The process consists of coating a mat print all over with dry color made
by grinding black and brown pastels & mixing them, then clearing the
highlights by pumice and two types of eraser. Blacks are then "improved"
with a Wolff 2B carbon pencil. Spots are filled in with Chinese ink, for
which, Mortensen tells us, moisture should be provided by the tongue,
because the albumen in saliva (?!) makes a good medium.
At this point, blemishes are removed and highlights heightened by scraping
with a single edge razor blade, the techniques of which require a chapter
in themselves.
The cover shows a fetching miss reclining nude with the traditional raised
elbow, but a sheer curtain has dropped on top of her, hitting just at
nipple level. Others include the lady starkers in an artistically draped
armchair, bosom thoughtfully highlighted by razorblade, reading sheet
music. The one wrapped in cellophane (urTotal Woman?) isn't here, but you
can see her in the magazine ad for the photography school -- courses are
appropriate, the copy says, "for retired businessmen."
And many many more, of course.
Judy