The fan has a surface in the shape of the segment of a circle which
is called a mount. Fan painting is done on fan paper, India paper,
satin, gauze and vellum. All these mounts, with the exception of vellum
have to be sized ; it would be impossible to paint them in their ordi-
nary state, as the colors would run and outlines would be impossible.
Heretofore the decorator has had to be at the trouble of making his
own size, a tedious and very troublesome process. Now, however,
small bottles of mixing preparation, as it is called, can be bought at any
artists' materials store.
The stuff is cut to the proper dimensions for a stretcher— similar to
an embroidery frame — on which it is stretched by means of wedges.
When this is done the size is spread on both sides with a soft brush.
Now cut out the fan, mount, and be careful to place the selvage of the
stuff lengthwise. The sizing, stretching and cutting out, require such
careful attention to details that many ladies prefer to buy the mounts
FAN PAINTING. 299
already prepared for painting. They can be obtained in any material ;
having decided on the style of fan you wish to paint, take the mount
and fix it on a perfectly flat drawing-board ; in order to fix it without
making spots, dip a small brush into gum and pass it continuously all
around the edge of the mount you wish to strain, to the width of three-
quarters of an inch only ; hold in your other hand a soft linen rag, and
as you place the mount on the board press it down with the linen to
make it adhere ; stretch as much as possible and then leave it to dry.
When you are sure that the mount is properly dry you must trace a
segment of a circle more or less large, according to the size of the fan-
stick which is to receive it. Fan-sticks vary in length from ten to six-
teen inches. In the execution of a fan, the drawing holds almost as
important a place as the painting. Unless you are an expert draughts-
man it is better to trace your subject on the fan-mount, as it is impos-
sible to use either India rubber or bread crumbs for erasing imperfect
work. If you decide in favor of tracing the design, take a sheet of very
thin paper on which you make your composition. When the drawing
is finished, spread a thin coat of black lead over the back, and rub it on
the sheet of the tracing paper very lightly. Before you transfer the
drawing to the mount, fix it securely by means of needles, then take an
ivory tracer and pass it over each one of the pencil marks of the draw-
ing, which is by this means reproduced on the mount.
The requisites for the fan painter are a drawing board made out of
one piece of wood twenty-eight by fourteen inches, or a stout mill-board
of the same size. A large brush for back grounds and water, one brush
of medium size for draperies and trees, one small brush for figures and
extremities, an ivory tracer, two saucers, tracing paper lead pencils, a
bottle of gum for sticking the fan-mount and a bottle of ox-gall.
Page 265
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The fan has a surface in the shape of the segment of a circle which is called a mount. Fan painting is done on fan paper, India paper, satin, gauze and vellum. All these mounts, with the exception of vellum have to be sized ; it would be impossible to paint them in their ordinary state, as the colors would run and outlines would be impossible. Heretofore the decorator has had to be at the trouble of making his own size, a tedious and very troublesome process. Now, however, small bottles of mixing preparation, as it is called, can be bought at any artists' materials store.
The stuff is cut to the proper dimensions for a stretcher— similar to an embroidery frame — on which it is stretched by means of wedges. When this is done the size is spread on both sides with a soft brush. Now cut out the fan, mount, and be careful to place the selvage of the stuff lengthwise. The sizing, stretching and cutting out, require such careful attention to details that many ladies prefer to buy the mounts
FAN PAINTING. 299
already prepared for painting. They can be obtained in any material ; having decided on the style of fan you wish to paint, take the mount and fix it on a perfectly flat drawing-board ; in order to fix it without making spots, dip a small brush into gum and pass it continuously all around the edge of the mount you wish to strain, to the width of threequarters of an inch only ; hold in your other hand a soft linen rag, and as you place the mount on the board press it down with the linen to make it adhere ; stretch as much as possible and then leave it to dry. When you are sure that the mount is properly dry you must trace a segment of a circle more or less large, according to the size of the fanstick which is to receive it. Fan-sticks vary in length from ten to sixteen inches. In the execution of a fan, the drawing holds almost as important a place as the painting. Unless you are an expert draughtsman it is better to trace your subject on the fan-mount, as it is impossible to use either India rubber or bread crumbs for erasing imperfect work. If you decide in favor of tracing the design, take a sheet of very thin paper on which you make your composition. When the drawing is finished, spread a thin coat of black lead over the back, and rub it on the sheet of the tracing paper very lightly. Before you transfer the drawing to the mount, fix it securely by means of needles, then take an ivory tracer and pass it over each one of the pencil marks of the drawing, which is by this means reproduced on the mount.
The requisites for the fan painter are a drawing board made out of one piece of wood twenty-eight by fourteen inches, or a stout mill-board of the same size. A large brush for back grounds and water, one brush of medium size for draperies and trees, one small brush for figures and extremities, an ivory tracer, two saucers, tracing paper lead pencils, a bottle of gum for sticking the fan-mount and a bottle of ox-gall.