Page 147 - The Wellington photographic handbook
P. 147

to harden overnight in a warm room free from dust, or pinned
        up by the corners in the same way as with a wet bromide enlarge-
       ment, taking particular care that nothing comes in contact with
       the pigmented surface, as it can be very easily damaged or smeared.
       The drying process can be hastened considerably  if the print  is
       pinned up to dry over a mantel of a fireplace in which a good fire
       or gas stove is burning, so that the print comes in a direct current
       of warm air.  In this way it is frequently possible to dry a bromoil
       print in an evening.  Otherwise,  if this cannot be accomplished,
       it is as well to allow at least twenty-four hours to elapse before
       attempting to touch the surface, or the pigment will not have had
       time to set and may easily be abraded.  Under ordinary circum-
       stances it will take two or three days for the pigment to dry quite
       hard, but before that happens a little attention may be paid the
       print for the removal of hairs and foreign matter referred to above.
       These can be neatly picked or scratched off with a small lancet or
       lancet-point (used for retouching), which is obtainable from photo-
       graphic dealers and sold for the purpose.  Small irregularities can
       be very gently scraped down with the keen edge of the little blade,
       used at right angles to the surface of the paper, and finally, when
       the dark spots have been cleared away, any light spots can be filled
       in with a small sable or camel's-hair brush and a little Indian ink,
       which should be worked down with water to a light tint to match
       the general tone of the print.  Little touches here and there will
       level the surface up, and the print should then be allowed to harden
       still further before trimming and mounting in the usual way.


                          BROMOIL-TRANSFER.
           A further development of the Bromoil process, and one that
       in the hands of the pictorial worker is capable of giving results
                                        ,
       of the  greatest beauty,  is the Bromoil-Transfer  process.  This
       method, as its name indicates, is one whereby the entire pigmented
       image of the bromoil print is transferred to another paper support,
       and it is in the choice of this paper support that a further variety
       of effect can be introduced, so that the finished result is practically
       an oil-pigment picture on plain paper.
                                   121
   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152