The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. I., No. 3, July, 1889Various
Science
The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. I., No. 3, July, 1889
Various
Geography -- Periodicals
The proper way to paint a model is a matter that must rest principally
upon the judgment of the modeler, depending to some extent, also, on
the use to which the model is to be put. The plain cast is sometimes
used, drainage, lettering, etc., being put directly upon it. This has
the advantage of preserving all the detail that comes from the mould,
but it has also the disadvantage of a surface easily soiled and
impossible to clean. If the model is to be photographed, the surface
should be nearly white--in our practice we use a small amount of yellow
with the white. This yellow is hardly appreciable by the eye, but its
effect upon the photographic negative is quite marked. Yellow becomes
grey in a photograph, and, in a photograph of a model colored as
described, a grey tint is given to the whole surface. The high lights
are not pure white, and there is no harsh contrast between light and
shade. There is another point of great importance in photographing
models: the surface should have a dead finish--that is, should have no
gloss, or, at most, should have only what is known among painters as an
egg-shell gloss. It is almost impossible satisfactorily to photograph a
model that has a shiny surface. Any portion of a model that it is
desired to separate from the rest should be painted a different
color--the water, for example, should be painted a light blue; not a
blue composed of indigo, however, or any of the grey blues, as these
produce in the photograph a dead grey, and are not pleasant to the eye.
The most satisfactory color that we have used is a mixture of
cobalt--the purest of the blues--with Antwerp blue--which is quite
green--and white. This gives a color that is pleasant to the eye, has
the retreating quality to perfection, and photographs well.
Models intended for exhibition as such should be painted realistically.
There is room here for an immense improvement in the usual practice,
which is to paint the model either in some conventional scheme of light
and shade, or else to put a single flat tint upon it. If the model is
to be colored conventionally it is, in my opinion, much better to use a
flat tint, light in tone, and with a dead surface. The use of a variety
of colors upon the face of a model interferes materially with the
relief, especially if the relief is finely modeled. For this reason
models colored to indicate geologic formations should always be
accompanied by duplicates representing topography only, colored
realistically, if possible, and without lettering. Well-defined lines
other than those pertaining to the model itself, such, for example, as
those used to define the boundaries of geologic formations, should not
be allowed upon a model when it is desired to bring out all the relief.
The lettering on such models should be kept down as small as possible,
or wholly dispensed with. The latter is much the better method.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account