Page 144 - The Wellington photographic handbook

have absorbed most water, i.e., the high-lights, will naturally
refuse to take the greasy pigment more than those parts which
have not absorbed much water, i.e., the shadows. With a strong
subject the picture should still be visible in a faint brownish-
grey tone.
A little of the pigment is now taken up on the tip of an old
thin table knife, which should be kept for the purpose, although
a proper artists' palette knife would be better. This is smeared
on the palette, and if the ink is very stiff a little of the megilp is
smeared with it. The largest pigmenting brush is taken and held
between the thumb and the two first fingers of the right hand.
To arrive at the correct method of holding the brush, pick it up
halfway down the handle and hold it lightly in the same position
that you would a pen or pencil for writing or drawing. Then
tilt it in the fingers so that, instead of the wooden end pointing
back over your shoulder, the handle becomes vertical, with the
head of the brush pointing straight down. The thumb should
be straight and at right angles to the shaft of the brush, the first
finger slightly bent, and the second finger nearly straight. The
brush should not be gripped by the fingers, but held poised in the
finger tips. This, with slight modifications, is the correct position
in which to hold the bromoil brush, coupled with the slight forward
dabbing action that is assisted by the hoof-shaped cut of the brush
itself.
Dab the brush on to the smear of pigment on the palette, and
keep on dabbing until a level tone has been produced on this part
of the palette. Do not dab too hard — just a " pecking " action
that will enable the extreme tips of the hairs to get well covered
with pigment. After dabbing for a little while, it will be found
that the ink which was spread on the palette has been largely
taken up and evenly distributed over the surface of the brush.
Now start pigmenting the print with the brush fully charged.
Choose a portion of the subject which you know contains a shadow
in juxtaposition with a high-light, and pigment just at this spot.
If the bleached print is in proper condition, the ink of the right
consistency, and the dabbing action correctly performed, it will
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