730 



PORTRAITS, CRAYON. 



in a hot solution of neutral potassium oxalate, 

 when the image is formed of platinum black. 

 This process was first introduced by Mr. Willis 

 in 1874, and he has since made improvements. 

 He claims that his platinotype paper does not 

 contain any animal sizing. The early experi- 

 ments proved to him that the paper upon which 

 the image was to be printed would prove an im- 

 portant factor, as all photographic papers con- 

 tained animal sizing, which was found to be 

 antagonistic to platinum salts. The action of 

 platinum salt upon a paper containing animal 

 sizing gave it a tint which no amount of acid 

 washing could remove. For the past nine years 

 Mr. Willis has had manufactured for his especial 

 use a Steinbach paper free from this animal 

 sizing, and he also uses a cold developer, thereby 

 causing the paper to retain its original elasticity. 



The chief points of difference between a bromide 

 enlargement and a silver or platinum enlarge- 

 ment is that in the former we have the sensitive 

 compound of silver suspended in a vehicle of 

 gelatin, and in the latter a thin coating of an 

 aqueous solution of the sensitive salts. In the 

 former process the image is not shown on the 

 paper till after the paper has been floated in a 

 developing solution, while in the latter pro- 

 cesses the image is shown upon the paper when 

 exposed to the light diffused through the neg- 

 ative. 



The following materials will be found neces- 

 sary to do crayon work: Easel and mahl-stick; 

 3-inch magnifying glass; three boxes of Mines 

 Noire's crayons, Nos. 1, 2, and 3 ; Mines Noire 's 

 crayon holder; Faber's conte crayons in wood, 

 Nos. and 1 ; 6 B. and 4 H. Faber's holder for 

 Siberian lead ; velour crayon in wood ; conte 

 crayon sauce wrapped in foil ; white crayon in 

 wood ; bunch of tortilion stumps ; large and 

 small gray paper stumps ; rubber, 4 inches x f 

 inch square, beveled end; two small nigrovine 

 erasers, and holder for these ; piece of chamois 

 skin ; cotton batting, the best quality ; a sheet 

 of fine emery paper ; square black conte cray- 

 ons, Nos. 1, 2, and 3 ; charcoal holder ; one 

 pound of pulverized pumice stone; pasteboard 

 box, about 10 inches square, 2 inches deep ; 

 backboards for mounting paper ; pliers ; paste 

 brush, 3 inches wide. 



The easel should be set so that the light strikes 

 on the picture at an angle of 60, and if work- 

 ing from a side light it will be necessary to 

 darken the lower part of the window to accom- 

 plish this result. The mahl-stick is held in the 

 left hand, and is used as a rest for the right arm 

 when working. The magnifying glass is used 

 to enlarge the small photograph while working 

 from it. The Mines Noire's crayons are softer 

 than the conte crayon in the wood, and are used 

 in the earlier stages of the work for laying in 

 the shadows. Faber's conte crayon, in wood, is 

 for the finishing touches. The 6 B. Faber's 

 holder for lead-pencil points is for the conte 

 crayons, after they have become short by use. 

 The remaining wood is cut away, and the crayon 

 points are used in these holders. The 4 H. hold- 

 ers for Faber's lead-pencil points is for using 

 these points, which are only used in the very 

 finest finishing of bromide crayons in the light 

 places. Velour crayon is very black, and is used 

 for producing a velvet effect and wherever it is 



necessary to make a very strong dark that is, 

 a dark that is blacker than an ordinary shadow. 

 Conte crayon sauce in the foil is for making the 

 crayon sauce. White crayon in the wood is to 

 be used to make the highest lights in white dra- 

 peries. Tortilion stumps are used to make the 

 face when making the stump effect. The large 

 gray paper stumps are for producing the broad 

 stump effects. The large eraser is for putting 

 in the broad effects of light in the background 

 and clothes. Nigrovine erasers are to remove 

 the crayon whenever it is necesary to produce 

 small decided lights, and used principally in 

 free-hand crayons, and for the line effect over 

 silver or platinum enlargements. Chamois skin 

 is used to remove the crayon, for producing 

 broad effects of light. The cotton is to apply 

 the crayon sauce to the paper and for rub- 

 bing the portrait at different stages of comple- 

 tion, as the crayon can not be removed success- 

 fully with the eraser unless previously rubbed 

 with the cotton. The chamois block is for put- 

 ting on the crayon sauce ; and in working with 

 the stump the crayon sauce is taken from this 

 block and transferred to the paper. Have a block 

 four inches long, two inches wide, and three 

 quarters of an inch thick, and cover it with 

 chamois. The emery paper is to sharpen the 

 nigrovine erasers on and the crayon points. The 

 mortar and pestle is for pounding the conte 

 crayon No. 1, in making the crayon sauce, which 

 is made of one part conte crayon No. 1, to three 

 parts of the conte crayon sauce in foil, and then 

 pounded very fine with the pestle. The square 

 black conte crayons are for filling in large dark 

 places. The pasteboard box is to keep the pre- 

 pared crayon sauce in. The backboards are an 

 inch thick, and are made to fit in the back of 

 the strainers to be used in mounting. The pliers 

 are to stretch the muslin on the strainer. 



Mounting. Procure a strainer made of pine 

 wood, the strips of wood to be two inches wide 

 and one inch thick. The face of these strips 

 must be beveled one fourth of an inch ; the 

 frame should be mitered together and glued. 

 Take a piece of muslin free from knots and 

 rough places and cut it one inch larger than 

 the strainer, then place the muslin on the bevel 

 side of the strainer and tack it fast to the edge 

 of the strainer, using six-ounce Swedes uphol- 

 sterers' tacks. Put one tack in the middle of 

 the one side, one tack directly opposite in the 

 other side, stretching the muslin as firmly as 

 possible ; then one tack in the middle of the top 

 and one directly opposite in the bottom, stretching 

 as before. Then stand the strainer on the floor 

 with the back toward you and put in the fifth 

 tack two inches to the right of the fourth, 

 stretching the muslin with the fingers toward 

 the right-hand corner, and then finish tacking 

 this side to the corner. Then turn the strainer 

 on the side edge and tack from the center tack 

 to the right-hand corner as before, and the other 

 side and the bottom. You now have half of the 

 muslin tacked, and the part that is opposite to 

 that which is tacked must be stretched with the 

 pliers and tacked, working from the middle to 

 the corners. Take a piece of muslin two inches 

 larger than the paper and wet it in water and 

 lay it on a table or mounting board, brushing 

 out all the wrinkles with the brush ; then lay the 



