Your first study should be from still-life (which means any inanimate object used for artistic study), and let the object selected be of a shape that requires but little drawing; for your aim now is to learn to handle your colors, and it is not desirable to have your mind distracted by complicated drawing. A vase placed on a piece of drapery, which is also brought up to form the background, is a good subject; the drapery should be of one color, and of a tone that will contrast agreeably with the vase and give it prominence. Arrange whatever object you have decided to paint so that it will show decided masses of light and shade; place your easel at a sufficient distance from it to obtain the general effect of shape and color without seeing too much detail; arrange your canvas on the easel so that you will neither have to look up nor down upon it, but straight before you; then sketch in the object you are about to copy in outline. Observe the edges of the heaviest shadows, and draw them also in outline. Charcoal is better than a pencil for sketching on canvas, as it can be easily rubbed off with a clean cloth if the drawing is incorrect. When the sketch is finished, dust off the charcoal lightly and go over the lines again with a camel’s-hair brush and India ink. =Setting the Palette= is a term used for arranging the colors in a convenient manner upon the palette. The colors should always occupy the same position, so that, the places once learned, you will never be at a loss to find the color you want. Fig. 161 shows a convenient arrangement of colors, as well as the position of the oil-cans. [Illustration: Fig. 161.—Manner of Arranging Colors on Palette.] Fill one of your oil-cans one-third full of turpentine, to which add enough siccatif Courtray to turn it the color of strong coffee. Dip one of your good-sized brushes in this mixture and scrape it off on the edge of the can, that the brush may not be too wet; then take up some burnt sienna on the brush and put it on your palette about an inch or so below the terre verte, add some terre verte, and mix the two with your brush. Lay in all the shadows of the vase, or whatever object you are about to paint, in a flat, even tone with the color thus formed, keeping it thin with the turpentine and siccatif. Mix a tint as near the required color as you can, and go over the whole background without regard to light or shade; cover all the background; do not leave any white or bare canvas showing. The general effect being thus obtained, it is easier to see what colors are needed for further painting. Select a medium tint between the high lights and half-tones, and paint in the lights of the vase in a flat, even tint; then go over the shadows again with a medium tone, still keeping them in one flat, even mass. Should you lose the outline at any time, dip a rag in turpentine and wash off the paint that covers it. Having progressed this far, the painting should be left to dry.