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Old 10-01-2008, 04:17 PM
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KatherinePlumer KatherinePlumer is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Oak Run, California
Posts: 233
Default Re: Katherine's Scrimshaw Tutorial: experimenting with mammoth ivory

Okay, more surface testing today, hence another ugly scrap to look at. I flipped that little piece over. Half if it had Super Glue applied, and then the entire thing was sanded to 4000 (pardon the ginormous cracks...) The other half then got a coat of Renaissance Wax, and I did a little test of etching ink and India ink on each half.



Hmmmm, and it all looks pretty much the same. The Super Glue side does have a different feel to it. Although there is no glue on the surface, it feels harder and does not raise much of a burr, whereas the other side did. Nothing seems to be bleeding or staining, even on the unsealed side (to my complete surprise).

I really don't like using India ink, it's a pain. It dries instantly all over the surface I have to go at it with a damp q-tip to remove the excess.



Etching ink is really more my style, it just wipes off easily. But I've not had great success using etching ink for color work (going to talk about this more in a separate tutorial). So for b/w scrim I think I'll stick with etching ink. Probably for good measure I need to seal this mammoth ivory just to be on the safe side, since I know this piece absolutely DOES absorb liquid.

I'm going to give this little scrap a couple days to see if anything changes (like ink bleeding out from the lines/dots).

Stay tuned! I need to sand/seal the final piece and get the image all sketched out anyway.