The Snail Marble
The Snail Marble. (See Specimen Plates.)
The production of this marble is very simple. The colors are thrown on as for comb-marble and are drawn by the stylus into wavy lines and then, one by one, by the aid of the stylus, snail forms are produced.
The Gray Snail Marble
The manner of production is the same as that of the plain gray marble, with the exception that so much green is added till a desired tone is obtained. After this ground-color has been thrown on, the marble is drawn by the aid of the stylus into snails and then taken off.
The Common Greenish-Gray Snail Marble
To produce this the colors are thrown on in the following order, black, light-blue (two parts water, one part Oriental blue,) Indian yellow, pink, light red, gall water, and, finally, the body color, composed of one part black and two to three parts sprinkling water according as the demand is for a lighter or darker body color. Throw the colors on the same as in producing the grey marble, (see marbled edges) and when the ground color is thrown on draw the marble into snails and take off.
The Dark Blue Snail Marble
To all the dark marbles, which should have an especially brilliant effect, and are adapted for light-colored bindings, there is always added one or two parts of a solution of shellac and ammonia to the body color, in addition to sprinkling water. To produce this marble take black, light brown, light blue, (one part Indigo, two parts white,) lemon yellow, gall water and the body-color, which consists of two parts Indigo, one part black, from one to two parts sprinkling water and the same quantity of shellac-ammonia solution. After everything is thrown on the snails are formed.
The Dark-Red Snail-Marble
This marble has a beautiful effect and is especially adapted for fine half bindings with light-colored leather backs and corners and end papers of the same pattern as the edges. To produce this the colors are thrown on in the following order, black, light red, pink, light gray, (four parts white, one part black,) gall water and the body color consisting of two parts of carmine lake, one part of black and two parts of sprinkling water and shellac-ammonia solution. After throwing on the ground color the snails are drawn.
The Grayish-Green Snail-Marble
To produce it the colors are thrown on in the following order, black, claret red (two parts carmine lake and one part of black well mixed,) pink (ten parts of white and one part of scarlet red) gall-water which forms the white veins, and, finally, the body color, which consists of one part of black, three parts of sprinkling-water and an addition of green according to what shade of green is desired.