ENGRAVING. 



41 



a hand-vice is fixed to the edge of the copperplate, 

 with a small folded bit of paper on the front to pre- 

 vent the face of the plate from being injured by the 

 vice. The plate is then heated, either by holding 

 it over a stove, or fire, or what is perhaps better, a 

 smoothing iron, which lias been heated, or by burn- 

 ing paper under it : care must be taken not to render 

 it too hot, but only sufficient to melt the ground pro- 

 perly, which is now rubbed over the surface of the 

 plate, when it will ooze through the silk in which it 

 is wrapped. The ground is then properly equalised 

 over the whole surface, by means of a dauber. 

 When this is accomplished, the plate is held with its 

 face undermost, and the whole surface smoked with 

 a candle, until it is quite black. This is performed 

 by shaking the candle pretty quickly to and fro to 

 prevent the flame from resting on any part of the 

 ground, which would burn it, and render it un- 

 fit for etching. But notwithstanding the utmost 

 precaution, parts will frequently be burned. These 

 are known by being dim and of a smoked appear- 

 ance ; in general, however, they can be removed by 

 heating the plate slightly. If the plate is too cold 

 before the operation of smoking is commenced, it is 

 very apt to burn ; to prevent this, after the ground 

 has been laid with the dauber, it ought to be gently 

 heated before smoking, unless the artist is quite cer- 

 tain that it is sufficiently warm. The purpose of 

 smoking the ground, is to render the lines more 

 apparent during the operation of etching. 



The dauber is constructed in different ways. 

 Lamb's wool is properly washed and dried, and rol- 

 led into a piece of fine muslin, and made the shape of 

 a flattened ball, tying the edges of the muslin so as 

 to answer the purpose of a handle ; over this is 

 neatly and smoothly tied a piece of black silk. The 

 silk must not be tweeled, as it is apt to render the 

 ground unequal. Another method is to have a piece 

 of tin two inches and a half diameter, and let the 

 wool be placed on one side, over which tie the mus- 

 lin, and confine the wool to the circumference of the 

 tin by means of a thread drawn round it. The silk 

 is then put on and pulled in all directions, so as to 

 tender the front of the dauber quite smooth, like a 

 printer's ball. This method preserves the elasticity 

 of the dauber much longer than when made the more 

 simple way. 



The next thing is to transfer the outline of the 

 subject to be represented, to the surface of the 

 ground. This can be done in two ways. First, by 

 tracing with a black lead pencil an outline on a piece 

 of dry oiled paper, which is called tracing paper. 

 A sheet of writing paper is then rubbed over in one 

 side with red chalk, or, as a substitute for it, common 

 clialk or pipe-clay. The chalk is scraped down over 

 the surface, in a fine powder, and rubbed hard over 

 the paper with a rag ; because, if left too thick, it is 

 apt to make a clumsy outline. This paper is then 

 put with the chalked side on the copper facing the 

 ground, and fixed either by folding it behind the 

 plate, or attaching its edges to the corners with a 

 little rosin or the composition used in biting. The 

 tracing is then fixed to the paper by the same means. 

 If the picture is wished to be the same as the draw- 

 ing from which it is to be copied, it must be placed 

 the reverse way upon the plate ; and if the reverse, 

 it must be etched as it is drawn. A blunt etching 

 needle or point is then taken, and the whole outline 

 is run over, taking care that such pressure only is 

 used, that the outline is impressed upon the surface 

 of the ground, and not to break it. The paper is 

 now removed from the surface of the copper, and 

 the etching proceeded with. Another mode of trans- 

 ferring the outline on the plate is to fix it as above 

 described, after having damped the tracing papr,and 



then pass it through the roller press used for printing 

 coperplates. Two pieces of paper are then rolled up 

 into flat bearers or supports about an inch in breadth, 

 and so thick as to prevent the ruller or board which the 

 hand must be rested on, from touching the surface of 

 the plate, to break the ground. The outline and 

 shadows must now be produced on the copper with 

 the point ; every line must be kept separate ind the 

 ground must be fairly removed from the surface or 

 the copper, which ought to be slightly scratched by 

 the point. The more distant and delicate parts are 

 etched with a fine point, while those that are either 

 more near or bolder, must be etched with a broader 

 point. The lines ought all to be drawn from left to 

 right, and as much dependence placed on the use of 

 the ruller as possible for directing the hand, by 

 which means greater and more uniform pressure can 

 be used, and the lines rendered more equal and regu- 

 lar. As before noticed, almost every engraving is 

 partly etched, and we have given an example, plate 

 xxxv. fig. 1, of the quantity of etching employed in 

 engraving a figure, by one of the best living engravers, 

 viz., Mr John Burnet. The subject is part of his 

 print of the Jew's Harp, after Wilkie. In a regular 

 engraving the lines are equal and lying in correspond- 

 ing succession ; upon this as well as the disposition of 

 these lines, much of the excellence of the print 

 depends. Within the last few years a much more 

 simple mode has been introduced than was formerly 

 employed, less attention being paid to the making 

 out of the parts in landscape ; and hence, there is 

 less mannerism in the works of the living artists in 

 that department. The whole subject being now 

 etched, the next thing to be attended to is the biting 

 or corrosion, so as to render the lines sufficiently deep 

 for retaining ink. The whole margins of the plate, 

 and such parts of the ground as are broken, must be 

 covered with a thin coating of turpentine varnish, to 

 prevent the action of the acid on them. A border of 

 wax half an inch high is put round the plate, for the 

 purpose of containing the acid while biting. This 

 wax is composed of bees' wax, common pitch, Bur- 

 gundy pitch, and sweet oil, melted in a crucible, and 

 poured into cold water. 



Corrosion or biting is performed by means of diluted 

 nitrous acid, in the proportion of one part acid 

 to four parts water. The more distant and lighter 

 places require the acid to be applied to them for a 

 shorter time. They are consequently first stopped 

 up with varnish, which is allowed to dry, and the 

 acid again put on, and allowed to remain till the 

 middle tints have acquired sufficient depth, when 

 they are stopped up. The application is thus suc- 

 cessively repeated till the darkest parts are pro- 

 duced. To know when a part is bit sufficiently deep, 

 a small portion of the ground is scraped off; but those 

 who are practised in biting can generally ascertain 

 this without scraping. The ground is now removed 

 by heating the plate, and rubbing tallow or oil over 

 its surface, and then wiped off with a rag; or it can 

 be removed without heating the plate, by washing it 

 with turpentine. When the artist is dissatisfied with 

 any lines he may have etched, these can be stopt up 

 and re-etched by taking a camel-hair pencil dipped 

 in turpentine, and a little etching ground softened 

 with it, and the part covered with this, which will 

 completely conceal the former lines. In the opera- 

 tion of biting, as soon as the acid begins to affect the 

 copper, small bubbles .of air will be seen rising upon 

 the lines ; these consist of fixed air or carbonic acid 

 gas, and must be brushed by the point of a feather. 

 When it happens that any of the parts of the etching 

 are wished darker, this can be accomplished by 

 what is termed re-biting. This is done by laying a 

 thin ground without smoking it, over the plate, taking 



