Plate 7.—Half Tone reproduction
of a photograph taken by Dr. Mees through a red screen.
With regard to drawings in wash, charcoal or pencil, in which there are half-tones; these are better drawn on an enlarged scale, especially if the author is not a skilled draughtsman, for improper gradations in shading and other imperfections will not appear so noticeable in the reduced reproduction. Originals should all be made in one colour; in the case of wash drawings, diluted Indian ink (really Chinese ink) will give excellent results.
In making pencil drawings, a fairly stout hand-made paper with not too much grain should be used. If the drawing is to be of some size, the paper may be damped and pasted by its edges on to the drawing board, it will then be stretched quite flat and will not cockle when dry.
The outline of the object may first be sketched in lightly with a soft pencil and then the shading may be proceeded with. To do this, broad-pointed soft pencils, 2 B, 3 B, or 4 B, should be used, and it is better generally to work from the high lights to the shadows. To avoid rubbing finished parts, the work should proceed from the top of the board downwards, especially in the case of large drawings.
In order to obtain a nice gradation and a more smooth appearance—more especially when a very coarse paper has been used—the work may be gone over with paper stumps of appropriate size and softness, and, of course, India rubber may be employed where it is desired to reduce the density of the shading.
When finished, the edges of the various parts may appear woolly owing to the rubbing of the lead; this may be cured by cleaning up the edges with a trimmed piece of India rubber, but in so doing there is always a risk of rubbing out part of the shading, especially if the outline be at all intricate. If preferred, all the shaded parts may be fixed by painting them over with a suitable solution, gelatine for instance, paying particular attention in following the correct outline. When dry, the application of soft india-rubber will soon clean up the blurred edges.
If charcoal be used the same procedure may be followed. Charcoal and pencil drawings should be fixed, in order to prevent rubbing, before sending to the block makers. A suitable fixative may be purchased or one may be made by dissolving white resin in alcohol and applying it to the paper by means of a scent spray or an atomizer. A very good fixative may be made by dissolving a little gelatine in hot water and applying it whilst hot by means of a broad, flat camel hair brush, or ordinary milk may be used in a similar way. After the fixative has been put on, the drawing should be pinned up by one corner—unless, of course, it was pinned up before the fixative was employed, which is the best way when the fixative is an alcoholic solution—and allowed to dry; it may then be placed under pressure in order to flatten it, for fixed drawings generally shew a tendency to curl, especially when the preparation used for fixing has only been applied to one surface of the paper.