1957. Lithographic Paper

1957.      Lithographic Paper. Take rather strong, unsized paper, and cover it with a varnish composed of 120 parts starch, 40 parts gum-arabic and 20 parts alum. Make a moderate paste of the starch by boiling, dissolve the gum and alum separately, and then mix all together. "When well mixed, apply hot with a flat, smooth brush, to the leaves of paper. Then dry and smooth by passing under the scraper of the lithographic press.

1958. Bernard and Delarne's Lithographic Crayons

1958.    Bernard and Delarne's Lithographic Crayons. Melt 4 parts pure white wax over a slow fire; stir in by degrees 2 parts gum lac, broken into small pieces; next mix in 2 parts dried soap (made of tallow and soda), reduced to fine shavings; then stir in 1 part oil copal varnish into which 1 part lampblack has been previously ground. Continue to heat and stir until the paste has acquired a proper consistence, which can be ascertained by forming a crayon with it in a mould, and allowing it to become cold. The mould should be first wiped with a greased rag.

Lasteyrie adopts a somewhat different formula for his crayons: Dried white tallow soap, 6 parts; white wax, 6 parts; lampblack, 1 part. The soap and tallow are to be put into a small goblet and covered up. "When the whole is thoroughly fused by heat, and no clots remain, the black is gradually sprinkled in with careful stirring.

1959. Rouget's Method of Preserving Pencil Drawings

1959.    Rouget's Method of Preserving Pencil Drawings. This invention consists in fixing drawings, tracings, or sketches, by directly projecting on these latter any suitable adhesive liquid reduced to a fine spray, or in what is commonly called the atomized or pulverized state, by causing the liquid to pass rapidly under pressure through one or more capillary tubes or openings. By this method the defects of the transudation process are entirely done away with, besides which the operation is executed in less time, and may be performed at once by the artist without the slightest difficulty. For the fixing liquid, any colorless, or nearly colorless liquid, which allows of being atomized, and which, after becoming dry, causes the particles of the charcoal, or other drawing materials made use of, to adhere sufficiently firmly to the paper or other drawing surface, may serve for the purpose. Thus, for instance, a liquid which has given the most satisfactory results is obtained by adding to a solution of 3 ounces white sugar candy and 2 ounces white shellac, in about 2 pints spirits of wine, a decoction of about 1 ounce fucus crispus (Irish moss) in 1 pint distilled water.

1960. To Fix Pencil or Chalk Drawings

1960.    To Fix Pencil or Chalk Drawings. Lay the drawing on its face, stretch it tightly on a board with drawing pins, and give the back 2 or 3 coats of a solution of 5 parts isinglass, or gum-arabic, in 12 parts water, using a varnisher's flow brush, and allowing each coat to dry before laying on the next. "When dry, turn the drawing over, face upwards, and give it 1 or 2 coats in the same manner. This will usually be sufficient to fix the drawing, but the addition of 1 or 2 coats of a solution of 4 parts Canada balsam, in 5 parts turpentine, will afford still further protection.