REPRODUCTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



is left untouched, it will give a perfectly black impression 

 to the paper when inked. It is equally apparent that 

 in portions that may be cut away from the surface of 

 this block, it will show as white space on the paper. To 

 produce a perfectly black spot, therefore, of any 

 desired shape, the wood-engraver has but to outline this 

 shape and cut away the surface of the block about it. 

 Conversely, if he wishes to have the space of a certain 

 shape remain perfectly white, he has but to dig out the 

 surface of the wood in the desired shape. In pro- 

 ducing perfectly black or white effects, therefore, there 

 is little difficulty, and comparatively little skill is 

 required. For intermediate tones, however, such as dark 

 or light grays, the wood-engraver makes use of parallel 

 or crossed lines, either wide apart or close together 

 according to the tone he wishes to reproduce. It is 

 obvious that if he wishes to reproduce a very dark 

 surface he would leave the lines heavy and close together, 

 or if he wishes to lighten these tones he would simply 

 cut away more of the wood between the lines. In this 

 way it is possible to represent a perfectly black surface 

 gradually grading into a white one, simply by using 

 parallel lines which gradually diminish in size until 

 they finally disappear entirely. 



This is the general principle which lies at the founda- 

 tion of all wood-engraving, and no departure is made 

 from it, except in the matter of skill in application, in a 

 delicate woodcut of a Timothy Cole or a Henry Wolff 

 of to-day, or the unknown engraver of the picture of 

 St. Christopher in 1423, although this is not apparent in 

 the finished product. 



