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MEZZOTINTO SCRAPING. 



This art is of later origin than the last, and is not 

 of such difficult execution. In mezzotinto prints 

 the shadows are not formed by lines or hatches, but 

 much resemble Indian ink. It differs in the pro- 

 cess, however, from aquatinta, although the effect is 

 not very different. 



Mezzotinto is chiefly employed in portraits and 

 historical subjects ; and aqua tinta for landscape 

 and architecture. 



The tools necessary for mezzotinto scraping are 

 the grounding-tool, burnishers, and scrapers. 



To lay the mezzotinto ground, lay your plate, 

 with a piece of flannel under it, upon your table; 

 hold the grounding-tool in your hand perpendi- 

 cularly ; lean upon it moderately hard, continually 

 rocking your hand in a right line from end to end, 

 till you have wholly covered the plate in one di- 

 rection : next cross the strokes from side to side, 

 afterwards from corner to corner, working the tool 

 each time all over the plate, in every direction, 

 almost like the points of a compass ; taking all 

 possible care not to let the tool cut (in one direc- 

 tion) twice in a place. This done, the plate will 

 be full, or, in other words, all over rough alike, and 

 would, if it were printed, appear completely black. 



Having laid the ground, take the scrapings of 

 black chalk, and with a piece of rag rub it over the 

 plate ; or you may smoke it with candles, as before 

 directed, for etching. 



Now take your drawing, and having rubbed the 

 black with red chalk-dust, mixed with flake-white, 

 proceed to trace it on the plate. 



