coal studies. A grained paper is more satisfactory than one with a smooth surface, for the latter tends to exaggerate the brown instead of the rick black shades of charcoal. Vine charcoal is sold in small cheap boxes and the Venetian charcoal in larger quantities.
Plain wooden easels last a lifetime. On the other hand, the hinged easels—of which there is an enormous variety—made to pack in a small valise or to carry in the hand, are equally serviceable for indoor and out-of-door study.
If an easel is not at hand a chair can be used as a substitute.
Sit on one chair and place another chair with its back toward your knees. Put your feet on the back rail of the second chair and the drawing-board will then rest on your knees and (at an angle) against the back of the chair. The seat of the second chair can be utilized for your various tools.
For charcoal studies a bottle of fixative and a sprayer are almost a necessity. Charcoal rubs with the slightest impact. Scent-sprayers can be used in place of the ordinary metal or glass sprayers sold for the purpose by the artists' colourman.
Once more I advise the young student to dispense with all unnecessary paraphernalia and buy only necessities.
Ponder well what the Scottish mechanic said when his eye fell on Turner's painting of Modern Italy:
"Eh, mon, just see what white leed and common paint can dae in the hand o' genius."
