CHALK BACKGROUNDS.
Backgrounds put in with chalk are the most effective, and even if the face is brush tions of which] may or may not ap pear in the enlargements, according to the lighting, exposure, etc. In any case, the picture will be immensely improved by some additions in this respect. Take a tuft of cotton wool (about the size of a large walnut for a 12 in. x to in. picture) and dip it in the powdered chalk. Now rub it vigorously on a sheet of blot ting paper until perfectly smooth, and so that it makes an even tint not darker at centre or edges. In rubbing it on the blotting paper, it is best to do it with a circular motion. Then rub over the back ground a tint commencing near the figure and becoming lighter until it disappears near the edge of the picture. The shade must be perceptibly deeper close to the head, and also at the lower part or near the shoulders. The best effect is obtained by having three graduated tints or shades, each finishing in a sort of shamrock shaped cloud, but, of course, not with any decided form. These must not come immediately above each other, but one may be in between the others. To
obtain breadth of effect, there must not be too many of them—four or five clouds on each side are ample—and preferably a different number one side from the other. Above all, however, it must be understood that these must appear to be present as if by accident, and therefore the more in work it is better to adopt the powder method for the background. It is more easily kept soft and retiring from the figure, while the effects can he obtained so rapidly, and altered and corrected so easily, that it seems to be quite the best method. Head and shoulder pic tures, taken for vignetting, are usually against a cloud background, the gratin definite they are the better. One or two specks of light may appear, generally near the margins and between the divisions in the clouds, and these are put in by soft touches with rubber. Reeves's " soft " rubber is the best for the purpose. Many workers, however, do not care for these touches of light at the margins of the pic ture, and prefer to omit them.