In the beginning of the year 1760, Reynolds moved into the house on the west side of Leicester Square which he occupied for the rest of his life. It is now tenanted by Messrs. Puttick & Simpson, the Auctioneers. Northcote has usefully recorded the following details his studio. His painting-room was of an octagonal form, about twenty feet long and about sixteen in breath. The window which gave the light to this room was square, and not much larger than one half the size of a common window in a private house, whilst the lower part of this window was nine feet four inches from the floor. The chair for his sitters was raised eighteen inches from the floor, and turned round on castors. His palettes were those which are held by a handle, not those held on the thumb. The sticks of his pencils (brushes) were long, measuring about nineteen inches. He painted in that part of the room nearest the window, and never sat down when he worked. As the actual methods of a great artist are possibly of more value in a history of painting than the subjects, or even the prices, of his pictures, I venture to quote the following extracts from various parts of Sir Joshua's own memoranda:-- Never give the least touch with your pencil (_i.e._ brush) till you have present in your mind a perfect idea of your future work. Paint at the greatest possible distance from your sitter, and place the picture ... near to the sitter, or sometimes under him, so as to see both together. In beautiful faces keep the whole circumference about the eye in a mezzotinto, as seen in the works of Guido and the best of Carlo Maratti. Endeavour to look at the subject or sitter from which you are painting, as if it was a picture. This will in some degree render it more easy to be copied. In painting consider the object before you, whatever it may be, as more made out by light and shadow than by lines. A student should begin his career by a careful finishing and making out the parts; as practice will give him freedom and facility of hand: a bold and unfinished manner is commonly the habit of old age. On painting a head-- Let those parts which turn or retire from the eye be of broken or mixed colours, as being less distinguished and nearer the borders. Let all your shadows be of one colour: glaze them till they are so. Use red colours in the shadows of the most delicate complexions, but with discretion. Contrive to have a screen with red or yellow colour on it, to reflect the light on the shaded part of the sitter's face. Avoid the chalk, the brick dust, and the charcoal, and think on a pearl and a ripe peach. Avoid long continued lines in the eyes, and too many sharp ones. Take care to give your figure a sweep or sway. Outlines in waves, soft, and almost imperceptible against the background. Never make the contour too coarse. Avoid also those outlines and lines which are equal, which make parallels, triangles, etc.