Got a 2 layer cel, in a bag, i dont know how to open

[hgeek23]

See the linked picture.

I just made my first deputy purchase. It is a 2 layer cel, and it's in what looks like 2 bags taped together, so that one (the special effects layer), lays on top of the other.

Thing is, I want to go in and remove the sketch /make sure that it's not sticking to the cel itself. But, i dont see any openings in the bag for the cel, only for the bag of the top layer. This leads me to believe that the opening is taped closed on the back sticking to the other bag.
Should i separate the bags? I dont want to do something to mess this up.

Thanks

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/21 ... 62649.jpg/

[cutiebunny]

I'd suggest not touching the special effects layer with your bare hands. Use some gloves and you won't have to worry about the paint coming off.

[hgeek23]

Well thats inside a bag. But the bag that one is in is bound by an adhesive to the back of the bag holding the cel and the sketch. (see picture below). To open the cel bag, i'd need to separate the two bags and the adhesive.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/ ... 21704.jpg/

[sensei]

This looks like a dealer's way of displaying the two layers together for sale without risking having the effects layer stick to the character layer. That's a sign that the item has been carefully curated, as it's (sadly) normal for layers to come stuck together, which is bad for both cels as fumes can build up between the two.

If you just want to remove the sketch (assuming it's unstuck), then it's perfectly OK to slit the bag down one edge. In fact, that might be a healthy thing to do to allow the cel to vent to the outside air. I've taken to slitting one edge of my cel bags as a precaution. Use a craft knife in good light so you don't accidentally slit the cel too.

If the bag is badly puckered, you might even want to replace it, and then reattach the effects layer (still in its bag) to the new bag, in registration.

And yes, for any cel using airbrushing or some kind of special technique, gloves are a good idea.

[hgeek23]

I opened the bag and removed the sketch, only to find that there is some kind of rice paper or something stuck to the back of the cel. Is this normal? I'm disappointed since the background i made will not show up so clearly now, since the rice paper thing is kind of opaque-colored.

[jcaliff]

It's actually very common, but fortunately it's also pretty easy to remove even if it's stuck since you don't have to worry about destroying the tissue paper. I recommend trimming it close to the edge of the paint where it sticks, then use a damp sponge (makeup sponge with a chiseled edge works great), cloth or cotton swab to wet the tissue paper. It won't damage the paint if you are just dampening it enough to wet the paper, and the tissue paper should slide or peel off once it's wet.