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691 Great Britain, in Pall Mal), is an electric retouching apparatus sent from Belgium by Geesbergen and Geruzet Brothers; those who are not experienced re touchers would probably find this simple apparatus extremely useful. A pencil of any degree of hardness, according to the operator’s fancy, is fixed in a metal holder somewhat resembling the ordinary retouching pencil-holder, but at least three times longer ; this holder is caused to vibrate rapidly by means of a spring attached to an oscillating electric motor set in action by switching on one or more cells of a battery. When fine work and light touches are required, one cell is employed ; to obtaiu more pronounced effect, two or three cells are added to the circuit. Having obtained a suitable touch, and adjusted the balance for the convenience of working, the operator guides the pencil over those parts of a negative he wishes stippled. In this article it is not intended to teach the art of re touching in such a manner that the tyro will be enabled to produce at once effects of the highest order, or to lay down any strict directions as to the mode of proceeding, but rather to relate the modus operandi practised by many professionals in their daily work, and be a chapter of guidance to those who have no experience whatever. Doubtless anything herein written is well known to ac complished retouchers, though possibly a few of the less fortunate of the craft may pick up a hint. The first requisite is a suitable easel, upon which to rest the negative while working on its surface. The most simple contrivance is obtained by screwing the end of a strip of wood on each of two sides of an ordinary printing frame to form struts or legs ; stand this in an oblique posi tion on a table of convenient height, covered with card board, light blue wall-paper, or other suitable reflector, near a window or other source of light. Place the nega tive in the rabbett of the frame, film upwards, and it is ready to receive as much work as the skill of the operator permits. Upon this crude principle the idea of construct ing all retouching desks has hitherto been based, many of them being very elaborate in construction ; the quality of the easel, however, has little to do with the effect of the stipple > the main feature to be aimed at is comfort in worke second consideration is the surface to receive the work. Gelatine negatives readily take a coating of plum bago ; but some retouchers find a difficulty in building up, as it is termed, with the same degree of labour as on a varnish suitably prepared. Others prefer applying a liquid or a cutting medium on the part to be worked, thus obtaining a tooth of definite hardness or bite for the pencil. This work is varnished, and any additional touching that may be required is put on the varnish, either with or with out the aid of a medium. Cutting mediums in general use comprise such sub stances as finely-pulverised gum resin alone or with dextrine, cuttlefish-bone, bath-brick, emery, putty powder, and other substances of like nature ; the former is mostly in favour, and the manner of applying the powder is to take a very small quantity on the ball of the finger, and rub with a circular motion the part to be worked, taking care not to extend the friction beyond the outline. Liquid mediums are composed principally of volatile oils which are solvents of the gums used in varnishing, such as turpentine or spike oil, with the addition of a gum, such as resin or myrrh ; half an ounce of gum resiu dis solved in two fluid ounces of turpentine and filtered makes a very good medium, and will be found sufficient to last a very longtime. Onlythesmalhstquantity shouldbe taken on a clean piece of cambric and lightly smeared over the parts to be worked. Among tho many aids used in practice are the following, ana their uses:—Finely pulverized graphite, rubbed on puts of a film by means of stumps to strengthen clouds, °age, waves, draperies, &c., or applied on the back of the negative previously prepared, either for the same purpose, or to form clouds, vignettes, &c. A suitable preparation consists of a coating of varnish, made by mixing equal parts of gold size and turpentine together ; when this has sufficiently set, apply the powder with a dabber for the opaqne portions, using a stump to produce proper blending. Papier mineral and tracing papers are useful for gumming on the back of those portions of a negative which print too pronounced, and in cases of under-exposure the back of the negative may be entirely covered with this material, both pencil and stump being freely used when necessary, either on the negative or paper, or both. An assortment of finely-pointed drawing pencils of vary ing hardness should be always at hand ; also a few cakes of water colours, comprising Prussian blue, vermilion, Chinese white, Indian ink, carmine, &c., together with a few small sable,brushes having good points, for the purpose of spotting- out defects requiring greater opacity than can be ob tained with the pencil, aud again for filling up to the sur rounding opacity any portions of the film which may have been cut away to improve the general outline. It often happens in portraiture that the outlines of high cheek bones and other portions of the face, the arms, figure, or some part of the drapery, does not present as true a curve as might bo desired, the symmetry of the lines being marred by some projection overlooked or impossible to avoid altogether in posing. Under there circumstances it is usual for the offend ing portion to be removed by means of a sharp scraper or an old lancet, the incision being filled up with a pigment; this is a delicate operation, and one in which long practice is often necessary to perform effectively ; still it is daily practised by some of the best retouchers. Portrait photo graphers catering for the public, although conscientious and truthful in their representations, find it imperative to remove all obnoxious protuberances, or lose reputation and clientele as well. Oftentimes too much opacity is obtained in certain por tions of a negative ; this opacity, if treated by a skilful operator, can easily be subdued by chemical means. Generally, however, the work is left to the skill of the re- toucher to correct by mechanical means. Almost any finely- divided powder similar to those suggested as being suitable cutting mediums, answer well for this purpose, provided both gelatine negative and abrading powder be fairly dry; only so much friction should be employed as will remove a portion of the film, care being taken not to rub beyond the outlines of density, or to grind off too much at one opera tion. The ordinary ink-eraser will be very useful if the opacity is confined to a space of small dimensions. All work of this kind should be done on the unvarnished gelatine. Those negatives which have been already varnished should be steeped in alcohol until the varnish has been dissolved off. As soon as they are dry, they are ready for treatment as above described. Those unaccustomed to retouching will doubtless attain efficiency quicker by adopting the touch known as stippling, than cross-hatching or lining, as practised by some of the most rapid workers ; besides, the effect as the work pro gresses can bo more readily seen. Very finely-pointed pencils should be employed when working faces and hands of small dimensions, the stipple being of the finest character on the faces of children and young persons, gradually in creasing the size of the stipple as the dimensions of the flesh parts grow larger, and the character of the face indi cates. The first work should always be the removal of freckles and skin markings, following this with a stipple, the fineness of which should be dependant on the nature of the subject. Persons of mature age exhibit very character istic lines in the negative, which require different treat ment to the foregoing, a series of intersected lines being far more effective, and quicker in execution.