[Leica] Re: Spotting: Aaaargh! Can anyone help?

[Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>]

Spotting is an art in itself. What I was taught at Brooks, and it has
always worked for me, is the following:

Shake the bottle.

Remove the cap.

Take a 000 or 0000 brush and wet it on your tongue, turning the brush as
you do. Saliva is an important ingredient.

Gently dab the brush in some Spot Tone residue in the bottle cap.

Stroke the brush on some paper (back of an old print, or whatever) until
the mark left by the brush is basically a dry mark.

Gently and carefully dab the tip of the brush on the spot, starting at the
edges, and filling in toward the center. Repeat the tongue, cap residue,
drying on paper, spotting the print scenario until finished.

The secret is... never use a "wet" brush. The color laid down must be in a
semi-dry state. Always use spit as the brush wetting agent. Always build-up
the color to the correct density. Start light and then add layers to get to
dark. NEVER be in a hurry. You can change Spot Tone colors part way through
to find the exact match. The old and new will blend to form a color variation.

Jim


At 11:38 PM 11/2/99 +1100, Gareth Jolly wrote:
>I seem to be having the most phenomenal problems spotting of late.
>
>I'm using Spot tone inks; a double 00 brush and am spotting on Agfa Classic
>fibre base.
>
>I'm finding great trouble in getting the inks to 'take' to the paper - the
>inks are tending to bead around the spot, leaving a dark 'halo' around the
>spot.  It is also taking an inordinate amount of time to cover the spot.
>
>I'm trying out:
>
>1.  testing the tone of the ink I have mixed on an absorbent paper (if I
>test it on the front surface of Agfa Classic paper it is very difficult to
>tell if the tone is correct or too light or dark);
>
>2.  ensuring that, as far as possible, that there is a minimum of ink on the
>brush;
>
>3.  trying to mix the inks a little lighter than the area to be spotted.
>
>I've also heard that wetting the area to be spotted helps.   That's next on
>the list to try.
>
>I've never had this trouble on other papers.
>
>I've also tried the spotting pens / texta's, without success.
>
>Can any one help out with any tips, before I tear my hair out?
>
>Thanks
>Gareth Jolly
>