CHROMO PHOTOGRAPHY

It does not require as much artistic talent as one would suppose to transfer and paint photographs on glass. The shading and fine work are already furnished by the photographer, and all that is required to paint the pictures is a little care in following, outlines, and taste in colors.

The materials necessary are convex glass in card and cabinet size, three camel's-hair brushes, Nos. i, 2 and 3, a small quantity of amber- line (which may be procured at the druggists), some adhesive paper and the best tube paint in flake-white, Naples yellow, Vandyke brown, Prussian blue, ivory black, rose madder, vermilion and terre-verte. One dollar and a half will cover the cost of material to begm with. You will have enough paint to color the photographs of all your friends, and the glasses cost but a few cents.

Soak the photograph in clear rainwater until it will readily slip from the card. On no account must it be pulled from the card, or you will ruin the picture. Place the photograph between two pieces of blotting paper, or dry it with a soft cloth. Trim the picture until it is a trifle smaller than the glass. Have the under or hollow side of the glass perfectly clean and dry. Make a thin paste of corn-starch, and while it

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is warm quickly cover the face of the photo well with a soft cloth. Then immediately place the face side of the photo next the glass, hold it firmly in the center with the thumb of the left hand, and with the right hand and a piece of soft paper quickly press out all the moisture and air, working it outward toward the edge of the glass and wiping it off with a clean cloth. This is the most difficult part of the whole.

You must be very careful and not rub so hard as to tear the paper, and not a particle of air or moisture must be left between the paper and glass. If you are not successful the first time, soak the picture off and try it again. Be sure that the edges are firmly fixed to the glass. When the back of the picture is perfectly smooth and dry, with a piece of fine sandpaper go over the back of the picture gently, to remove any paste that may have adhered to it.

Now take a shallow tin dish large enough to admit of putting the glass in (a cake tin will do nicely), and melt amberline in it until it is half an inch in the dish. Amberline is something like sperm and will congeal as quickly. When the amberline is melted and hot, lay the picture in it, the under side down, just long enough for every part of the paper to be wet ; take it out and as quickly as possible wipe every bit of it off with a soft cloth ; the paper will be soaked through and perfectly transparent. Be sure that it is all transparent. You are now ready to paint.

Have a piece of glass on which to mix and try your colors. Paint directly on the back of the photograph, holding up to the light in order to follow the outlines. First with your finest brush paint the corners of the eyes with white into which a pin point of yellow has been mixed. Pure white is best if the subject is a child or a blonde. If blue eyes, paint the round part of the eye with Prussian blue, making it lighter if desired, by mixing white with it. For brown eyes use Vandyke brown. The lips of a blonde are painted with rose-madder and white, a pin point of each mixed. For a brunette use vermilion and white. Always wipe one kind of paint from the brush before using another. A drop of spirits of turpentine or castor oil and a soft cloth are good to clean brushes. If you do not get the color right at first, it may be washed off with turpentine and a cloth. While the lips and eyes are drying, out- line the face and ear with a line of pure white. Now supposing the hair to be light golden brown, mix a very little yellow and white with Vandyke brown, putting on the color thus made with your second size brush ; touch the eyebrows with the same color, as hair and eyebrows generally correspond. If the hair is dark brown, use Vandyke brown.

Jewelry should be painted with light yellow. Laces, ruchings and shirt fronts or anything pure white should be painted with pure flake- white. For the center, or shadow part of the ear, use a very fine point of vermilion, painting the rest of the ear with white and just a touch of

208 . PAINTING,

rose-madder. The chin and cheeks of a blonde are painted with rose- madder, white, and the barest touch of yellow, well mixed ; this gives what artists call the flesh tint. Vermilion is used in place of rose-mad- der if the subject is a brunette. Under the eyes and around them use the flesh tint made of rose-madder, white and yellow; lighten this shade by adding a little white, and paint around the edges of the hair, adding more white as you paint toward the eyebrows, blending your colors well. Taste and practice will determine the right shades to give the -face. The neck requires the flesh tint.

For black clothing use ivory black. Terre-verte and flake-white, well mixed, make a cool gray tint for drapery or background. White, rose- madder and terre-verte make a good background for brunettes ; and Prussian blue, rose-madder and white, make a lavender tint, a handsome background for blondes. When the picture is all painted and dry, cut a piece of white card-board the size of the glass, and fasten it to the back of the glass by binding the edges with a narrow strip of adhesive paper. The picture without this white at the back will look streaked. If you wish to try the effects of a color, place your photographs against a white background.

If, as in some cases, the paper on which the photograph is printed is very thin, of poor quality, and looks coarse when painted, only color the eyes, lips and hair, and any jewelry or lace, on the first glass, and take a second glass and place back of it, separating the two with thin wedges of card-board at the corners ; bind them together with adhesive paper and paint on the second glass. Use your coarsest brush for drapery and background. If you cannot obtain adhesive paper, use mucilage and a strip of thin paper or muslin.