136 On the Art of Aquatinta Engraving, 



be burnished down with a steel burnisher; and this requires 

 great delicacv and good management, not to make the shade 

 streaky : anri the beauty and durabiUty of the grain is al- 

 ways somewhat injured by it, so that it should be avoided 

 as much as possible. 



'' Those parts which are not dark enough must have a 

 fresh grain laid over them, and be stopped rounil with var- 

 nish and subjected again to the aquafortis. This is called 

 yp-lnting, and requires peculiar care and attention. The 

 plate must be very well cleaned out wiih turpentine before 

 the grain is laid on, which should be pretty coarse, other- 

 wise it will not lie upon the heights only, as is necessarv in 

 order to produce the same grain. If the new grain is dif- 

 ferent from the former, it will not be so clear, nor so firm, 

 but rotten. 



" We hive now given a general account of the process 

 of engraving in aquatmta ; and we believe that no material 

 c'.rcumstance has been 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 success depends upon so many 

 Xjicelies, and attention 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 expeditious, if every thing goes on well ; but it is very 

 precarious, and the errors which are made are rectified with 

 great difficulty. 



" It seems to be adapted chiefly for imitations of sketches, 

 washed drawings, and slight subjects ; but does not appear 

 to be at all calculated to produce prints from finished pic- 

 tures, as it is not susceptible of that accuracy 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 sufficient 

 number of impressions. It is therefore not to be put into 

 competition with the other modes of engraving. If con- 

 fined to those subjects for which it is calculated, it must be 

 allowed to be extremely useful, as it is expeditious, and 

 may be attained with much less difiiculty than any other 

 mode of engraving. But even this circumstance is a source 

 of mischief, as it occasions the production of a multitude 

 of prints that have no other effect than that of vitiating the 

 public taste." 



In the art before described, the artists experience much 

 inconvenience from the quantity «t fimies liberated by the 

 action of the acid upon the copper, which, when the plate 

 is large, is very great. To remedy this inconvenience, the 



7 following 



