914 GENERAL 
superfluous fluid, there will naturally be a 
eater body of the liquid at the bottom than 
at the top of the plate. On this aecount, a 
ain laid in this way is always coarser at that 
side of the plate that was held lowermost. 
The most usual way is, to keep the coarsest 
side for the foreground, being generally the 
art that has the deepest shadows. In large 
andscanes, sometimes various parts. are laid 
with different grains, according to the nature 
of the subject. 
«* The finer the graia is, the more nearly 
does the impression resemble Indian ink, and 
the fitter it is for imitating drawings. But 
very fine grains have several disadvantages ; 
fur they are apt to come off before the aqua 
fortis has Jain on long enough to produce the 
desired depth ; and as the plate is not corrod- 
ed so deep, it sooner wears out in printing. 
Whereas coarser grains are firmer, the acid 
goes deeper, and the plate will throw off a 
great many more impressions. The reason 
of all this is evident, when it is considered, 
that in the fine grains the particles are small 
and near to each other, esa thdaies ati the 
aqua fortis, which acts laterally as well as 
downwards, soon undermines the particles, 
and canses them to come off. If left too 
Jong on the plate, the acid would eat away 
the grain entirely. 
«On these acéounts, therefore, the mode- 
rately coarse grains are more sought after, and 
answer better the purpose of the publisher, 
than the fine grains which were formerly in 
use. 
*« Although there are considerable diffi- 
enlties in laying properly the aquatint grain, 
yet the corroding the copper, or biting im, so 
as to produce exactly the tint required, is sull 
more precarious and uncertain. Atl engrav- 
ers allow, that mo positive rules can be laid 
down, by which the success of the process 
can be secured: nothing but a great deal of 
experience and attentive observation can en- 
able the artist to do it with any degree of cer- 
tainty. 
«There are some hints, however, which 
may be of considerable use to the person who 
wishes to attain the practice of this art. 
«© Tris evident, thatthe longer the acid re- 
mains on the copper, the deeper it bites, and 
consequently the darker will be the shade in 
the impression. It may ¢e of some use, 
therefore, to have several bits ot copper laid 
with aguatint ground of the same kind that 
is to be used in the piatc, and to lei the aqua 
fortis remain for ditierent lengths of ume on 
each; and then to examine the tints preduc- 
ed in one, two, three, four minutes, or longer. 
Observations of this kind frequently repeat- 
ed, and with different degrees of strength of 
the acid, will at length assist the judgment 
in guessing at the tint which is produced in 
the plate; a magnifier is also useful to exa- 
mine the grain, and to observe the depth to 
which it is bit.. It must be observed, that 
no proof of the plate can be obtained ull the 
whole process is finished. 
SCIENCE. 
«« If any part appears to have been bit too 
dark, it must be burnished down with a steel 
burnisher; and this requires great delicacy 
and good management not to make the shade 
streaky : and the beauty and durability of the 
grain is always somewhat injured by it, so 
that it should be avoided .as Inuch as pos- 
sible. 
' «© Those parts which are not dark enough 
must have a fresh grain laid over them, and 
be stopped round with varnish, and subject- 
ed again to the aqua fortis. This is ealled 
Re-biting, and requires peculiar care and at- 
tention. ‘The plate must be very well clean- 
ed out with turpentine before the grain is laid 
on, which should be pretty coarse, otherwise 
it will not lie upon the heights only, as is ne- 
cessary in order to produce the grain. If the 
new grain is diflerent from the former, it will 
not be so clear nor so firm, but rotten. 
<< We have’ now given a general account of 
the process of engraving in aquatinta; and be- 
lieve that no material cirenmstance has beea 
omitted, that can be communicated without 
seeing the operation. But after all, it must be 
confessed that no printed directions whatever 
can enable a person to practise it. Its suc- 
cess depends upon so many niceties and at- 
tention to circumstances apparently trifling, 
that the person who attempts it must not 
be surprised if he does not succeed at first. 
It is a species of engraving simple and expe- 
ditious, if every thing goes on well; butit is 
very precarious, and the errors which are 
made are rectified with great difficulty. 
«* It seems to be adopted chiefly for imita- 
tions of sketches, washed drawings, and slight 
subjects: but does not appear to. be at all 
calculated to produce prints from finished 
pictures, as it is not susceptible of that accu- 
racy in the balance of tints necessary for this 
purpose. Nor does it appear to be suited for 
book plates, as it does not throw off a'suffi- 
cient number of impressions. It is therefore 
not to be putinto competition with the other 
modes of engraving. Lf confined to those sub- 
jects for which it is calculated, it must be al- 
lowed to be extremely useful, as it is expedi- 
tious, and may be attained with much Tess 
difficalty than any other mode of engraving. 
But even this circumstance is @ source of 
mischief, as it occasions the production of 
a multitude of prints that have no: other ef- 
fect than that ot vitiating the public taste. 
«« Eneraving in aqeatinta was invented by 
Le Prince, a French artist, who kept-his pro- 
cess for a Jong time secret: and it is said he 
sold his prints at first as drawings. But he 
appears to be acquainted only with the pow- 
der grain, and the common method of stop- 
ping ont. The prints which he produced are 
still some of the finest specimens of the art. 
Mr. Paul Sandby was the first who practised 
it in this country, and it was communieated 
by him to Mr. Jukes. It is now practised, 
very generally throughout Europe, but no 
where more successfully than in this king- 
dom.” 
