The Artist's Assistant, In the Study and Practice of Mechanical Sciences: Calculated for the Improvement of Genius. Illustrated with Copper-Plates (Birmingham, [ca. 1785])

198 THE ARTIST'S ASSISTANT.

your fand bag with the plate upon it; and, holding
the graver as above diretted, proceed to bufinefs
m the following manner :

For ftraight ftrokes, hold your plate firm upon the
fand bag with your left hand, movinc vour right
hand forwards; leaning lighter where the ftroke
fhould be fine, and harder where you would have
it broader.

For circular or crooked ftrokes, hold the oraver
itedfaft, moving your hand or the plate, as you fee
convenient.

Learn to carry your hand with fuch a flight, that
you may end your ftroke as finely as you began it ;
and if you have occafion to make one part deeper
or blacker than another, do it by degrees ; and that
you may do it with greater exaftnefs, take care that
your ftrokes be not too cloie, nor too wide.

In the courfe of your work, Icrape off the barb or
roughnefs which ariles, with the bellv of your graver :
but be careful in doing this, not to fcratch the plate :
and that you may fee your work properly as you go
on, rub it with the oil rubber, and wipe the plate
clean, which will take off the glare of the conDer,
and fhew what you have done to the be ft advantage.

Any miftakes or fcratches in the plate may be

rubbed out with the burnifher, and the part levelled

with the fcraper, polifhing it again afterwards lightly

with the burnifher.

Having thus attained the ufeof the graver, aCCOrd-
cs o 7

ing to the foregoing rules, you will be able to finifh
the piece you had etched, by graving up the feve-
ral parts to the colour of the original ; beginning,
as in the etching, with the fainter parts, and ad-
vancing gradually with the ftronger, till the whole
is complcated.

The