Dictionarium polygraphicum. Chestnut-coloured Japan. Olive-coloured Japan.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
1. Take Indian Red, or Brow red oker, (which you please) grind them with Ising-glass, or parchment size, upon a Porphyry stone, till they are as and as fine as butter, then mix a little white Lead, which grind strongly, and lastly lamp-black in a due proportion, stirring, and mixing them well together.

2. If the mixture is too bright, darken it with lamp-black: if too dark, heighten it with white lead, varying the proportion till you have brought it to the colour you would have it: for what the colour is while it is wet, it will be exactly the same when it is varnished; tho' drying without varnish, it would look otherwise.

3. Take thick seed-lac varnish 6 ounces, of the former prepar'd colour, what quantity you please; mix them in a gallyport over a gentle fire for use.



Another Chestnut Japan.

1. Take thicksed-lac varnish, and mix it with the same colours as you did the size, lightening it with the white lead, if too dark, and darkening it with lamp-black, if too light, till you have brought it to be of the colour you would have it. This mixture will be much better with the seed-lac varnish.

2. The colours being thus mix'd, if you use the size mixture, put some of it in a gally-pot over a gentle fire to melt it, or give it a fit temper not too thick, nor too thin; then, with a hog s hairbrush, wash therewith your Piece smoothly over, and let it dry, which repeat so often, till your colour lies full and fair.

3. When it is thoroughly dry, rush it smooth; but not close to the wood, and so lec it rest a day or two: arid then wash it with seed-lac varnish 3 or 4 times, letting it stand to be thoroughly dry.

4. Or you may begin, or lay your ground-work, with the thickseed-lac varnish, going over the work as with the size mixture: afterwards, having let it stand to dry, and rush'd it, you may go over it 3 or 4 times again, with the seed-lac varnish alone, letting it dry as before.

5. When you have done this; either with the size-mixture, or the varnish-mixture, and they are grown thoroughly dry, then varnish it again up to a body, with fine white varnish, till it is fit to be polish'd; which perform with fine tripoli, and a rag and water, and then clear it with lamp-black and oil.



Olive-coloured Japan.

Take ising-glass, or parchment size, (see SIZE) what quantity you please; English pink, in fine powder, a sufficient quantity; grind them together, till they are of the consistence of butter: then mix it with lamp-black and white lead in a due proportion, which you may find by nuking several trials; adding white lead, if it be too dark, and lamp-black, if it be too light.

If it be too green, help it with a little raw umber ground very fine, for this will take away the greenness.


Another Olive-coloured Japan.

Take thick feed-lac varnish, 6 ounces; English pink in fine powder, mix'd with lamp-black, and white lead in due proportion, a sufficient quantity. If it be too light, help it with lamp-black; if toodark, with white lead; and if too green, wich umber ground fine. This is the best of the two, with either of these varnish over your piece, according to the rules prescrib'd for other colours, polishing and cleansing it as before directed.

Where you are to take notice,
1. That no colours laid in size, will endure so strong a polish as those in varnish; but are more subject to be rubb'd off.
2. That the finishing varnish must be the best white varnish that the colours may nor tarnish.