On the Art of Aquatiiila Eri graving. I3y 



fared to dry, when the aquafortis is poured on. The 

 varnish will immediately break up in the parts where the 

 treacle mixture was laid, and expose all those places to the 

 action of the acid, while the rest of the plate remains se- 

 cure. The effect of this will be, 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 compktt-y 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 from the ground and varnish 

 by oil of turpentine, and wiped clean with a rag and a little 

 fine whiting, and then it i-s ready for the printer. 



" The principal disadvantages of this method of aqua- 

 tinting are, that it is extremely difficult to produce the re- 

 quired degree of coarseness or fineness in the grain, and that 

 plates so engraved do not print many impressions without 

 wearing out. It is therefore now very seldom used, though 

 it is occasionally of service. 



" We next proceed to describe the second method of 

 producing the aquatint ground, which is generally adopted. 

 Some resinous substance is disstjlved in spirits of wine, as 

 for instance common resin, Burgundy pitch, or mastic, and 

 this solution is poured all over the plate, which is then held 

 in a slanting direction till all the superfluous fluid drains ofl", 

 and it is then laid down to dry, which it does in a few mi- 

 nutes. If the plate be then examined with the magnifier, 

 it will be fotmd that the spirit in evaporating has left the 

 resin in a granulated state ; or rather, that the latter has 

 cracked in every possible direction, still adhering firmly to 

 the copper. A grain is thus produced with the greatest 

 ease, which is extremely regular and beautiful, and much 

 superior for most purposes to that produced by the other 

 method. Alter the grain is formed, every part of the pro- 

 ce>s is conducted in the same manner as ai)ove described. 



" Having thus given a general idea of the art, we sliall 

 mention some particulars necessary to be attended to, in 

 order to ensure success in the operatioh. The spirits of 

 wine must be rectified, and of the best quality : what is 

 sold in the shops contains camphor, which would cntirtiy 

 ?poil the grain. 



'* Resin, Hurgundy pitch, and gum-mastic, when dis- 

 solved in spirits of wine, produce grains of a diifcrent ap- 

 pearance and figure, and are sometimes used sepnrnlely and 

 WJinetimes mixed in diflerent proportions, according to the 

 I ;i taste 



