The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (February 1897)

The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. 35 ground or sunset effects are the only places for very pronounced brilliant colours, but even here they should be kept well under control, and not too much of them. Blue, red, green, and yellow were almost the only colours used for lantern slides forty years ago ; brilliant but exceedingly inartistic effects were the result, and a view of these slides at the present day is a lesson in what to avoid in the way of colouring'in every particular except brilliancy, although some allowance must be made, as the illuminants formerly in small private exhibitions were very inferior to those of the present time. Subdued colours had a very poor effect on the screen ; the slides also being drawn by hand were crude in comparison with the photograph, which, by-the-bye, has undoubtedly had the effect of popularising thelantern. Slides may be tinted with aniline colours, but they are somewhat fugitive, very good effects produced if a considerable breadth of tint is wanted as a seascape by moonlight. In preparing a slide of this kind, we first of all carefully go over the high lights with a little thin rubber solution, and then dip the slide into a solution of dark aniline blue, or it can be poured over the slide like collodion, the surplus being put back in the bottle. This can be repeated until sufficient depth is secured. A little difference in colour between the water and sky is made by passing a brush charged with green grey over the water. When itis all dry, a little friction with a pad moistened with benzine will remove the india-rubber from the high lights, which will be left white. If aniline colours are applied with a brush, the precaution of moistening the film with spirit before beginning to colour will expedite natters. The light tints should be put on first as sky and water, then the foliage. There is always a disposition for these colours to spread, and when dry leave a deep-coloured edge. In order to avoid this have a bottle with spirit at hand; do not carry the colours quite to the edge of the object, but with a sable brush, lightly charged with plain spirit, soften it towards the edge. The aniline colours should be dissolved in dilute spirit ; spirit alone evaporates rather too rapidly and gives unnecessary trouble if working with a brush, although if the whole slide has to be tinted this is of no consequence. Always begin the middle of portion to be coloured, and work towards the edges, using little colour as possible, and availing yourself of any decided lines in the sabject as the limitation of the tint. Practice will be necessary to do it well, but once get into the way of working and it will be easy enough. I would advocate the use of sable brushes, and not camel’s hair, for in these latter there is no elasticity, and hairs are very apt to come out; a broken hair on-a lantern slide is a serious defect. The brushes should have a preliminary dip or two in turpentine, and rubbed dry on a clean rag to remove any loose or partially loose hairs before being put into use, and to cleanse them afterwards. Never put a brush away dirty; in fact, every precaution must be taken to preserve the integrity of the surface from dust and grit of all kinds, as an almost invisible speck will be unpleasantly evident on the screen. The slide should be examined by a magnifier of considerable power—a watchmaker's magnifying glass is a capital and convenient lens to use, sufficiently strong to detect any objectionable matter. Very much the same rules apply in painting lantern. slides as in other kinds of painting. Colours are more brilliant when glazed over each other than by mixing them together in the first place. Supposing we desire a variety of greens in the foreground, we use several different single tints in the first place ; then by glazing them over with yellow or brown we considerably add to the variety and harmonise the otherwise too crude colours, besides supplying a richness and purity of tint impossible were the pigments mixed the colour they were intended to remain at the beginning. Always before applying a second colour, see that the first laid on is thoroughly dried by heat; in case of four or five paintings each must be thoroughly dried before the next is applied. When the painting materials are done with, the brushes should be cleaned out with turpentine, and nicely wiped to a point and laid ready for the next job. The paint should be cleared off the slab or palette, and never left to dry on it. It is much more important to keep things clean for lantern slide painting than for painting of any other kind; tiny specks of old dry colour off the palette orin the brushes, or a broken hair, will give no end of trouble. If the paint is left to dry in the brush it will take a great deal of cleaning, to the detriment not only of the brush, but the painting. Good sable brushes will last a long time with careful usage, but are soon ruined for good work by neglect. Cleanliness is a golden rule, and applies to lantern slide painting with, if possible, more force than to anything else—save chemical experiments.