DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20658#0340
3QQ
ENGRAVING.
are more or less angled, and their extremities form the point. When ground the breadth of
the end is termed its face. In whetting the graver great address and care are requisite. The
two lower angles of the graver are to be laid flat upon the oil-stone, and rubbed steadily until
they are as bright as a minor, and till the belly rises gradually $ so that when the graver is
laid flat upon the plate, the light may be perceived under the point; otherise it will dig into
the copper, and it will be impossible to use it with freedom. The face is next to be whetted,
which is done merely by laying the face of the graver flat upon the stone with the belly upwards,
and rubbing it steadily upon a moderate slope, until it acquire a very sharp point, which may be
tried on the thumb-nail; observing that the stone be supplied with oil during the whole time.
Gravers as sold in the shops, are generally too hard for use, which may be known by the
frequent breaking of their points. W hen this is the case they should be tempered, by holding
them on a red-hot poker, till they change to a light straw colour, and then dipping them in oil :
or they may be held in the flame of a candle, and cooled in the tallow. The gravers which are
so soft as to yield to a file are worth nothing.
Ens;ravins: in Chalk.
This method of engraving has lately, very deservedly, merited public attention, by the beauty
of many specimens it has produced. It may be considered as a method of etching in dots, since
the preparation of the plate, laying the ground, tracing the subject, &c. are the same as in
etching. The principal difference is, that instead of lines as in etching, the drawing, shadows, &c.
consist of a mixture of varied and irregular dots, as freely as can possibly be clone, yet carefully,
and made more or less soft, so as to resemble the grain produced by the chalk on paper. Tor every
stroke of the chalk on paper may be considered as an infinite number of adjoining points, which
are the small eminencies of the grain of the paper, touched by the chalk in passing over it. The
plate being prepared, and the ground laid as in etching, the drawing to he imitated may be
counterproved on the ground of the plate. ]f this cannot conveniently be done, a black-lead
pencil, or red-chalk, must be applied to varnished or oiled-paper; by which means all the traces
of the drawing may be transferred to the ground. The outlines of the drawing must be formed
in the etching by points, which will create dots, whose size and distances must be determined by
the quality of the strokes of the original drawing. In forming the lights and shades, it is
necessary to distinguish between those hatches which serve to express the perspective of the
object, and those which form the ground thereof. The principal hatches must be more strongly
marked; the middle tints, if etched, marked lightly, or they may be left to be finished by the
dry-needle and graver, after the ground is taken off, which will give them a greater degree of
softness. In applying the aqna-fortis the artist should be careful not to corrode the lighter
parts too much. When these parts are sufficiently bitten, they may b? stopped up with the tur-
pentine varnish and lamp-black; and the aqua-fortis may be applied again to bite the stronger
parts ; and it may be observed that, if the dots which compose the shade burst into each other,
it will not injure the work, except they form too hard a spot, or too considerable a black. \\ hen
the ground is taken off the plate it will be necessary to interstipple with proper points in the
flesh, and softer parts of the work, which will produce a more delicate effect than can ever be
attaiued
ENGRAVING.
are more or less angled, and their extremities form the point. When ground the breadth of
the end is termed its face. In whetting the graver great address and care are requisite. The
two lower angles of the graver are to be laid flat upon the oil-stone, and rubbed steadily until
they are as bright as a minor, and till the belly rises gradually $ so that when the graver is
laid flat upon the plate, the light may be perceived under the point; otherise it will dig into
the copper, and it will be impossible to use it with freedom. The face is next to be whetted,
which is done merely by laying the face of the graver flat upon the stone with the belly upwards,
and rubbing it steadily upon a moderate slope, until it acquire a very sharp point, which may be
tried on the thumb-nail; observing that the stone be supplied with oil during the whole time.
Gravers as sold in the shops, are generally too hard for use, which may be known by the
frequent breaking of their points. W hen this is the case they should be tempered, by holding
them on a red-hot poker, till they change to a light straw colour, and then dipping them in oil :
or they may be held in the flame of a candle, and cooled in the tallow. The gravers which are
so soft as to yield to a file are worth nothing.
Ens;ravins: in Chalk.
This method of engraving has lately, very deservedly, merited public attention, by the beauty
of many specimens it has produced. It may be considered as a method of etching in dots, since
the preparation of the plate, laying the ground, tracing the subject, &c. are the same as in
etching. The principal difference is, that instead of lines as in etching, the drawing, shadows, &c.
consist of a mixture of varied and irregular dots, as freely as can possibly be clone, yet carefully,
and made more or less soft, so as to resemble the grain produced by the chalk on paper. Tor every
stroke of the chalk on paper may be considered as an infinite number of adjoining points, which
are the small eminencies of the grain of the paper, touched by the chalk in passing over it. The
plate being prepared, and the ground laid as in etching, the drawing to he imitated may be
counterproved on the ground of the plate. ]f this cannot conveniently be done, a black-lead
pencil, or red-chalk, must be applied to varnished or oiled-paper; by which means all the traces
of the drawing may be transferred to the ground. The outlines of the drawing must be formed
in the etching by points, which will create dots, whose size and distances must be determined by
the quality of the strokes of the original drawing. In forming the lights and shades, it is
necessary to distinguish between those hatches which serve to express the perspective of the
object, and those which form the ground thereof. The principal hatches must be more strongly
marked; the middle tints, if etched, marked lightly, or they may be left to be finished by the
dry-needle and graver, after the ground is taken off, which will give them a greater degree of
softness. In applying the aqna-fortis the artist should be careful not to corrode the lighter
parts too much. When these parts are sufficiently bitten, they may b? stopped up with the tur-
pentine varnish and lamp-black; and the aqua-fortis may be applied again to bite the stronger
parts ; and it may be observed that, if the dots which compose the shade burst into each other,
it will not injure the work, except they form too hard a spot, or too considerable a black. \\ hen
the ground is taken off the plate it will be necessary to interstipple with proper points in the
flesh, and softer parts of the work, which will produce a more delicate effect than can ever be
attaiued