THE DRAWING

& rarely with red chalk. But these types of linen or cotton blenders are only used when drawing figures as large as life, or even larger.

One could guess that the word 'estompe' (a blending tool) comes from 'étoupes' (tow or waste fiber), as the end of these blenders is somewhat like a small bundle of fibers, which could be used as a substitute if a blender is unavailable. However, it is more likely that it comes from the Italian 'stonpare' or 'sfoppare'.

There are people who enhance their drawings done with sanguine (red chalk) by retouching with a bit of black stone, especially when they do not have dark sanguine: others use red chalk for the flesh tones and black stone for the drapery, to add more charm to their drawings through color variety.

Method for Counter-Proofing Pencil Drawings.

Drawings made with sanguine on white paper have the disadvantage that they cannot be rubbed at all without showing a yellowish stain, and they often get damaged in a portfolio with little handling, and they soil other drawings they are placed with. This inconvenience can be remedied (a) by counter-proofing them, which is done by

(a) Mr. Loriot recently found a secret to fix pastels and pencil drawings by applying a type of wash over them, whose composition is unknown, but which he applies with such dexterity that it is impossible to distinguish the treated drawings from others. This ingenious artist has already successfully fixed several pastels and notable drawings belonging to the King.

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Translation Notes

Estompe: blending tool, also known as a stump or tortillon in English.
Sanguine: a drawing material with a reddish-brown color, used especially in sketching.
Loriot: likely refers to Jean-Baptiste Loriot, an inventor active in the 18th century.