THE
ART OF GRAINING:
HOW ACQUIRED AND HOW PRODUCED.

WITH

DESCRIPTION OF COLORS

AND

THEIR APPLICATIONS.

WITH

LITHOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS

OF

THE VARIOUS WOODS USED IN INTERIOR FINISHING.

WITH 42 COLORED PLATES ON STONE.

BY

CHARLES PICKERT AND A. METCALF.

NEW YORK:
D. VAN NOSTRAND, PUBLISHER, 23 MURRAY AND 27 WARREN STREET.
1872.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by
CHARLES PICKERT AND A. METCALF,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

INTRODUCTION.

The Art of Graining is judged by the authors of this treatise to be of sufficient importance to justify a work devoted especially to the task of giving instruction to learners of the art.

All graining is an imitation of some more or less well known wood, and the learner may doubtless draw from nature the copies he desires to imitate; but it is only trained skill that can accomplish the task perfectly, and it is presumably true that those who, in acquiring a long experience, have made the obstacles to success a special study, are best prepared to afford instruction to a beginner.

The authors of the work present here the result of a long experience in the practice of this decorative art, and feel confident that they hereby offer to their brother artisans a reliable guide to improvement in the practice of graining.

It is earnestly recommended by the authors that learners should practise drawing the several copies given as samples, with drawing pencils, using both narrow and broad-pointed, as the surest means of acquiring such thorough mastery of proper manipulation as will insure the highest degree of success.

It is believed, moreover, that experienced learners will find it not amiss to avail themselves of the methods set forth in this treatise, affording as they do, the sum of the examples of fellow-artisans who have carefully studied nature's own modes, and have studiously followed such plans in working as insured the closest and most durable adherence to the original form and color.

CHARLES PICKERT,
A. METCALF.

INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO MIX AND APPLY THE COLORS IN GRAINING THE VARIOUS WOODS HEREIN REPRESENTED.

As oak and black walnut are the principal woods imitated in graining, we have given them a prominent place and careful attention in our work, for when the ability to produce imitations of those properly is once thoroughly attained, the graining of other woods becomes a comparatively easy task.

First:—In preparing work for graining, great attention should be given to the shellacking of all knots and other parts containing any inequalities of surface, whether from the exudation of pitch, gum, or other substance; unless this precaution is observed the pitch or gum will force itself through a great many coats of paint.

OAK.

Illustrations of OAK include Plates 1-17.

For oak-graining the priming coat should be white, mixed (not too