The principles that have been given in regard to finishing photographs with lines, apply also to finishing with India ink—with the exception that in the manipulation of the ink it must be remembered that it cannot be taken out; therefore, you must commence to finish the photograph gradually, and produce the proper strength by repeatedly working over it. The old method of making India ink portraits was to have a print on "plain" paper—a kind without albumen on its surface. The great disadvantage of "plain" paper is that the lights and shadows on it are not strong, and therefore it takes too much work to finish the picture.

The following method (which is very simple and can be used in work on albumen paper, provided you have treated it by rubbing pumice stone over its surface with your fingers), adapts it to India ink. Of course the pumice stone treatment destroys the albumen on the surface, causing it to have a dull appearance, but after the picture has been finished its lustre can be restored by the use of a not too warm burnisher.

In finishing the photograph commence on the hair by washing it all over (with the exception of the highest light) with a weak solution of the ink, using the brush in the same direction that the hair goes; after this has dried, indicate the half-shadow with a little stronger wash, and after drying it again put in the deeper shadows, then the eyebrows, eyes and beard, if the subject has one.

Faces are finished in India ink on the line principle,[D] which shows the grain of the flesh. Commence on the forehead with a very weak solution, and then continue it all over the face, repeatedly working and cross hatching with lines until the face is dark enough; then strengthen the shadows under the eyes, nose, mouth and chin. After the face is completed put in the clothes. This you do by washing them over with two or three solutions of the ink, and then producing the line effect as in work on crayon portraits, explained on page 76, the difference in the nature of the material used being always borne in mind. After the picture is otherwise completed, you can brighten up the eyes and some of the strongest shadows with a solution of gum arabic and water.