a delicate kind of painting, consisting of little points or dots, usually done on ivory, vellum, or drawing-paper, with very thin, simple watercolours. Miniature painting is generally limited to portraits, which are for the most part executed on ivory, owing to the superior durability of that material and the peculiar brilliancy with which it bears out the colours. In composition, drawing, and finishing, the execution of miniatures is subject to the same laws as painting, although the process of miniature painting in water-colours is not at all similar to that employed in water-colour drawings generally. The outline, which must be extremely delicate, is traced upon the ivory with a silver-pointed pencil, and is afterwards drawn in with thin carmine. The colours, instead of being washed on or applied by successive tints laid over each other, are entirely dotted on the surface after what is called the dead colouring has been applied. In the dead colouring, which consists in laying on the colours in the smoothest manner, as painters do in oil, the shades are left less dark and the lights stronger than they ought to be; the finishing being performed by the process of dotting already referred to. The speediest method of dotting is the patching process, which consists of drawing delicate lines intersecting each other in all directions till the surface presents a regularly dotted appearance. The artist generally commences his shading with vermilion and carmine, using indigo afterwards for the bluish shade, and ochre and vermillion for the yellowish tints employed on those parts of the face which rise towards the light. The backgrounds, which, when very dark, are composed of bistre, umber, or Cologne earth, are formed by two coats, the first being of a light thin nature, and the last of a darker tint of the same colour. The most usual and appropriate dark grounds are of a greenish colour, consisting of a mixture of black, Dutch pink, and white. This ground is mostly preferred, owing to the rich appearance which it communicates to the carnation or naked parts of a picture. Landscapes and flowers are also occasionally done in miniature; but as the process requires great nicety and patience, it is scarcely fitted for any subject beyond the face and bust of a figure. It is accordingly very seldom used except for likenesses, which, besides being portable, are much admired for the rich softness and delicacy of the colouring.