APPLYING THE COLOUIL Commence by using a No. 2 brush. This should have a good spring, which should be tested for when purchasing' it. On pressing the dry point back with the finger, it should instantly recover its shape. Have a glass of water at hand, and allow the brush, if new, to soak for a moment or so. Lay the print on a board set at an angle, as in Fig. 45S, by supporting it on books or anything similar, and cover the lower portion with a piece of clean white paper. Now take up a little of the colour on the tip of the brush, taking care to draw the latter towards you in doing so, and not to push it away, as this is apt to spoil the point of the brush. The paint should be taken up with a circular motion of the brush, as this draws it nicely to an extremely fine point. Now, with a similar motion of the brush, draw it lightly across the piece of white paper. This will get rid of the excess of moisture, test the exact tint or shade of the colour, and further improve the setting of the point if carefully clone. Now touch the spot very lightly, so as to make a clot considerably smaller than the spot which is to be taken out, right in the extreme centre. The accuracy with which this is done will govern the success of the result ; there fore, the pupil must practise continuously and patiently to acquire the necessary delicacy of touch and accuracy of aim which enable the worker to place the brush in the exact spot with ease. The brush must not be held vertically to the paper, but should incline at an angle of about so that the side of the point is used. Having successfully placed a dot right in the centre, add further clots all round this one, of similar depth (i.e., con siderably lighter than the surrounding parts if taken individually), until the spot disappears. The great thing is not to
attempt to take out the spot in one touch. The more touches that are made, if dis tributed and not placed one on the other, or even touching each other, the better the effect will be, and the more cleanly and perfectly the spot will be removed. If the touches go one on the other, or even join, they will run together, and the result will be worse than making one big touch. This will be the more notice able when the paint is wet. The latter should be used as dry as possible, but must not lie too dry. In this way, each spot is taken out, one at a time, or patches arc treated as aggregations of spots. In working out long streaks, scratches, and such like, the brush should be drawn right through them from end to end, beginning in the centre and working towards the margins ; paying the same attention not to run the spots together or to place the touches upon one another. Where very large spaces have to be dealt with—as, for example, where a piece has to be taken off the shoulder, if one shoulder is too high, or a piece out of the waist where this looks too large—it is best first of all to lay a wash right over the place, of nearly the right depth, only a little lighter, and then to stipple it until the exact tint is obtained. Stippling is of course understood to mean making single clots with the point of the brush. The only difference between the spotting of albumen and P.O.P. prints is that of surface. A medium in the latter case is almost a necessity, and care must be taken that the colour is not too wet. Do not moisten the brush in the mouth.