244 Scenery Cartooning and Layout to be drawn and pulled taut. When the line is pulled up and released, it snaps back into place, leaving a perfectly straight line. Snap lines may be as simple as a piece of cotton string coated along its length with a stick of charcoal or chalk to "chalk" the line. The string is stored wrapped around a stick when not in use to keep it from getting tangled. Commercial snap lines spool the line up into a case filled with powder. These are convenient to use because they recharge the chalk line every time they are wound or unwound. Doubled-geared snap lines that reel in twice as fast are very handy. The lines in commercial snap lines can be replaced if they get frayed, knotted, or if the color of chalk needs to be changed. Snap lines commonly are called chalk lines because carpenters load them with various colors of powdered chalk. This chalk is not used in scenic painting because it leaves a permanent mark. Often, snapped lines on drops or scenery are used as guides for locating the cartoon lines on a drop; these guidelines will need to be cleaned off later. So the snap lines in a paint shop are filled with either pounce powder or powdered charcoal. Talcum powder or white pounce powder works well for snapping lines on dark surfaces. Pounce powder can be purchased from sign painting supply stores or ordered through sign painting supply catalogs. Available in black or white, they are very economical and clean off A snap bow is made for one person to snap lines alone (see Figure 9-6). It is a length of lumber, square aluminum, or conduit with a large corner block at each end. The snap line is stretched between them. The snap bow can be as lengthy as can be handled comfortably. Because it is easy to make, a snap bow can be assembled for a specific project. The line of the snap bow can be chalked by rubbing it with charcoal or chalk. Lining Sticks and Straight Edges Lining sticks are guides for drawing or painting straight lines (see Figure 9-7). Lining sticks can be short or very long and are used in painting up or down. They are made of wood that has been beveled on the bottom edges. This bevel keeps the bottom edge of the lining stick from coming in contact with a paintbrush.