The artists repository and drawing magazine: exhibiting the principles of the polite arts in their various branches (2.1788)

[ n6 ]

To lay a ground, the cradle is to be palled for-s
wards in the fame direction; being kept as {ready as
poffible, and preffed upon with a moderate force, till the
inftrument has thus palled over the whole furface of the
plate, This firft courfe of grounding muft be crolTed
at right angles, on the fame principles. New lines muft
then be drawn diagonally, and the cradle paffed as be-
fore ; when the firft diagonal operation is performed,
thefe lines muft alfo be croiTed at right angles. The
plate having undergone the action of the cradle, accord-
ing to this difpofition, a fecond courfe of cradling muft
be commenced : and the fame muft be repeated regu-
larly, changing the direction of the lines made by the
tool. When the whole of this operation is finifhed, it is
called one turn ; but, in order to produce a very dark and
uniform ground, the plate muft undergo the repetition of
all thefe operations many times.

When the plate is prepared with a ground, the (ketch
muft be calked on it, by rubbing the paper on the back-
fide with chalk. It is alfo proper to overtrace it after-
wards with black-lead or Indian ink. The fcraping is
then performed, by paring or cutting away the grain of
the ground in various degrees ; fo that none of it is left
in the original ft ate, except in the touches of the
{trongeft fhadows. The general manner of proceeding is
the fame as drawing with white upon black paper. The
maffes of light are firft begun with; and thofe parts,
which go off into light in their upper part, but are
brown below: the reflections are then entered upon;
after which the plate is blackened with a printer's black-
ing-ball made of felt, in order to difcover the effect.
Obferve always to begin where the ftrongeft lights, are.

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