IMPROVEMENT IN THE AQUATINTA PROCESS. QO^S 



apply the finger, or a piece of ra^ nibbed on the oil-rnbber, 

 to the place so cleared, and it will give you some idea of the 

 depth- 



The walling-wax is taken off by applying a piece of light- Removal of 

 ed paper to the back of the plate, all round the opposite *''^ ^"^ ^"J 

 pan of the margin where the wax is placed; then let the 

 plates cool, and the whole of the grounds &c. will easily 

 come off by washing the plate with oil of turpentine, which 

 must be used by passing a rag backwards and forwards, 

 until the whole dissolves, it is then to be cleaned off by rags} 

 and care must be taken, that no part of the turpentine is 

 left hanging about the plate. 



The plate should only pass once through the press. Priming, 



Sir, 



During the conference of the Committee of Polite Arts Tlie author's 



last Monday evenintj, an Essay on the Art of Aquatintinff ?^'^"" to the 



11 II 1 i~ • J T 1 1 invention. 



was produced, which, until that period, 1 had never seen; 



since then, 1 have procured a copy, and carefully perused 

 it. As far as theory goes, respecting aquatinta, I allow it 

 to be fair; but upon the practical part it is positively wrongs 

 and what relates according to theopinion of your Comm ttee 

 as referring to my invention of the imitation of chalk and 

 pencil-drawing, I can prove, by incontestible evidence, that 

 I did produce specimens of my invention as fj^r back as the 

 year 1795 to the public, since which time I have improved 

 the principle. 



I flatter myself your goodness will enforce on the minds 

 of tliose gentlemen who were present, that I ought personally 

 to prove the same, which I am prepared with documents to 

 do. 



Permit me, Sir, to remark, fifter a lapse of fifteen years, 

 that surely some person might have produced figures and 

 landscapes sketched in this manner; but not a single artist, 

 to my knowledge, ever gave on* specimen to the public ex- 

 cept myself, though my examples have been before them 

 all the abov€ time. 



It is upon the application of the manner for freedom of 



imitating drawings, that I conceive it to be of importance. 



Vol.. XXX.— Nov. 1811. Q and 



