turpsy

Back at his canvas he drew some more with Prussian blue, wiped his hands on a turpsy rag, and went over to the telephone.

The Sleeping lubra is an oil painting on board, and the underpainting, which has been laid in as a transparent wash, seems to have been mixed with some incompatible substance that has caused the colour to marble, possibly the result of clear enamel being dropped directly into the turpsy film of oil paint.