REES’S CYCLOPEDIA. 
poured off, and the plate washed with water, 
and dried. When itis quite dry, the lightest 
tints are stopped out, and the aqua fortis 
poured on as before; and this is repeated as 
ofven as there are tints.to be produced in the 
plate. 
«© Although many plates are etched en- 
tirely by this method of stopping out and bit- 
ing 1n alternately, yet it may be easily con- 
ceived that in general it would be very difli- 
cult to stop round and leave out all the finish- 
ing touches; as also the leaves of trees, and 
many other objects, which it would be im- 
possible to execute with the necessary degree 
of freedom in this manner. 
<«To overcome this difliculty, another very 
ingenious: process has been invented, by 
which the touches are laid on the plate with 
the same ease and expedition as they arein a 
drawing in Indian ink. Fine washed whit- 
ing is mixed with alittle treacle or sugar, and 
diluted with water in the pencil, so as to 
work freely, and this is laid on the plate co- 
vered with the aquatint ground, in the same 
manner and on the same partsas ink on the 
drawing. . When this is dry, the whole plate 
is varnished over with a weak and thin var- 
nish of turpentine, asphaltum, or mastic, and 
then suffered to dry, when the aqua fortis is 
oured. on. The varnish will. immediately 
a up in the parts where the treacle mix- 
ture was laid, and expose all those places: to 
the action of the acid, while the rest.of the 
late remainssecure. The effect of this will 
that all the touches, or places where the 
treacle-was used, will be bit in deeper than. 
the rest, and will have all. the precision of 
touches in Indian ink. 
«* After the plate is completely bit in, the 
bordering wax is taken off by heating the 
plate a little with a lighted piece of paper; 
and it is then cleared fromthe ground and 
varnish by oil of turpentine, and wiped clean 
with arag and a little fine whiting, and then 
it is ready for the printer. 
_« The principal disadvantages of this me- 
thod of aquatinting are, that it is extremely 
difficult to produce the required degree of 
coarseness or fineness in the grain, and that 
platesso engraved do not print many impres- 
sions without wearing out. It is therefore 
now very seldom used, though it is occasion- 
ally of-service. , 
«« We next procged to describe the second 
method of producing the aquatint ground, 
whichis generally adopted. Some resinous 
substaneg is dissolved in spirits of wine, as 
for instance common resin, Burgundy pitch, 
er mastic, and this solution is poured all over 
the, plate, which is then held in a standing 
direction till.all the superAuous fluid drains 
off, and it is then Jaid down to'dry, which it 
docsin.afew minutes. If the plate. be then 
examined with the magnifier, it will be 
found that the spirit in evaporating bas leét 
the resin in a granulated state, or rather that 
the latter has cracked in every possible direc- 
tion, still adhering firmly to the copper... A 
Ans. Rey. Vou, Il. 
918 
grain is thus produced with the greatest ease, 
which is extremely regular and beautiful, and 
much superior for most purposes to that pros 
duced by the other method. After the grain 
is formed, every part of the process is con- 
ducted in the same manner as above describ- 
ed. " 
«s Having thus given a general idea of the 
art, we shall mention some particulars neces= 
sary to beattended to, in orderto ensure suc- 
cess in the operation. The spirits of wine 
must be reetified, and of the best quality ; 
what is sold in the shops containing cam- 
phor, would entirely spoil the grain. 
«* Resin, Burgundy pitch, and gum mas- 
tic, when dissolved in spirits of wine, pro- 
duce grains of a different appearance and fis 
gure, and are sometimes used separately, and 
sometimes nixed in difierent proportions, . 
according to the taste of the artist, some 
using one substance and some another. 
‘« In order to produce a coarse or fine 
grain, it is necessary to use a greater or smal- 
ler quantity of resin; and to ascertain the 
preper proportions, several spare pieces of - 
copper "must he provided, on which’ the li- 
quid may be poured, and the grain examined 
before it is-applied to the plate to be engray- 
ed. \ 
«« After the solution is made, it must 
stand still and undisturbed for a day or two, 
till all the impurities of the resin have settled 
to the bottom, and the fiuid is perfectly pellu- 
cid. No other method of freeing it from 
those impurities has been,found to answer. 
Straining it through linen or muslin fills it 
with hairs, which are ruinous to the grain. 
«© The room in which the liquid is poured 
on the plate must be. perfectly still and free 
from dust, which, whenever it falls on the 
plate while wet, causes the grain to forma 
white spot, which it is impossible to remove 
without laying the grain afresh. 
<< The plate must be previously cleaned. 
with the greatest possible care, with a rag and 
whiting, as the smallest stain or particle of 
grease produces.a streak or blemish in the 
grain. ; 
‘* All these. attentions are absolutely ne+ 
cessary to produce a tolerably regular grain ; 
and after every thing that can be done by the 
most experienced artists, still there is much 
uncertainty in the process. They are some- 
times obliged to lay.on the grain several 
times before they procure one sufficiently re- 
cular. The same proportions of materials 
do not always produce the eame effect, as it 
depends in some degree upon their qualities, 
and it is even materially affected by the wea- 
ther. These difficulties are not to be sut- 
mounted but by a gréat deal of experience: 
and those who are daily in the habit of prac- 
tising the art, are frequently liable to the most 
unaccountable accidents. | Indeed it is much 
to be lamented, that so elegant and useful a 
process should be so delicate and uncertain.» 
«« Tt being necessary to hold the plate ina 
slanting direction, in order to drain off the 
3.N . 
