Re: Richeson "Magic" Brush
Mark, Good suggestions. I'll add my 2 cents. When I first got my Magic Brush (Richeson 9010), I tried using it without prewetting it..... and SLUUUUURP! It sucked up all the chemistry. So checking with Sandy King and Sam Wang, they both gave me good advice—PRE WET THE BRUSH STUPID! hehehehe So, I prewet the brush with distilled water and shake it out over the sink—about 10 really good shakes (it's all in the wrist) will leave the brush dry enough that you don't feel any more water coming out. With PT/PD I actually use a little more chemistry and work it a bit longer—I then check the surface by holding the coated paper at an angle to a light source to check for any puddles or dry spots...but this brush really does a nice job. I hold the brush so that it is balanced in my hand and then brush with it held at an angle of about 35-40 degrees....I let the weight of the brush do the work without applying any pressure (since it is almost balanced in my hand, there isn't much pressure on the paper). After coating, I rinse in tap water and shake it out...then I do a second rinse in distilled water and shake it out again. Then I hang it with the handle up. One nice thing is that you don't have to let the brush dry, you can use it again immediately. It has great spring to it, yet great softness that prevents abrasion. When I teach students to coat PT/PD, I teach them with a magic brush—it is amazing how quickly they are able to do a good coating job. Good luck! Best Wishes, Mark Nelson Precision Digital Negatives - The System PDNPrint Forum at Yahoo Groups www.MarkINelsonPhoto.com In a message dated 11/23/06 10:31:35 AM, mark@dragonbones.com writes: Rita, I was a little surprised you didn't get more feedback about the brush so here is my two cents. Kerik turned me on to this brush over a year ago and I've never used another brush since. I've purchased multiple brushes to use with different processes: albumen, cyanotype, platinum, VDB. The beauty of this brush is three-fold: 1. It does NOT abrade the surface of your paper, even with vigorous brushing. This allows you to work the chemistry into the paper if that is your desire. 2. Puts down a very even coating of chemistry. I'm not sure I totally understand the science, but the brush seems to load well and allow you to coat lightly or heavily depending on your hand pressure. NO brush marks are visible if you work your chemistry in from multiple directions. 3. Doesn't soak up your chemistry. I have an old table showing the number of drops of chemistry for pt/pd prints by size using a glass rod -- which is said to be the most conservative use of chemistry. I use this chart with the magic brush. Other brushes I've used will sometimes soak up a significant amt of chemistry. I use distilled water to soften the brush before using and hang them to dry. Mark
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