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Ideas/Section-4
A very interesting little
practised craft, is creating effects
with scrap foil. It is a cheap medium to work with, supplies
being obtained freely from the wrappers of sweets, chocolates,
biscuits, cigarettes, and other articles. If one prefers to use
new foil, it may be obtained quite cheaply, and there is not
waste at all.
Pictures of your own design, calendars,
trays, advertising signs
and firescreens are but a few of the articles that can be made
in a wide range of patterns and colors. Materials required are
few, and consist of a piece of glass, the size of the article
being made, cardboard, Indian ink, photographic paste, and passe
partout binding.
As an example, let us begin with a colorful
picture of a basket
of flowers, selected from a glossy magazine. Most pictures are
suitable for this type of work, but those with small details
should be avoided.
Transfer the main outlines of the design
on a piece of tracing
paper, then place the blank side of the paper against the piece
of glass; back it with cardboard, and secure the whole with
elastic bands or paper clips to prevent movement. The design
should now be seen reversed, as in a mirror.
Thoroughly clean the front of the glass
to remove any
fingerprints of greasy patches. With Indian ink, black out all
of the background, leaving the parts that will show the foil
clear. When thoroughly dry, apply a second coat of ink. After
allowing that coat to dry, the paper and card may be removed.
Cut the foil roughly to the shapes required, and using
photographic paste, place the pieces in their respective
positions on the inked side of the glass, and smooth the foil
gently. If the foil slightly overlaps the ink, it does not
matter; it will not show.
Build the picture up from the center to
the outside, and finish
one color before starting on the next. Cover the finished work
with paper, and smooth gently but thoroughly all over to ensure
that every part is firmly fixed. When dry, coat with clear
varnish, and leave to set.
Place the backing cardboard into position
again, not forgetting
to fix any hangers if they are required, and then bind the edges
with passe partout.
Even the smallest piece of foil left over
will have a future
use, and every bit however small, should b e saved. In the case
of buildings, remember that light windows should be shown in
silver or gold foil, an skies should of course be blue, grass
green, etc.
