[Illustration]
Doing this kind of work upon copper, in imitation of engraving, at a
much less expense, is something worthy the attention of sketch-artists
and draughtsmen, who will find it very useful in getting duplicates of
their work. You first make a correct tracing with a black lead pencil of
the drawing which is to be etched, then screw the copper plate into a
small hand vice. It must be understood that the copper is perfectly free
from scratches, or other blemishes.
Warm the plate from the back with a torch, which must be kept moving
over it in all directions, until it becomes gradually heated. It should
be just hot enough to allow your hand upon it for a second or two. Take
the etching ground—which is inclosed in a silk wrapper—and rub it as
evenly over the surface of the copper as you can. Before the plate
cools, take the dabber and dab over the etching ground until it becomes
perfectly flat, and indeed assumes the appearance of a thin transparent
wash, through which the bright copper appears. The etching ground must
be equally spread over the copper, not thick in one part and thin in
another. Should the copper become too cold ere the dabbing has been
finished, you may warm it again; be careful, however, not to make it so
as it will burn the etching ground—this would be a great blunder,
because it would not then resist the action of the biting-in liquid,
which is aqua fortis of different degrees of strength.
Now take a wax torch and smoke the whole surface of the copper thus
prepared; keep the torch at a fair distance from the copper, and move in
all directions, until the whole plate becomes black with the smoke. Let
the plate cool, then slightly dampen the tracing, and lay the penciled
side upon the smoked plate, and run both through a printing press. Upon
removing the tracing paper, you will find a perfect _fac
simile_—reversed—of the drawing, transferred to the copper by means of
the smoke.
Now place the copper on the table, which must face the light, and put up
between the light and your plate a shade of tissue paper, which will
cause every scratch you make on the copper apparent. The shade is simply
a sheet of tissue paper stretched upon a common wooden strainer. Keep it
constantly up during your work. The plate may be laid flat upon the
table, or inclined a little, just as you please.
Now get a piece of thin mahogany, or common deal, longer than the
copper, and sufficiently broad for your hand to rest upon while working,
for the hand must not come in contact with the plate, otherwise the
tracing would be obliterated. The rest for the hand must have two pieces
of wood glued on each end, so as to raise it off the plate an inch or
so; or you may place a book on each side of the copper—not on it—and lay
a flat piece of wood across it, and resting on the books; all that is
required being to keep the hand off the plate while etching in the
outline.
Have a looking-glass near, and place the original drawing or tracing
before it, which will thus be rendered just as the reversed outline on
the copper. Now take an etching point and slightly go over all the
outline, simply _scratching_ the copper, not digging deeply in it.
When all the etching is done, put a border or wall, about an inch high,
all around the plate, to contain the biting-in fluid. The composition
for bordering must be warmed, and laid down on the plate, taking care
that it adheres sufficiently, or else the fluid will escape and burn
whatever it touches. The aqua fortis is now to be laid over all the
etching, and according to its strength so must its continuance be. It
may be kept in motion with the feathered end of a quill, and when it
bubbles up, you may be sure it is in active operation.
When the distances and delicate lines have been etched in sufficiently,
pour off the liquid, wash the plate with cold water, and when dry, cover
up with the preparation—made for the purpose of resisting the action of
the fluid—all the parts which, according to your judgment, are
sufficiently bit in. Lay on the fluid again, and rebite the next
delicate parts, then pour off as before, and wash the plate with cold
water. Stop out and rebite again, and so continue to do until the whole
work is accomplished.
The darkest parts of the etching always require more biting-in than the
light parts. Clear off all the etching ground from the plate, and the
work is done.
Many ladies do this work for amusement, but they give the plate out to
be bitten-in, as the fumes from the aqua fortis are unhealthy.
The materials for the art of etching can be obtained in any village.
There are also professed biters-in, who are employed by engravers.
Etching on steel is done in precisely the same manner, only the
biting-in fluid is much weaker.
=Etching Fluid for Copper.= Mix two ounces aqua fortis with five ounces
water. Another is verdigris, common salt, and sal ammoniac, each four
ounces, alum one ounce, (all in powder), strong vinegar, eight ounces,
water, one pound; dissolve by boiling for a moment; cool and decant.