft fcarlet lake, with about a third part of carmine, fhould, however, not be wanting. They may be worked up with milk, and a little decodtion of oatmeal, with a fmall proportion of gum tragacanth; but feme carmine is fufficiently glutinous, and requires no binder j which ought therefore to be firft tried; before the binders are added.
Small crayons muft likewife be made of carmine, and pearl white, in different proportions ; and the ale-wort muft be more or left in- fpiflated according to the quantity of white; but as the carmine differs greatly in different parcels as to its gummy confiftence, this muft be regulated by difcretion.
Rofe pink, when good, forms a crayon, which has merit with regard to its beauty j if its defedfc in other refpedts did not forbid the ufe of it. It may be made into crayons without any compo- fition, in the fame manner as chalk, where it is of fe firm a texture as it is commonly fbuncL- to be; but where it happens to be of a looferH it muft be brought to a proper ftate of cohe— fion by ale-wort. It is, neverthelefs, fcarcel^ worth while to take the trouble of forming Li
any way into crayons j as the colour will always fly, if the cold air have accefs to it j and it can never therefore be prudently employed in paint-ings of any value.
Of blue, crayons.
For a deep blue crayon* the darkeft Pruflian Blue maybe formed into a crayon by grinding it Svith the deco<£tion of oatmeal. If the tenacity t»e not fuflicient, the ale-wort muft be added*Indico, when good, will likewife produce a «jeep blue crayon* with ale-wort inlpiffated by paler blues, Pruflian blue of different «degrees of lightnefs may be ufed with ale-wort: "but the ale-wort muft be inlpiflated by boiling, <br the addition of flze or gum tragacanth, in proportion to the lightnefs j the darker kinds
fcjf Pruflian blue being of a more glutinous na- ture than the lighter.
"Verditer will alfo make a good blue crayon: it muft be ufed with ale-wort ftrongly in- :CjpifIated. Bice fhould, likewife, compofe another cray-on, treated as verditer.
Crayons fhould likewife be formed of verdi-tjer, or bice, with chalk, in different proporti- ons : atid compounded by means of the ale- ■^wort thickned by boiling.
. Ultramarine, being too dear to form cray-ons, fhould be ufed in the manner above clire<ftcd for carmine.
Of yellow crayons.
The prepared orpiment, or pigment, called King’s yellow, forms the brightnefs and full- eft coloured yellow crayon : but the poiionous quality, and yellow feent of it, are fuch faults as render it on the whole much inferior to that next mentioned.
The King’s yellow may, however, be formed into a crayon with ale-w'ort infpiftated by boiling, and the addition of gum tragacanth; but it muft be dried without any heat.
The turpeth mineral w'ell levigated, and wafhed over, makes a very fine crayon, of a cool, but very bright yellow colour. It may be treated for this end exactly in the manner above directed for vermilion.
Dutch pink andEnglifh pink make crayonsof a pretty good yellow colour; but are not fo fecure from flying as the two abovementioned. When they are of a firm texture, they may be ufed as the chalk, without any other preparation than, cutting them into a proper form: but where they are of a more foft and crumbly fubftance, they muft be worked up with the infpiftated ale-wort.
Yellow oker may alfo be formed into a crayon in the fame manner as chalk; or it may be ground and w'afhed over j and then ufed w'jth the infpiftated ale-wort.
More diluted teints of yellow may be procured by mixing chalk with any of the above- mentipned pigments; and forming them into crayons in the manner beforementioned for the other colours.
Of green crayons.
The chryftals of verdigrife, properly ma- - naged, make the brightefl green crayon. They fhould be reduced to a very fine powder, by grinding on the ftone with fpirit of wine, or dil of turpentine j and then formed into-a palle by ale-wort highly boiled, and infpiflated ftill further by gum tragacanth i but as little fluid as pof- fible fhould be employed in their compofition. They Ihould likewife be dried without heat.
Verdigrife will make a light blue green crayon, if treated in the fame manner.
Pruflian blue, and turpeth mineral, compounded in different proportions, form alfo a variety of good green crayons. They mull be worked up with ale-wort thickned by boiling.
Pruflian blue and Dutch pink make likewife a pretty bright green crayon, being formecf by means of the infpiflated ale-wort.
Verditer, and turpeth mineral, form a good pale green : but they require ale-wort both thickned by boiling, and the addition of gum tragacanth.
Blue bice and turpeth mineral, or 'Dutch pink, make another kind of light green crayon, being treated in the fame manner; except that when Dutch pink is employed, the ale-wort requires only to be well thickned by boiling.
Crayons may, likewife, be formed of any of the abovementioned green pigments, and chalk, by the means before directed with re-, gard to the other colours.
Of orange crayons..
King’s yellow, or turpeth mineral, with ret| lead, or vermilion, makes a bright orange cray-» on. They mull: be compounded with ale-wort thickned, as well by gum tragacanth, as boiling.
Orange crayons may, likewife, be formed from Dutch, or Englilh pink, compounded with red lead, or vermilion: but the ale-wort need' not, in this compofition, be fo ftrongly infpillated as for the laft.
Chalk may be added to either of thefe, in different proportions, to vary the teints in the manner above directed for the reft: or good crayons of a paler orange, where brightnels is not required, may be formed from Spanifh an- natto compounded with chalk; and worked up with ale-wort flightly infpillated.
The Spanifh annatto ufed alone, being levigated with oil of turpentine, and formed by the addition of the deccxftion of oatmeal ufed in the moll fparing manner, makes likewife a very good crayon of the foil orange colour: but foe preparation of this is more trouble- fome, than thole given above; which will in general anfwer the fame purpofe.
Of purple crowns.
A very bright purple crayon may be formed of deep Prufoan blue, and carmine, compounded by means of foe decoAion of cat-
meal:
199 meal: but this being expenfive rftuft be made fmall; ahd referved only for thofe cafes where great brightnefs is neceflary.
Deep Pruflian blue and lake, treated as the above, form a crayon next in brightnefs to the above.
For a lefs bright purple, indico may be ufed in the place of the Pruflian blue j but the teint will not be fo deep and ale-wort llightly infpiflated may be ufed inftead of the decodien of oatmeal.
For coarfer purples, indico may be compounded with vermilion : but they will be much paler than the above; and for this com- pofition the ale-wort muft be well thickned by boiling, and a flight addition of gum tragacanth.
Of brown crayons.
For forming a full brown crayon, neither inclining to the olive nor orange, mix brown oker, and biftre j and work them up with the ale-wort infpiflated moderately by boiling.
Spanifh brown, umbre, and the common, and true Indian .red, may, likewife, be compounded in the fame manner, with biftre, into crayons of different teints of brown: and ivory black may be added, where neceffary, to darken them, and increafe the variety.
Spanifh brown and #umbre, may be, likewife, formed alone into brown crayons, by means of the ale-wort infpiflated by boiling, and a fmall addition of gum tragacanth.
For diluted browns, calcined fuller’s earth may be employed, either alone, or mixt with chalk in different proportions. The crayons muff: be formed by means of ale-wort moderately infpiflated by boiling.
Diluted browns may, likewife, be formed by adding chalk to any of the above compofitions for browns.
Of black and grey crayons.
Black crayons may be formed out of pieces of charcoal well burnt, by cutting them into a proper fhape, in the manner directed for chalk.
The kind of charcoal, faid to be the beft for this purpofe, is that made from the wood of the willow.
Good black crayons may, likewife, be form-ed of ivory black mixt with a little very deep Pruflian blue or indico. It muff: be worked up by ale-wort boiled thick, with a fmall addition of glover’s fize.
Grey crayons may be formed of the ivory,or lamp black, mixt with chalk in different proportions, and compounded by means of ale-wort well infpiflated by boiling.
The carmine, ultramarine, or any other co- —o- lour which may be too dear, or not had in fuf-—-Efficient quantity to form crayons, may be ufed by^^"«V means of the leather roll above mentioned. J_uo. This roll is only a piece of fliamoy leather formed into a kind of long cone by rolling -^ng it in a foiral manner, and then twinin«" sng
thress- a<f thread tightly round it to keep it from unfolding. The leather muft be fo managed in the rolling as to form a point of the degree of bluntnefs required j or if it be too blunt it may be lharpened with a pen-knife. With the point of this roll breathed upon, the carmine, &c. may be taken and laid on the painting in fuch touches as may be required, and the effect will be nearly the fame as if the point of a crayon had been ufed. This roll will like- wife be found ufeful in jhoeetening (as it is called) the colours, by rubbing the edges of the teints together, where the furface is not large enough to admit the finger to do that office.