The work presents practical guidance for artists on selecting and using pigments, vehicles, supports, and varnishes to produce durable paintings. It explains simple and complex palettes, permanent foundations, preparation of wood and metal supports, and the properties of oils, tempera, watercolors, waxes and mediums. The author discusses common causes of deterioration—fading, darkening, cracking, peeling—and prescribes materials and techniques to prevent them, including labeling and sequence of application. Chapters cover specific problem pigments to avoid, varnishes and blooms, repainting, restoration and cleaning, and framing. Advice is technical but conveyed in plain language to help painters and collectors produce and preserve long-lasting work.