SHARPENING THE PENCIL.
The next thing is to sharpen the pencil Pull out about an inch of lead, lay Hat on the sandpaper block, and, holding the pencil between thumb and forefinger, as in Fig. 229, rub backwards and forwards, pressing very lightly all the time, giving the pencil a slow circular motion in the direction of the arrow. By this means a gradually tapering poin' should be se cured, which will be. found easier to work with, the fine long point enabling one to see exactly the precise spot worked on.
chemical operations, fully explained in another section, may be thought by some to be outside the retoucher's work, but as they form part of the work of improvement they should be included. Other methods are matt varnishing the back and scraping away certain parts, following this, if ne cessary, by work with chalk and stump or the point on the rough surface thus ob tained ; working on the back of thc nega tive with a No. 1 pencil and medium only ; covering the back of the negative with papier mineral, and cutting away the parts over the lights dabbing crimson lake on the back with the ball of the finger till it assumes an even grain ; the trans parency and dusting-on methods, etc. (e)
Smoothing away the freckles, pimples, dis colorations of t4 le skin, etc., by use of one of the various " touches." (d) Modelling the face, consisting of an attention to the shape of the various bones, muscles, etc., giving prominence to or tolling down, as taste may suggest, and including any necessary corrections of lighting, and all possible improvements of likeness and expression. (e) Varnishing. (f) Final correction. Each one of these six divi stances. Supposing that, although sharp and fairly distinct, among its faults are over-exposure, fog, and incorrect lighting. Embracing these several faults, such a sions will now be dealt with at greater length.