THE LEARNING CENTER
Writing on artifacts?
Contributed by member Peter Allen
Many people don't keep good track of
provenience, and I have an easy way to do this. I take clear
finger nail polish and using the brush that comes with it, apply
a small coat large enough to write some info on it. Usually
about 1/2 inch strip will do for most. Let the polish dry, about
10 minutes. Next take some artists India Ink, available at any
Art store, and many stationary stores. Get a small no.1 pen, the
type used for line drawing or calligraphy, and practice on paper
first. They can be a little tricky to use. You cant put much
pressure on the pen. When you've got the feel down, write your
info on the dry polish. Give that 5-10 minutes to dry. Put
another coat of polish over the ink, let dry, and there you have
it.
If you make a mistake, finger nail
polish remover, found at any drugstore or
supermarket, will take it right off.
On larger pieces, where there is room to write
larger, a microtip felt pen will work as well. This will still
write well on the polish. Some people have a hard time with the
artists pen.
Another type of pen, other than the calligraphic pen is a
lithographic pen. This is just a tad bit easier to use. Both will
set you back about $2.00 for the tip and the holder.
I don't use catalog numbers. It is
better to put the found location (County, State).
One time I bought a small collection with catalog numbers, but the finder had died, and his wife couldn't find his listing!