THE PAINTER IN OIL

A COMPLETE TREATISE

ON

THE PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUE

NECESSARY TO

THE PAINTING OF PICTURES IN OIL COLORS

BY

DANIEL BURLEIGH PARKHURST

PUPIL OF WILLIAM SARTAIN, OF BOUGUEREAU AND TONY-FLEURY, AND OF

AIMÉE MOROT; MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK WATER COLOR CLUB;

FORMERLY LECTURER ON ART IN DICKINSON COLLEGE;

AUTHOR OF “SKETCHING FROM NATURE,” ETC.

“La Peinture à l'huile est bien difficile;

Mais beaucoup plus que la peinture à l'eau”

BOSTON: LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. [vi]

COPYRIGHT, 1898, BY LEE AND SHEPARD

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

THE PAINTER IN OIL

TYPOGRAPHY BY C. J. PETERS & SON

PRESSWORK BY BERWICK & SMITH, NORWOOD PRESS

NORWOOD MASS. [vii] PREFACE

BOOKS of instruction in the practice of painting have rarely been successful. Chiefly because they have been too narrow in their point of view, and have dealt more with recipes than with principles. It is not possible to give any one manner of painting that shall be right for all men and all subjects. To say “do thus and so” will not teach any one to paunt. But there are certain principles which underlie all painting, and all schools of painting; and to state clearly the most important of these will surely be helpful, and may accomplish something.

It is the purpose of this book to deal practically with the problems which are the study of the painter, and to make clear, as far as may be, the principles which are involved in them. I believe that this is the only way in which written instruction on painting can be of any use.

It is impossible to understand principles without some statement of theory; and a book in order to be practical must therefore be to some extent theoretical. I have been as concise and brief in [viii] the theoretical parts as clearness would permit of, and I trust they are not out of proportion to the practical parts. Either to paint well, or to judge well of a painting, requires an understanding of the same things; namely, the theoretical standpoint of the painter; the technical problems of color, composition, etc.; and the practical means, processes, and materials through which and with which these are worked out.

It is obvious that one cannot become a good painter without the ability to know what is good painting, and to prefer it to bad painting. Therefore, I have taken space to cover, in some sort, the whole ground, as the best way to help the student towards becoming a good painter. If, also, the student of pictures should find in this book what will help him to appreciate more truly and more critically, I shall be gratified.

D. B. P.

December 4, 1897 [ix]

CONTENTS

PART I. — MATERIALS
CHAPTER

I.	Observations	3
II.	Canvases and Panels	6
III.	Easels	15
IV.	Brushes	20
V.	Paints	33
VI.	Vehicles and Varnishes	61
VII.	Palettes	65
VIII.	Other Tools	69
IX.	Studios	76

PART II. — GENERAL PRINCIPLES

X.	Mental Attitude	85
XI.	Tradition and Individuality	95
XII.	Originality	103
XIII.	The Artist and the Student	107
XIV.	How to Study	110

PART III. — TECHNICAL PRINCIPLES Composition

XV.	Technical Preliminaries	123
XVI.	Drawing	126
XVII.	Values	138
XVIII.	Perspective	146
XIX.	Light and Shade	151 [x]
XX.		166
XXI.	Color	184

PART IV. — PRACTICAL APPLICATION

XXII.	Representation	209
XXIII.	Manipulation	224
XXIV.	Copying	236
XXV.	Kinds of Painting	242
XXVI.	The Sketch	245
XXVII.	The Study	254
XXVIII.	Still Life	260
XXIX.	Flowers	280
XXX.	Portraits	286
XXXI.	Landscape	309
XXXII.	Marines	335
XXXIII.	Figures	347
XXXIV.	Procedure in a Picture	371
XXXV.	Difficulties of Beginners	389 [xi]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Th. Robinson

NOVEMBER BEECHWOOD	Parkhurst	Frontispiece
STRETCHERS		11
CANVAS PLIERS		13
DOUBLE-POINTED TACK		13
EASEL		16
EASEL		17
SKETCHING EASEL		18
SKETCHING EASEL		19
BRUSHES. —	Red Sable, Round	22
	Red Sable	23
	Red Sable, Flat	24
	Round Bristle	26
	Flat Bristle	28
	Flat pointed	29
	Fan	30
BRUSH CLEANER		31
OIL COLORS		54
OVAL PALETTE		65
ARM PALETTE		67
THE COLOR BOX		70
PALETTE KNIFE		71
THE SCRAPER		72
THE OIL-CUP		73 [xii]
MAHL-STICKS		73
THREE-LEGGED STOOL		74
SKETCHING CHAIR		74
SKETCHING UMBRELLA		75
DRAWING OF HANDS	Dürer.	134
EGGS. WHITE AGAINST WHITE		154
THE CANAL	Parkhurst.	156
BOHEMIAN WOMAN	Frans Hals.	159
SEWING BY LAMPLIGHT	Millet.	161
DESCENT FROM THE CROSS		165
THE GOLDEN STAIRS		174
THE SOWER	Millet.	175
RETURN TO THE FARM	Millet.	178
THE FISHER BOY	Frans Hals.	217
BOAR-HUNT	Snyders	221
GOOD BOCK	Manet	227
SKETCH OF A HILLSIDE		246
THE RIVER BANK	Parkhurst.	250
STUDY OF A BLOOMING-MILL	Parkhurst.	257
STILL LIFE, NO. 1		265
STILL LIFE, NO. 2		266
STILL LIFE, NO. 3		267
STILL LIFE, NO. 4		269
STILL LIFE, NO. 5		270
STILL LIFE, NO. 6		271
SWEET PEAS		282
DÜRER	by Himself	289
PORTRAIT OF HIS MOTHER	Whistler	291
PORTRAIT OF HIMSELF	Velasquez	293
PORTRAIT	Parkhurst.	297 [xiii]
HAYSTACKS IN SUNSHINE	Monet.	307
ON THE RACE TRACK	Degas.	314
WILLOW ROAD	Parkhurst.	317
ENTRANCE TO ZUYDER SEE	Clarkson Stanfield.	337
GIRL SPINNING	Millet.	345
SKETCH OF A FLUTE PLAYER	Parkhurst.	355
MILTON DICTATING “PARADISE LOST”	Munkacsy.	363
BUCKWHEAT HARVEST	Millet	368
STUDY OF FORTUNE	Angelo	373
ÉBOUCH OF PORTRAIT		379
LANDSCAPE PHOTO. NO. 1		394
LANDSCAPE PHOTO. NO. 2		395