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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e49a343 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51778 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51778) diff --git a/old/51778-0.txt b/old/51778-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 798a4e3..0000000 --- a/old/51778-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2992 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Illustration of Books, by Joseph Pennell - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Illustration of Books - A Manual for the Use of Students, Notes for a Course of - Lectures at the Slade School, University College - -Author: Joseph Pennell - -Release Date: April 17, 2016 [EBook #51778] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS - - - [Illustration: {Publisher's logo}] - - - - - THE ILLUSTRATION - OF BOOKS - - A MANUAL - FOR THE USE OF STUDENTS, - NOTES FOR A COURSE OF - LECTURES AT THE SLADE - SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE - - BY - - JOSEPH PENNELL - - LECTURER ON ILLUSTRATION AT - THE SLADE SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE, AUTHOR OF "PEN - DRAWING AND PEN DRAUGHTSMEN," - "MODERN ILLUSTRATION," ETC - - - NEW YORK: THE CENTURY CO - LONDON: T FISHER UNWIN - - - _All rights reserved._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - LECTURE I. PAGE - WHAT IS ILLUSTRATION? 1 - - LECTURE II. - THE EQUIPMENT OF THE ILLUSTRATOR 14 - - LECTURE III. - METHODS OF DRAWING FOR REPRODUCTION IN LINE 33 - - LECTURE IV. - THE REPRODUCTION OF LINE DRAWINGS 65 - - LECTURE V. - THE MAKING OF WASH DRAWINGS AND THEIR REPRODUCTION - BY MECHANICAL PROCESS 80 - - LECTURE VI. - REPRODUCTION OF DRAWINGS BY WOOD ENGRAVING 93 - - LECTURE VII. - LITHOGRAPHY 112 - - LECTURE VIII. - ETCHING 123 - - LECTURE IX. - THE PRINTING OF ETCHINGS 144 - - LECTURE X. - PHOTOGRAVURE AND PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHY, ETC. 155 - - LECTURE XI. - MAKING READY FOR THE PRINTING PRESS 160 - - -_Some of these Lectures were printed in the "Art Journal," and they -are republished by permission of the Editor._ - - - - -PREFACE. - - -These lectures were delivered in the Slade School, University College, -at the request and suggestion of Professor F. Brown, and, I believe, -were the first, or among the first, serious attempts in this country -to point out all the various methods of making and reproducing -drawings for book and newspaper illustration. - -Since they were first delivered, now some three winters ago, courses -of lectures on illustration, and classes for instruction in drawing -and engraving have been started in almost all art schools. - -It seemed to me, therefore, that a small manual on the subject might -be useful. - -There is no attempt in this book to define Art, or even to tell the -student how to draw; that he learns in his ordinary school work. Still -less is there any endeavour to dictate, or even suggest, any especial -style, or manner of handling, or technique. - -But illustration is, up to a certain point, a mechanical craft, which -must be learned, and can be learned, by any one. And ignorance of the -requirements and absolute necessities are evident all around us. - -The book, therefore, might rather be described as a series of tips or -hints--to put it on as low a plane as possible--the result of -practical experience, which should enable the student to make his -drawings so that they will produce a good effect on the printed page; -but, first of all, he must be able to make the drawing well. No one -can teach him that; but he can be taught what materials he should use, -where he can get them, and how he should employ them. That is all I -have tried to do. - -As I have said in this book repeatedly, processes are discovered and -perfected almost daily. Since these lectures were last given, the -method of etching zinc and copper half-tone blocks has been entirely -revolutionised. Now, there is no inking up of plates; the photograph -on the metal serves as a protecting and acid-resisting ground, and the -biting is done as simply as in ordinary etching; though, of course, it -is the lines or dots which are left in relief. - -Possibly before the book is out, even greater improvements and -developments may be made. - -Nor have I attempted to describe all the tricks, dodges, and clever -schemes employed in newspaper offices for making blocks from -photographs, or for the rapid reproduction of sketches, such as -drawing on lithographic transfer paper, making photographic -enlargements on fugitive prints. All are most useful and valuable in -their way, but not exactly what one would tell a student to do. If he -becomes an illustrator he will learn these things fast enough. - -As the book is passing through the press Mr. W. Lewis Fraser, the art -manager of "The Century" magazine, writes me that he thinks it "a good -practical book, likely to be of much use to the young illustrator, and -save the art editor many a pang and many a sorrow." I hope so, and it -is with this hope that the book is published. - - JOSEPH PENNELL. - London, _Oct., 1895_. - - - - -THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS. - - - - -LECTURE I. - -_WHAT IS ILLUSTRATION?_ - - -The craving for pictures, that is, for illustrations, is as old as the -world. The cave-dweller felt it when he scratched on the walls of his -house, or carved the handle of his battle-axe; one there was "who -stayed by the tents with the women, and traced strange devices with a -burnt stick upon the ground." Others painted themselves blue, and -were beautiful; and these were the first illustrators. - -The Egyptians were the most prolific, and their works may be found, -monuments more durable than brass, not alone in their places, but -scattered to all the corners of the earth. - -From the Egyptians and the Assyrians we may skip, offending but the -archæologist and the pedant, to the illuminators who threw their light -on the Dark Ages. They changed their methods from carving to tracing, -and their mediums from stone and papyrus to parchment and vellum. - -But always these illustrations were single works of art, they were not -reproduced, and only duplicated by copying by hand. - -Beautiful as are the manuscripts, they play but a small and -unimportant part in the history of illustration, when compared with -the block books that follow them; though block printing is but a -natural evolution from the stamp on the bricks of the Egyptian, or the -painting on the vases of the Etruscan. - -The block books, more often loose sheets, were printed from designs, -picture and text, cut on the wood, in one piece, sometimes possibly -engraved in metal. These blocks, being inked, and having sheets of -paper placed on their inked surfaces, and the paper being rubbed, gave -off an impression; as many blocks having to be cut as there were -pages, and as many impressions having to be taken from each block as -there were copies desired. The first of these illustrated blocks is -the St. Christopher, 1423, though playing-cards, produced in the same -way, were known much earlier. - -It is only, however, with the invention of printing with movable -types, practised by the Chinese centuries before we ever thought of -it, that illustration, in its modern sense, may be said to have been -created; though printing with movable type is but the cutting up into -separate letters of the pages of the block books. As soon as the -artist was able to make his design upon a block of wood, have that -engraved, and set up in the press with movable type, and print from -it, a new art was discovered. - -From the day of Gutenberg and Schœffer, illustration has, in the main, -never changed; new methods have been employed, new processes for -making the blocks have been perfected, but an illustration still -continues to be a design on a wood block or metal plate, so cut, -engraved, or etched as to produce a printing surface from which -impressions may be taken, either in connection with type, when we call -it letterpress or relief printing, or separate from the type, when it -usually becomes intaglio or plate printing. - -These methods have undergone, and still are undergoing, incessant -modifications, developments, and improvements; and anyone who wishes -to take up illustration as a profession or a study, must learn the -rudiments of the science, as well as master the great principles of -art, if he wishes to succeed. - -To-day, the methods of making the design are many, but the methods of -reproducing it are virtually endless; still one must try to learn -something of the most important, and the more one understands the -requirements of drawing for engraving and printing, the better will be -the results obtained. - -In the fifteenth century one had but to design the picture on the side -of a plank, write in the text in reverse, cut everything else away, -wet the block thoroughly, ink the face of it, lay damp paper over it, -and rub or press the back of the sheet of paper till the ink came off -on it, producing a print. - -To-day one must understand drawing in all sorts of mediums, know -something of the effect of photographing a drawing on to the wood -block or metal plate, take at least an intelligent interest in -engraving on wood and metal, understand process and lithography, and -be prepared to struggle with that terrible monster, the modern -steam-press, and its slave, the modern printer. To do this -intelligently requires, not only a training in Art, but in the arts -and sciences of engraving, reproduction, printing; and it is to these -arts and sciences that I propose to call your attention. - -An illustration--using the term in its artistic sense--is a design -intended to give an artist's idea of an incident, episode, or -topographical site, or it may be but a mere diagram referred to by a -writer; and an illustrator is one who makes pictures or illustrations -which illustrate or explain his own text, or that of another writer. - -An illustration really is a work of art, or rather it should be, which -is explanatory; but, as a matter of fact, so too is all graphic art, -explanatory of some story, sentiment, emotion, effect, or fact; and it -would be very difficult indeed to point out when art is not -illustrative. - -As the word is used to-day, however, an illustration is a design made -for the purpose of publication in book or magazine or paper. The -fashion of making such designs to accompany lettering or type is, as I -have shown, as old as the art of writing. The art of illustration, or -rather the existence of illustration as a separate craft, and of -illustrators as a distinct body of craftsmen, is virtually the growth -of this century, more properly of the last sixty years since the -invention of illustrated journalism. - -Until the other day illustration had no place among the Fine Arts, -and it has been said that, to win renown, an illustrator must achieve -it in some other branch of art. - -A few great artists of the past have made illustrations which will be -prized for ever, and to-day these men are spoken of as illustrators; -with Dürer and Holbein it was but one of the many forms of art in -which they excelled, but they were not altogether given up to it. - -To-day, however, illustration is the most living and vital of the Fine -Arts, and among its followers are found the most able and eminent of -contemporary artists. - -It cannot, however, be said that this prominence which has been so -suddenly thrust upon illustration is altogether due to its increase in -artistic excellence; there are a number of other reasons. - -Illustration has indeed reached technically, on the part of artist, -engraver, and printer, such a point of perfection, that it has at -length forced critics and amateurs to give it the attention it has so -long demanded. - -More important reasons are the developments in reproduction and -printing, started, and to a great extent carried on, merely to lessen -the cost of production, but capable of giving better and truer results -in the hands of intelligent craftsmen, than anything previously known. - -Still, cheapness in reproduction by process, cheapness in the cost of -printing, has enabled numbers of absolutely ignorant people (ignorant, -that is, of art), but possessed of, they think, fine commercial -instincts, to start illustrated papers and publish illustrated books. -The result has been that an army of out-of-works in other fields of -art, of immature or even utterly untrained students, escaping from the -hard labour and drudgery of an art school, ignorant even of the fact -that great illustrators have always studied and worked before they -have found a chance to start, have rushed into illustration. They are -led blindly by the advice of the blind, they find even manuals on the -subject written authoritatively by people who are either not artists, -engravers, or printers, or, if they do pretend to practise any of -these arts and crafts, are unknown and unheard of among the artists -with whom they would rank themselves; and more wonderful still, the -pupils of these blind leaders of the blind find publishers and -printers ignorant enough to employ them; but not so ignorant as to pay -more than the wage of an inferior servant for the worthless work -supplied them. - -There are many of these papers, magazines, and books being published -to-day--eminent authors even contribute to their pages; but the -illustrations they contain are more primitive in their depth of -ignorance than the work of the cave-dwellers, and would be equally -valuable to future ages if it were not that they were mainly made up -of an unintelligent cribbing, and stealing from photographs and other -men's work. - -Therefore, as a mass, instead of advancing, illustration is sinking -lower and lower, owing to the action of those who pretend to be its -patrons; at the present moment we find ourselves in a critical -situation, good work crowded out by mediocrity--because mediocrity is -cheaper--real artists lost sight of amid the crowd of squirming, -struggling, advertising hacks. Any spark of originality is stamped out -if possible. The mere attempt to say anything in one's own fashion is -a crime, and on all sides the prayer for the extinction of the artist -is heard; after him will go the process man as the commercial wood -engraver has vanished, and then--well, things will take a new start, -good work will be done, and we may as well prepare for the time coming -soon, when cheapness and nastiness, having struggled to the bitter -end, will kill each other for want of something better. - -Still, to-day, as good work is being done as ever there was; only -cheapness has to shriek so loud, and advertise so large, to be seen at -all, that people are deafened by the shrieking, and at times the best -is but seen through a glass, darkly. Nevertheless, good art will as -surely live as bad will perish. Let us then endeavour not only to -learn what good work is, but how to do it. In the near future this -will be absolutely necessary. When one sees the greatest artists in -England drawing for penny papers, one realises that illustration is -only apparently in a bad way, that really we are entering upon a -second renaissance, that this is but the dark moment before the dawn. - -As a preliminary, and also a final, word to you, I would say, you must -draw, draw, draw first, last, and all the time, and until you can -draw, and draw well, you cannot illustrate. - -The study, therefore, of the equipment of the illustrator should be -our aim--what he must do before he can make good illustrations, then, -how he is to make them. - - - - -LECTURE II. - -_THE EQUIPMENT OF THE ILLUSTRATOR._ - - -Three special qualifications are absolutely indispensable to the -artist who desires to become an illustrator. - -First, in order to make the least important illustration, the student -must have a sound training in drawing, and if he has worked in colour -so much the better, for in the near future colour work will play a -very important part, even in the least costly form of books and -papers. - -Second, the student must thoroughly understand the use of various -mediums, oil (in monochrome at least), water colour, wash and body -colour, pen and ink, chalk, etching, lithography, and he must have -ability to express himself by almost all these methods. A knowledge, -too, of the appearance the drawing will present after it has been -engraved on wood or metal, processed, etched, or lithographed is -necessary, because the illustrator will be held responsible for the -results on the printed page; even though, as is usually the case, the -fault is that of the engraver or printer, the public certainly will -blame the artist alone. Therefore the editor or publisher will not -employ him. The engraver will blame him if only to save his own -business reputation. The printer will take away in every case many -valuable qualities which the drawing possessed; but for the -incompetency or inability of engraver and printer, the artist will be -held accountable, and he must therefore understand engraving and -printing well enough to place the blame where it belongs, if not on -his own shoulders. - -To be able, then, to obtain good printed results, requires a knowledge -of the reproductive arts, on the part of the illustrator, in theory at -least, almost equal to the practical skill demanded in drawing. - -Third, but most important of all, the ability to discover the vital or -characteristic motive of an author's work, and so set it forth that -the public may see it too. And the power to do this well is without -doubt the real test of an illustrator. - -Nothing is more difficult. The artist must please the author, -therefore he should if possible know the writer personally; at least -he must be in sympathy with, and interested in his work, else a -difference arises at once; jealousy between author and artist, nearly -always the fault of the author, who usually resents the presence of -the artist at all, is the cause of half the failures in illustration. -No artist would think of dictating to an author the fashion in which -the latter should write his story, but every author, and not a few -editors, try to tell their own artist how it shall be illustrated. To -a certain extent this is right, and it would be altogether right, if -only the author and editor knew anything of art; but not infrequently -they do not, and the less they know the more they dictate. - -It may be safely said that not once in a hundred times is the author -satisfied with his illustrations, especially if they are made to -decorate a story. And even the designs intended to illustrate a -descriptive article seldom please the writer, simply because the -author has no comprehension of the limitations of graphic art. - -Still, with descriptive articles, the case is somewhat different. If -the illustrator knows the author, he may undertake the journey, if to -a foreign land, for example, with him, and a most delightful piece of -collaboration may be the result. Or the author having visited the -spot--sometimes he writes about it without having done so--may make -out a list of subjects, and the artist may pick and choose from them, -going to the place described to do so, with more or less satisfactory -results. It is in this way that most of the better known magazines -obtain their illustrated descriptive articles, but even by this method -the artist and author usually disagree as to what should be drawn, the -matter being looked at from two entirely different points of view. Or -the artist may be asked to work up into drawings, from photographs, -views of a place, or portraits of people never seen by him; some -illustrators are very successful at this, work which in most men's -hands would be but the veriest drudgery and hack work, becoming -interesting, attractive, and truly artistic. - -But in most cases such drawings, even by the most skilful men, lack -the go and life obtained when the work is done direct from nature, or -at least without the photograph; and every true artist prefers nature -to any photograph. There is nothing in the world more difficult to -work from. One is confused by endless unimportant, unselected details; -the point of view is never that which one would have selected, and the -result, save in the rarest instances, is dubbed photographic even by -the artless. - -The most awful misfortune that may occur to an illustrator is to be -compelled to use the photographs or sketches made by an author; here -almost certain disaster awaits the artist. The author who cannot draw -but will sketch is terrible; the author who can photograph is -impossible. Both, they are sure, could make the illustrations if they -but had the time; and the artist who is compelled to illustrate them -could write the story or do the description, he knows, if he but took -the trouble. At least, that is the view they take of each other. The -result is almost certain failure. - -Such people should contribute solely to the journals of actuality, -where neither art nor literature find an abiding place, and the -photograph, the amateur, and the personal paragraph are supreme. - -Despite all these things, and many more, people struggle to become -illustrators. - -Another qualification for the illustrator is education; no ignorant -person may become a decent illustrator. He need not possess an -university degree; few do. But he must be able to understand a vital -or dramatic or pictorial point, and to arrive at this understanding -may necessitate much study of literature at home and the visiting of -many lands. - -How can one illustrate a history of Napoleon, for example, without -reading everything possible about his life that the author read, and -without visiting the various countries in which his life was passed; -in short, the conscientious illustrator goes through exactly the same -process as the author, when collecting his materials. With this -difference; the author is, in most cases, the final judge of his own -work, and of his artist's efforts too. It is amazing that, considering -that an illustrator has to submit to having his work judged by -editors, rejected by authors, spoiled by engraving, injured by -process, and ruined by printing--and all this may happen to good as -well as bad work--armies of young people are rushing into an -over-crowded profession, and every art school, by teaching -illustration, is encouraging them to do so. - -Seeing, then, that such is the case, my object is to endeavour to give -you a start in the right way if possible, at least in the way that, up -to the present, the best work has been done. - -That is, briefly, by drawing well, by working carefully, by expressing -ideas plainly, and these desired results can only be obtained by those -who regard illustration quite as seriously as any other branch of the -Fine Arts; who know the good work that has been done in the past, and -working on the right traditions, adapt their methods to the -requirements of the present. - -There are many more points to be noted, not least of which is that an -illustrator must learn to keep his temper; from the first drawing he -submits, until he takes to painting in despair, his work will almost -surely be misunderstood, his motives disbelieved. If he works in the -style affected by his paper, that is, the style which the editor -considers appeals to his subscribers--for papers are published for -gain, not love--he will be asked by the critic why he does so. If he -dares to be original, to follow his own inclinations, he will be told -to efface himself and work like the rest. If he sketches he will be -accused of shirking his work. If he elaborates he will be told he is -ruining the proprietor. - -His only consolation is that he, personally, seldom sees the editor, -he prepares himself for the ordeal, and as the editor has to encounter -a constant succession of irate, contrite, emphatic, and even furious -artists, his life cannot be an altogether happy one. Still he -flourishes, and so does the illustrator. - -But there are compensations. One may be asked to illustrate the works -of a deceased author, one may treat the volume almost as one likes, -and discuss the result with the editor. In this case the artist will -almost certainly do his best. If he has the true illustrative spirit, -he will study the period, the country, the manners, the costume; and, -if let alone, to produce the work in his own way and at his leisure, -he may create a masterpiece. This, however, depends entirely on the -artist. It is in this way that the great illustrated works of the -century have come into existence, without hurry, without worry, and, -after all, the pleasure of work has been almost the only reward the -artist has gained--and that seems to be enough to attract crowds--but -I doubt if the business side of illustration means much to the -student. - -Better still, the artist may make a series of drawings, and then get -a writer--an artist in words--one of those people who talk of -impressionism in prose, or impasto in poetry, to turn out so many -yards of copy. With what a grace he does so, and with what glee the -artist pounces on his lines! If it were not for the ever-present -editor the author's lot would be almost as bad as the illustrator's. - -Best condition of all under which work may be produced is when the -illustrator is his own author, when he writes his own story or does -his own description; this requires that one shall be doubly gifted. -Much may be learned by practice, but to be really great in this has as -yet scarce been granted. But a few very talented artist-authors exist. - -Equally good are those magazines that publish illustrations which are -independent works of art, of equal importance with the text. - -Equally pleasant, too, is working for the weekly illustrated -press--how long this form of publication will last is doubtful--making -drawings which will be printed of a large size and show really the -ability of the artist. It is pleasant, too, when the editor is an -artist or man of sympathetic intelligence. - -Another very important matter is the recognising of the fact that -illustration at its best is equal in artistic rank with any other form -of artistic expression; and that in every country save England -illustrators rank with any other artists. Here one is forced to take -to paint to gain admittance to the Royal Academy, though most of the -distinguished members of that body won their reputations, and live on -them, not by colour, but by the despised trade of illustrating. -Critics--even the best of them--will tell you that an illustrator is -just a little lower than a painter. It is false if the art of the one -is as good in quality as that of the other; else Rembrandt's etchings -are inferior to his paintings, which is absurd. - -But to-day many illustrators, in fact the mass, do not take themselves -seriously. They squabble and haggle, they hurry and push, they are as -much shopkeepers as your out-of-work painter. Others must have their -stuff in every paper. Others' portraits and eventless bourgeois lives -appear in every magazine, especially if the portrait is done for -nothing and a few drawings are thrown in. Others crib the superficial -qualities of the popular one of the moment, whether his game is -eccentricity, mysticism, or primitiveness, three excellent dodges for -hiding incapacity or want of training. - -Not that there are no good men who do find their means of expression -among the primitives or who are really mystic, or truly grotesque, -but for every one of these there is an army of frauds. - -But all the while good work is being done. You may not see the real -artist's name in letters a foot long on every hoarding, or his -productions in every book that comes out. But once in a while he does -an article, or even a drawing and then the mystics, the hacks, the -primitives, and even some few of the public, buy it and treasure it -up. - -Therefore be serious, be earnest; and if you cannot be--if you think -illustration but a stepping-stone to something better--leave it alone -and tackle the something better. You may never succeed in that; you -will certainly fail in illustration. - -There is still another point, the financial one. Here illustration -approaches architecture. Ruskin said somewhere, probably by -accident, for it is so true, "Never give your drawings away; tear -them up or keep them till some one wants to buy them." At the -present time the profession is so crowded at the bottom that some -shopkeeping editors have profited by this to reduce their prices -almost to nothing--literally, by threatening and sweating, obtaining -the work of mere students and people who are without money or -brains, though they may be possessed of artistic ability, for next -to nothing. In the case of painters they have said, "Send us a photo -or sketch of your picture, and we will put it in; and think of the -advertisement." - -What you who want to be illustrators must think of is that the -painters who give their work to these people are fools. Would a writer -give his story for nothing, or a poet his sonnet? And when these -editors say they can get such an one's drawing for so much less, tell -them to get it, they will come after you on their knees later if you -have anything in you, or their papers do not come to grief in the -meantime. - -Of course there can be no hard-and-fast rule about remuneration, but -the labourer is worthy of what he can get. And it has only been within -the last few years that the clever dodge of swindling the public by -bad photos and worse art, of sweating artists by employing hacks and -students has been practised, for the benefit of two people, grasping -proprietors and still more grasping editors. - -In connection with this matter, let me read you an extract from a -letter recently received by me from the greatest living illustrator -(it is therefore unnecessary to mention his name), and read at one of -the meetings of the Society of Illustrators:-- - -"It has for too long been the case that the unsuccessful practitioner -of other arts has turned to illustration of the baser sort as a last -chance of earning a living. I dare say he has a right to a living, but -in these days of cheap and nasty illustrated journals, the low -standard of work he brings, as a rule, to a branch of the artistic -calling always considered by me a dignified and important branch, I do -not believe in recognising or encouraging; and it certainly seems to -me that a certain distinction should be made between men who take not -the slightest artistic interest in their work and those who -conscientiously endeavour to do it well and honestly. - -"I have seen the abnormal growth and prosperity of cheap and nasty -illustration, to my great regret. I suppose that so long as there is a -large market for it, men will be found to supply it, and evidently -this is the sort of thing finding favour to-day. - -"The standard set up by the 'Cornhill' and 'Once a Week,' and by Menzel -and Meissonier abroad, seems to be out of key with the present taste. -It must be that ignorance of good work is responsible"--ignorance, I -may add, on the part of the artist and editor--in their case -intentional or deplorable; in the case of the public it is but the -blind leading the blind. - -Therefore, finally, try to do good work, and when you have done it -demand to be well paid for it. If you have not the moral or financial -backbone for this, go and chop wood--or paint. - - - - -LECTURE III. - -_METHODS OF DRAWING FOR REPRODUCTION IN LINE._ - - -There is no doubt that to-day the most popular method of designing the -decoration of a book (I use the word book, but I would refer to -magazines and papers as well) is by means of line work. By the use of -what materials these lines are to be made; how they are to be placed -upon paper or metal that they may reproduce and print best; and the -way in which that reproduction and printing is done, will be the -subject of this and subsequent lectures. - -The line has always been employed, not only by artists, but by the -artless, to express form; the only difference being that the artist -uses a vital line full of meaning, the artless a meaningless line -without vitality. But often the work of the two approaches so closely -that at times it can scarcely be distinguished; however, that is a -critical, and not a technical, matter. - -I do not propose to give you a history of the methods employed to -obtain lines, in fact, a history of drawing. There are many such -books, and as for drawing you study that every day, in the life and -antique, and I hope outside as well. But it is to line work and its -reproduction in the present, that I wish to call your attention. - -The most generally adopted method of making a line drawing for -illustration to-day is with a pen and ink, upon white paper. There are -but four tools, and a surface to work on required. The tools are -simple and cheap enough, the ability to use them rightly and well is -rare enough, even though every book is decorated and all newspapers -are to be illustrated in the near future. - -First, as to the pens: there is, as you know, an endless variety of -them, all the best. Some are made specially for the artist, and of -these the most generally used is Gillott's 659 (all colourmen keep -them), a barrel pen, which fits a special handle; when one has -mastered this pen, unsympathetic, hard and scratchy at first, and each -pen, by the way, has to be broken in, one finds that the most amazing -variety of line can be obtained with it, from the most delicate to the -boldest. The beginner thinks because it is a small tool that only -small work can be done with it; experience and practice will prove to -him that it is a most sensitive implement, and he will learn to take -care of his pens, keeping them on the holder in a box which they just -fit, for these pens improve with age, getting better and better until -they are almost like living things, and then they break. - -From this most delicate and sensitive of pens I would call your -attention to the hardest and most unsympathetic, the glass pen, or -stylus; this is a useful tool, but while the Gillott is to be used in -work demanding freedom of touch and consequent variety of line, the -glass pen is only to be used--unless you like it--when lines of -uniform thickness are wanted. It carries a large quantity of ink, and, -as lines can be made in any direction with it, it is more like an -etching needle than anything else I know of; and if these pens were -really well made in metal and not of glass, and of different sizes and -would give lines really varying in width, they would be much used; as -it is they are very unreliable, easily broken, and expensive. I find -that they are liable to tear up the paper, or refuse to work in an -annoying fashion. It has been pointed out that they are most useful -for tracing, and also that if they clog up they may be easily cleaned -by dipping in water and wiping off with a dry rag. I may say that they -should be thoroughly wiped, and in fact all pens should, after they -are cleaned, or the ink is changed, as you may not only spoil your -pen, but your ink as well, by dipping your pen without cleaning, -either in water or another sort of ink, as one ink may contain some -chemical matter which absolutely ruins another. Some rubber should be -placed in the bottom of your inkstand, for if the glass pen drops -heavily it will be broken; but not paper, unless you wish to spend all -your time wiping pulp off your pen. The best of these pens I have -found are those sold by Roberson, 99, Long Acre. Between these two -extremes, of flexibility in the Gillott, and firmness in the stylus, -are to be found all sorts and conditions of pens. And I may say that -you may never like, and you need never use, any special kind, but -instead your favourite writing pen; if you like that best, it is the -tool for you, use it. There are, however, some other sorts of pens to -which I may call your attention. If only some fountain-pen maker had -the sense to invent a pen for artists, he would make his fortune. But -fountain-pens at present are unreliable in action and unsuitable for -use with drawing inks, so they are out of the question altogether for -us. - -A very good tool is the quill pen. Much variety can be obtained with -it, especially in broad dragged work. I use technical terms because -you understand them, I hope, and it is only the technical side of -illustration I propose to touch. With the back of this pen you can get -rich and broken effects, especially when it is half dry. The quill, -the stylus, and the reed, were the tools for pen-drawing used by the -old men. You can buy quill pens anywhere. Reed pens you had better -make for yourselves; go to a reed bed in the early summer, cut off the -top of the stalk, strip off the outer covering, and cut the inner -canes into sections between the joints, cut your pen and finish it at -once, or rather a lot of them, for when the reed is dry it is liable -to split and is not half so flexible. - -Pen work with reed pens really should only be done when they are -fresh; but at all times they glide easily over the paper, though any -pen will do this after you have mastered it. Reed pens also make a -broad fat line and hold lots of colour. - -Another pen which is useful sometimes is Perry's Auto-Stylo, or -marking pen, from Perry's, Holborn Viaduct; lines half an inch broad -or as fine as a hair can be made with it, and I have at times used it -as a brush; it is a most amusing instrument. - -Brandauer's round pointed pens are used by some. But the pen you -should use is the pen you can use; that is, the pen with which you can -get the most variety of line. Or you may use half a dozen, from the -finest Gillott to the biggest reed. It is not the pen, but the person -who uses it. Sometimes it is not a bad thing to remember this. - -Many artists are now taking up the use of the brush; most probably it -was used by the old men, certainly the men of the last generation -employed it, as it was much easier to work on the wood block with a -brush than a pen. And we know that the Japanese pen is a brush. The -advantages are flexibility of line, amount of colour it will hold, -freedom from scratchiness, and absolute freedom of movement in every -direction--the greatest advantage of all--the line itself is fuller -and fatter, more pleasing. The drawbacks, well, there scarcely are -any, save that to use either brush or pen well is about as difficult -as to play the violin; that is all. - -The commonest brush for line work is that used by lithographers, a -sable rigger which they cut to a fine point, removing the outside -hairs; but almost any good pointed brush will do. Very good indeed are -the genuine Japanese brushes, the small thin ones are the best--in -black handles--you can pick these up sometimes at the Japanese -dealers, but I imagine any artist's colourman would send to Japan for -them if there was a sufficient demand; I have got them in quantities -for a penny each. - -There are various mechanical tint tools like air brushes in use; they -are of little importance to the artist, and if you want a dotted tint -you can get it by dipping a toothbrush in ink and rubbing the inked -hairs with a match stick, when the ink will be splattered in dots and -blots all over the paper. You may lay a piece of paper on the parts -you wish to keep white, and paint or scratch out spots that are too -dark, or you may impress your inked thumb or pieces of inked silk on -the paper, or indulge in any trick of this sort that amuses you and -gives the desired result. - -Ink is probably the most important material employed in pen-drawing. -It must be good, that is, it must be black--it should not shine--it -must never settle, it must flow easily, dry quickly, and never clog -the pen. There are many varieties of good ink, but the only ink I -know of to-day, which gives me exactly what I want and is obtainable -of the same quality all over the world, all over Europe at any -rate--and this is an enormous advantage--is Bourgeois' Encre de Chine -Liquide. During several years it has never varied, and that is more -than I can say of any other. It is indelible, a desirable quality in -ordinary use. The only bad thing about it is the vile, ill-balanced -bottle and the rotten cork, which always breaks and often gets you -into a mess. The best bottle I have ever seen is that in which -Higgins' American drawing ink comes. - -This is not a talk on inks, but a hint as to what I have found the -most satisfactory and reliable--if you do not like this one, every -colourman makes an ink or sells some one else's; try it. Among the -best are Higgins', Winsor and Newton's, Newman's, Rowney's, Reeves', -Stevens' ebony stain. - -Freshly-ground Indian ink is the best of all, but to grind up your ink -is too much trouble, too tedious and too unreliable to be worth the -bother it entails. Indian ink, under certain conditions, shines and -glitters, and this is not pleasant, and hinders photography. Lamp -black and ivory black are quite dead and free from shine, but they are -not fixed colours. They may be easily fixed with gall or gum. - -Writing inks usually, if not always, have blue in them; therefore they -will not photograph, they run about, blot, and generally misbehave. -Sometimes one gets good black writing-ink; when you do get it, use it. -But Indian or Chinese ink is best, and as I know of no better -preparation at present, I commend Bourgeois' Encre de Chine Liquide; -it comes in the tall bottle with the diagonal black and yellow dragon -on the label. Coloured inks, save blue, may be used, but unless the -illustration is to be printed in that colour the result is almost -always disappointing; delicate washes of brown, for instance, becoming -staring solid blacks. - -In sketching out of doors with ink, a method I most strongly -recommend, pour your ink, or rather enough of it, into an exciseman's -ink-bottle, one of those unspillable affairs which you can cork -up--though, save to keep the dust out of them, there is no occasion to -do so--and attach it by a sort of watch-guard to your buttonhole, -putting the bottle in your pocket. Messrs. Newman, 24, Soho Square, -have fixed up some of these bottles for me, and they will, I have no -doubt, supply them. - -The general way with artists is to put their uncorked ink-bottle in -their waistcoat pocket; if they should happen to lean over, on -straightening up the ink is found upon their trousers or frocks, or -sketch-block--in the male a result most conducive to strong language, -especially if the trousers are spoiled; the drawing doesn't so much -matter. - -Also provide yourself with a hardish lead pencil H., or, better, a -blue one, as the blue doesn't photograph, but it's hard to get off the -paper, and don't look well; also some lithographic crayon or Wolff's -carbon pencils; a good rubber, pure rubber or bread for the pencil, an -ink rubber or eraser for the ink; some Chinese white and gum for -patching up things; and for use in the house, an old razor to scratch -out, and out of doors a folding eraser, such as Mr. Percy Young, of -Gower Street, supplies: get the folding ones, as the others are not -only less convenient but rather dangerous to carry. - -Lastly, the paper: the photo-engraver will tell you Bristol board. -Certainly, a simple open line drawing in pure black upon pure white -smooth paper, very little reduced, should give a truer result than -anything else. But what it does really is to give engraver and printer -less trouble, and that is what most of them want; in the majority of -cases it is best to aid them, otherwise your work is spoiled. -Therefore, if you like Bristol board, use it, and use it whether you -like it or no, if you are doing work for ordinary printing. But if -your illustration is to be well engraved and well printed, use what -paper you like. But to get satisfactory results from rough paper -requires much experience, and you had better arrive at that experience -by doing simple things, in a fashion which will engrave well; go to -printing offices and engravers' shops, find out what is necessary, -try to work in harmony with the engraver and printer, and they will do -their best for you: most of them care about their work, and are -genuinely sorry if they cannot make yours look well, so work with -them, and they will work with you. - -As to the Bristol board, get the best; if the drawing is large and has -to be rolled up, the thin, if not the thicker quality; it is known as -so many sheets, two, four, six sheets the heaviest. You must get the -best quality, otherwise there is a risk of bad spongy places in it, -which may almost ruin the drawing, at any rate its appearance, and -necessitate patching up which is delaying and annoying. Bristol -boards, too, may always be made up into books or blocks. Some boards -are now mounted so that they can be stripped off the mount when the -drawing is finished, among them are Turnbull's Art Tablets; while the -best surface of all, which is like marble or ivory to work on, a -surface which may be rubbed or scratched without harm, is the old -mounted thin Whatman or Bank Note paper prepared by Messrs. Roberson -and Newman. These thin papers are mounted on heavy boards and kept -under hydraulic pressure for weeks, until the whole becomes a solid -mass. This mounted Whatman, when well made, is the best paper in the -world; it is also the most expensive. Thin foreign correspondence -paper may also be used, putting it over the sketch like tracing paper, -and when the drawing is finished mounting it on card board; tracing -paper may also be mounted. One scheme not much in vogue yet is to draw -upon black paper with Chinese white, making the drawing in white lines -instead of black. Any sort of writing paper, or all varieties of rough -or smooth Whatman are useful. Of course in drawing on rough paper you -are bound to get a rough broken result in printing; however, if you -know what you are after, no one will object but the engraver. In fact -any sort of white paper may be used for pen and ink work; only, the -smooth gives the most certain results. There are also many grained -papers which give a tint; that is, a mechanical tint is printed on the -paper, lights are scratched in it, blacks are put in with a pen or -brush, another tint in pencil or chalk is added, and many tricks may -be played, one usually only a little less satisfactory than the other. -These papers are made by Gillott, of Paris, and Anger and Goeschl, of -Vienna, and generally supplied by colourmen; they are called Gillott -or scratch papers. - -There are also various clay or chalk surfaced papers which, after -being drawn upon, may be scratched to get light in the design. The -results are, however, rarely satisfactory. In fact, it is best to use -a good handmade white paper; you will be surer of your result, and -that is what you are working for. - -Having given you a list of the necessary materials, I will try to tell -you how you should use them. I shall not try to compel you to make -short lines or long lines, black blots or white lines: work in your -own fashion, only that must be good, and capable of being engraved and -printed. I shall not tell you how to draw, but how to draw so that -your work may reproduce and print best. You may commence your drawing -in either one of two ways, by making a pencil sketch on your sheet of -paper which is to be sent to the engraver, preferably in blue pencil -which does not photograph, and in as few lines as possible; or by -commencing straight away at your final work, in ink; if it is a -drawing from nature, I do not see why you should not do this, for it -will teach you care in selecting your lines and putting them down. And -as you have an ink eraser in metal and rubber you should be able to -remove those which are wrong. - -But if your design is more in the nature of a composition with -elaborate figures, or figures in action, it will be almost impossible -to do this. True, most interesting sketches may be made, and should be -made and must be made direct from nature. But your final design will -in nearly every case have to be built up from these. Therefore, unless -you can "see the whole thing in your head" before you put it on paper, -so clearly that you only want a model to keep you right, I think you -had better make sketch after sketch, and then transfer the best to -the sheet on which it is to be completed by putting transfer paper -under the sketch and tracing paper over it. Probably you will pencil -on the final drawing, but do as little as you can, for the camera, -when the drawing comes to be photographed, pays just as much attention -to smudges, finger marks, pencil lines, and meaningless accidents as -it does to those portions which are brim full of meaning. By -neglecting these matters all artists give engravers much trouble, and -unless the engraver is an artist too he not infrequently bestows great -pains on the reproduction of an accidental line, even though in order -to do so he ruins the entire drawing. And again, in all cheap work -your drawing is placed with a number of others and no special -attention is paid to it, and it reproduces somehow, or don't, which is -much the same thing. But in case of failure you will be blamed by the -public. - -The first thing to remember in putting your drawing on the paper is -the space it is to fill; if it is to be a full page, it must be made -the size of that page or twice as large; at any rate it must have some -definite relation to it. In the case of half a page, it is only -necessary that the top or bottom of the drawing should fit across the -printed matter; still, the drawing should not be made so high that it -will not fit in, or so narrow as to be ineffective, but if you will -look at any book or magazine you will see what I mean. - -Again, for cheap rapid work as little cross-hatching as possible -should be indulged in, for all cross-hatched lozenges become smaller -lozenges in reduction, and the smaller they are the easier it is for -them to fill up and clog with ink. Draw your shadows with parallel -lines whenever you can without being mechanical; they engrave and -print well. - -After several years' experience I am quite unable to say how much or -how little a drawing should be reduced, for there is no reason why it -should be drawn the same size it is to be engraved, save that the -nearer it is the same size, the nearer the result should be to the -original; if the reduction is to be great, it is easier to make the -design larger and have it mechanically reduced. The excessive -reduction of a drawing tends to make the lines run together into a -black mass sometimes, and the enlargement of a drawing--this, too, may -be done--makes the lines at times look crude and clumsy. But it is -impossible to foretell results in any two cases. Only there is one -matter: a good drawing in line will, with good engraving and -printing, look well, whether the artist knew anything of process or -not. But there are some things to be observed, if certain results are -wished for. - -In simple cheap work the ink should be uniformly black, for the -engraved block will be put with type, and inked with the same amount -and strength of colour all over; therefore, in order to get variety, -distance, effect, you must use lines of different widths, placed at -varying distances apart, not of different degrees of colour. In theory -at least, then, the foreground should be drawn with a firm bold line, -the middle distance with a medium-sized line, the lines themselves -closer together, and the extreme distance with a thin line. But there -is no rule, only get variety in your line and this will produce -variety and interest in the engraved result. - -If you make your drawings much larger than they are to be reproduced, -you will often be greatly surprised at the change in their appearance. -Greys will, by filling up, become darker, and lights lighter owing to -the concentration around them of masses of colour; that is, blacks -become blacker, and whites whiter in reproduction. But do remember -that though the drawings by Boyd Houghton, Millais, F. Walker and -Pinwell were made the size you see them, on the wood, in the books of -twenty-five years ago, the drawings made to-day by Abbey, for example, -are four or five times as large as the published engravings, and are -not, in the originals, filled with that microscopic work which appears -in the reproductions. But do not make crude lines under the impression -that they will ever be anything but crude. Try to make a beautiful -drawing, a beautiful line--unless you can do this you will never get a -beautiful reproduction; and once you have learned to draw, study the -best books and the best magazines, always remembering that drawings -to-day are made much larger, as a rule, than you see them on the -printed page. - -Again, in reproduction you will often find that some parts of the same -drawing change more than others; some places, for example, become too -weak, others too strong. I cannot explain this, but you will find that -it does happen. At times it may be because the photograph is bad, or -the etching is rotten, but even with good photography and etching the -final result is often disappointing. - -In pen work you may run the gamut from solid blacks to the most -delicate grey line. Do not try to always, but select a colour scheme -which is restrained and appropriate to every drawing. - -Solid black will reproduce best because it is a solid mass, excepting -in cheap rapid printing, when solid blacks either get too much or too -little ink. A number of black lines close together will reproduce -almost equally well, because in engraving and printing these lines -support the paper and do not take up too much ink. A single thin line, -on the contrary, always thickens in the engraving, and often prints -badly because in the printing press the ink and paper bear down too -heavily upon it and it receives too much ink and thickens up. - -I have recommended you to use only black ink and white paper; before -you have worked much you will try experiments, I am sure, in greying -ink, putting water with it, and leaving pencil marks, or adding lines -with lithographic chalk, or crayon; but you will find out the moment -the drawing is printed that everything comes quite black, and if you -have made your distance in broad grey lines it will possibly ruin your -whole scheme. Greys may be obtained by engraving the blocks by hand, -rouletting, or a number of other ways which I shall explain. Line -drawings may also be made altogether in pencil, on rough paper, in -chalk or crayon, reinforced, if necessary, with a blot of ink, or a -wash, or a line with a pen here and there; but for line work with -these materials you must employ a grained paper in order to get a -proper mechanical direct reproduction of the work. Bristol boards must -not be used. Sometimes these combinations of pen and pencil work are -excellent; but they must harmonise, otherwise the result is -unpleasant. - -Some idea of the effect your drawing will present when engraved may be -obtained by the use of a diminishing glass; and, _vice versâ_, you -might study some of the engravings in the books and magazines around -you with a magnifying glass. - -Corrections in line drawings with pen should be made either with an -ink eraser, a razor, the razor knife, or by painting over the place -with Chinese white, or, if it be large, by pasting down a bit of paper -on it. This is the most usual way; if the paper is thin and the edges -well joined, it is the best. Or you may cut a hole from the back and -let in a bit of paper, paring down the edges, or scraping them down; -but be careful about the edges, because they make a nasty line when -the drawing is photographed. In pencil, crayon, or charcoal work, -remove imperfections in the ordinary way with a bit of rubber. You -will not, of course, lose your head and elaborate a pen drawing, any -more than you would a chalk or charcoal drawing or etching. You will -select your lines with the utmost care, put them down with the -greatest intelligence, and the more care and intelligence you exercise -the better will be your illustrations; however, this is what you are -trying to do every time you make a drawing in line from life or the -antique, and I will not bore you by repeating what you hear every day -in your ordinary school work, nor will I do more than remind you how -careful you must be in your composition, in your arrangement of lines, -in your placing of blacks, in making up your picture; only exercise -the judgment necessary to compose any other work of art. - -Your drawings should be works of art; be proud of them; but also -regard them as a means to an end, and, as I have said, for cheap and -rapid printing draw on smooth white paper with good black ink, and do -not use big solid blacks, or single thin lines. Keep your work as open -as possible and do not have it reduced. That is, draw as near the size -it is to appear (if you can find that out) as possible. For the best -engraving and printing, draw as you like. Anything to-day can be -photographed and engraved; the great difficulty is in the printing. -Remember that if you do not put distinction and character into your -work, the engraver and printer cannot. They will take much away in any -case. - -As you are working for an editor, you will have to please him. Do so -if you can without hurting your work and your own standard of right -and wrong. - -But always work in your own way, if that is at all possible for -reproduction and printing, if not, you will have to change your -methods. For you are working for a definite purpose, illustration; -therefore your work must engrave. - -If you wish to succeed you must see all the illustration you can, you -must talk to editors and illustrators, and you must go down into the -printing office and the engraver's shop. - -You must learn your trade, for if you have not passed through the -drudgery of the apprentice, you will never become a master of your -craft. - - - - -LECTURE IV. - -_THE REPRODUCTION OF LINE DRAWINGS._ - - -As illustrators, or would-be illustrators, your work is not at an end -with the completion of your drawings; you must look after them while -they are being engraved, and you should see them through the press. -From the time you are given a commission to illustrate a subject until -the printed result is in the hands of the public, the work in all its -stages should be the object of your untiring attention. It is true -that at present the fact that you take an interest in your profession -will be counted against you in some quarters, for should you -happen--as is not unlikely--to know more of drawing, engraving, and -printing than the art editor, the engraver, or the printer, your -suggestions will not be received with enthusiasm, nor your criticisms -with delight. Suggestions mean changes, and criticism means objections -to the routine way of doing things. Then you may not feel a great -interest in the scientific side of your work, yet chemistry plays an -important part in illustration. The mechanical reproduction of -drawings is based entirely on chemical action, and you must know -something of this matter if you would get good results. - -But let us consider the whole subject. Drawings in line were -originally, in the fifteenth century, reproduced by wood cutting;[1] -that is to say, the drawing was made in line with pen, point, or -brush on the side of a plank, and all those portions of the block -which were not drawn upon were cut away with knives and chisels, the -design only remaining in relief; this relief was dabbed over with ink -or paint, and a piece of damp paper was laid on it. The back of this -paper was rubbed, burnished, or pressed on to the inked surface of the -block and took up the ink from it; on removing the paper an impression -in reverse of the inked block was found on the under side of it. And -this was the method, with improvements, employed in printing from -type, for three hundred years. - - [1] Of course I shall refer to metal engraving in another - lecture. - -About the beginning of this century the design began to be drawn upon -the end of a block of box-wood--a cross section of it--and the parts -left blank were cut away with gravers, tools used by engravers in -metal, or else lines were engraved on the surface of the block, which -printed as whites in the blacks; the grain of the cross section of -box-wood was firmer and finer, and with the gravers more delicate -lines could be engraved and more true results obtained; and at the -same time continual improvements were being made in the presses, steam -being substituted for hand power, and the manufacture of paper and ink -totally revolutionised. - -These methods were employed until about 1865, when, instead of the -drawings being made by the artists on the block of wood, they began to -be drawn on paper in line, and then photographed on to the wood. This -was a great improvement, because the artist could now make his designs -of any size he wished and have them photographed down to the required -dimensions and reversed for him: the mere reversing in many cases was -both tedious and uninteresting.[2] - - [2] If the drawing is a portrait of a place, it must be reversed - on the wood or metal in order that the print may appear as the - original does in nature. - -The final step which brings us to the present, though not by any -means, I am sure, to the end of the chapter, is the superseding of the -woodcutter or wood engraver in line, by the mechanical engraver in -metal or gelatine. - -Now you may do your drawings, if you wish, in line with a pencil or -brush upon the prepared piece of box-wood, and the engraver may cut -away all those portions of the wood-block which you have not touched, -remembering always that though you draw freely he must engrave -laboriously, and the more free your drawing becomes, the more -complicated must his engraving be. So when you make a sketchy drawing -on wood, none but the most accomplished engraver can retain that look -of freedom and sketchiness; if the lines of the drawing become really -complicated, in cross hatching, for example, he cannot follow them, he -must suggest them. Hence, unless the engraver really loves this sort -of work, it is but drudgery, and the better the reproduction the more -skilled labour wasted. - -Now photography has changed all this. A photograph of the drawing, of -the required size it is to appear on the printed page, is taken. The -drawing may be enlarged or reduced to this size, and the negative thus -obtained is placed in reverse in a photographic printing frame, in -contact with a sensitised zinc plate, coated with a thin film either -of albumen or bitumen, or it may be that a gelatine film is the -material used for printing on. In the first method the albumen coated -piece of zinc is removed from the printing frame as soon as the -photographic print has been made; it is then coated with ink and -placed in water, the albumen and ink upon it adhere to those parts of -the zinc which have been exposed to light, and may be washed off the -other parts, thus leaving the picture on the zinc in ink. By the -bitumen process the picture is printed in the same way: the plate is -placed in a bath of turpentine, the picture appears on the zinc, and -the bitumen dissolves off the other parts. - -If these two prints are now covered with powdered rosin, gum, and ink, -they may be placed in a bath of nitric acid and water, and the exposed -parts bitten or etched away. This is a most interesting and delicate -process, and success depends in good work more upon the skill and -artistic intelligence of the etcher than the chemicals used. The -object is to remove all the whites as in wood engraving, half remove -the greys, and leave the blacks. After the zinc has been bitten a -short time it is taken out of the bath again, covered with gum, resin -and ink to protect it from the acid, heated, when the protecting mass -melts and runs down the sides of the bitten lines and protects them -also; this process is continued until the block is sufficiently -etched. When the exposed parts are all eaten away the picture appears -in relief. This occupies a few hours, maybe but an hour or less. When -completed, the zinc picture is mounted upon a piece of wood, to make -it the same height as the type, placed in a printing press and copies -are made of it, or from electrotypes or stereotypes, at the rate of -from twenty to 20,000 an hour. This is, I hope, an intelligible -outline of the photo-engraving process; every mechanical engraver has -some variation which is his carefully guarded secret. The blocks may -be of zinc or copper or other metal, and all sorts of chemicals are -used. But I cannot too strongly impress upon you that good work in -mechanical engraving is only to be obtained by artistic workmen; -still, remarkable results are to be seen all about, even in the -cheapest prints. But the very best process engravings are produced -only by men who are artists and care for each block. In the case of -the best engravers they will know better than you which process to -use, and there is no more necessity for you to try to tell a -mechanical engraver how the work is to be done, than for you to tell a -wood engraver what tools he shall work with. Bad drawings may look -better by one process than another, and good illustrations may be -spoiled more by one method than another. But every intelligent -engraver will try again and again until he gets the best result he -can. - -The gelatine process consists in printing the picture on a sensitised -film of gelatine. Now if this gelatine is soaked in water the parts -representing the whites swell, and the darks, really the picture, -remain as they were, as the light has rendered them insensible to -water; from this swelled gelatine mould a cast in plaster of Paris can -be taken, from this a wax mould is made, and finally an electrotype. -The process is only used, I believe, by one firm; the results are -good, but no better than the others. - -Let us consider for a moment what are the advantages and disadvantages -of mechanical reproduction. The first advantage is rapidity of -production--a facsimile wood engraving may take weeks to produce, a -mechanical engraving takes a day or so; this is not an artistic but a -commercial gain. The wood engraving loses, the more intricate and -complicated and close the details become; the mechanical or process -engraving not infrequently gains. - -The wood engraver may make mistakes in cutting the lines in the wood -block, but if the lines are properly put down, the camera and the -process engraver should not; and if they do, much less time is lost -and labour wasted than with wood engravings. - -Mechanical engraving is a much less costly method. These are not any -of them very artistic reasons, but they count with publishers, and -they count with you. But the great artistic advantage is that the -artist may make his drawing of any size he wishes; it is not cut to -pieces but preserved, and if it is properly drawn, as I have explained -to you, it should produce in complicated work a more faithful result. -In simple line work it is almost impossible to tell a wood engraving -from a process block. - -The drawbacks are that the line is sometimes too faithfully -copied--that the engraving is shallow, and that the wood yields a -richer, fatter effect than any metal, mechanical block. - -These are artistic drawbacks, but they may all be overcome by the -artist. The line, if good, cannot be too faithfully copied; the -engraving, if shallow, can be made deeper, engraved anew by the wood -engraver. The fat line so much prized was made with a brush, and, as I -have said, brush work reproduces perfectly. And in the majority of -cases the original wood or process blocks are never printed from, but -casts of them called stereotypes or electrotypes are used; therefore -the fat line of the wood is more or less the product of the -imagination. I do not mean to say the original wood or metal block -will not give a richer impression than any cast from it, but I do say -it is only in the case of proofs that the original is used. - -If a pencil or other drawing in line is to be reproduced, in which -the varying colour of the pencil mark is to be retained, its greyness -for example, or if the pen line is very delicate, or there are many -single unsupported lines in the drawing, another method must be -employed. A microscopically ruled glass screen, ruled with fine lines -made with a diamond and filled in with ink, is placed in the camera in -front of the glass plate on which the picture is to be photographed. -There are various ways in which this is done, with the object of -breaking up into line the tones which would otherwise print perfectly -black, or, of supporting those weak lines which would print too -heavily. This negative thus obtained is printed on to the zinc or -copper plate, is then etched much as in the case of the simple line -block. This process, usually called half-tone, was invented for -reproducing wash, but is much used now for line, especially when the -dots or line of the screen are cut away by the wood engraver in the -whites. The photo engraver is now endeavouring so to shift or adjust -his screen that the dots will come only where they are wanted to break -up the solid black, and some most interesting results have been -obtained. When I am describing the reproduction of wash drawings, I -shall return to this subject. - -Spaces of tint on line drawings can be and almost always are obtained -by the use of what is known as shading mediums; that is, pieces of -gelatine or copper with lines or dots engraved in them are filled with -printer's ink, and these lines or dots are transferred by the engraver -to the parts of the picture on the zinc plate where they are wanted -before the plate is etched. There are many ways in which the artist -can get the same effect by inking bits of silk and pressing them on -the drawing, by inking his thumb, or by drawing with a pencil or -chalk or even pen over a rough book-cover, the only object is to get a -bit of tone in a line drawing: in cheap work it is often very -effective, in the best work it is usually out of place. All the artist -need do is indicate the spot, or the outlines of the parts where the -tint is wanted, by a blue pencil. If the engraver knows how the block -is to be printed he will use the tint that will print best. They are -all useful, but not very sympathetic. - -Photo-Lithography and kindred methods are either of little importance -or will be referred to under Lithography. Finally, if the lines are -too black or too strong they can be cut away or thinned, or darks -opened up by the engraver, just as on a wood block; or a little wheel -in a handle called a roulette may be run over parts of the engraving -which are too heavy--the teeth of the wheel break the lines into dots -and lighten them. - - - - -LECTURE V. - -_THE MAKING OF WASH DRAWINGS AND THEIR REPRODUCTION BY MECHANICAL -PROCESS._ - - -When I speak of wash drawings, I would really refer to all painting or -drawing, in colour or monochrome, in tone, as distinguished from work -in line, which was the subject of my last lecture. - -Many persons do not like line work, never master it, and are -insensible to its beauty when they see it. For these there is another -method of expression, although, I cannot repeat too often, an -illustrator should be able to work in more ways than one. One may make -one's illustration in colour in oil, in gouache, in body colour, in -wash; in fact paint a picture in the usual way, though, even with the -best and most careful methods of reproduction, it will be almost -invariably found that in the various stages of photographing, etching -and printing, very much, if not all, the charm has disappeared, even -though the result be printed in colour, for up to the present no -colour can be perfectly reproduced, or rendered into black and white, -even by the best engraver in the world. And no colour can be -reproduced except by the artist himself. A few men like Detaille, De -Neuville, and Lynch have, I believe, invented a special colour scheme -for the requirements of colour reproduction, and some of the -engravings made from their pictures by Messrs. Boussod, Valladon & Co. -are very wonderful; but in the best examples I imagine there is an -enormous amount of careful touching up and going over by hand, which -places these reproductions in the category of proofs rather than of -prints. Certainly there is a vast difference between them and the -colour work usually seen in the same firm's commercial publications, -good as they are, and there is a yawning gulf between these and the -colour print we have with us always. Therefore, if you wish to work in -oil I would suggest that you work in monochrome, and further I would -advise you to make your designs in simple black and white--that is if -the reproduction is to be printed with black ink; for the nearer your -original is to the colour in which it is to be printed, the nearer -will the engraver and printer be able to approach it. I would also -suggest that perfectly dead colours should be used, because varnish or -any sort of glaze, shine or glitter, will tell in the photograph, and -even the most careful engravers are rather given to reproducing the -photographic copy than the original, even though the latter be at -their side. - -One method, that has been successful lately, is mixing oil colour with -turpentine until it flows like water, and then working on paper; this -reproduces most excellently, the only drawback being that the colour -rubs off easily. - -Body colour and gouache are much used; the only thing to be remembered -is that you should keep to the same colours and the same method of -work all the way through each drawing. It is very interesting to -combine body colour with wash; often in the original design the -combination is most pleasing, but the camera does not approve of it, -and frequently plays the most unexpected tricks with these -combinations. Therefore, either stick to body colour, lamp black, -ivory black and white,[3] or pure wash; in the latter case there is -nothing which photographs so well as charcoal grey, made by Newman & -Co. The most delicate washes reproduce beautifully. It is rather hard -to manage, but once you can manage it, it is almost perfect. It is -best for work in a very light key, in the extreme darks it is liable -to get heavy and sombre and gritty; and if you want a positive black -it is well to put it in with ink or some stronger black, even at the -risk of knocking things rather out of tone. The only objection to -charcoal grey is that it is rather difficult to work over it. Still, -in illustration in wash you will always get a cleaner, sharper effect -by doing your drawing at once, getting your effect right with the -first wash, than by any amount of tinkering at it. - - [3] Winsor & Newton and Reeves have lately been experimenting in - this way, and their Albanine and Process black are well spoken - of by photo engravers. - -In this pure wash work you should be careful, very careful, not to -let any meaningless pencil lines show through, as they always -photograph, cannot be taken out, and at times spoil the whole effect; -in fact, imperfections in wash drawings always reproduce more -perfectly than the perfections themselves, and it is well to keep your -paper reasonably clean, to avoid smudging, blots and lines, or -otherwise you will be disappointed in the result. It is often very -effective in an original drawing to put in a lot of colour, but it -nearly always comes out wrongly in the reproduction. On the other -hand, although body colour often comes badly with wash, if you work -over or into either your wash or body colour with pen, chalk, or -pencil of the same substance as the wash, the result is harmonious -often and excellent. I mean, if you make a drawing in wash with Indian -ink and work on it with liquid Indian ink in a pen, the result will -be right. If you touch up charcoal grey with charcoal, the wash and -line unite--these things, however, you will soon learn by experience, -even though that experience is gained in a rather painful manner. -Still, at present the better magazines and papers are not a practising -ground for students, as they were some time ago, and you must be able -to do good work before you can expect any intelligent editor to print -it. - -Drawings or paintings--in fact all work in tone is reproduced -mechanically by what is known as the half-tone process, which I -referred to briefly in my last lecture. - -The drawing is photographed, but in front of the sensitised glass, a -microscopically ruled screen is placed to break up this tone into dots -or lines, really to get the same effect as the wood engraver obtains -with his dots and lines. Otherwise, the tones being flat, or even if -they are gradated, would print as a black mass; but these screens -break up the masses into little squares, which receive the printing -ink on their faces, and the colour or original effect of the picture -is thus preserved. It is rather difficult to explain this, but the -screen produces white lines in the darks and dark lines in the whites; -you can see them by looking at any block. Afterwards, the process is -exactly the same as for line drawings. This reproduction of wash work -is very uncertain; good effects are obtained, about as often as -failures. The delicate tones are not infrequently altogether lost. -There are no positive blacks or whites, but a uniform grey tint covers -the entire block, in which all delicacy is often hidden. Therefore, to -get a good effect, when printed, the drawing should be simply made, -that is if it is for cheap engraving and rapid printing; but if for -the best books and magazines, wood engravers may be employed to -remedy the imperfections of the photograph and the mistakes of the -etcher. That is, whites may be cut, blacks toned down, lines thinned, -or large spaces on the block may be left for the engraver to work -upon: most remarkable results may be seen in the better American -magazines. - -There are many qualities in a drawing which that senseless machine, -the camera, will never reproduce. There are also a few points which it -is very difficult (in tone work) for an engraver to render, but they -may both combine and obtain most interesting effects. - -For instance, it is very difficult to give in a wood engraving the -look of paint on canvas, without losing much of the picture itself, -for if the wood engraver begins to try to imitate texture he not -infrequently loses the subject. The mechanical process seems to do -this very easily, especially if the brush marks on the canvas are at -all prominent. But the delicacy is frequently lost; so, too, are the -strong blacks, though a good wood engraver can remedy these defects by -treating the metal block just as though it was wood, engraving on it, -cutting out, save where it is right, all the mechanical look. But two -factors are necessary, first a good engraver, and, second, a publisher -who is willing to pay for this engraving, which is expensive. The -majority of publishers will not do so, though they will pay for the -work of a good or notorious author. They will employ a feeble artist, -a poor engraver, and a cheap printer, and talk of how much better the -work was done thirty years ago. Of course it was; it was decently -drawn and mostly badly engraved, vilely printed, but well paid for; -now the photograph is the standard and the results are all about us; -therefore you must think of the results. So make broad simple masses, -keep your work as flat as you can, remembering that all blacks will -have the little white dots of the screen more or less showing through -them--these can be kept out by the engraver, but they certainly will -appear in the cheapest work; remembering that all delicate grey tones -will be eaten up by the screen, therefore don't put them in if you can -help it; and, finally, that unless whites are cut out they will never -appear, instead you will have a dotted grey effect. - -In the very near future many of these imperfections will disappear, -for you must remember that it is scarcely ten years since half tone -began to be used at all. But look, whenever you see them--and they are -everywhere--at the reproductions of half-tone work; try and study out -how the artist got his effect; go to the art editor who published the -drawing and ask to see the original. Talk with artists who do good -work in black and white; they are mostly human, intelligent, and -willing to help and advise you. Go to the engravers' shops and find -out what the engraver will tell you, and to printing offices and see -your work on the press. - -I have already spoken of the reproductions of line drawings by the -half-tone process. One is sometimes tempted to wish that all line work -could be reproduced by half tone and tone work could be reproduced by -line, because if the line is delicate or the drawing is thin, the -screen over it gives a tint which is pleasing, at times makes it look -like an etching somewhat, especially if the tint be judiciously cut -out. You might look at some of C. D. Gibson's work, where very great -delicacy has been obtained in this way. Engravers are now endeavouring -to get the tint just where it is wanted, and I have no doubt they will -succeed. When they do, photo-engraving by the half-tone process will -be greatly improved. - -Finally, study the requirements of the process not only as artists, -but from the point of view of the engraver; go down to his shop and -find out how the work is done; make him show and tell you; insist on -seeing proofs of your drawings--good proofs, too; make corrections on -them, first learning what corrections can be made. You cannot have -blacks put in your engravings if they did not exist in the drawings, -and, roughly speaking, you can only tone down, not strengthen any -engraving; but you will find, save in cases of blacks, it is only -toning down that the engraving wants, thinning and greying of lines. - -All this, I have no doubt, is very dry and uninteresting and tedious, -but unless you get these things into your heads in the beginning, your -drawings will not photograph well, engrave well, or print well; and if -they don't, you will not get any illustration to do, and you may have -yourselves to blame for it. - - - - -LECTURE VI. - -_REPRODUCTION OF DRAWINGS BY WOOD ENGRAVING._ - - -Wood engraving, as a fine art, has been virtually invented, developed, -brought to apparent perfection, and yet ceased to exist, temporarily, -almost, as a trade, in this century. - -A wood engraving is an engraving made with a graver, upon a cross -section of box-wood, that is upon the end, and not the side, of a -plank, in relief. As in the case of mechanical engraving, all the -wood, excepting that underneath the design upon the block, is cut -away, and the picture remains alone in relief, raised upon the -surface of the block of the same height as the type; thus the block -may be placed on the press and printed with the type. - -The first great wood engraver was Thos. Bewick, and he, unlike many of -his followers to-day, was an artist, and mostly made his own drawings -on the block and cut them as he wished. He saw that wood engraving was -a substitute for the slower, more tedious, and more expensive method -of steel engraving; that, most important, many of the qualities of -steel could be imitated in wood, as the same tools were used; that it -could be printed with type; and, save that the richness of colour -could not be retained, that it had most of the advantages of metal and -few of its disadvantages, and was vastly cheaper. From the first, the -imitation of steel was considered the proper aim, and though early in -this century Stothard drew with a pen upon the block, and his designs -were facsimiled in the wood by Clennell, the prevailing fashion was -the imitation of steel engraving, even by Bewick himself. Many of his -lines are exactly those used by the steel engravers. By the middle of -the century steel engraving virtually disappeared, its practitioners -being unable to compete with wood engravers. There have been but few -original engravers in this form of art, and though the work of some of -the steel engravers who reproduced Turner and Roberts, Wilkie and -Landseer, is marvellous, the art is almost dead at present. Cheapness -has killed it. Wood engraving also killed lithography--a lithograph -cannot be printed with type--and consequently the wood engraver became -a most important person. He ran a shop with many assistants; he -commissioned artists to make drawings for his assistants to engrave, -he dictated the way in which these drawings were to be done, the way -in which the lines were to be drawn and washes made, so that they -could be cut most easily. He commissioned writers to work up or down -to the artists; he printed the books and sold them to the publishers, -who were content to put their names on the title pages. And by this -method much good and more bad work was accomplished, but the engraver -finally became supreme, autocratic, dictatorial, insufferable; and -then he vanished, as a shop. Process stepped in, in its turn, on -account of its cheapness; and to-day, unless the engraver is an -artist, he is but the slave of the process man, a hard fate--but his -own. Before the introduction of photography, artists had to make their -designs for the wood engraver the size they were wanted upon the block -of wood, if portraits of places, reverse them, in pen, brush, pencil, -or wash; the engraver cut around and through these designs, making a -translation of them in relief on the block which could be printed -from. But the drawing had disappeared, and the artist had nothing but -the engraving to show for it, hence endless difficulties arose; good -artists hated to have their drawings cut to pieces; good engravers -hated to have their work criticised unfavourably; also, drawing of a -small size, and in reverse on the block was difficult to learn, and -only a mechanical craft of no artistic advantage when learned. -Therefore, as soon as it was possible to escape from the drudgery, to -draw of any size on paper and have that drawing photographed on to a -sensitised wood block, of the size it was wanted, in reverse, all -artists took to it. And a new school of engravers arose, men who tried -to invent new methods of engraving so that they could express the -medium, as well as the subject, in which a picture was produced. True -from Stothard onward, through Meissonier and Menzel, engravers had -tried to render pen and pencil drawings in line on wood; now -everything began to be attempted, charcoal, etchings, steel, water -colours, lithographs, oils. All the imperfections, accidents, and -blemishes were preserved, even if the picture disappeared. But a -number of most distinguished artist wood engravers appeared, -especially in America, though few of them learned their trade in that -country. But they received more encouragement, better pay, better -printing, and better artists worked for them. And so the school of -American wood engravers, many of whom are not Americans, was born. - -Now how is the modern work done? The artist's picture in any medium, -of any size, is given to the photographer, who copies and reverses it, -prints it on the block of wood which has been sensitised for that -purpose. The print is usually not very good, that is, it is darker, -with many of the qualities of the drawing lost; but it serves only as -a guide or a tracing for the engraver, who takes his tools, and with -the drawing behind him, reflected in a mirror to reverse it, proceeds -to cut the photograph of the drawing into relief, at the same time -trying to preserve the look of the canvas, paper, or metal on which it -was made, and the feeling of the colour, wash, or paint with which it -was executed. All this is most difficult, but a most artistic result -may be obtained, and one has but to refer to the magazines of America -and some of the weekly papers of Germany, France, and Spain, for a -proof of it. - -Here, though much good wood engraving has been printed, outside the -offices of Messrs. Macmillan, Cassell and Co., and the _Graphic_, it -has of late years been mostly in the form of copies, electrotypes, -clichés from foreign blocks which are supplied by their makers, all -over the world, at a very low price, because they are not reserved for -any one paper or book. And when you begin to see a man's painting, or -drawing, or engraving in every paper, you begin to tire of him and his -work. The editors of papers which publish clichés seem to be the only -people who like the multiplication and cheapening of art, but then -there is no accounting for their tastes. The tools and appliances for -making wood engravings are simple enough, but to engrave anything but -_facsimile_ work, or your own designs, will necessitate your going -through considerable practical training; probably some years of -apprenticeship. - -To cut line drawings on the wood, or to cut designs in large simple -masses, you do not require so much practice. All the tools you need -are different sized gravers and gouges, a small chisel to cut large -spaces, an engraver's rest for the block, so that it can be turned -freely and easily about, and a whetstone to sharpen your tools. - -Lamps and globes for water, shades for your eyes, you will scarcely -need, but a magnifying glass, something like that which watchmakers -use, may be useful. With these simple tools and some box-wood--they -can all be bought in East Harding Street or at any colour maker's--you -have the necessary appliances. - -If you draw on the block, a slight wash of Chinese white will help to -make it work easily. Draw with a brush or pencil; or if in wash, -without body colour, as that will chip off. You have only to remember -that the block, either plain or with the drawing on it, would print -perfectly black, and that every line you make with the graver in the -surface of it, will print white. Therefore, as I have said, to get an -outline engraving, you simply cut away everything but the drawing, -which is left in relief on the surface of the block, and which alone -prints, the rest of it being cut away. It is not necessary to engrave -the surface very deeply, only so much that neither the ink nor the -paper will touch in the hollows between the lines or masses. Mistakes -are not easy to remedy, except by making a hole in the block and -inserting a plug of wood, and then engraving that afresh. - -The art of engraving in _facsimile_, that is, of engraving around -lines made with pen, or brush, or pencil, is comparatively easy, it -only requires much training and a steady hand. But the ability to -translate a work in colour into black and white, on a wood block, so -that it shall give a good idea of the original, is far more -difficult. To do it well, the engraver must not only have the -knowledge of the technical requirements of his craft at his finger -ends, only to be gained after years of apprenticeship, but he must be -a trained artist as well. If he wishes to get the best results, he -must have the original before him, he must understand it and -appreciate it. And finally, he must have the technical skill to -engrave it. Even then, most likely, the artist will not like the -block. It is a difficult art, a thankless art, save in the rarest -cases: one which requires years of special training, and at present in -this country, no matter how great an artist one is, there is very -little chance to practise it. Work of this sort you cannot expect to -be able to do without years of training; if you care for it you must -apprentice yourself to a wood engraver. - -Still there are forms of wood engraving which you may take up, from -the most primitive to the most complicated, and you may carry out the -work from the designing of it to the printing of it yourselves, or, -you may draw on the block and cut away, as in engravings by the late -R. L. Stevenson (or were they done by Lloyd Osbourne or some other -ghost?), and possibly you will have an experience like this:-- - - "A blemish in the cut appears, - Alas, it cost both blood and tears. - The glancing graver swerved aside, - Fast flowed the artist's vital tide, - And now the apologetic bard - Demands indulgence for his pard." - -Or I imagine without much trouble you might invent something in the -style of Valloton, a Frenchman, who is resurrecting wood cutting in a -manner of his own, while carrying on the traditions of the old men. I -hope you may be able to get as much life and go in it as he has. Make -your drawing on the wood, or on paper, have it photographed on the -wood in the latter case, and cut around the lines, leaving only the -drawing. The greatest difficulty is with fine lines, and you see how -cleverly Valloton has avoided making them. Or, like Lepère, another -French artist--he would be a man to study with--do big, bold, -effective things; or again you might attempt, as he does, colour work -on wood, like that done by the Japanese, drawing it, engraving it, and -printing it all yourselves. - -Or, take up drawing and engraving in the manner of Caldecott, Crane, -or Kate Greenaway, when they were reproduced and printed by Edmund -Evans. - -Process is fighting for colour too, but wood, at least in proofs, and -that is all you would care for, gives some qualities far beyond -process. - -In colour printing from wood blocks as many blocks must be made as -there are colours, and there must be as many separate printings made -from these blocks as there are colours in the printed picture. There -must also be an outline block called the key block. Usually in -European colour printing, whether from wood blocks, or by lithography, -or even process, the colours are printed on top of each other; for -example, a blue is printed over a yellow to get green, and at times -several colours are superimposed, with the result that colour is lost -and mud obtained. The Japanese have shown us how to make colour -prints, however, and their method is now adopted by all intelligent -colour printers. It consists in making the right colour before it is -put on the block, and in placing the colours side by side like a -mosaic. The work is done somewhat in this way; the artist makes his -drawing, several tracings (as many as there are colours) are made from -it, and one extra tracing must be made of the outline only. Or rather -the outline alone is cut on the block, other blocks are then made for -each colour, or the parts cut out of the same block; one will contain -all the red, another all the blue, a third the yellow, and so on. They -must be very accurately cut, so as to fit together and print truly, -and you can see from Japanese prints how wonderfully well the work is -done. Of course the editions from such blocks are very limited, and on -this account, like etchings, often vary, the printers having tried -experiments in colour. The grain of the wood is taken advantage of in -printing, as it often gives a lovely pattern; a good printer will wash -in gradated skies with the backgrounds, and no matter how wonderfully -they are worked, if of the same colour, are printed usually from the -same block. The Japanese, I believe, use water-colours; certainly the -French and English, who have tried to imitate them, do, putting the -colour, mixed with a little size or gum, on the face of the block with -a sponge; in fact they are printed water-colours. Several Frenchmen -have obtained in this way most notable results. Very similar was the -fashion of colour printing called chiaroscuro, used in the early part -of the century. The trouble with this was that the oil with which the -inks were mixed, either ran, or spoiled the pages, or did not dry -well. Drawings on grey paper in chalk can be wonderfully imitated in -this way, and there are methods of using steel and copper plates, -bitten into relief to get outlines or tints, which were also employed. -To-day in the printing of wood engravings and process blocks by -steam, at many thousands an hour, the same system of colour printing, -by placing the colours side by side, is being attempted, for it is -impossible to obtain fine tone or rich effect by placing one colour on -top of another, even in slow printing by hand, while it is absurd to -attempt it rapidly by steam. In the most successful attempts yet made, -those of the _Le Quotidien Illustré_ and _Le Rire_, Paris papers, -colour printing from process blocks has been most successfully done, -and I do not doubt that in a very few years colour printing in -magazines and newspapers will be very general. - -As I have said, all intelligent printers have now come to the -conclusion that simple flat colours, put on side by side, will alone -give good artistic results; they have only learned this, however, -after going quite to the other extreme: after trying to get pure -colour and rich effects by using the three primary colours on top of -each other, they obtained but crudeness, vulgarity, and mud. - -Photography and chemistry are useful in art, but art cannot be created -by these means. It may be that some one, some day, will be able to -photograph a picture in colour, but there is as yet no evidence of it. - -Wood engravings may also be made by scraping or lowering the fronts or -backs of blocks, and rich, soft, fat effects can be produced. Very -little has been done, I think, with these lowered blocks, some -remarkable examples of which can be seen in Chatto and Jackson's -"History of Wood Engraving." - -Photography has aided the artist very much in wood engraving (though -most engravers say it has not), and especially in colour printing it -can be made great use of; as, instead of tracing a design on to -several blocks, it can be photographed, thus ensuring accuracy--though -the Japanese obtained this without any photographic aids--and saving -much time. - -Still, that is about as far as it goes at present, and photography -will never supersede art, though it is engaged in a famous struggle -with artlessness. - - - - -LECTURE VII. - -_LITHOGRAPHY._ - - -Lithography, for some time the rival of metal engraving and even for a -time of wood, was invented at the end of the last century, and, as its -name implies, is the art of drawing or writing upon stone. Briefly, a -peculiar grained stone, found in Germany, may be drawn upon with -greasy chalk or ink; afterward it is slightly etched, only washed -really, with weak nitric acid and water to fix the drawing and -somewhat reduce the surface of the stone; if the stone be now covered -with gum, allowed to dry, and then inked, the ink adheres only to the -drawing; and if a sheet of paper is placed on it, and the whole passed -through a press, a print, or rather the drawing in ink, will come off -on the paper. This is roughly the art of lithography. - -The most important consideration for you, however, is the making of -the drawing. This may be done in one of two ways: either upon the -stone itself, or upon transfer paper specially coated, so that the -entire drawing is transferred from the paper on which it is drawn, by -mechanical means, to the stone, and not merely a print from the -original drawing. For many reasons it would probably be best to draw -upon the stone itself always; because, first and above all, the less -intervention--even mechanical intervention--there is between the -artist and his work, the better; and in many cases it is not possible -to get good results unless the artist works on the stone. But if one -has to make a large drawing out of doors, it is obviously impossible -to carry about a big and heavy stone with one; therefore lithographic -transfer paper must be used if the work is to be done from nature. - -Before this paper was perfected (it is very good now, and can be -obtained from Hughes & Kimber of West Harding Street, though Belfont's -of Paris is the best), the artist either copied his sketches, studies, -or pictures himself, on the stone, if he understood lithography; or -else his drawings were copied for him by some other artists who were -trained lithographers. One most notable example of this is to be found -in J. F. Lewis's "Alhambra." The originals by Lewis were redrawn on -the stone by J. D. Harding, J. Lane, and W. Ganci, as well as by Lewis -himself; inevitably some of these men's individuality was apparent, -and even in the case of Lewis, much must have been lost by copying -his own designs; and if original work is given to professional -lithographers, in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred all the real -character is taken out of it. To-day, however, one may draw upon -transfer paper, being careful only not to touch it with one's fingers, -either in lithographic chalk or lithographic ink, which is only the -chalk rubbed down and put on with a pen or brush, on this paper, which -should be fastened down like an oil sketch, in a box having a cover, -by drawing pins. Take the drawing to the printer; he will put it on -the stone and print it for you far better than you can do it yourself; -still this is rather expensive, as the transferring of the drawing to -the stone and pulling a few proofs will cost you about a guinea. But -if your design can be drawn in your own studio, or at the -lithographer's, on the stone, it is not only much simpler, but the -result may be better, and you can employ more varied methods of work. -For example, you may draw with the lithographic crayon--Lemercier's -are the best; get them at Lechertier & Barbe's--just as you would with -ordinary chalk or crayon. For if the stone is grained like paper, the -design, if well printed, should look almost exactly like a drawing on -paper. On a smooth or ungrained stone you may draw or write with pen -or brush and lithographic ink, which is only the crayon rubbed down -with gum arabic, or ammonia and water, as you would rub down Indian -ink, only you must heat the saucer in which you are rubbing it, a -little. When you have done this, use Gillott's lithographic pens, -putting the ink on the pen with a brush, or use a trimmed sable brush -brought to a fine point; you must make your lines carefully, and get -your ink of the right consistency, otherwise it tends to blot and -spread or smear. Again, you may mix more of the medium with the -rubbed-down crayon. I should say it rubs, when warm, without water; -this medium may be obtained ready mixed from Way & Sons, Wellington -Street, Strand; paint with it as you would in water colours, adding -more of the medium or more ink as you wish little or much colour. I -have tried only a couple of experiments in this way, and they were -both complete failures. The trouble I found was this: in making light -tones, the moment the brush charged with colour touches the stone, the -stone itself turns much darker than the colour you are putting on it; -and as it dries out very slowly, the making of a wash drawing is a -most tedious process, unless one has had enough experience of the work -to know just the effect of the finished drawing, or rather just the -effect of the wash applied, which cannot be seen in its proper tone, -while working on the stone, since the appearance the stone presents so -long as it is wet is absolutely different to what it will look like -when dry, and it is almost impossible to work over washes, because the -colour floats off if they are gone over again, or at least smudges and -smears; still, corrections and additions can be made with the crayon -point, and the whole design brought pretty well together. The best -work in wash has been done by Lunois, a Frenchman. Corrections are at -all times difficult to make in lithographs, the error having to be -scratched out and the stone repaired in that spot, before the new work -can be put in again. - -Stump drawings may be made by getting the crayon in powder and -smearing it on the stone in masses with a rag. Effects can be obtained -by removing too much colour with ordinary scrapers and putting in -modelling with stumps and the point of the crayon; or all three of -the methods I have mentioned may be combined, as they often are, on -the same stone, notably in the work of Hervier. - -Tints may be obtained by stippling and splatter work, as in pen -drawings. There is a machine called an air brush, used by -lithographers for this purpose, but the introduction of mechanical -dodges has done much to harm lithography. - -Zinc may be grained and drawn upon in the same way; why this metal is -not more generally used, I do not know, for it is much lighter, more -portable, and can be easily mounted on a plain stone to print from. - -Until lately it was maintained that only what was drawn on stone could -be got off it in a print. But Mr. Goulding, the etching printer, who -has been making a series of experiments, says he can get almost as -much variety of effect, by wiping the surface of the stone carefully, -in a small number of prints, as he can from a copper plate (_see_ -Lecture on the printing of Etchings). Still, for you, the process -ordinarily will end with the drawing. Even the transferring is only to -be successfully done by skilled workmen, and until you can print an -etching decently, it would be scarcely worth while to try a -lithograph. - -Considering that the process is perfectly autographic, that the -materials are few and cheap, it is strange that it is so little -employed at present. But a very serious attempt is being made to -revive it, and as an artist like Mr. Whistler is the leader and -initiator, I believe it will be successful. - -Colour printing by lithography, though very complicated, might be -tried by you; as many stones must be prepared for transferring the -design, made either on paper or stone, from the paper to stone, or -from one stone to another, as there are colours, and only that part of -the design which is of one colour must appear on one stone; if you try -to get colour prints in the usual fashion by printing one colour over -the other, you will obtain the usual commercial muddling lithographic -appearance. But if you mix your own colours for the lithographer, and -have the colours placed side by side, in flat masses like the Japanese -block prints (_see_ Wood Engraving Lecture), you should get good -results. - -There are endless other processes and methods of work, but they are -all more or less complicated, and require special training and special -tools, and even machinery, and one who wishes to pursue the subject -further must go to a lithographer and learn the trade. - -But in order to get artistic effects only, one has but to draw or -paint on paper or stone as one would ordinarily. The means are most -simple, and the results should be most interesting. - - - - -LECTURE VIII. - -_ETCHING._ - - -In all the various methods of making illustrations to which I have so -far called your attention, it was necessary that some part of the work -should be done by a specially trained craftsman, at least if any -practical and commercial result was desired. - -Now in etching, the more you yourselves do and the less any one else -does, the better should be the result. - -An etching is, in its narrowest sense, a print from a metal plate into -which a design has been bitten or eaten by acid; again, in most of the -other methods, the printing was from relief blocks like type, and -therefore those illustrations could be printed with type. Now we have -to consider another sort of work, namely, intaglio, or incised, or -sunken work not printed from the surface, but from lines cut below it, -and therefore unavailable for letterpress printing. Of course it would -be easy to make a relief block in metal, or an incised block of wood, -to reverse the treatment in printing, but it would not be natural or -right. - -The whole difference is this: if a wood block has a line cut in the -surface and the whole face is inked with a roller, the line will print -white and the rest of the block black. If the etching plate is inked -and cleaned off, as is always done, it will print white; if a line is -cut in it, the ink will remain in that and produce a black line. Of -course they must be printed in appropriate presses. - -In its broadest sense an etching may be produced in any one of a -number of ways, by the artist, on a metal plate which may be printed -from. - -It is never a process or mechanical engraving, and never was and never -will be, and the attempt to palm off mechanical blocks or plates is a -swindle and a humbug. - -Etchings are produced in the following manner; at least this is the -best and simplest method. - -A plate of highly polished copper, zinc, or even steel, iron, or -aluminium is obtained from the makers, William Longman, of Johnson's -Court, Fleet Street, or from Messrs. Hughes & Kimber, West Harding -Street, Fetter Lane, or Messrs. Roberson, 99, Long Acre. Copper, -however, is the best and almost universally used. This should be -carefully cleaned with a soft rag and whiting; then it should be -gripped by a vice with a wooden handle, in one corner, care being -taken to put a piece of soft paper between the vice and the plate to -keep the teeth of the former from scratching it; heated, either upon -an iron frame with a spirit or Bunsen lamp under it, or over the gas, -until, if you take a ball of etching ground and touch the plate with -it, the ground melts. This ground is made of resin, wax, and gum; the -best is made by Sellers in England and Cadart in France. All these -materials can be bought of Roberson or Hughes & Kimber. Touch the hot -plate in several places with the ground. It should melt at once; then -take an American etching roller (which I think you can only obtain at -Roberson's) and go over the plate rapidly with it in every direction, -until the little masses of melted ground have been spread evenly and -thinly in a film all over it. With a little practice you should be -able to do this in a couple of minutes, and you can lay in this way -(which is unknown virtually in England) a thinner, harder, more even -and very much better ground, with less trouble, than in any other. -Heat the plate again a little more, and take a bundle of wax tapers -twisted together by heating them, light them and pass them under the -face of the plate held, varnished side downwards, by the vice; do not -touch the plate with the taper, or the varnish, being still melted, -will come off, but go rapidly back and forward, allowing the flame -only to touch the surface. In a few minutes the varnish will have been -completely blackened by the smoke. Next, take a bottle of stopping-out -varnish (which you may as well buy; don't bother to make it) and cover -the back and edges of the plate. If this is done while the plate is -hot, it dries very fast, and as soon as the plate is cool it is ready -to work on. - -This is the first stage. The waxy ground is put on to protect the -plate from the acid with which it is to be bitten, and it must be so -well made and well put on, that one can draw through it, without -tearing it up and without any resistance; also it must adhere firmly -to the plate, where it is not drawn through, and must resist the acid -perfectly in the untouched parts. The smoking is done to enable you to -see your lines in the copper, light on dark; this is rather curious at -first, but you will get used to it. The stopping-out varnish is also -to protect the plate, and is only a cheaper sort of ground dissolved -in oil of lavender or ether. When the plate is cool, it should be of a -brilliant uniform black, and if there are any dull, smoky-looking -places on it, the ground is burnt. Here the ground may be rubbed off, -or will show cracks, if you touch it, in these places, and the varnish -should be cleaned off the face with turpentine, the plate carefully -dried and regrounded. Otherwise the varnish will either crack while -you are drawing on it, or come off in the bath of acid, and your work -will be spoiled. - -You draw upon the varnished plate with needles or points; any steel -points will do, from a knitting-needle to the best big point you can -get. The small needles invented by Mr. Whistler I find the best; but -this is a personal liking. They are of all shapes and sizes. You may -commence and draw in your entire subject, only remembering that you -must leave your foreground lines further apart than those in the -distance. - -You may make your drawing either with the same needle, all over, or -with needles of different sizes; for though one half of the art is in -the drawing, the other half, and the really characteristic half, is in -the biting. There is very little to be said about the drawing, save -that you must draw just as well as ever you can; you will find out -almost immediately that you have the most responsive tool in your -fingers, and that you can work with it in any direction. Do not -bother, if you use the same needle, because the drawing looks flat, -and the lines are of the same width; the biting will fix all that. -Draw away; if you are afraid to tackle the copper straight away with a -point, paint your design on it, with a little Chinese white, or, if -you have a pencil drawing of the subject, you may make a tracing from -it, and go over that, transferring it to the plate; or you may turn -the drawing face down and run it through a copper plate press; the -drawing will come off on the varnished surface in reverse, and if you -are doing a portrait of a place you must otherwise reverse it -yourself. If you wish to sketch from nature in reverse, put up a -mirror on an easel, and turn your back to the subject, drawing from -the picture in the mirror, for, you must remember, that any subject -drawn, as you see it, on a copper plate, or even a wood-block, prints -in reverse. - -Next, to bite or etch the drawing into the copper plate, take equal -parts of nitric acid and water and mix them in a glass-stoppered -bottle, some hours before you wish to use the mixture, for there is -enough heat produced by the chemical action to melt the ground if it -is used at once. - -Or have a quantity of what is known as Dutch mordant made; this is -composed of-- - - Two parts Chlorate of Potash, - Ten parts Hydrochloric Acid, - Eighty-eight parts water. - -Next, get an ordinary photographer's porcelain or rubber bath or tray; -lay the plate in it, pour the acid over it; in a few seconds bubbles -will arise, in all the lines; brush them away with a feather; leave -the plate, if there is any fine work on it, in the bath for only two -or three minutes, say for a light sky; take it out with rubber -finger-tips or a stick, for the acid will burn your fingers and a drop -will rot your clothes, staining them light yellow; wash the plate -thoroughly in clean water, dry it carefully with blotting-paper. Take -some of your stopping-out varnish, thin it with a little (a very -little) turpentine, paint over the very lightest parts of the drawing -with a camel's-hair brush dipped in the diluted varnish, and thus stop -them out--that is, stop them from biting any more by painting them -with the varnish. Wait till the places where you have painted the -varnish are thoroughly dry; then put the plate in the bath again and -bite the next stronger, nearer set of lines; of course, save where the -lines are covered by the stopping-out varnish, they will keep on -biting. Continue biting and stopping out till you get to the -foreground, where the lines should now be quite broad and deep; take -off the ground front and back by washing it with a rag dipped in -turpentine, dry it, and the plate is ready to print from. - -Another method is to commence by drawing in the darks, biting them, -then drawing in the middle distance, the darks going on biting all the -while, and finally the extreme distance, when the whole plate will be -biting together; by this method no stopping out is necessary, but in -working out of doors it is awkward to carry baths and acid around with -one, otherwise one must run back to the studio, to bite between each -stage. But these two methods can be mixed up, and frequently are, and -you may also work in the bath, drawing lines through or over others, -thus getting richness while the biting is going on. The bad fumes -which are given off during the biting are not dangerous. In working -with the Dutch mordant, which bites slower than nitric acid and makes -no bubbles, but bites straight down, while nitric acid enlarges the -lines laterally, you will inhale much of the fumes, but they won't -hurt you. Although you do not see any action with the Dutch mordant, -brush the lines with a feather, else a deposit is formed and they will -bite unevenly. - -It is very difficult to tell when a plate is well bitten, the biting -is very difficult, but on taking it out of the bath and holding it on -a level with your eye, you can see the bitten lines; you can also feel -the biting with a needle, and you may take off a bit of the varnish -with your thumb-nail or turpentine and look at the lines, re-covering -them again with the stopping-out varnish; but after this, of course, -they will not bite in that place. - -Again, the lines do not bite evenly; where they are close together -they bite faster, and, after the plate has been in the acid some -time, it may change its speed of biting; differences of atmosphere and -temperature affect it even with the same acid on the same day; if the -nitric acid is too weak add more acid; if too strong pour in water, -and quick, else the ground will come off: it is too strong when it -boils and bubbles all over; it is too weak when there are no bubbles. -Dutch mordant eats always slowly, and never, so far as I know, -destroys the ground. At the last, for very strong darks, you may -sometimes use a little pure nitric acid, but it will most likely tear -up the ground, and if you leave it long enough will spoil all your -lines, giving you only a great black hole. These are the systems -employed by all etchers; the lengthy dissertations about white ground, -silver ground, positive and negative processes, need not concern you, -they are never practised, and mostly unknown to the best men. These -simple directions should enable you to produce artistic plates, if you -have the necessary ability. Still, when you have had a proof of your -plate pulled--I will talk of printing in the next lecture--you will -find that there are all sorts of imperfections in it, possibly holes, -places where it is not bitten enough or too much bitten, or that it is -too dark or too light all over; it is but seldom that a plate is right -when the first proof is pulled. If you find a hole bitten in it, take -a burnishing tool, flatten the hole down as much as possible, find the -place on the back with a pair of calipers, hammer it up from the back, -placing it on an anvil, burnish it again and polish the surface with -charcoal, oil, and rags; revarnish the place, redraw, and rebite it. -If it is only a small place you may take up some nitric acid on a -feather, and paint the little spot to be rebitten with that. A few -drops of the acid have nearly as much power as a great deal. In fact -you may paint the face of your plate with acid and do your biting in -that way, without ever immersing it in the bath at all. If it is too -much bitten it must be rubbed down with charcoal and oil, a tedious -process. If it is too light it must be rebitten all over; then take a -rebiting roller, putting some liquid etching ground on a separate -plate, take the ground up on the roller and roll the face of the plate -very carefully; the ground should cover the face without going into -any of the lines; heat it very slightly to dry the ground, leave it -for a day or so and then bite as before. If there are places where -lines want joining or little touches of dark would be effective, put -them in with a graver or a point. - -You may use a graver altogether, and produce a line engraving; or a -point, either steel or diamond, and make what is known as a dry-point -etching, that is, merely a scratched drawing on the copper; the point -throws up, as you draw with it, a furrow, which is greater or less as -you incline the point, and this holds the ink, and is called burr, and -gives for a few proofs great richness; a steel face can, however, be -put on the copper plate, and any number of pulls may be taken. The -difference between the cutting of lines with a graver and the drawing -of them with a point is this: the graver, both in metal and wood, is -pushed from one; the point in etching, and even the knives in wood -cutting, are drawn toward one. - -Messrs. Roberson have invented a plate of celluloid which, for dry -point work, seems to be fairly good, and as this plate is white or -cream-coloured, as one draws on it the lines may be filled up with -paint, and one may thus see the drawing as one works. Of course, the -same thing may be done with dry point on copper. The great advantage -of the celluloid is its lightness. It must not, however, be heated in -printing, otherwise it will be ruined. Many etchers are now making -experiments with aluminium, but no certain results have as yet been -obtained. - -There are many other forms of engraving included under the title of -Etching, although, properly speaking, they have nothing to do with it. - -Aquatint: a ground, made by depositing powdered resin in solution with -spirits of wine, is poured on the plate, slightly heated, and as it -dries the resin adheres to the plate and cracks up irregularly; a -drawing may be made on this, and stopped out in the usual way. Or -powdered resin may be sprinkled on the plate, heated, when it will -adhere, or the plate may be placed in a box containing resin in very -fine powder, heated, and the box shaken; the resin will settle on it -and produce the ground. - -A very similar ground may be made by passing the ordinarily-grounded -plate through a copper-plate printing-press, with a piece of sandpaper -over it, three or four times, then the design may be painted on it in -stopping-out varnish, and at times a very good result may be obtained. -Lines may be put in, etched before the ground is laid; but personally -I don't like the lines at all; without them the result is rather like -a bitten painting. Silk and canvas can also be placed on the grounded -plate, which is then run through the press, to get tints in the -ground. - -Tints may be obtained after the plate is bitten by painting it with -olive oil and sprinkling flowers of sulphur on it, which gives a very -charming tint, but it does not last long; I believe that if acid is -poured over it, it may last better. Mr. Frank Short says so, but I -have never tried the experiment. - -Soft ground etchings are made by mixing etching ground and tallow -together in equal proportions, covering the plate with this -composition by means of the roller: that is, put some of the -composition on a clean plate, pass the roller over it till it is -covered with the soft ground, and then roll it on to the plate on -which you propose to work, smoke it and then stretch a piece of -rough-grained or lined drawing paper over the face, as paper is -stretched for making water-colours, draw upon this with a lead pencil -and then carefully take the paper off; you must not rest on or touch -the plate with your fingers; the ground comes away with the paper -where the pencil has passed, and the design is seen on the copper, -and is then to be bitten in as in ordinary etching. - -Mezzotint is also included, for some unknown reason, with etching. The -face of the plate is roughened in every direction by going over it -with a toothed instrument called a rocker, until it will print -perfectly black; the design is then traced on it; the drawing is made -by scraping down the lights, and finally by burnishing the whites -quite smooth. - -Tint effects can also be obtained by a smooth-toothed wheel, the -roulette, the same as that used by process engravers; only here it -produces blacks, while they use it to get lights. - -Monotypes, that is paintings made in colour or black and white on a -bare copper plate in the usual way, though they must be handled -thinly, may be passed through the press, and they will yield one -exquisitely soft and delicate impression. The electrotyping and -duplicating of them changes their character and value entirely: it is -a ridiculous and inartistic proceeding. - -But after going through all this list,--I have barely referred to -steel engraving in line, which, as I have said, is only working with -an ordinary graver in steel, and is slow and tedious, unsatisfactory -drudgery; or to stipple engraving, dotting and biting in dots, instead -of lines, as practised by Bartolozzi,--one comes back to the simple -method I described at first, the method with some improvements of -Rembrandt, the method of Whistler, or in dry point the method of -Helleu; and what is good enough for those masters should be good -enough for you. - - - - -LECTURE IX. - -_THE PRINTING OF ETCHINGS._ - - -Which is the more interesting and amusing--the drawing, biting, or -printing of an etching has never been decided. But no artist is -willing, if he can help it, to allow any one else, once he has -mastered the method of work, to perform any part of the operation for -him. - -The printing of an etching is, in theory, very simple; in practice, it -is most difficult, but most delightful. - -The plate being bitten, as I have described in a previous lecture, -must now be printed, for the prints from it, and not the plate -itself, are the end of etching--really of all illustration. - -You will have to spend several pounds on an etching outfit, so you had -better get a good one. The small ones, including press, ink, -chemicals, quite complete, sold by Roberson, of 99, Long Acre, are -most excellent as far as they go, for small plates, and taking round -the country with one on a sketching tour; but for serious work, a more -practical set of tools is necessary. Therefore I would advise you -first to take lessons of a good etcher, who will allow you to work -with him, or to go to a printer and get him to show you how the work -is done. - -This is the method: the first thing to do is to obtain some good -handmade paper, almost all old paper is excellent; it should be -unruled, of course; often the tone of it is lovely, and it may contain -most beautiful water-marks. I am referring to Dutch, French, English, -or German papers of at least a century old. At times you may be able -to pick up old ledgers, account-books, or packages of unprinted paper; -treasure them up; if you don't print etchings on them, there is -nothing more delightful to draw upon. There are also Japanese and -India papers, which give most beautiful delicate translucent effect to -prints. Vellum, parchment, and even silk or satin may be printed on. -But as a general rule the old handmade Dutch paper is the most -satisfactory, if you can get it. For ordinary work and experiments, -modern paper is quite good enough, and very good handmade paper can be -obtained from Roberson's. Let us suppose you are going to print; -twenty-four hours before, take several sheets of paper, rather more -than you want, in case of failure or for any other reason; cut the -sheets the size you desire them, a little larger than the plate, so -as to leave a decent margin. Cut the paper first; Japanese paper, for -example, cannot easily be cut when it is wet. Get a sheet of window -glass, lay it flat on a table, take the first sheet of paper and damp -it on one side by passing a wet sponge over it, lay it on the glass; -on top of this sheet lay another dry one; damp the top of that with -the sponge; and continue laying down sheets and damping their upper -faces till you have enough; put another sheet of window glass on the -top, and a heavy weight upon it; in a day the whole mass should be -completely dampened all through. I believe the same thing can be done -by a copying press and book, and I have heard it is so done by -lithographers, but the way I have described is the usual one that is -followed by plate printers. The next thing is the press. A good -secondhand one may be bought at Hughes & Kimber's, West Harding -Street, Fetter Lane, for about five pounds. Much depends, however, on -the size and finish. You should have it brought to your studio, set up -and adjusted for you by skilled workmen. Then you must buy a heater -and a jigger for your plates, ink, oil, canvas, and a number of other -things, dabbers, a muller, an ink-slab, and a big palette knife; all -these will run up a bill of ten pounds or so. - -But having your press and other things, let us go to work: light the -gas-burners under the heater which you have bought; if too much flame -comes out and makes the iron top too hot, plug up some of the jets. -Put your plate on the top of the heater. First, however, see that your -press is adjusted, so that the plate will fit in. To do this, put a -piece of paper on the top of the plate and run it in the press to try -it, and see if it goes under the roller without tearing the paper. -Take some of the ink out of the can, or better, get it in powder, put -it on the ink-slab and mix it with oil with the palette knife; then -take the muller and grind the ink until it is thoroughly ground and -mixed and of about the thickness of paint as it comes out of the tube. -But each plate will require more or less oil or colour, and some -brown, red, or possibly blue mixed with it to take off the crude raw -look which pure black often has in the print. The plate being now -warm, not so hot as to boil or burn the ink, dab with a dabber the ink -from the slab all over the face of the plate (it is warmed to wipe the -ink off easily), slide it from the heater to the wooden box called a -jigger, which must be placed alongside the former. You should get a -printer to arrange your things for you. Take a piece of the rag or -canvas for wiping, double it carefully and loosely in your hand--this -requires much practice--and remove all the ink which is on the -surface of the plate. Even after you have wiped it some time, an oily -film will remain, which, unless you polish the plate with whiting -rubbed on your hand, you cannot remove, and you do not want to, -because the oil gives a delicious tone to the print. Some ink may be -left in places on the surface to increase and strengthen the work, but -what you must learn to do is not to wipe any of the ink out of the -bitten lines. This is very difficult, and if you do wipe it out, you -must commence all over again, only the chances are that you will know -nothing about this until the plate is printed. The colour may also be -increased by going over the surface of the plate, having again warmed -it, if it has become cool, with a bit of soft taffatas silk with a -trembling muscular motion of the arm and fingers. This action, called -retroussage, which must be seen to be understood, drags the ink -slightly over the surface of the plate without taking much out of the -lines. - -Now take off the weights from your paper, take up a sheet, which -should be thoroughly damped, first brushing it with a soft brush to -remove any drops of water or dirt or dust. The paper should be placed -near the press. Put the plate face upwards on the press, on which the -blankets have been properly arranged--you must see this done for -yourselves--the plate underneath of course; lay the sheet of damp -paper on the face of the plate and run it through the press once; it -is well to put a sheet of ordinary thick paper on the top of the damp -sheet, otherwise the latter will stick to the blankets; raise the -blankets and take up the first sheet of paper, the print will most -likely adhere to that, if it does not, take it up carefully by one -edge, it will come away from the copper, and you will find the print -on the under side of it. - -Japanese and India prints require very careful handling, especially -the latter. They are usually printed on to a sheet of plate paper by -dusting it, or the back of the India paper, with flour; this, on -passing through the press, is made into paste by the dampness of the -India paper, and they are thus moulded together. - -As soon as the prints are taken off the press, put them between sheets -of blotting paper and allow them to dry for some time, they will come -out flat; if you neglect this, they will crinkle up very badly, and -are difficult to get smooth again. - -This is the way a copper plate is printed, but you must see it done -and practise for a long time before you can do it decently. - -Colour prints from copper plates may be made in one or more ways. The -various colours may be put on by applying them where they are wanted -with stumps, or the plate may be painted by applying the colours with -brushes. Several plates may be used, just as in lithography or -coloured block printing, and these coloured plates wiped as I have -been describing. Many prints, however, are coloured by hand after they -are printed. - -Mezzotints, acquatints, steel engravings, &c., are printed in the same -way as copper-plates. The rubbing with the canvas and the hand, and -the tremendous pressure to which the plates are subjected, quickly -spoil the clearness and sharpness of the lines; therefore if any large -number of prints are wanted, a coating of steel is put on the face of -the copper-plate by steel-plating it; this protects the copper, and as -soon as the steel facing shows signs of wear it may be removed, and a -new film of steel applied; hence an unlimited edition can be printed -in time from a copper plate. If it is necessary that the printing -should be done more rapidly, electrotypes can be made from the -original copper-plate (_see_ electrotype and stereotype Lecture), and -several printers can then work on these electrotypes at the same time. -The electrotypes are rarely equal to the originals. - -Such is a brief outline of the method of printing copper plates; but I -cannot too strongly impress upon you the fact that it is a handicraft -which, though most interesting, requires long apprenticeship, with a -master printer, and in one's studio, before good results can be -obtained. - - - - -LECTURE X. - -_PHOTOGRAVURE AND PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHY, ETC._ - - -These processes or methods of reproduction are the outcome of the -endeavour to supersede the artist and engraver. They are quite -mechanical, or should be; in fact the less evidence there is of any -intervention on the part of the operator or maker of a photographic -plate, the better it will be for the work which is being reproduced; -still, if an artist turns his attention to these processes, the finest -results are obtained, even though he must completely efface himself in -the work. M. Amand Durand made the best photogravures ever produced -because he was an artist. No mere photographic or mechanical engraver -ever approached him. - -The theory of photogravure and photo-lithography, in the best work, is -the same as that of photo-engraving, which is described in a previous -Lecture. In photogravure a photograph of a drawing is usually made on -a sensitised copper plate; this is coated with some acid-resisting -varnish, but when the varnished plate is washed with water or some -acid, the varnish covering the picture on the plate comes away, -leaving the picture on the bare copper. This is then bitten in exactly -the same way as an etching, the success of the plate depending -entirely on the artistic intelligence of the person who does the -biting. Or else the photographic print is made on the varnish itself -just exactly in the same way as for a zinc block; only in this case -the picture is washed away and not the surrounding portions; the -biting is then proceeded with. - -There are also many other processes of photogravure, while heliotype, -autotype, Woodbury-type, collotype, are closely allied to it. The word -type is probably used simply because by none of these methods can the -plates be used with letterpress. All these processes, however, are -very complicated, require expensive machinery, are quite outside the -field of art, most secret, and, except theoretically, of little -importance to you. - -A good photogravure, for example, by Amand Durand or Ch. Dujardin is -often a most excellent reproduction of a line-drawing or an -etching--so good, in fact, as to be almost indistinguishable from an -etching. But to endeavour to palm off pen drawings as etchings, when -they have been reproduced in some such way, is to act the part of a -common swindler. - -Photo-lithography is exactly the same as photo-zincography--process -block-making. The drawing is photographed on to transfer paper, -covered with lithographic ink and transferred to the stone like any -other lithograph. This is a mechanical process; there are a number of -ways of getting the drawing on to the stone, and the results are -described under many names. Collotypes and other varieties of -photographic prints are made from gelatine or other films; they -require expensive machines to produce, they are all mechanical -processes which you could not readily use unless you went into the -business, and are quite outside your art. - -One is being continually shown processes which are going to -revolutionise engraving and incidentally do away with the artist; this -has not yet been accomplished. But just as one sees to-day the -momentary triumph of the photographer--or rather of the person who is -exploiting the poor photographer--one may remember that chromos have -not annihilated painting, nor can the photograph ever be anything more -than a useful aid to illustration. - - - - -LECTURE XI. - -_MAKING READY FOR THE PRINTING PRESS._ - - -Having made your drawing, had it reproduced by one of the methods I -described, you must now have it printed. - -Excepting in the case of very limited fine editions of not more than -one hundred copies, the original plates or blocks on which the designs -have been engraved are very seldom used, because if anything should -happen to the blocks or plates they would have to be done over again. -So copies of them, called electrotypes and sometimes stereotypes, are -made. The electrotype of a wood or metal block or plate is produced in -the same way as an electrotype of any other object, by usually taking a -wax cast of it, putting the cast in an electrotyping bath, when a shell -of copper is deposited upon it. As many of these wax casts may be made -as are wanted, and as many shells are deposited as desired. These -copper shells are then backed up with wood or metal and are ready to -print from. They are wonderfully cheaply and quickly turned out, and in -the case of magazines and books, for which a large circulation is -expected, are always used; and it is almost, with good work, impossible -to tell the difference between the electrotype, and the original; from -a process block or wood engraving, while the original block is -preserved for making additional electrotypes for future editions. In -the case of cheap books, or newspapers with illustrations, the _Daily -Graphic_, for example--the _Chronicle_ was printed almost altogether -from the original blocks, or electrotypes--the page of type is set up -with the original blocks in it, and this is stereotyped to print from; -that is, a papier maché mould is made of the entire page of type and -illustrations, either by pounding down on to it, with a heavy brush, a -thick sheet of papier maché till the entire page is moulded into the -pulpy papier maché, or by covering it with successive sheets of thin -damp paper until a solid mould or matrix of paper is made on the type; -this matrix is hardened and placed in a curved steel case, and type -metal poured into the case upon the paper mould; as soon as the type -metal has cooled it is taken out, and a perfect cast of the page is -seen in metal, curved so that it will fit on the cylinder of the -printing press. If there are no illustrations, it may be printed right -off, without further preparation; but if the page contains -illustrations, in order to get the proper amount of colour on the -blacks, and the delicacy of the greys, little pieces of paper must be -put over and under the illustrations, on the printing press, to bring -out their colour, by increasing or lessening the pressure. This is the -way in which it is done: a man, called the overlay cutter, has several -proofs of the illustration given him, and he cuts them out so as to -produce a series of skeleton designs, one containing only the blacks, -another the blacks and dark greys, the third the blacks, dark and light -greys, and so on; these he pastes on the top of each other, forming the -picture in relief, and this relief picture is either placed under the -block to be printed from, or else on the opposite cylinder under the -paper on which the picture is to be printed--it must be put on very -accurately and firmly, for if it slips it will ruin the whole page. All -this work connected with printing is most interesting, most complicated, -and most wonderfully performed. In order to understand it thoroughly, -you must go and work in a printing office; all illustrators should -learn at least how overlays are made, how to correct them, and how to -work on blocks or electros, though this is really the duty of the -engraver; when they are on the printing press, little things may -happen which may make or mar a whole book, which only the artist can -detect, and which he should be able to set right. Therefore if you are -making a beautiful book, you should not only see all the engraver's -proofs of your drawings, but the printer's proofs as well; all this -requires much work and more knowledge, but unless you care enough -about your work to acquire this knowledge, I doubt if you will ever be -a great success as an illustrator--that is, artistically. - -Very much has been said lately about the artist considering the -limitations of the printing press, the paper, and ink. Really to-day -with the best engravers, the best printers and paper-makers, there are -no limits to the possibilities of reproducing and printing drawings. -The limits are the depth of the publisher's pocket. Almost any drawing -whatever can be reproduced very well, by some means, provided the -editor or publisher will pay the price charged for having it -reproduced, and the engravers and printers have the knowledge of their -craft to reproduce it. And if the book or magazine will stand the -expense, it very likely will pay the publisher. But if you are working -for a magazine, it is not likely that the proprietors can afford -photogravures, therefore your work must be made so that it will -reproduce well by wood engraving or process. And the necessity for -attention to the mechanical requirements of drawing, engraving, and -printing increase, as the price of the book or paper decreases, until -when one comes down, financially, to the halfpenny papers, only those -drawings can be used which will print at the utmost speed, and with -the least care bestowed upon them, in poor ink and cheap paper. Still, -there is no reason why the artistic quality also should degenerate; -there are men at work to-day whose drawings would look just as well in -the halfpenny evening papers as in a three-guinea book, and these men -are to be congratulated on their perfect mastery of the cheaper -methods of reproduction. Therefore try to do good work in your own -way, and do not bother about anything but whether it will look well on -the printed page. - - -UNWIN BROTHERS, PRINTERS, LONDON AND CHILWORTH. - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Archaic and variant spelling is preserved as printed. - -Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. - -Hyphenation has been made consistent. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Illustration of Books, by Joseph Pennell - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS *** - -***** This file should be named 51778-0.txt or 51778-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/7/7/51778/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Illustration of Books - A Manual for the Use of Students, Notes for a Course of - Lectures at the Slade School, University College - -Author: Joseph Pennell - -Release Date: April 17, 2016 [EBook #51778] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - - -<div class="covernote"> -<p><b>Transcriber’s Note</b></p> - -<p>The cover image was created by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader, -and it is placed in the public domain.</p> -</div> - - - -<h1>THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS</h1> - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 112px;"> -<img src="images/logo.png" width="112" height="186" -alt="Publisher's logo" /> -</div> - - - -<div class="titlep"> -<p class="tpcontent"><span class="lrgfont01">THE ILLUSTRATION</span><br /> -<span class="lrgfont02">OF BOOKS</span> <span class="lspace01">A MANUAL</span><br /> -<span class="lspace02">FOR THE USE OF STUDENTS,</span><br /> -<span class="lspace03">NOTES FOR A COURSE OF</span><br /> -<span class="lspace04">LECTURES AT THE SLADE</span><br /> -SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE<br /> - -<span class="tinyfont">BY</span><br /> - -<span class="lspace05">JOSEPH PENNELL</span><br /> - -<span class="tinyfont01">LECTURER ON ILLUSTRATION AT</span><br /> -<span class="tinyfont02">THE SLADE SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY</span><br /> -<span class="tinyfont03">COLLEGE, AUTHOR OF “PEN</span><br /> -<span class="tinyfont">DRAWING AND PEN DRAUGHTSMEN,”</span><br /> -<span class="tinyfont04">“MODERN ILLUSTRATION,” ETC</span></p> - - -<p class="tpcontent">NEW YORK: THE CENTURY CO<br /> -LONDON: T FISHER UNWIN</p> -</div> - - -<p class="copyright"><i>All rights reserved.</i></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>v]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="contents" id="contents"></a>CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> - - -<div class="centered"> -<table border="0" summary="Table of contents"> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE I.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl"> </td> - <td class="tdr"><small>PAGE</small></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">WHAT IS ILLUSTRATION?</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap01">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE II.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">THE EQUIPMENT OF THE ILLUSTRATOR</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap02">14</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE III.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">METHODS OF DRAWING FOR REPRODUCTION IN LINE</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap03">33</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE IV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">THE REPRODUCTION OF LINE DRAWINGS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap04">65</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE V.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">THE MAKING OF WASH DRAWINGS AND THEIR REPRODUCTION BY MECHANICAL PROCESS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap05">80</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE VI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">REPRODUCTION OF DRAWINGS BY WOOD ENGRAVING</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap06">93</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>vi]</a></span>LECTURE VII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">LITHOGRAPHY</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap07">112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE VIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">ETCHING</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap08">123</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE IX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">THE PRINTING OF ETCHINGS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap09">144</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE X.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">PHOTOGRAVURE AND PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHY, ETC.</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap10">155</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2">LECTURE XI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">MAKING READY FOR THE PRINTING PRESS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#chap11">160</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -</div> - - -<div class="note"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii"><!-- unnumbered in original --></a></span></p> - -<p><i>Some of these Lectures were printed in -the “Art Journal,” and they are republished -by permission of the Editor.</i></p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii"><!-- unnumbered blank in original --></a></span></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>ix]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="preface" id="preface"></a>PREFACE.</h2> -</div> - - -<p><i><span class="dropcapit">T</span>HESE lectures were delivered in the -Slade School, University College, at -the request and suggestion of Professor F. -Brown, and, I believe, were the first, or -among the first, serious attempts in this -country to point out all the various methods -of making and reproducing drawings for -book and newspaper illustration.</i></p> - -<p><i>Since they were first delivered, now some -three winters ago, courses of lectures on -illustration, and classes for instruction in -drawing and engraving have been started -in almost all art schools.</i></p> - -<p><i>It seemed to me, therefore, that a small -manual on the subject might be useful.</i></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>x]</a></span> -<i>There is no attempt in this book to define -Art, or even to tell the student how to -draw; that he learns in his ordinary -school work. Still less is there any endeavour -to dictate, or even suggest, any especial -style, or manner of handling, or technique.</i></p> - -<p><i>But illustration is, up to a certain point, -a mechanical craft, which must be learned, -and can be learned, by any one. And -ignorance of the requirements and absolute -necessities are evident all around us.</i></p> - -<p><i>The book, therefore, might rather be described -as a series of tips or hints—to -put it on as low a plane as possible—the -result of practical experience, which should -enable the student to make his drawings so -that they will produce a good effect on the -printed page; but, first of all, he must be -able to make the drawing well. No one -can teach him that; but he can be taught -what materials he should use, where he can -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xi]</a></span> -get them, and how he should employ them. -That is all I have tried to do.</i></p> - -<p><i>As I have said in this book repeatedly, -processes are discovered and perfected -almost daily. Since these lectures were -last given, the method of etching zinc and -copper half-tone blocks has been entirely -revolutionised. Now, there is no inking -up of plates; the photograph on the metal -serves as a protecting and acid-resisting -ground, and the biting is done as simply -as in ordinary etching; though, of course, -it is the lines or dots which are left in -relief.</i></p> - -<p><i>Possibly before the book is out, even -greater improvements and developments may -be made.</i></p> - -<p><i>Nor have I attempted to describe all the -tricks, dodges, and clever schemes employed -in newspaper offices for making blocks from -photographs, or for the rapid reproduction -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xii]</a></span> -of sketches, such as drawing on lithographic -transfer paper, making photographic enlargements -on fugitive prints. All are -most useful and valuable in their way, but -not exactly what one would tell a student -to do. If he becomes an illustrator he will -learn these things fast enough.</i></p> - -<p><i>As the book is passing through the press -Mr. W. Lewis Fraser, the art manager of -“The Century” magazine, writes me that -he thinks it “a good practical book, likely -to be of much use to the young illustrator, -and save the art editor many a pang and -many a sorrow.” I hope so, and it is with -this hope that the book is published.</i></p> - -<p class="signed">JOSEPH PENNELL.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">London</span>, <i>Oct., 1895</i>.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="reptitle">THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak"><a name="chap01" id="chap01"></a>LECTURE I.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">WHAT IS ILLUSTRATION?</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE craving for pictures, that is, for -illustrations, is as old as the world. -The cave-dweller felt it when he scratched -on the walls of his house, or carved the -handle of his battle-axe; one there was -“who stayed by the tents with the women, -and traced strange devices with a burnt -stick upon the ground.” Others painted -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>2]</a></span> -themselves blue, and were beautiful; and -these were the first illustrators.</p> - -<p>The Egyptians were the most prolific, -and their works may be found, monuments -more durable than brass, not alone in their -places, but scattered to all the corners of -the earth.</p> - -<p>From the Egyptians and the Assyrians -we may skip, offending but the archæologist -and the pedant, to the illuminators who -threw their light on the Dark Ages. They -changed their methods from carving to -tracing, and their mediums from stone and -papyrus to parchment and vellum.</p> - -<p>But always these illustrations were single -works of art, they were not reproduced, -and only duplicated by copying by hand.</p> - -<p>Beautiful as are the manuscripts, they -play but a small and unimportant part in the -history of illustration, when compared with -the block books that follow them; though -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>3]</a></span> -block printing is but a natural evolution -from the stamp on the bricks of the Egyptian, -or the painting on the vases of the Etruscan.</p> - -<p>The block books, more often loose sheets, -were printed from designs, picture and text, -cut on the wood, in one piece, sometimes -possibly engraved in metal. These blocks, -being inked, and having sheets of paper -placed on their inked surfaces, and the paper -being rubbed, gave off an impression; as -many blocks having to be cut as there were -pages, and as many impressions having to be -taken from each block as there were copies -desired. The first of these illustrated -blocks is the St. Christopher, 1423, though -playing-cards, produced in the same way, -were known much earlier.</p> - -<p>It is only, however, with the invention -of printing with movable types, practised by -the Chinese centuries before we ever thought -of it, that illustration, in its modern sense, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>4]</a></span> -may be said to have been created; though -printing with movable type is but the cutting -up into separate letters of the pages of the -block books. As soon as the artist was -able to make his design upon a block of -wood, have that engraved, and set up in -the press with movable type, and print from -it, a new art was discovered.</p> - -<p>From the day of Gutenberg and Schœffer, -illustration has, in the main, never changed; -new methods have been employed, new processes -for making the blocks have been -perfected, but an illustration still continues -to be a design on a wood block or metal -plate, so cut, engraved, or etched as to produce -a printing surface from which impressions -may be taken, either in connection -with type, when we call it letterpress or relief -printing, or separate from the type, when it -usually becomes intaglio or plate printing.</p> - -<p>These methods have undergone, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>5]</a></span> -still are undergoing, incessant modifications, -developments, and improvements; and anyone -who wishes to take up illustration as -a profession or a study, must learn the -rudiments of the science, as well as master -the great principles of art, if he wishes to -succeed.</p> - -<p>To-day, the methods of making the design -are many, but the methods of reproducing -it are virtually endless; still one must try -to learn something of the most important, -and the more one understands the requirements -of drawing for engraving and printing, -the better will be the results obtained.</p> - -<p>In the fifteenth century one had but to -design the picture on the side of a plank, -write in the text in reverse, cut everything -else away, wet the block thoroughly, ink -the face of it, lay damp paper over it, and -rub or press the back of the sheet of paper -till the ink came off on it, producing a print.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>6]</a></span> -To-day one must understand drawing in -all sorts of mediums, know something of -the effect of photographing a drawing on -to the wood block or metal plate, take at -least an intelligent interest in engraving on -wood and metal, understand process and -lithography, and be prepared to struggle -with that terrible monster, the modern steam-press, -and its slave, the modern printer. To -do this intelligently requires, not only a -training in Art, but in the arts and sciences -of engraving, reproduction, printing; and -it is to these arts and sciences that I propose -to call your attention.</p> - -<p>An illustration—using the term in its -artistic sense—is a design intended to give -an artist’s idea of an incident, episode, -or topographical site, or it may be but a -mere diagram referred to by a writer; -and an illustrator is one who makes pictures -or illustrations which illustrate or -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>7]</a></span> -explain his own text, or that of another -writer.</p> - -<p>An illustration really is a work of art, -or rather it should be, which is explanatory; -but, as a matter of fact, so too is all graphic -art, explanatory of some story, sentiment, -emotion, effect, or fact; and it would be -very difficult indeed to point out when art -is not illustrative.</p> - -<p>As the word is used to-day, however, an -illustration is a design made for the purpose -of publication in book or magazine or paper. -The fashion of making such designs to -accompany lettering or type is, as I have -shown, as old as the art of writing. The -art of illustration, or rather the existence -of illustration as a separate craft, and of -illustrators as a distinct body of craftsmen, -is virtually the growth of this century, more -properly of the last sixty years since the -invention of illustrated journalism.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>8]</a></span> -Until the other day illustration had no -place among the Fine Arts, and it has been -said that, to win renown, an illustrator must -achieve it in some other branch of art.</p> - -<p>A few great artists of the past have made -illustrations which will be prized for ever, -and to-day these men are spoken of as -illustrators; with Dürer and Holbein it was -but one of the many forms of art in which -they excelled, but they were not altogether -given up to it.</p> - -<p>To-day, however, illustration is the most -living and vital of the Fine Arts, and among -its followers are found the most able and -eminent of contemporary artists.</p> - -<p>It cannot, however, be said that this prominence -which has been so suddenly thrust -upon illustration is altogether due to its -increase in artistic excellence; there are a -number of other reasons.</p> - -<p>Illustration has indeed reached technically, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>9]</a></span> -on the part of artist, engraver, and printer, -such a point of perfection, that it has at -length forced critics and amateurs to give -it the attention it has so long demanded.</p> - -<p>More important reasons are the developments -in reproduction and printing, started, -and to a great extent carried on, merely -to lessen the cost of production, but capable -of giving better and truer results in the -hands of intelligent craftsmen, than anything -previously known.</p> - -<p>Still, cheapness in reproduction by process, -cheapness in the cost of printing, has -enabled numbers of absolutely ignorant -people (ignorant, that is, of art), but possessed -of, they think, fine commercial instincts, -to start illustrated papers and publish -illustrated books. The result has been that -an army of out-of-works in other fields of -art, of immature or even utterly untrained -students, escaping from the hard labour and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>10]</a></span> -drudgery of an art school, ignorant even of -the fact that great illustrators have always -studied and worked before they have found -a chance to start, have rushed into illustration. -They are led blindly by the advice of -the blind, they find even manuals on the -subject written authoritatively by people who -are either not artists, engravers, or printers, -or, if they do pretend to practise any of these -arts and crafts, are unknown and unheard of -among the artists with whom they would rank -themselves; and more wonderful still, the -pupils of these blind leaders of the blind find -publishers and printers ignorant enough to -employ them; but not so ignorant as to pay -more than the wage of an inferior servant -for the worthless work supplied them.</p> - -<p>There are many of these papers, magazines, -and books being published to-day—eminent -authors even contribute to their -pages; but the illustrations they contain are -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>11]</a></span> -more primitive in their depth of ignorance -than the work of the cave-dwellers, and -would be equally valuable to future ages if it -were not that they were mainly made up of -an unintelligent cribbing, and stealing from -photographs and other men’s work.</p> - -<p>Therefore, as a mass, instead of advancing, -illustration is sinking lower and lower, owing -to the action of those who pretend to be -its patrons; at the present moment we -find ourselves in a critical situation, good -work crowded out by mediocrity—because -mediocrity is cheaper—real artists lost -sight of amid the crowd of squirming, -struggling, advertising hacks. Any spark -of originality is stamped out if possible. -The mere attempt to say anything in one’s -own fashion is a crime, and on all sides the -prayer for the extinction of the artist is -heard; after him will go the process man -as the commercial wood engraver has -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>12]</a></span> -vanished, and then—well, things will take -a new start, good work will be done, and -we may as well prepare for the time coming -soon, when cheapness and nastiness, having -struggled to the bitter end, will kill each -other for want of something better.</p> - -<p>Still, to-day, as good work is being done -as ever there was; only cheapness has to -shriek so loud, and advertise so large, to be -seen at all, that people are deafened by the -shrieking, and at times the best is but seen -through a glass, darkly. Nevertheless, good -art will as surely live as bad will perish. -Let us then endeavour not only to learn -what good work is, but how to do it. In -the near future this will be absolutely -necessary. When one sees the greatest -artists in England drawing for penny -papers, one realises that illustration is -only apparently in a bad way, that really -we are entering upon a second renaissance, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>13]</a></span> -that this is but the dark moment before -the dawn.</p> - -<p>As a preliminary, and also a final, word -to you, I would say, you must draw, draw, -draw first, last, and all the time, and until -you can draw, and draw well, you cannot -illustrate.</p> - -<p>The study, therefore, of the equipment -of the illustrator should be our aim—what -he must do before he can make good illustrations, -then, how he is to make them.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>14]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap02" id="chap02"></a>LECTURE II.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">THE EQUIPMENT OF THE ILLUSTRATOR.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HREE special qualifications are absolutely -indispensable to the artist who -desires to become an illustrator.</p> - -<p>First, in order to make the least important -illustration, the student must have a sound -training in drawing, and if he has worked -in colour so much the better, for in the near -future colour work will play a very important -part, even in the least costly form -of books and papers.</p> - -<p>Second, the student must thoroughly -understand the use of various mediums, oil -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>15]</a></span> -(in monochrome at least), water colour, wash -and body colour, pen and ink, chalk, etching, -lithography, and he must have ability to -express himself by almost all these methods. -A knowledge, too, of the appearance the -drawing will present after it has been engraved -on wood or metal, processed, etched, -or lithographed is necessary, because the -illustrator will be held responsible for the -results on the printed page; even though, as -is usually the case, the fault is that of the -engraver or printer, the public certainly will -blame the artist alone. Therefore the editor -or publisher will not employ him. The engraver -will blame him if only to save his -own business reputation. The printer will -take away in every case many valuable -qualities which the drawing possessed; but -for the incompetency or inability of engraver -and printer, the artist will be held accountable, -and he must therefore understand -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>16]</a></span> -engraving and printing well enough to -place the blame where it belongs, if not -on his own shoulders.</p> - -<p>To be able, then, to obtain good printed -results, requires a knowledge of the reproductive -arts, on the part of the illustrator, -in theory at least, almost equal to the practical -skill demanded in drawing.</p> - -<p>Third, but most important of all, the -ability to discover the vital or characteristic -motive of an author’s work, and so set it -forth that the public may see it too. And -the power to do this well is without doubt -the real test of an illustrator.</p> - -<p>Nothing is more difficult. The artist must -please the author, therefore he should if -possible know the writer personally; at least -he must be in sympathy with, and interested -in his work, else a difference arises at once; -jealousy between author and artist, nearly -always the fault of the author, who usually -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>17]</a></span> -resents the presence of the artist at all, is -the cause of half the failures in illustration. -No artist would think of dictating to an -author the fashion in which the latter should -write his story, but every author, and not -a few editors, try to tell their own artist how -it shall be illustrated. To a certain extent -this is right, and it would be altogether -right, if only the author and editor knew -anything of art; but not infrequently they -do not, and the less they know the more -they dictate.</p> - -<p>It may be safely said that not once in a -hundred times is the author satisfied with -his illustrations, especially if they are made -to decorate a story. And even the designs -intended to illustrate a descriptive article -seldom please the writer, simply because the -author has no comprehension of the limitations -of graphic art.</p> - -<p>Still, with descriptive articles, the case is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>18]</a></span> -somewhat different. If the illustrator knows -the author, he may undertake the journey, if -to a foreign land, for example, with him, and -a most delightful piece of collaboration may -be the result. Or the author having visited -the spot—sometimes he writes about it without -having done so—may make out a list -of subjects, and the artist may pick and -choose from them, going to the place -described to do so, with more or less satisfactory -results. It is in this way that most -of the better known magazines obtain their -illustrated descriptive articles, but even by -this method the artist and author usually -disagree as to what should be drawn, the -matter being looked at from two entirely -different points of view. Or the artist may -be asked to work up into drawings, from -photographs, views of a place, or portraits -of people never seen by him; some illustrators -are very successful at this, work -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>19]</a></span> -which in most men’s hands would be but -the veriest drudgery and hack work, becoming -interesting, attractive, and truly -artistic.</p> - -<p>But in most cases such drawings, even -by the most skilful men, lack the go and life -obtained when the work is done direct from -nature, or at least without the photograph; -and every true artist prefers nature to any -photograph. There is nothing in the world -more difficult to work from. One is -confused by endless unimportant, unselected -details; the point of view is never that -which one would have selected, and the -result, save in the rarest instances, is dubbed -photographic even by the artless.</p> - -<p>The most awful misfortune that may -occur to an illustrator is to be compelled -to use the photographs or sketches made -by an author; here almost certain disaster -awaits the artist. The author who cannot -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>20]</a></span> -draw but will sketch is terrible; the author -who can photograph is impossible. Both, they -are sure, could make the illustrations if they -but had the time; and the artist who is -compelled to illustrate them could write -the story or do the description, he knows, -if he but took the trouble. At least, that -is the view they take of each other. The -result is almost certain failure.</p> - -<p>Such people should contribute solely to -the journals of actuality, where neither art -nor literature find an abiding place, and -the photograph, the amateur, and the personal -paragraph are supreme.</p> - -<p>Despite all these things, and many more, -people struggle to become illustrators.</p> - -<p>Another qualification for the illustrator -is education; no ignorant person may -become a decent illustrator. He need not -possess an university degree; few do. -But he must be able to understand a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>21]</a></span> -vital or dramatic or pictorial point, and to -arrive at this understanding may necessitate -much study of literature at home -and the visiting of many lands.</p> - -<p>How can one illustrate a history of -Napoleon, for example, without reading -everything possible about his life that the -author read, and without visiting the -various countries in which his life was -passed; in short, the conscientious illustrator -goes through exactly the same -process as the author, when collecting his -materials. With this difference; the author -is, in most cases, the final judge of his -own work, and of his artist’s efforts too. -It is amazing that, considering that an -illustrator has to submit to having his -work judged by editors, rejected by -authors, spoiled by engraving, injured by -process, and ruined by printing—and all -this may happen to good as well as bad -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>22]</a></span> -work—armies of young people are rushing -into an over-crowded profession, and every -art school, by teaching illustration, is encouraging -them to do so.</p> - -<p>Seeing, then, that such is the case, my -object is to endeavour to give you a -start in the right way if possible, at least -in the way that, up to the present, the -best work has been done.</p> - -<p>That is, briefly, by drawing well, by -working carefully, by expressing ideas -plainly, and these desired results can only -be obtained by those who regard illustration -quite as seriously as any other branch -of the Fine Arts; who know the good work -that has been done in the past, and working -on the right traditions, adapt their -methods to the requirements of the present.</p> - -<p>There are many more points to be noted, -not least of which is that an illustrator -must learn to keep his temper; from the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>23]</a></span> -first drawing he submits, until he takes -to painting in despair, his work will almost -surely be misunderstood, his motives disbelieved. -If he works in the style affected -by his paper, that is, the style which the -editor considers appeals to his subscribers—for -papers are published for gain, not love—he -will be asked by the critic why he -does so. If he dares to be original, to -follow his own inclinations, he will be -told to efface himself and work like the -rest. If he sketches he will be accused -of shirking his work. If he elaborates -he will be told he is ruining the proprietor.</p> - -<p>His only consolation is that he, personally, -seldom sees the editor, he prepares -himself for the ordeal, and as the -editor has to encounter a constant succession -of irate, contrite, emphatic, and even -furious artists, his life cannot be an -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>24]</a></span> -altogether happy one. Still he flourishes, and -so does the illustrator.</p> - -<p>But there are compensations. One may -be asked to illustrate the works of a -deceased author, one may treat the volume -almost as one likes, and discuss the result -with the editor. In this case the artist will -almost certainly do his best. If he has the -true illustrative spirit, he will study the period, -the country, the manners, the costume; and, -if let alone, to produce the work in his own -way and at his leisure, he may create a -masterpiece. This, however, depends entirely -on the artist. It is in this way that the great -illustrated works of the century have come -into existence, without hurry, without worry, -and, after all, the pleasure of work has been -almost the only reward the artist has gained—and -that seems to be enough to attract -crowds—but I doubt if the business side of -illustration means much to the student.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>25]</a></span> -Better still, the artist may make a series -of drawings, and then get a writer—an -artist in words—one of those people who -talk of impressionism in prose, or impasto -in poetry, to turn out so many yards of -copy. With what a grace he does so, and -with what glee the artist pounces on his -lines! If it were not for the ever-present -editor the author’s lot would be almost as -bad as the illustrator’s.</p> - -<p>Best condition of all under which work -may be produced is when the illustrator is -his own author, when he writes his own -story or does his own description; this -requires that one shall be doubly gifted. -Much may be learned by practice, but to -be really great in this has as yet scarce -been granted. But a few very talented -artist-authors exist.</p> - -<p>Equally good are those magazines that -publish illustrations which are independent -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>26]</a></span> -works of art, of equal importance with the -text.</p> - -<p>Equally pleasant, too, is working for the -weekly illustrated press—how long this form -of publication will last is doubtful—making -drawings which will be printed of a large -size and show really the ability of the artist. -It is pleasant, too, when the editor is an artist -or man of sympathetic intelligence.</p> - -<p>Another very important matter is the -recognising of the fact that illustration at -its best is equal in artistic rank with any -other form of artistic expression; and that -in every country save England illustrators -rank with any other artists. Here one is -forced to take to paint to gain admittance -to the Royal Academy, though most of the -distinguished members of that body won -their reputations, and live on them, not by -colour, but by the despised trade of illustrating. -Critics—even the best of them—will -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>27]</a></span> -tell you that an illustrator is just a little -lower than a painter. It is false if the art -of the one is as good in quality as that of -the other; else Rembrandt’s etchings are -inferior to his paintings, which is absurd.</p> - -<p>But to-day many illustrators, in fact the -mass, do not take themselves seriously. -They squabble and haggle, they hurry and -push, they are as much shopkeepers as your -out-of-work painter. Others must have -their stuff in every paper. Others’ portraits -and eventless bourgeois lives appear in every -magazine, especially if the portrait is done -for nothing and a few drawings are thrown -in. Others crib the superficial qualities of -the popular one of the moment, whether his -game is eccentricity, mysticism, or primitiveness, -three excellent dodges for hiding -incapacity or want of training.</p> - -<p>Not that there are no good men who do -find their means of expression among the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>28]</a></span> -primitives or who are really mystic, or truly -grotesque, but for every one of these there -is an army of frauds.</p> - -<p>But all the while good work is being done. -You may not see the real artist’s name in -letters a foot long on every hoarding, or his -productions in every book that comes out. -But once in a while he does an article, or -even a drawing and then the mystics, the -hacks, the primitives, and even some few -of the public, buy it and treasure it up.</p> - -<p>Therefore be serious, be earnest; and if -you cannot be—if you think illustration but a -stepping-stone to something better—leave it -alone and tackle the something better. You -may never succeed in that; you will certainly -fail in illustration.</p> - -<p>There is still another point, the financial -one. Here illustration approaches architecture. -Ruskin said somewhere, probably -by accident, for it is so true, “Never give -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>29]</a></span> -your drawings away; tear them up or keep -them till some one wants to buy them.” -At the present time the profession is so -crowded at the bottom that some shopkeeping -editors have profited by this to -reduce their prices almost to nothing—literally, -by threatening and sweating, obtaining -the work of mere students and people -who are without money or brains, though -they may be possessed of artistic ability, -for next to nothing. In the case of painters -they have said, “Send us a photo or sketch -of your picture, and we will put it in; and -think of the advertisement.”</p> - -<p>What you who want to be illustrators -must think of is that the painters who give -their work to these people are fools. Would -a writer give his story for nothing, or a poet -his sonnet? And when these editors say -they can get such an one’s drawing for so -much less, tell them to get it, they will come -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>30]</a></span> -after you on their knees later if you have -anything in you, or their papers do not come -to grief in the meantime.</p> - -<p>Of course there can be no hard-and-fast -rule about remuneration, but the labourer is -worthy of what he can get. And it has only -been within the last few years that the clever -dodge of swindling the public by bad photos -and worse art, of sweating artists by employing -hacks and students has been practised, -for the benefit of two people, grasping -proprietors and still more grasping editors.</p> - -<p>In connection with this matter, let me -read you an extract from a letter recently -received by me from the greatest living -illustrator (it is therefore unnecessary to -mention his name), and read at one of the -meetings of the Society of Illustrators:—</p> - -<p>“It has for too long been the case that -the unsuccessful practitioner of other arts -has turned to illustration of the baser sort as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>31]</a></span> -a last chance of earning a living. I dare -say he has a right to a living, but in these -days of cheap and nasty illustrated journals, -the low standard of work he brings, as a -rule, to a branch of the artistic calling -always considered by me a dignified and -important branch, I do not believe in -recognising or encouraging; and it certainly -seems to me that a certain distinction -should be made between men who take not -the slightest artistic interest in their work -and those who conscientiously endeavour to -do it well and honestly.</p> - -<p>“I have seen the abnormal growth and -prosperity of cheap and nasty illustration, -to my great regret. I suppose that so long -as there is a large market for it, men will -be found to supply it, and evidently this is -the sort of thing finding favour to-day.</p> - -<p>“The standard set up by the ‘Cornhill’ -and ‘Once a Week,’ and by Menzel and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>32]</a></span> -Meissonier abroad, seems to be out of key -with the present taste. It must be that -ignorance of good work is responsible”—ignorance, -I may add, on the part of the -artist and editor—in their case intentional -or deplorable; in the case of the public it -is but the blind leading the blind.</p> - -<p>Therefore, finally, try to do good work, -and when you have done it demand to be -well paid for it. If you have not the moral -or financial backbone for this, go and chop -wood—or paint.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>33]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap03" id="chap03"></a>LECTURE III.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">METHODS OF DRAWING FOR REPRODUCTION -IN LINE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE is no doubt that to-day the -most popular method of designing -the decoration of a book (I use the word -book, but I would refer to magazines and -papers as well) is by means of line work. -By the use of what materials these lines are -to be made; how they are to be placed upon -paper or metal that they may reproduce and -print best; and the way in which that reproduction -and printing is done, will be the -subject of this and subsequent lectures.</p> - -<p>The line has always been employed, not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>34]</a></span> -only by artists, but by the artless, to express -form; the only difference being that the -artist uses a vital line full of meaning, the -artless a meaningless line without vitality. -But often the work of the two approaches -so closely that at times it can scarcely be -distinguished; however, that is a critical, -and not a technical, matter.</p> - -<p>I do not propose to give you a history of -the methods employed to obtain lines, in -fact, a history of drawing. There are many -such books, and as for drawing you study -that every day, in the life and antique, and -I hope outside as well. But it is to line work -and its reproduction in the present, that I -wish to call your attention.</p> - -<p>The most generally adopted method of -making a line drawing for illustration to-day -is with a pen and ink, upon white -paper. There are but four tools, and a -surface to work on required. The tools -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>35]</a></span> -are simple and cheap enough, the ability -to use them rightly and well is rare enough, -even though every book is decorated and all -newspapers are to be illustrated in the near -future.</p> - -<p>First, as to the pens: there is, as you -know, an endless variety of them, all the -best. Some are made specially for the -artist, and of these the most generally -used is Gillott’s 659 (all colourmen keep -them), a barrel pen, which fits a special -handle; when one has mastered this pen, -unsympathetic, hard and scratchy at first, -and each pen, by the way, has to be broken -in, one finds that the most amazing variety of -line can be obtained with it, from the most -delicate to the boldest. The beginner thinks -because it is a small tool that only small work -can be done with it; experience and practice -will prove to him that it is a most sensitive -implement, and he will learn to take care of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>36]</a></span> -his pens, keeping them on the holder in a -box which they just fit, for these pens improve -with age, getting better and better -until they are almost like living things, and -then they break.</p> - -<p>From this most delicate and sensitive of -pens I would call your attention to the -hardest and most unsympathetic, the glass -pen, or stylus; this is a useful tool, but -while the Gillott is to be used in work demanding -freedom of touch and consequent -variety of line, the glass pen is only to be -used—unless you like it—when lines of -uniform thickness are wanted. It carries -a large quantity of ink, and, as lines can be -made in any direction with it, it is more like -an etching needle than anything else I know -of; and if these pens were really well made in -metal and not of glass, and of different sizes -and would give lines really varying in -width, they would be much used; as it is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>37]</a></span> -they are very unreliable, easily broken, and -expensive. I find that they are liable to -tear up the paper, or refuse to work in an -annoying fashion. It has been pointed out -that they are most useful for tracing, and -also that if they clog up they may be easily -cleaned by dipping in water and wiping off -with a dry rag. I may say that they should -be thoroughly wiped, and in fact all pens -should, after they are cleaned, or the ink is -changed, as you may not only spoil your -pen, but your ink as well, by dipping your -pen without cleaning, either in water or -another sort of ink, as one ink may contain -some chemical matter which absolutely -ruins another. Some rubber should be -placed in the bottom of your inkstand, for -if the glass pen drops heavily it will be -broken; but not paper, unless you wish to -spend all your time wiping pulp off your -pen. The best of these pens I have found -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>38]</a></span> -are those sold by Roberson, 99, Long Acre. -Between these two extremes, of flexibility -in the Gillott, and firmness in the stylus, -are to be found all sorts and conditions -of pens. And I may say that you may -never like, and you need never use, any -special kind, but instead your favourite -writing pen; if you like that best, it is the -tool for you, use it. There are, however, -some other sorts of pens to which I may -call your attention. If only some fountain-pen -maker had the sense to invent a pen -for artists, he would make his fortune. But -fountain-pens at present are unreliable in -action and unsuitable for use with drawing -inks, so they are out of the question altogether -for us.</p> - -<p>A very good tool is the quill pen. Much -variety can be obtained with it, especially -in broad dragged work. I use technical -terms because you understand them, I -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>39]</a></span> -hope, and it is only the technical side of -illustration I propose to touch. With the -back of this pen you can get rich and -broken effects, especially when it is half -dry. The quill, the stylus, and the reed, -were the tools for pen-drawing used by -the old men. You can buy quill pens -anywhere. Reed pens you had better -make for yourselves; go to a reed bed in -the early summer, cut off the top of the -stalk, strip off the outer covering, and cut -the inner canes into sections between the -joints, cut your pen and finish it at once, -or rather a lot of them, for when the reed -is dry it is liable to split and is not half so -flexible.</p> - -<p>Pen work with reed pens really should -only be done when they are fresh; but at -all times they glide easily over the paper, -though any pen will do this after you -have mastered it. Reed pens also -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>40]</a></span> -make a broad fat line and hold lots of -colour.</p> - -<p>Another pen which is useful sometimes is -Perry’s Auto-Stylo, or marking pen, from -Perry’s, Holborn Viaduct; lines half an inch -broad or as fine as a hair can be made with -it, and I have at times used it as a brush; -it is a most amusing instrument.</p> - -<p>Brandauer’s round pointed pens are used -by some. But the pen you should use is the -pen you can use; that is, the pen with which -you can get the most variety of line. Or -you may use half a dozen, from the finest -Gillott to the biggest reed. It is not the -pen, but the person who uses it. Sometimes -it is not a bad thing to remember this.</p> - -<p>Many artists are now taking up the use -of the brush; most probably it was used by -the old men, certainly the men of the last -generation employed it, as it was much -easier to work on the wood block with a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>41]</a></span> -brush than a pen. And we know that the -Japanese pen is a brush. The advantages -are flexibility of line, amount of colour it -will hold, freedom from scratchiness, and -absolute freedom of movement in every -direction—the greatest advantage of all—the -line itself is fuller and fatter, more -pleasing. The drawbacks, well, there -scarcely are any, save that to use either -brush or pen well is about as difficult as -to play the violin; that is all.</p> - -<p>The commonest brush for line work is -that used by lithographers, a sable rigger -which they cut to a fine point, removing the -outside hairs; but almost any good pointed -brush will do. Very good indeed are the -genuine Japanese brushes, the small thin -ones are the best—in black handles—you -can pick these up sometimes at the Japanese -dealers, but I imagine any artist’s colourman -would send to Japan for them if there -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>42]</a></span> -was a sufficient demand; I have got them in -quantities for a penny each.</p> - -<p>There are various mechanical tint tools -like air brushes in use; they are of little -importance to the artist, and if you want a -dotted tint you can get it by dipping a toothbrush -in ink and rubbing the inked hairs -with a match stick, when the ink will be -splattered in dots and blots all over the -paper. You may lay a piece of paper on -the parts you wish to keep white, and paint -or scratch out spots that are too dark, or you -may impress your inked thumb or pieces of -inked silk on the paper, or indulge in any -trick of this sort that amuses you and gives -the desired result.</p> - -<p>Ink is probably the most important material -employed in pen-drawing. It must be -good, that is, it must be black—it should not -shine—it must never settle, it must flow -easily, dry quickly, and never clog the pen. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>43]</a></span> -There are many varieties of good ink, but -the only ink I know of to-day, which gives -me exactly what I want and is obtainable of -the same quality all over the world, all over -Europe at any rate—and this is an enormous -advantage—is Bourgeois’ Encre de Chine -Liquide. During several years it has never -varied, and that is more than I can say of -any other. It is indelible, a desirable -quality in ordinary use. The only bad -thing about it is the vile, ill-balanced bottle -and the rotten cork, which always breaks and -often gets you into a mess. The best bottle -I have ever seen is that in which Higgins’ -American drawing ink comes.</p> - -<p>This is not a talk on inks, but a hint as to -what I have found the most satisfactory and -reliable—if you do not like this one, every -colourman makes an ink or sells some -one else’s; try it. Among the best are -Higgins’, Winsor and Newton’s, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>44]</a></span> -Newman’s, Rowney’s, Reeves’, Stevens’ ebony -stain.</p> - -<p>Freshly-ground Indian ink is the best of -all, but to grind up your ink is too much -trouble, too tedious and too unreliable to -be worth the bother it entails. Indian ink, -under certain conditions, shines and glitters, -and this is not pleasant, and hinders photography. -Lamp black and ivory black are -quite dead and free from shine, but they are -not fixed colours. They may be easily fixed -with gall or gum.</p> - -<p>Writing inks usually, if not always, have -blue in them; therefore they will not photograph, -they run about, blot, and generally -misbehave. Sometimes one gets good black -writing-ink; when you do get it, use it. -But Indian or Chinese ink is best, and -as I know of no better preparation at -present, I commend Bourgeois’ Encre de -Chine Liquide; it comes in the tall bottle -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>45]</a></span> -with the diagonal black and yellow dragon -on the label. Coloured inks, save blue, may -be used, but unless the illustration is to be -printed in that colour the result is almost -always disappointing; delicate washes of -brown, for instance, becoming staring solid -blacks.</p> - -<p>In sketching out of doors with ink, a -method I most strongly recommend, pour -your ink, or rather enough of it, into -an exciseman’s ink-bottle, one of those -unspillable affairs which you can cork up—though, -save to keep the dust out of them, -there is no occasion to do so—and attach -it by a sort of watch-guard to your buttonhole, -putting the bottle in your pocket. -Messrs. Newman, 24, Soho Square, have -fixed up some of these bottles for me, and -they will, I have no doubt, supply them.</p> - -<p>The general way with artists is to put -their uncorked ink-bottle in their waistcoat -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>46]</a></span> -pocket; if they should happen to lean over, -on straightening up the ink is found upon -their trousers or frocks, or sketch-block—in -the male a result most conducive to -strong language, especially if the trousers are -spoiled; the drawing doesn’t so much matter.</p> - -<p>Also provide yourself with a hardish lead -pencil H., or, better, a blue one, as the -blue doesn’t photograph, but it’s hard to -get off the paper, and don’t look well; also -some lithographic crayon or Wolff’s carbon -pencils; a good rubber, pure rubber or -bread for the pencil, an ink rubber or -eraser for the ink; some Chinese white -and gum for patching up things; and for -use in the house, an old razor to scratch -out, and out of doors a folding eraser, -such as Mr. Percy Young, of Gower -Street, supplies: get the folding ones, as -the others are not only less convenient but -rather dangerous to carry.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>47]</a></span> -Lastly, the paper: the photo-engraver -will tell you Bristol board. Certainly, a -simple open line drawing in pure black -upon pure white smooth paper, very little -reduced, should give a truer result than -anything else. But what it does really -is to give engraver and printer less -trouble, and that is what most of them -want; in the majority of cases it is best -to aid them, otherwise your work is spoiled. -Therefore, if you like Bristol board, use it, -and use it whether you like it or no, if you -are doing work for ordinary printing. But -if your illustration is to be well engraved -and well printed, use what paper you like. -But to get satisfactory results from rough -paper requires much experience, and you -had better arrive at that experience by -doing simple things, in a fashion which -will engrave well; go to printing offices -and engravers’ shops, find out what is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>48]</a></span> -necessary, try to work in harmony with the -engraver and printer, and they will do -their best for you: most of them care about -their work, and are genuinely sorry if they -cannot make yours look well, so work with -them, and they will work with you.</p> - -<p>As to the Bristol board, get the best; if -the drawing is large and has to be rolled -up, the thin, if not the thicker quality; it is -known as so many sheets, two, four, six -sheets the heaviest. You must get the -best quality, otherwise there is a risk of -bad spongy places in it, which may -almost ruin the drawing, at any rate its -appearance, and necessitate patching up -which is delaying and annoying. Bristol -boards, too, may always be made up into -books or blocks. Some boards are now -mounted so that they can be stripped off -the mount when the drawing is finished, -among them are Turnbull’s Art Tablets; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>49]</a></span> -while the best surface of all, which is like -marble or ivory to work on, a surface -which may be rubbed or scratched without -harm, is the old mounted thin Whatman -or Bank Note paper prepared by Messrs. -Roberson and Newman. These thin papers -are mounted on heavy boards and kept -under hydraulic pressure for weeks, until -the whole becomes a solid mass. This -mounted Whatman, when well made, is -the best paper in the world; it is also -the most expensive. Thin foreign correspondence -paper may also be used, putting -it over the sketch like tracing paper, and -when the drawing is finished mounting it -on card board; tracing paper may also be -mounted. One scheme not much in vogue -yet is to draw upon black paper with -Chinese white, making the drawing in white -lines instead of black. Any sort of writing -paper, or all varieties of rough or smooth -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>50]</a></span> -Whatman are useful. Of course in drawing -on rough paper you are bound to get a rough -broken result in printing; however, if you -know what you are after, no one will object -but the engraver. In fact any sort of -white paper may be used for pen and ink -work; only, the smooth gives the most -certain results. There are also many -grained papers which give a tint; that is, -a mechanical tint is printed on the paper, -lights are scratched in it, blacks are put -in with a pen or brush, another tint in -pencil or chalk is added, and many tricks -may be played, one usually only a little -less satisfactory than the other. These -papers are made by Gillott, of Paris, and -Anger and Goeschl, of Vienna, and generally -supplied by colourmen; they are -called Gillott or scratch papers.</p> - -<p>There are also various clay or chalk -surfaced papers which, after being drawn -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>51]</a></span> -upon, may be scratched to get light in the -design. The results are, however, rarely -satisfactory. In fact, it is best to use a -good handmade white paper; you will be -surer of your result, and that is what you -are working for.</p> - -<p>Having given you a list of the necessary -materials, I will try to tell you how you -should use them. I shall not try to compel -you to make short lines or long lines, -black blots or white lines: work in your -own fashion, only that must be good, and -capable of being engraved and printed. -I shall not tell you how to draw, but -how to draw so that your work may reproduce -and print best. You may commence -your drawing in either one of two -ways, by making a pencil sketch on your -sheet of paper which is to be sent to the -engraver, preferably in blue pencil which -does not photograph, and in as few lines -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>52]</a></span> -as possible; or by commencing straight away -at your final work, in ink; if it is a drawing -from nature, I do not see why you should -not do this, for it will teach you care in -selecting your lines and putting them -down. And as you have an ink eraser in -metal and rubber you should be able to -remove those which are wrong.</p> - -<p>But if your design is more in the nature -of a composition with elaborate figures, or -figures in action, it will be almost impossible -to do this. True, most interesting -sketches may be made, and should be made -and must be made direct from nature. -But your final design will in nearly every -case have to be built up from these. -Therefore, unless you can “see the whole -thing in your head” before you put it on -paper, so clearly that you only want a -model to keep you right, I think you had -better make sketch after sketch, and then -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>53]</a></span> -transfer the best to the sheet on which it -is to be completed by putting transfer paper -under the sketch and tracing paper over -it. Probably you will pencil on the final -drawing, but do as little as you can, for -the camera, when the drawing comes to be -photographed, pays just as much attention -to smudges, finger marks, pencil lines, and -meaningless accidents as it does to those -portions which are brim full of meaning. -By neglecting these matters all artists give -engravers much trouble, and unless the -engraver is an artist too he not infrequently -bestows great pains on the reproduction -of an accidental line, even though -in order to do so he ruins the entire drawing. -And again, in all cheap work your -drawing is placed with a number of others -and no special attention is paid to it, -and it reproduces somehow, or don’t, which -is much the same thing. But in case -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>54]</a></span> -of failure you will be blamed by the -public.</p> - -<p>The first thing to remember in putting -your drawing on the paper is the space it -is to fill; if it is to be a full page, it must -be made the size of that page or twice as -large; at any rate it must have some -definite relation to it. In the case of half -a page, it is only necessary that the top -or bottom of the drawing should fit across -the printed matter; still, the drawing should -not be made so high that it will not fit in, -or so narrow as to be ineffective, but if -you will look at any book or magazine you -will see what I mean.</p> - -<p>Again, for cheap rapid work as little -cross-hatching as possible should be -indulged in, for all cross-hatched lozenges -become smaller lozenges in reduction, and -the smaller they are the easier it is for -them to fill up and clog with ink. Draw -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>55]</a></span> -your shadows with parallel lines whenever -you can without being mechanical; they -engrave and print well.</p> - -<p>After several years’ experience I am -quite unable to say how much or how -little a drawing should be reduced, for -there is no reason why it should be drawn -the same size it is to be engraved, save -that the nearer it is the same size, the -nearer the result should be to the original; -if the reduction is to be great, it is easier -to make the design larger and have it -mechanically reduced. The excessive reduction -of a drawing tends to make the -lines run together into a black mass sometimes, -and the enlargement of a drawing—this, -too, may be done—makes the lines -at times look crude and clumsy. But it -is impossible to foretell results in any two -cases. Only there is one matter: a good -drawing in line will, with good engraving -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>56]</a></span> -and printing, look well, whether the artist -knew anything of process or not. But -there are some things to be observed, if -certain results are wished for.</p> - -<p>In simple cheap work the ink should -be uniformly black, for the engraved block -will be put with type, and inked with the -same amount and strength of colour all -over; therefore, in order to get variety, -distance, effect, you must use lines of -different widths, placed at varying distances -apart, not of different degrees of colour. -In theory at least, then, the foreground -should be drawn with a firm bold line, -the middle distance with a medium-sized -line, the lines themselves closer together, -and the extreme distance with a thin line. -But there is no rule, only get variety in -your line and this will produce variety and -interest in the engraved result.</p> - -<p>If you make your drawings much larger -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>57]</a></span> -than they are to be reproduced, you will -often be greatly surprised at the change -in their appearance. Greys will, by filling -up, become darker, and lights lighter owing -to the concentration around them of masses -of colour; that is, blacks become blacker, -and whites whiter in reproduction. But do -remember that though the drawings by Boyd -Houghton, Millais, F. Walker and Pinwell -were made the size you see them, on the -wood, in the books of twenty-five years -ago, the drawings made to-day by Abbey, -for example, are four or five times as large -as the published engravings, and are not, -in the originals, filled with that microscopic -work which appears in the reproductions. -But do not make crude lines under the -impression that they will ever be anything -but crude. Try to make a beautiful drawing, -a beautiful line—unless you can do this -you will never get a beautiful reproduction; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>58]</a></span> -and once you have learned to draw, study -the best books and the best magazines, -always remembering that drawings to-day -are made much larger, as a rule, than you -see them on the printed page.</p> - -<p>Again, in reproduction you will often -find that some parts of the same drawing -change more than others; some places, for -example, become too weak, others too -strong. I cannot explain this, but you will -find that it does happen. At times it -may be because the photograph is bad, -or the etching is rotten, but even with -good photography and etching the final -result is often disappointing.</p> - -<p>In pen work you may run the gamut -from solid blacks to the most delicate -grey line. Do not try to always, but -select a colour scheme which is restrained -and appropriate to every drawing.</p> - -<p>Solid black will reproduce best because -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>59]</a></span> -it is a solid mass, excepting in cheap rapid -printing, when solid blacks either get too -much or too little ink. A number of -black lines close together will reproduce -almost equally well, because in engraving -and printing these lines support the paper -and do not take up too much ink. A -single thin line, on the contrary, always -thickens in the engraving, and often prints -badly because in the printing press the -ink and paper bear down too heavily -upon it and it receives too much ink and -thickens up.</p> - -<p>I have recommended you to use only -black ink and white paper; before you -have worked much you will try experiments, -I am sure, in greying ink, putting -water with it, and leaving pencil marks, -or adding lines with lithographic chalk, or -crayon; but you will find out the moment -the drawing is printed that everything -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>60]</a></span> -comes quite black, and if you have made -your distance in broad grey lines it will -possibly ruin your whole scheme. Greys -may be obtained by engraving the blocks -by hand, rouletting, or a number of other -ways which I shall explain. Line drawings -may also be made altogether in -pencil, on rough paper, in chalk or -crayon, reinforced, if necessary, with a blot -of ink, or a wash, or a line with a pen here -and there; but for line work with these -materials you must employ a grained paper -in order to get a proper mechanical direct -reproduction of the work. Bristol boards -must not be used. Sometimes these combinations -of pen and pencil work are excellent; -but they must harmonise, otherwise -the result is unpleasant.</p> - -<p>Some idea of the effect your drawing -will present when engraved may be -obtained by the use of a diminishing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>61]</a></span> -glass; and, <i>vice versâ</i>, you might study -some of the engravings in the books and -magazines around you with a magnifying -glass.</p> - -<p>Corrections in line drawings with pen -should be made either with an ink eraser, -a razor, the razor knife, or by painting -over the place with Chinese white, or, if -it be large, by pasting down a bit of -paper on it. This is the most usual way; -if the paper is thin and the edges well -joined, it is the best. Or you may cut a -hole from the back and let in a bit of -paper, paring down the edges, or scraping -them down; but be careful about the -edges, because they make a nasty line -when the drawing is photographed. In -pencil, crayon, or charcoal work, remove -imperfections in the ordinary way with a bit -of rubber. You will not, of course, lose your -head and elaborate a pen drawing, any more -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>62]</a></span> -than you would a chalk or charcoal drawing -or etching. You will select your lines -with the utmost care, put them down with -the greatest intelligence, and the more -care and intelligence you exercise the -better will be your illustrations; however, -this is what you are trying to do every -time you make a drawing in line from -life or the antique, and I will not bore -you by repeating what you hear every -day in your ordinary school work, nor -will I do more than remind you how -careful you must be in your composition, -in your arrangement of lines, in your -placing of blacks, in making up your -picture; only exercise the judgment necessary -to compose any other work of art.</p> - -<p>Your drawings should be works of -art; be proud of them; but also regard -them as a means to an end, and, as I -have said, for cheap and rapid printing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>63]</a></span> -draw on smooth white paper with good -black ink, and do not use big solid -blacks, or single thin lines. Keep your -work as open as possible and do not -have it reduced. That is, draw as near -the size it is to appear (if you can find -that out) as possible. For the best engraving -and printing, draw as you like. -Anything to-day can be photographed and -engraved; the great difficulty is in the -printing. Remember that if you do not -put distinction and character into your -work, the engraver and printer cannot. -They will take much away in any case.</p> - -<p>As you are working for an editor, you -will have to please him. Do so if you -can without hurting your work and your -own standard of right and wrong.</p> - -<p>But always work in your own way, if -that is at all possible for reproduction -and printing, if not, you will have to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>64]</a></span> -change your methods. For you are -working for a definite purpose, illustration; -therefore your work must engrave.</p> - -<p>If you wish to succeed you must see -all the illustration you can, you must talk -to editors and illustrators, and you must -go down into the printing office and the -engraver’s shop.</p> - -<p>You must learn your trade, for if you -have not passed through the drudgery of -the apprentice, you will never become a -master of your craft.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>65]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap04" id="chap04"></a>LECTURE IV.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">THE REPRODUCTION OF LINE DRAWINGS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>S illustrators, or would-be illustrators, -your work is not at an end with -the completion of your drawings; you -must look after them while they are -being engraved, and you should see them -through the press. From the time you -are given a commission to illustrate a -subject until the printed result is in the -hands of the public, the work in all its -stages should be the object of your untiring -attention. It is true that at present -the fact that you take an interest in -your profession will be counted against -you in some quarters, for should you -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>66]</a></span> -happen—as is not unlikely—to know more -of drawing, engraving, and printing than -the art editor, the engraver, or the -printer, your suggestions will not be received -with enthusiasm, nor your criticisms -with delight. Suggestions mean -changes, and criticism means objections -to the routine way of doing things. Then -you may not feel a great interest in the -scientific side of your work, yet chemistry -plays an important part in illustration. -The mechanical reproduction of drawings -is based entirely on chemical action, and -you must know something of this matter if -you would get good results.</p> - -<p>But let us consider the whole subject. -Drawings in line were originally, in the -fifteenth century, reproduced by wood -cutting;<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> that is to say, the drawing was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>67]</a></span> -made in line with pen, point, or brush on -the side of a plank, and all those portions -of the block which were not drawn upon -were cut away with knives and chisels, -the design only remaining in relief; this -relief was dabbed over with ink or paint, -and a piece of damp paper was laid on it. -The back of this paper was rubbed, burnished, -or pressed on to the inked surface -of the block and took up the ink from -it; on removing the paper an impression -in reverse of the inked block was found -on the under side of it. And this was the -method, with improvements, employed in -printing from type, for three hundred -years.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><span class="label"><a href="#FNanchor_1_1">[1]</a></span> -Of course I shall refer to metal engraving in -another lecture.</p> -</div> - -<p>About the beginning of this century the -design began to be drawn upon the end -of a block of box-wood—a cross section of -it—and the parts left blank were cut -away with gravers, tools used by -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>68]</a></span> -engravers in metal, or else lines were engraved -on the surface of the block, which printed as -whites in the blacks; the grain of the cross -section of box-wood was firmer and finer, -and with the gravers more delicate lines -could be engraved and more true results -obtained; and at the same time continual -improvements were being made in the -presses, steam being substituted for hand -power, and the manufacture of paper and -ink totally revolutionised.</p> - -<p>These methods were employed until -about 1865, when, instead of the drawings -being made by the artists on the block -of wood, they began to be drawn on paper -in line, and then photographed on to the -wood. This was a great improvement, -because the artist could now make his -designs of any size he wished and have -them photographed down to the required -dimensions and reversed for him: the mere -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>69]</a></span> -reversing in many cases was both tedious -and uninteresting.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><span class="label"><a href="#FNanchor_2_2">[2]</a></span> -If the drawing is a portrait of a place, it must -be reversed on the wood or metal in order that the -print may appear as the original does in nature.</p> -</div> - -<p>The final step which brings us to the -present, though not by any means, I am -sure, to the end of the chapter, is the -superseding of the woodcutter or wood engraver -in line, by the mechanical engraver -in metal or gelatine.</p> - -<p>Now you may do your drawings, if you -wish, in line with a pencil or brush upon -the prepared piece of box-wood, and the -engraver may cut away all those portions -of the wood-block which you have not -touched, remembering always that though -you draw freely he must engrave laboriously, -and the more free your drawing -becomes, the more complicated must his -engraving be. So when you make a -sketchy drawing on wood, none but the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>70]</a></span> -most accomplished engraver can retain -that look of freedom and sketchiness; if -the lines of the drawing become really -complicated, in cross hatching, for example, -he cannot follow them, he must suggest -them. Hence, unless the engraver really -loves this sort of work, it is but drudgery, -and the better the reproduction the more -skilled labour wasted.</p> - -<p>Now photography has changed all this. -A photograph of the drawing, of the required -size it is to appear on the printed -page, is taken. The drawing may be enlarged -or reduced to this size, and the -negative thus obtained is placed in reverse -in a photographic printing frame, in contact -with a sensitised zinc plate, coated -with a thin film either of albumen or -bitumen, or it may be that a gelatine -film is the material used for printing on. -In the first method the albumen coated -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>71]</a></span> -piece of zinc is removed from the printing -frame as soon as the photographic print has -been made; it is then coated with ink -and placed in water, the albumen and ink -upon it adhere to those parts of the zinc -which have been exposed to light, and -may be washed off the other parts, thus -leaving the picture on the zinc in ink. -By the bitumen process the picture is -printed in the same way: the plate is -placed in a bath of turpentine, the picture -appears on the zinc, and the bitumen -dissolves off the other parts.</p> - -<p>If these two prints are now covered with -powdered rosin, gum, and ink, they may be -placed in a bath of nitric acid and water, and -the exposed parts bitten or etched away. -This is a most interesting and delicate process, -and success depends in good work more -upon the skill and artistic intelligence of -the etcher than the chemicals used. The -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>72]</a></span> -object is to remove all the whites as in wood -engraving, half remove the greys, and leave -the blacks. After the zinc has been bitten -a short time it is taken out of the bath again, -covered with gum, resin and ink to protect it -from the acid, heated, when the protecting -mass melts and runs down the sides of the -bitten lines and protects them also; this process -is continued until the block is sufficiently -etched. When the exposed parts are all -eaten away the picture appears in relief. -This occupies a few hours, maybe but an -hour or less. When completed, the zinc -picture is mounted upon a piece of wood, to -make it the same height as the type, placed -in a printing press and copies are made of -it, or from electrotypes or stereotypes, at -the rate of from twenty to 20,000 an hour. -This is, I hope, an intelligible outline of the -photo-engraving process; every mechanical -engraver has some variation which is his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>73]</a></span> -carefully guarded secret. The blocks may -be of zinc or copper or other metal, and all -sorts of chemicals are used. But I cannot -too strongly impress upon you that good -work in mechanical engraving is only to be -obtained by artistic workmen; still, remarkable -results are to be seen all about, even in -the cheapest prints. But the very best process -engravings are produced only by men -who are artists and care for each block. In -the case of the best engravers they will -know better than you which process to use, -and there is no more necessity for you to try -to tell a mechanical engraver how the work -is to be done, than for you to tell a wood -engraver what tools he shall work with. -Bad drawings may look better by one process -than another, and good illustrations may -be spoiled more by one method than another. -But every intelligent engraver will try again -and again until he gets the best result he can.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>74]</a></span> -The gelatine process consists in printing -the picture on a sensitised film of gelatine. -Now if this gelatine is soaked in water the -parts representing the whites swell, and the -darks, really the picture, remain as they were, -as the light has rendered them insensible to -water; from this swelled gelatine mould a -cast in plaster of Paris can be taken, from -this a wax mould is made, and finally an -electrotype. The process is only used, I -believe, by one firm; the results are good, -but no better than the others.</p> - -<p>Let us consider for a moment what are -the advantages and disadvantages of mechanical -reproduction. The first advantage -is rapidity of production—a facsimile wood -engraving may take weeks to produce, a -mechanical engraving takes a day or so; -this is not an artistic but a commercial -gain. The wood engraving loses, the more -intricate and complicated and close the details -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>75]</a></span> -become; the mechanical or process engraving -not infrequently gains.</p> - -<p>The wood engraver may make mistakes -in cutting the lines in the wood block, but if -the lines are properly put down, the camera -and the process engraver should not; and if -they do, much less time is lost and labour -wasted than with wood engravings.</p> - -<p>Mechanical engraving is a much less costly -method. These are not any of them very -artistic reasons, but they count with publishers, -and they count with you. But the -great artistic advantage is that the artist -may make his drawing of any size he wishes; -it is not cut to pieces but preserved, and if -it is properly drawn, as I have explained to -you, it should produce in complicated work -a more faithful result. In simple line work -it is almost impossible to tell a wood engraving -from a process block.</p> - -<p>The drawbacks are that the line is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>76]</a></span> -sometimes too faithfully copied—that the engraving -is shallow, and that the wood yields a -richer, fatter effect than any metal, mechanical -block.</p> - -<p>These are artistic drawbacks, but they may -all be overcome by the artist. The line, if -good, cannot be too faithfully copied; the -engraving, if shallow, can be made deeper, -engraved anew by the wood engraver. The -fat line so much prized was made with a -brush, and, as I have said, brush work reproduces -perfectly. And in the majority of -cases the original wood or process blocks -are never printed from, but casts of them -called stereotypes or electrotypes are used; -therefore the fat line of the wood is more -or less the product of the imagination. I -do not mean to say the original wood or -metal block will not give a richer impression -than any cast from it, but I do say it is only -in the case of proofs that the original is used.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>77]</a></span> -If a pencil or other drawing in line is to be -reproduced, in which the varying colour of -the pencil mark is to be retained, its greyness -for example, or if the pen line is very -delicate, or there are many single unsupported -lines in the drawing, another method -must be employed. A microscopically ruled -glass screen, ruled with fine lines made with a -diamond and filled in with ink, is placed in -the camera in front of the glass plate on -which the picture is to be photographed. -There are various ways in which this is -done, with the object of breaking up into -line the tones which would otherwise print -perfectly black, or, of supporting those weak -lines which would print too heavily. This -negative thus obtained is printed on to the -zinc or copper plate, is then etched much as -in the case of the simple line block. This -process, usually called half-tone, was invented -for reproducing wash, but is much used -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>78]</a></span> -now for line, especially when the dots or line -of the screen are cut away by the wood -engraver in the whites. The photo engraver -is now endeavouring so to shift or adjust his -screen that the dots will come only where -they are wanted to break up the solid black, -and some most interesting results have been -obtained. When I am describing the reproduction -of wash drawings, I shall return to -this subject.</p> - -<p>Spaces of tint on line drawings can be and -almost always are obtained by the use of -what is known as shading mediums; that is, -pieces of gelatine or copper with lines or dots -engraved in them are filled with printer’s ink, -and these lines or dots are transferred by the -engraver to the parts of the picture on the -zinc plate where they are wanted before the -plate is etched. There are many ways in -which the artist can get the same effect by -inking bits of silk and pressing them on the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>79]</a></span> -drawing, by inking his thumb, or by drawing -with a pencil or chalk or even pen over a -rough book-cover, the only object is to get a -bit of tone in a line drawing: in cheap work -it is often very effective, in the best work it is -usually out of place. All the artist need do is -indicate the spot, or the outlines of the parts -where the tint is wanted, by a blue pencil. -If the engraver knows how the block is to be -printed he will use the tint that will print -best. They are all useful, but not very sympathetic.</p> - -<p>Photo-Lithography and kindred methods -are either of little importance or will be referred -to under Lithography. Finally, if the -lines are too black or too strong they can be -cut away or thinned, or darks opened up by -the engraver, just as on a wood block; or a -little wheel in a handle called a roulette may -be run over parts of the engraving which are -too heavy—the teeth of the wheel break the -lines into dots and lighten them.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>80]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap05" id="chap05"></a>LECTURE V.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">THE MAKING OF WASH DRAWINGS AND -THEIR REPRODUCTION BY MECHANICAL -PROCESS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>HEN I speak of wash drawings, I -would really refer to all painting or -drawing, in colour or monochrome, in tone, -as distinguished from work in line, which was -the subject of my last lecture.</p> - -<p>Many persons do not like line work, never -master it, and are insensible to its beauty -when they see it. For these there is another -method of expression, although, I cannot -repeat too often, an illustrator should be able -to work in more ways than one. One may -make one’s illustration in colour in oil, in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>81]</a></span> -gouache, in body colour, in wash; in fact paint -a picture in the usual way, though, even with -the best and most careful methods of reproduction, -it will be almost invariably found -that in the various stages of photographing, -etching and printing, very much, if not all, -the charm has disappeared, even though the -result be printed in colour, for up to the -present no colour can be perfectly reproduced, -or rendered into black and white, -even by the best engraver in the world. -And no colour can be reproduced except -by the artist himself. A few men like -Detaille, De Neuville, and Lynch have, I -believe, invented a special colour scheme -for the requirements of colour reproduction, -and some of the engravings made from their -pictures by Messrs. Boussod, Valladon & Co. -are very wonderful; but in the best examples -I imagine there is an enormous amount of -careful touching up and going over by hand, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>82]</a></span> -which places these reproductions in the -category of proofs rather than of prints. -Certainly there is a vast difference between -them and the colour work usually seen in the -same firm’s commercial publications, good as -they are, and there is a yawning gulf between -these and the colour print we have with us -always. Therefore, if you wish to work in -oil I would suggest that you work in monochrome, -and further I would advise you to -make your designs in simple black and white—that -is if the reproduction is to be printed -with black ink; for the nearer your original -is to the colour in which it is to be printed, -the nearer will the engraver and printer be -able to approach it. I would also suggest -that perfectly dead colours should be used, -because varnish or any sort of glaze, shine -or glitter, will tell in the photograph, and -even the most careful engravers are rather -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>83]</a></span> -given to reproducing the photographic copy -than the original, even though the latter be -at their side.</p> - -<p>One method, that has been successful lately, -is mixing oil colour with turpentine until it -flows like water, and then working on paper; -this reproduces most excellently, the only -drawback being that the colour rubs off -easily.</p> - -<p>Body colour and gouache are much used; -the only thing to be remembered is that you -should keep to the same colours and the -same method of work all the way through -each drawing. It is very interesting to -combine body colour with wash; often in -the original design the combination is most -pleasing, but the camera does not approve -of it, and frequently plays the most unexpected -tricks with these combinations. -Therefore, either stick to body colour, lamp -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>84]</a></span> -black, ivory black and white,<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> or pure wash; in -the latter case there is nothing which photographs -so well as charcoal grey, made by -Newman & Co. The most delicate washes -reproduce beautifully. It is rather hard to -manage, but once you can manage it, it is -almost perfect. It is best for work in a very -light key, in the extreme darks it is liable to -get heavy and sombre and gritty; and if you -want a positive black it is well to put it in -with ink or some stronger black, even at the -risk of knocking things rather out of tone. -The only objection to charcoal grey is that it -is rather difficult to work over it. Still, in -illustration in wash you will always get a -cleaner, sharper effect by doing your drawing -at once, getting your effect right with the first -wash, than by any amount of tinkering at it.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><span class="label"><a href="#FNanchor_3_3">[3]</a></span> -Winsor & Newton and Reeves have lately -been experimenting in this way, and their Albanine -and Process black are well spoken of by photo -engravers.</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>85]</a></span> -In this pure wash work you should be -careful, very careful, not to let any meaningless -pencil lines show through, as they always -photograph, cannot be taken out, and at times -spoil the whole effect; in fact, imperfections in -wash drawings always reproduce more perfectly -than the perfections themselves, and it -is well to keep your paper reasonably clean, -to avoid smudging, blots and lines, or otherwise -you will be disappointed in the result. -It is often very effective in an original drawing -to put in a lot of colour, but it nearly always -comes out wrongly in the reproduction. On -the other hand, although body colour often -comes badly with wash, if you work over or -into either your wash or body colour with -pen, chalk, or pencil of the same substance -as the wash, the result is harmonious often -and excellent. I mean, if you make a drawing -in wash with Indian ink and work on it -with liquid Indian ink in a pen, the result will -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>86]</a></span> -be right. If you touch up charcoal grey with -charcoal, the wash and line unite—these -things, however, you will soon learn by experience, -even though that experience is -gained in a rather painful manner. Still, at -present the better magazines and papers are -not a practising ground for students, as they -were some time ago, and you must be able -to do good work before you can expect any -intelligent editor to print it.</p> - -<p>Drawings or paintings—in fact all work in -tone is reproduced mechanically by what is -known as the half-tone process, which I -referred to briefly in my last lecture.</p> - -<p>The drawing is photographed, but in front -of the sensitised glass, a microscopically ruled -screen is placed to break up this tone into -dots or lines, really to get the same effect as -the wood engraver obtains with his dots and -lines. Otherwise, the tones being flat, or -even if they are gradated, would print as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>87]</a></span> -a black mass; but these screens break up the -masses into little squares, which receive the -printing ink on their faces, and the colour or -original effect of the picture is thus preserved. -It is rather difficult to explain this, -but the screen produces white lines in the -darks and dark lines in the whites; you can -see them by looking at any block. Afterwards, -the process is exactly the same as for -line drawings. This reproduction of wash -work is very uncertain; good effects are obtained, -about as often as failures. The -delicate tones are not infrequently altogether -lost. There are no positive blacks or whites, -but a uniform grey tint covers the entire -block, in which all delicacy is often hidden. -Therefore, to get a good effect, when -printed, the drawing should be simply made, -that is if it is for cheap engraving and -rapid printing; but if for the best books -and magazines, wood engravers may be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>88]</a></span> -employed to remedy the imperfections of the -photograph and the mistakes of the etcher. -That is, whites may be cut, blacks toned -down, lines thinned, or large spaces on the -block may be left for the engraver to work -upon: most remarkable results may be seen -in the better American magazines.</p> - -<p>There are many qualities in a drawing -which that senseless machine, the camera, -will never reproduce. There are also a few -points which it is very difficult (in tone work) -for an engraver to render, but they may both -combine and obtain most interesting effects.</p> - -<p>For instance, it is very difficult to give in -a wood engraving the look of paint on -canvas, without losing much of the picture -itself, for if the wood engraver begins to try -to imitate texture he not infrequently loses -the subject. The mechanical process seems -to do this very easily, especially if the -brush marks on the canvas are at all prominent. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>89]</a></span> -But the delicacy is frequently lost; so, -too, are the strong blacks, though a good -wood engraver can remedy these defects by -treating the metal block just as though it -was wood, engraving on it, cutting out, save -where it is right, all the mechanical look. -But two factors are necessary, first a good -engraver, and, second, a publisher who is -willing to pay for this engraving, which is -expensive. The majority of publishers will -not do so, though they will pay for the -work of a good or notorious author. They -will employ a feeble artist, a poor engraver, -and a cheap printer, and talk of how much -better the work was done thirty years ago. -Of course it was; it was decently drawn and -mostly badly engraved, vilely printed, but well -paid for; now the photograph is the standard -and the results are all about us; therefore -you must think of the results. So make broad -simple masses, keep your work as flat as you -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>90]</a></span> -can, remembering that all blacks will have -the little white dots of the screen more or -less showing through them—these can be -kept out by the engraver, but they certainly -will appear in the cheapest work; remembering -that all delicate grey tones will be eaten -up by the screen, therefore don’t put them -in if you can help it; and, finally, that unless -whites are cut out they will never appear, -instead you will have a dotted grey effect.</p> - -<p>In the very near future many of these -imperfections will disappear, for you must -remember that it is scarcely ten years since -half tone began to be used at all. But look, -whenever you see them—and they are everywhere—at -the reproductions of half-tone -work; try and study out how the artist got -his effect; go to the art editor who published -the drawing and ask to see the original. -Talk with artists who do good work in black -and white; they are mostly human, intelligent, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>91]</a></span> -and willing to help and advise you. Go to -the engravers’ shops and find out what the -engraver will tell you, and to printing offices -and see your work on the press.</p> - -<p>I have already spoken of the reproductions -of line drawings by the half-tone process. -One is sometimes tempted to wish that -all line work could be reproduced by half -tone and tone work could be reproduced by -line, because if the line is delicate or the -drawing is thin, the screen over it gives a -tint which is pleasing, at times makes it look -like an etching somewhat, especially if the -tint be judiciously cut out. You might -look at some of C. D. Gibson’s work, where -very great delicacy has been obtained in -this way. Engravers are now endeavouring -to get the tint just where it is wanted, and -I have no doubt they will succeed. When -they do, photo-engraving by the half-tone -process will be greatly improved.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>92]</a></span> -Finally, study the requirements of the -process not only as artists, but from the -point of view of the engraver; go down to -his shop and find out how the work is -done; make him show and tell you; insist -on seeing proofs of your drawings—good -proofs, too; make corrections on them, first -learning what corrections can be made. You -cannot have blacks put in your engravings -if they did not exist in the drawings, and, -roughly speaking, you can only tone down, -not strengthen any engraving; but you will -find, save in cases of blacks, it is only toning -down that the engraving wants, thinning and -greying of lines.</p> - -<p>All this, I have no doubt, is very dry and -uninteresting and tedious, but unless you get -these things into your heads in the beginning, -your drawings will not photograph well, engrave -well, or print well; and if they don’t, -you will not get any illustration to do, and -you may have yourselves to blame for it.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>93]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap06" id="chap06"></a>LECTURE VI.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">REPRODUCTION OF DRAWINGS BY WOOD -ENGRAVING.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>OOD engraving, as a fine art, has -been virtually invented, developed, -brought to apparent perfection, and yet ceased -to exist, temporarily, almost, as a trade, in -this century.</p> - -<p>A wood engraving is an engraving made -with a graver, upon a cross section of box-wood, -that is upon the end, and not the side, -of a plank, in relief. As in the case of -mechanical engraving, all the wood, excepting -that underneath the design upon the -block, is cut away, and the picture remains -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>94]</a></span> -alone in relief, raised upon the surface of the -block of the same height as the type; thus -the block may be placed on the press and -printed with the type.</p> - -<p>The first great wood engraver was Thos. -Bewick, and he, unlike many of his followers -to-day, was an artist, and mostly made his -own drawings on the block and cut them as -he wished. He saw that wood engraving -was a substitute for the slower, more tedious, -and more expensive method of steel engraving; -that, most important, many of the -qualities of steel could be imitated in wood, -as the same tools were used; that it could be -printed with type; and, save that the richness -of colour could not be retained, that it had -most of the advantages of metal and few of -its disadvantages, and was vastly cheaper. -From the first, the imitation of steel was -considered the proper aim, and though early -in this century Stothard drew with a pen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>95]</a></span> -upon the block, and his designs were facsimiled -in the wood by Clennell, the prevailing -fashion was the imitation of steel -engraving, even by Bewick himself. Many -of his lines are exactly those used by the -steel engravers. By the middle of the -century steel engraving virtually disappeared, -its practitioners being unable to compete with -wood engravers. There have been but few -original engravers in this form of art, and -though the work of some of the steel -engravers who reproduced Turner and -Roberts, Wilkie and Landseer, is marvellous, -the art is almost dead at present. -Cheapness has killed it. Wood engraving -also killed lithography—a lithograph cannot -be printed with type—and consequently the -wood engraver became a most important -person. He ran a shop with many assistants; -he commissioned artists to make drawings -for his assistants to engrave, he dictated -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>96]</a></span> -the way in which these drawings were to be -done, the way in which the lines were to be -drawn and washes made, so that they could -be cut most easily. He commissioned -writers to work up or down to the artists; -he printed the books and sold them to the -publishers, who were content to put their -names on the title pages. And by this -method much good and more bad work -was accomplished, but the engraver finally -became supreme, autocratic, dictatorial, insufferable; -and then he vanished, as a shop. -Process stepped in, in its turn, on account of -its cheapness; and to-day, unless the engraver -is an artist, he is but the slave of the process -man, a hard fate—but his own. Before -the introduction of photography, artists had -to make their designs for the wood engraver -the size they were wanted upon the block of -wood, if portraits of places, reverse them, in -pen, brush, pencil, or wash; the engraver cut -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>97]</a></span> -around and through these designs, making -a translation of them in relief on the block -which could be printed from. But the -drawing had disappeared, and the artist -had nothing but the engraving to show for -it, hence endless difficulties arose; good -artists hated to have their drawings cut to -pieces; good engravers hated to have their -work criticised unfavourably; also, drawing -of a small size, and in reverse on the block -was difficult to learn, and only a mechanical -craft of no artistic advantage when -learned. Therefore, as soon as it was -possible to escape from the drudgery, to -draw of any size on paper and have that -drawing photographed on to a sensitised -wood block, of the size it was wanted, in -reverse, all artists took to it. And a new -school of engravers arose, men who tried -to invent new methods of engraving so that -they could express the medium, as well as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>98]</a></span> -the subject, in which a picture was produced. -True from Stothard onward, through Meissonier -and Menzel, engravers had tried to -render pen and pencil drawings in line on -wood; now everything began to be attempted, -charcoal, etchings, steel, water colours, lithographs, -oils. All the imperfections, accidents, -and blemishes were preserved, even -if the picture disappeared. But a number of -most distinguished artist wood engravers -appeared, especially in America, though few -of them learned their trade in that country. -But they received more encouragement, -better pay, better printing, and better artists -worked for them. And so the school of -American wood engravers, many of whom -are not Americans, was born.</p> - -<p>Now how is the modern work done? -The artist’s picture in any medium, of any -size, is given to the photographer, who -copies and reverses it, prints it on the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>99]</a></span> -block of wood which has been sensitised -for that purpose. The print is usually not -very good, that is, it is darker, with many -of the qualities of the drawing lost; but it -serves only as a guide or a tracing for the -engraver, who takes his tools, and with -the drawing behind him, reflected in a -mirror to reverse it, proceeds to cut the -photograph of the drawing into relief, at -the same time trying to preserve the look -of the canvas, paper, or metal on which -it was made, and the feeling of the colour, -wash, or paint with which it was executed. -All this is most difficult, but a most artistic -result may be obtained, and one has but -to refer to the magazines of America and -some of the weekly papers of Germany, -France, and Spain, for a proof of it.</p> - -<p>Here, though much good wood engraving -has been printed, outside the offices -of Messrs. Macmillan, Cassell and Co., -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>100]</a></span> -and the <i>Graphic</i>, it has of late years been -mostly in the form of copies, electrotypes, -clichés from foreign blocks which are supplied -by their makers, all over the world, -at a very low price, because they are not -reserved for any one paper or book. And -when you begin to see a man’s painting, -or drawing, or engraving in every paper, -you begin to tire of him and his work. -The editors of papers which publish clichés -seem to be the only people who like the -multiplication and cheapening of art, but -then there is no accounting for their tastes. -The tools and appliances for making wood -engravings are simple enough, but to engrave -anything but <i>facsimile</i> work, or your own -designs, will necessitate your going through -considerable practical training; probably some -years of apprenticeship.</p> - -<p>To cut line drawings on the wood, or to -cut designs in large simple masses, you do -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>101]</a></span> -not require so much practice. All the tools -you need are different sized gravers and -gouges, a small chisel to cut large spaces, -an engraver’s rest for the block, so that it -can be turned freely and easily about, -and a whetstone to sharpen your tools.</p> - -<p>Lamps and globes for water, shades for -your eyes, you will scarcely need, but a -magnifying glass, something like that which -watchmakers use, may be useful. With these -simple tools and some box-wood—they can -all be bought in East Harding Street or at -any colour maker’s—you have the necessary -appliances.</p> - -<p>If you draw on the block, a slight wash -of Chinese white will help to make it work -easily. Draw with a brush or pencil; or if -in wash, without body colour, as that will -chip off. You have only to remember that -the block, either plain or with the drawing -on it, would print perfectly black, and that -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>102]</a></span> -every line you make with the graver in the -surface of it, will print white. Therefore, as -I have said, to get an outline engraving, you -simply cut away everything but the drawing, -which is left in relief on the surface of the -block, and which alone prints, the rest of it -being cut away. It is not necessary to -engrave the surface very deeply, only so -much that neither the ink nor the paper will -touch in the hollows between the lines or -masses. Mistakes are not easy to remedy, -except by making a hole in the block and -inserting a plug of wood, and then engraving -that afresh.</p> - -<p>The art of engraving in <i>facsimile</i>, that -is, of engraving around lines made with -pen, or brush, or pencil, is comparatively -easy, it only requires much training and -a steady hand. But the ability to translate -a work in colour into black and -white, on a wood block, so that it shall -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>103]</a></span> -give a good idea of the original, is far -more difficult. To do it well, the engraver -must not only have the knowledge -of the technical requirements of his craft -at his finger ends, only to be gained after -years of apprenticeship, but he must be a -trained artist as well. If he wishes to get -the best results, he must have the original -before him, he must understand it and -appreciate it. And finally, he must have -the technical skill to engrave it. Even -then, most likely, the artist will not like -the block. It is a difficult art, a thankless -art, save in the rarest cases: one which -requires years of special training, and at -present in this country, no matter how -great an artist one is, there is very little -chance to practise it. Work of this sort -you cannot expect to be able to do without -years of training; if you care for it you -must apprentice yourself to a wood engraver.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>104]</a></span> -Still there are forms of wood engraving -which you may take up, from the most -primitive to the most complicated, and you -may carry out the work from the designing -of it to the printing of it yourselves, or, you -may draw on the block and cut away, as -in engravings by the late R. L. Stevenson -(or were they done by Lloyd Osbourne or -some other ghost?), and possibly you will -have an experience like this:—</p> - -<div class="poemcenter"> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="i0">“A blemish in the cut appears,<br /></div> -<div class="i0">Alas, it cost both blood and tears.<br /></div> -<div class="i0">The glancing graver swerved aside,<br /></div> -<div class="i0">Fast flowed the artist’s vital tide,<br /></div> -<div class="i0">And now the apologetic bard<br /></div> -<div class="i0">Demands indulgence for his pard.”<br /></div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Or I imagine without much trouble you -might invent something in the style of -Valloton, a Frenchman, who is resurrecting -wood cutting in a manner of his own, while -carrying on the traditions of the old men. I -hope you may be able to get as much life -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>105]</a></span> -and go in it as he has. Make your drawing -on the wood, or on paper, have it photographed -on the wood in the latter case, -and cut around the lines, leaving only the -drawing. The greatest difficulty is with fine -lines, and you see how cleverly Valloton -has avoided making them. Or, like Lepère, -another French artist—he would be a man -to study with—do big, bold, effective things; -or again you might attempt, as he does, -colour work on wood, like that done by -the Japanese, drawing it, engraving it, and -printing it all yourselves.</p> - -<p>Or, take up drawing and engraving -in the manner of Caldecott, Crane, or -Kate Greenaway, when they were reproduced -and printed by Edmund Evans.</p> - -<p>Process is fighting for colour too, but -wood, at least in proofs, and that is all -you would care for, gives some qualities -far beyond process.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>106]</a></span> -In colour printing from wood blocks as -many blocks must be made as there are -colours, and there must be as many -separate printings made from these blocks -as there are colours in the printed picture. -There must also be an outline block called -the key block. Usually in European -colour printing, whether from wood blocks, -or by lithography, or even process, the -colours are printed on top of each other; -for example, a blue is printed over a -yellow to get green, and at times several -colours are superimposed, with the result -that colour is lost and mud obtained. The -Japanese have shown us how to make -colour prints, however, and their method -is now adopted by all intelligent colour -printers. It consists in making the right -colour before it is put on the block, and -in placing the colours side by side like a -mosaic. The work is done somewhat in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>107]</a></span> -this way; the artist makes his drawing, -several tracings (as many as there are -colours) are made from it, and one extra -tracing must be made of the outline only. -Or rather the outline alone is cut on the -block, other blocks are then made for each -colour, or the parts cut out of the same -block; one will contain all the red, another -all the blue, a third the yellow, and so on. -They must be very accurately cut, so as to -fit together and print truly, and you can -see from Japanese prints how wonderfully -well the work is done. Of course the -editions from such blocks are very limited, -and on this account, like etchings, often -vary, the printers having tried experiments -in colour. The grain of the wood is taken -advantage of in printing, as it often gives -a lovely pattern; a good printer will wash -in gradated skies with the backgrounds, -and no matter how wonderfully they are -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>108]</a></span> -worked, if of the same colour, are printed -usually from the same block. The -Japanese, I believe, use water-colours; -certainly the French and English, who -have tried to imitate them, do, putting the -colour, mixed with a little size or gum, on -the face of the block with a sponge; in -fact they are printed water-colours. Several -Frenchmen have obtained in this way -most notable results. Very similar was -the fashion of colour printing called chiaroscuro, -used in the early part of the century. -The trouble with this was that the oil -with which the inks were mixed, either -ran, or spoiled the pages, or did not dry -well. Drawings on grey paper in chalk -can be wonderfully imitated in this way, -and there are methods of using steel and -copper plates, bitten into relief to get outlines -or tints, which were also employed. -To-day in the printing of wood engravings -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>109]</a></span> -and process blocks by steam, at many -thousands an hour, the same system of -colour printing, by placing the colours side -by side, is being attempted, for it is impossible -to obtain fine tone or rich effect -by placing one colour on top of another, -even in slow printing by hand, while it is -absurd to attempt it rapidly by steam. In -the most successful attempts yet made, -those of the <i>Le Quotidien Illustré</i> and <i>Le -Rire</i>, Paris papers, colour printing from -process blocks has been most successfully -done, and I do not doubt that in a very -few years colour printing in magazines and -newspapers will be very general.</p> - -<p>As I have said, all intelligent printers -have now come to the conclusion that -simple flat colours, put on side by side, -will alone give good artistic results; they -have only learned this, however, after -going quite to the other extreme: after -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>110]</a></span> -trying to get pure colour and rich effects -by using the three primary colours on top -of each other, they obtained but crudeness, -vulgarity, and mud.</p> - -<p>Photography and chemistry are useful -in art, but art cannot be created by these -means. It may be that some one, some -day, will be able to photograph a picture -in colour, but there is as yet no evidence -of it.</p> - -<p>Wood engravings may also be made by -scraping or lowering the fronts or backs -of blocks, and rich, soft, fat effects -can be produced. Very little has been -done, I think, with these lowered blocks, -some remarkable examples of which can -be seen in Chatto and Jackson’s “History -of Wood Engraving.”</p> - -<p>Photography has aided the artist very -much in wood engraving (though most -engravers say it has not), and especially -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>111]</a></span> -in colour printing it can be made great -use of; as, instead of tracing a design on -to several blocks, it can be photographed, -thus ensuring accuracy—though the Japanese -obtained this without any photographic aids—and -saving much time.</p> - -<p>Still, that is about as far as it goes at -present, and photography will never supersede -art, though it is engaged in a famous -struggle with artlessness.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>112]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap07" id="chap07"></a>LECTURE VII.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">LITHOGRAPHY.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">L</span>ITHOGRAPHY, for some time the -rival of metal engraving and even for -a time of wood, was invented at the end of -the last century, and, as its name implies, is -the art of drawing or writing upon stone. -Briefly, a peculiar grained stone, found in -Germany, may be drawn upon with greasy -chalk or ink; afterward it is slightly etched, -only washed really, with weak nitric acid and -water to fix the drawing and somewhat -reduce the surface of the stone; if the stone -be now covered with gum, allowed to dry, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>113]</a></span> -and then inked, the ink adheres only to the -drawing; and if a sheet of paper is placed -on it, and the whole passed through a press, -a print, or rather the drawing in ink, will -come off on the paper. This is roughly the -art of lithography.</p> - -<p>The most important consideration for you, -however, is the making of the drawing. -This may be done in one of two ways: -either upon the stone itself, or upon transfer -paper specially coated, so that the entire -drawing is transferred from the paper on -which it is drawn, by mechanical means, to -the stone, and not merely a print from the -original drawing. For many reasons it would -probably be best to draw upon the stone -itself always; because, first and above all, -the less intervention—even mechanical intervention—there -is between the artist and his -work, the better; and in many cases it is not -possible to get good results unless the artist -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>114]</a></span> -works on the stone. But if one has to make -a large drawing out of doors, it is obviously -impossible to carry about a big and heavy -stone with one; therefore lithographic transfer -paper must be used if the work is to be -done from nature.</p> - -<p>Before this paper was perfected (it is very -good now, and can be obtained from Hughes -& Kimber of West Harding Street, though -Belfont’s of Paris is the best), the artist either -copied his sketches, studies, or pictures himself, -on the stone, if he understood lithography; -or else his drawings were copied for -him by some other artists who were trained -lithographers. One most notable example of -this is to be found in J. F. Lewis’s “Alhambra.” -The originals by Lewis were -redrawn on the stone by J. D. Harding, J. -Lane, and W. Ganci, as well as by Lewis -himself; inevitably some of these men’s -individuality was apparent, and even in the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>115]</a></span> -case of Lewis, much must have been lost by -copying his own designs; and if original -work is given to professional lithographers, -in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred all -the real character is taken out of it. To-day, -however, one may draw upon transfer paper, -being careful only not to touch it with one’s -fingers, either in lithographic chalk or lithographic -ink, which is only the chalk rubbed -down and put on with a pen or brush, on -this paper, which should be fastened down -like an oil sketch, in a box having a cover, -by drawing pins. Take the drawing to the -printer; he will put it on the stone and -print it for you far better than you can -do it yourself; still this is rather expensive, -as the transferring of the drawing to the -stone and pulling a few proofs will cost you -about a guinea. But if your design can be -drawn in your own studio, or at the lithographer’s, -on the stone, it is not only much -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>116]</a></span> -simpler, but the result may be better, and -you can employ more varied methods of -work. For example, you may draw with -the lithographic crayon—Lemercier’s are -the best; get them at Lechertier & Barbe’s—just -as you would with ordinary chalk or -crayon. For if the stone is grained like -paper, the design, if well printed, should look -almost exactly like a drawing on paper. On -a smooth or ungrained stone you may draw -or write with pen or brush and lithographic -ink, which is only the crayon rubbed down -with gum arabic, or ammonia and water, as -you would rub down Indian ink, only you -must heat the saucer in which you are rubbing -it, a little. When you have done this, -use Gillott’s lithographic pens, putting the ink -on the pen with a brush, or use a trimmed -sable brush brought to a fine point; you -must make your lines carefully, and get your -ink of the right consistency, otherwise it -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>117]</a></span> -tends to blot and spread or smear. Again, -you may mix more of the medium with the -rubbed-down crayon. I should say it rubs, -when warm, without water; this medium -may be obtained ready mixed from Way & -Sons, Wellington Street, Strand; paint with -it as you would in water colours, adding -more of the medium or more ink as you wish -little or much colour. I have tried only a -couple of experiments in this way, and they -were both complete failures. The trouble I -found was this: in making light tones, the -moment the brush charged with colour -touches the stone, the stone itself turns -much darker than the colour you are putting -on it; and as it dries out very slowly, -the making of a wash drawing is a most -tedious process, unless one has had enough -experience of the work to know just the -effect of the finished drawing, or rather just -the effect of the wash applied, which cannot -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>118]</a></span> -be seen in its proper tone, while working -on the stone, since the appearance the stone -presents so long as it is wet is absolutely -different to what it will look like when dry, -and it is almost impossible to work over -washes, because the colour floats off if they -are gone over again, or at least smudges -and smears; still, corrections and additions -can be made with the crayon point, and the -whole design brought pretty well together. -The best work in wash has been done by -Lunois, a Frenchman. Corrections are at -all times difficult to make in lithographs, the -error having to be scratched out and the -stone repaired in that spot, before the new -work can be put in again.</p> - -<p>Stump drawings may be made by getting -the crayon in powder and smearing it on the -stone in masses with a rag. Effects can be -obtained by removing too much colour with -ordinary scrapers and putting in modelling -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>119]</a></span> -with stumps and the point of the crayon; -or all three of the methods I have mentioned -may be combined, as they often are, on the -same stone, notably in the work of Hervier.</p> - -<p>Tints may be obtained by stippling and -splatter work, as in pen drawings. There is -a machine called an air brush, used by -lithographers for this purpose, but the introduction -of mechanical dodges has done -much to harm lithography.</p> - -<p>Zinc may be grained and drawn upon in -the same way; why this metal is not more -generally used, I do not know, for it is much -lighter, more portable, and can be easily -mounted on a plain stone to print from.</p> - -<p>Until lately it was maintained that only -what was drawn on stone could be got off -it in a print. But Mr. Goulding, the etching -printer, who has been making a series of experiments, -says he can get almost as much -variety of effect, by wiping the surface of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>120]</a></span> -the stone carefully, in a small number of -prints, as he can from a copper plate (<i>see</i> -Lecture on <a href="#chap09">the printing of Etchings</a>). Still, -for you, the process ordinarily will end with -the drawing. Even the transferring is only -to be successfully done by skilled workmen, -and until you can print an etching decently, -it would be scarcely worth while to try a -lithograph.</p> - -<p>Considering that the process is perfectly -autographic, that the materials are few and -cheap, it is strange that it is so little employed -at present. But a very serious -attempt is being made to revive it, and as -an artist like Mr. Whistler is the leader and -initiator, I believe it will be successful.</p> - -<p>Colour printing by lithography, though -very complicated, might be tried by you; -as many stones must be prepared for -transferring the design, made either on -paper or stone, from the paper to stone, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>121]</a></span> -or from one stone to another, as there -are colours, and only that part of the design -which is of one colour must appear on one -stone; if you try to get colour prints -in the usual fashion by printing one colour -over the other, you will obtain the usual -commercial muddling lithographic appearance. -But if you mix your own colours for -the lithographer, and have the colours placed -side by side, in flat masses like the Japanese -block prints (<i>see</i> <a href="#chap06">Wood Engraving</a> Lecture), -you should get good results.</p> - -<p>There are endless other processes and -methods of work, but they are all more or -less complicated, and require special training -and special tools, and even machinery, and -one who wishes to pursue the subject further -must go to a lithographer and learn the -trade.</p> - -<p>But in order to get artistic effects only, -one has but to draw or paint on paper or -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>122]</a></span> -stone as one would ordinarily. The means -are most simple, and the results should be -most interesting.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>123]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap08" id="chap08"></a>LECTURE VIII.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">ETCHING.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N all the various methods of making illustrations -to which I have so far called -your attention, it was necessary that some -part of the work should be done by a -specially trained craftsman, at least if any -practical and commercial result was desired.</p> - -<p>Now in etching, the more you yourselves -do and the less any one else does, the better -should be the result.</p> - -<p>An etching is, in its narrowest sense, a print -from a metal plate into which a design has -been bitten or eaten by acid; again, in most -of the other methods, the printing was from -relief blocks like type, and therefore those -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>124]</a></span> -illustrations could be printed with type. Now -we have to consider another sort of work, -namely, intaglio, or incised, or sunken work -not printed from the surface, but from lines -cut below it, and therefore unavailable for -letterpress printing. Of course it would be -easy to make a relief block in metal, or an -incised block of wood, to reverse the treatment -in printing, but it would not be natural -or right.</p> - -<p>The whole difference is this: if a wood -block has a line cut in the surface and the -whole face is inked with a roller, the line will -print white and the rest of the block black. -If the etching plate is inked and cleaned off, -as is always done, it will print white; if a -line is cut in it, the ink will remain in that -and produce a black line. Of course they -must be printed in appropriate presses.</p> - -<p>In its broadest sense an etching may be -produced in any one of a number of ways, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>125]</a></span> -by the artist, on a metal plate which may be -printed from.</p> - -<p>It is never a process or mechanical engraving, -and never was and never will be, -and the attempt to palm off mechanical -blocks or plates is a swindle and a humbug.</p> - -<p>Etchings are produced in the following -manner; at least this is the best and simplest -method.</p> - -<p>A plate of highly polished copper, zinc, or -even steel, iron, or aluminium is obtained -from the makers, William Longman, of -Johnson’s Court, Fleet Street, or from -Messrs. Hughes & Kimber, West Harding -Street, Fetter Lane, or Messrs. Roberson, -99, Long Acre. Copper, however, is the -best and almost universally used. This -should be carefully cleaned with a soft rag -and whiting; then it should be gripped by a -vice with a wooden handle, in one corner, -care being taken to put a piece of soft paper -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>126]</a></span> -between the vice and the plate to keep the -teeth of the former from scratching it; heated, -either upon an iron frame with a spirit or -Bunsen lamp under it, or over the gas, until, -if you take a ball of etching ground and -touch the plate with it, the ground melts. -This ground is made of resin, wax, and gum; -the best is made by Sellers in England and -Cadart in France. All these materials can be -bought of Roberson or Hughes & Kimber. -Touch the hot plate in several places with -the ground. It should melt at once; then -take an American etching roller (which I -think you can only obtain at Roberson’s) and -go over the plate rapidly with it in every -direction, until the little masses of melted -ground have been spread evenly and thinly -in a film all over it. With a little practice -you should be able to do this in a couple of -minutes, and you can lay in this way (which -is unknown virtually in England) a thinner, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>127]</a></span> -harder, more even and very much better -ground, with less trouble, than in any other. -Heat the plate again a little more, and take -a bundle of wax tapers twisted together by -heating them, light them and pass them -under the face of the plate held, varnished -side downwards, by the vice; do not touch -the plate with the taper, or the varnish, -being still melted, will come off, but go -rapidly back and forward, allowing the flame -only to touch the surface. In a few minutes -the varnish will have been completely -blackened by the smoke. Next, take a -bottle of stopping-out varnish (which you -may as well buy; don’t bother to make it) -and cover the back and edges of the plate. -If this is done while the plate is hot, it dries -very fast, and as soon as the plate is cool it -is ready to work on.</p> - -<p>This is the first stage. The waxy ground -is put on to protect the plate from the acid -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>128]</a></span> -with which it is to be bitten, and it must be -so well made and well put on, that one can -draw through it, without tearing it up and -without any resistance; also it must adhere -firmly to the plate, where it is not drawn -through, and must resist the acid perfectly in -the untouched parts. The smoking is done -to enable you to see your lines in the copper, -light on dark; this is rather curious at first, -but you will get used to it. The stopping-out -varnish is also to protect the plate, and is -only a cheaper sort of ground dissolved in oil -of lavender or ether. When the plate is -cool, it should be of a brilliant uniform black, -and if there are any dull, smoky-looking -places on it, the ground is burnt. Here the -ground may be rubbed off, or will show -cracks, if you touch it, in these places, and -the varnish should be cleaned off the face -with turpentine, the plate carefully dried and -regrounded. Otherwise the varnish will -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>129]</a></span> -either crack while you are drawing on it, -or come off in the bath of acid, and your -work will be spoiled.</p> - -<p>You draw upon the varnished plate with -needles or points; any steel points will do, -from a knitting-needle to the best big point -you can get. The small needles invented by -Mr. Whistler I find the best; but this is a -personal liking. They are of all shapes and -sizes. You may commence and draw in -your entire subject, only remembering that -you must leave your foreground lines further -apart than those in the distance.</p> - -<p>You may make your drawing either with -the same needle, all over, or with needles of -different sizes; for though one half of the -art is in the drawing, the other half, and the -really characteristic half, is in the biting. -There is very little to be said about the -drawing, save that you must draw just as -well as ever you can; you will find out almost -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>130]</a></span> -immediately that you have the most responsive -tool in your fingers, and that you can -work with it in any direction. Do not -bother, if you use the same needle, because -the drawing looks flat, and the lines are of -the same width; the biting will fix all that. -Draw away; if you are afraid to tackle -the copper straight away with a point, -paint your design on it, with a little -Chinese white, or, if you have a pencil -drawing of the subject, you may make a -tracing from it, and go over that, transferring -it to the plate; or you may turn the -drawing face down and run it through a -copper plate press; the drawing will come off -on the varnished surface in reverse, and if -you are doing a portrait of a place you must -otherwise reverse it yourself. If you wish -to sketch from nature in reverse, put up a -mirror on an easel, and turn your back to -the subject, drawing from the picture in the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>131]</a></span> -mirror, for, you must remember, that any -subject drawn, as you see it, on a copper -plate, or even a wood-block, prints in reverse.</p> - -<p>Next, to bite or etch the drawing into the -copper plate, take equal parts of nitric acid -and water and mix them in a glass-stoppered -bottle, some hours before you wish to use -the mixture, for there is enough heat produced -by the chemical action to melt the -ground if it is used at once.</p> - -<p>Or have a quantity of what is known as -Dutch mordant made; this is composed of—</p> - -<p> -Two parts Chlorate of Potash,<br /> -Ten parts Hydrochloric Acid,<br /> -Eighty-eight parts water.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Next, get an ordinary photographer’s porcelain -or rubber bath or tray; lay the plate in -it, pour the acid over it; in a few seconds -bubbles will arise, in all the lines; brush -them away with a feather; leave the plate, if -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>132]</a></span> -there is any fine work on it, in the bath for -only two or three minutes, say for a light -sky; take it out with rubber finger-tips or a -stick, for the acid will burn your fingers and -a drop will rot your clothes, staining them -light yellow; wash the plate thoroughly in -clean water, dry it carefully with blotting-paper. -Take some of your stopping-out -varnish, thin it with a little (a very little) -turpentine, paint over the very lightest parts -of the drawing with a camel’s-hair brush -dipped in the diluted varnish, and thus stop -them out—that is, stop them from biting any -more by painting them with the varnish. -Wait till the places where you have painted -the varnish are thoroughly dry; then put the -plate in the bath again and bite the next -stronger, nearer set of lines; of course, save -where the lines are covered by the stopping-out -varnish, they will keep on biting. -Continue biting and stopping out till you get -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>133]</a></span> -to the foreground, where the lines should now -be quite broad and deep; take off the ground -front and back by washing it with a rag -dipped in turpentine, dry it, and the plate is -ready to print from.</p> - -<p>Another method is to commence by drawing -in the darks, biting them, then drawing -in the middle distance, the darks going on -biting all the while, and finally the extreme -distance, when the whole plate will be biting -together; by this method no stopping out is -necessary, but in working out of doors it is -awkward to carry baths and acid around with -one, otherwise one must run back to the -studio, to bite between each stage. But -these two methods can be mixed up, and -frequently are, and you may also work in the -bath, drawing lines through or over others, -thus getting richness while the biting is going -on. The bad fumes which are given off -during the biting are not dangerous. In -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>134]</a></span> -working with the Dutch mordant, which -bites slower than nitric acid and makes -no bubbles, but bites straight down, while -nitric acid enlarges the lines laterally, you -will inhale much of the fumes, but they -won’t hurt you. Although you do not see -any action with the Dutch mordant, brush -the lines with a feather, else a deposit is -formed and they will bite unevenly.</p> - -<p>It is very difficult to tell when a plate is -well bitten, the biting is very difficult, but on -taking it out of the bath and holding it on a -level with your eye, you can see the bitten -lines; you can also feel the biting with a -needle, and you may take off a bit of the -varnish with your thumb-nail or turpentine -and look at the lines, re-covering them again -with the stopping-out varnish; but after this, -of course, they will not bite in that place.</p> - -<p>Again, the lines do not bite evenly; where -they are close together they bite faster, and, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>135]</a></span> -after the plate has been in the acid some -time, it may change its speed of biting; -differences of atmosphere and temperature -affect it even with the same acid on the -same day; if the nitric acid is too weak -add more acid; if too strong pour in -water, and quick, else the ground will come -off: it is too strong when it boils and -bubbles all over; it is too weak when there -are no bubbles. Dutch mordant eats always -slowly, and never, so far as I know, destroys -the ground. At the last, for very strong -darks, you may sometimes use a little pure -nitric acid, but it will most likely tear up the -ground, and if you leave it long enough will -spoil all your lines, giving you only a great -black hole. These are the systems employed -by all etchers; the lengthy dissertations about -white ground, silver ground, positive and -negative processes, need not concern you, -they are never practised, and mostly -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>136]</a></span> -unknown to the best men. These simple -directions should enable you to produce -artistic plates, if you have the necessary -ability. Still, when you have had a proof -of your plate pulled—I will talk of printing -in the next lecture—you will find that there -are all sorts of imperfections in it, possibly -holes, places where it is not bitten enough or -too much bitten, or that it is too dark or too -light all over; it is but seldom that a plate -is right when the first proof is pulled. If -you find a hole bitten in it, take a burnishing -tool, flatten the hole down as much as -possible, find the place on the back with -a pair of calipers, hammer it up from the -back, placing it on an anvil, burnish it again -and polish the surface with charcoal, oil, and -rags; revarnish the place, redraw, and rebite -it. If it is only a small place you may take -up some nitric acid on a feather, and paint -the little spot to be rebitten with that. A -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>137]</a></span> -few drops of the acid have nearly as much -power as a great deal. In fact you may -paint the face of your plate with acid and do -your biting in that way, without ever immersing -it in the bath at all. If it is too -much bitten it must be rubbed down with -charcoal and oil, a tedious process. If it -is too light it must be rebitten all over; then -take a rebiting roller, putting some liquid -etching ground on a separate plate, take -the ground up on the roller and roll the face -of the plate very carefully; the ground -should cover the face without going into -any of the lines; heat it very slightly to -dry the ground, leave it for a day or so -and then bite as before. If there are -places where lines want joining or little -touches of dark would be effective, put them -in with a graver or a point.</p> - -<p>You may use a graver altogether, and -produce a line engraving; or a point, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>138]</a></span> -either steel or diamond, and make what -is known as a dry-point etching, that -is, merely a scratched drawing on the -copper; the point throws up, as you draw -with it, a furrow, which is greater or less as -you incline the point, and this holds the -ink, and is called burr, and gives for a few -proofs great richness; a steel face can, however, -be put on the copper plate, and any -number of pulls may be taken. The difference -between the cutting of lines with a -graver and the drawing of them with a point -is this: the graver, both in metal and wood, -is pushed from one; the point in etching, -and even the knives in wood cutting, are -drawn toward one.</p> - -<p>Messrs. Roberson have invented a plate -of celluloid which, for dry point work, seems -to be fairly good, and as this plate is white -or cream-coloured, as one draws on it the -lines may be filled up with paint, and one -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>139]</a></span> -may thus see the drawing as one works. Of -course, the same thing may be done with -dry point on copper. The great advantage -of the celluloid is its lightness. It must not, -however, be heated in printing, otherwise it -will be ruined. Many etchers are now -making experiments with aluminium, but no -certain results have as yet been obtained.</p> - -<p>There are many other forms of engraving -included under the title of Etching, although, -properly speaking, they have nothing to do -with it.</p> - -<p>Aquatint: a ground, made by depositing -powdered resin in solution with spirits -of wine, is poured on the plate, slightly -heated, and as it dries the resin adheres to -the plate and cracks up irregularly; a drawing -may be made on this, and stopped out -in the usual way. Or powdered resin may -be sprinkled on the plate, heated, when it -will adhere, or the plate may be placed in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>140]</a></span> -a box containing resin in very fine powder, -heated, and the box shaken; the resin will -settle on it and produce the ground.</p> - -<p>A very similar ground may be made by -passing the ordinarily-grounded plate through -a copper-plate printing-press, with a piece -of sandpaper over it, three or four times, -then the design may be painted on it in -stopping-out varnish, and at times a very -good result may be obtained. Lines may -be put in, etched before the ground is laid; -but personally I don’t like the lines at all; -without them the result is rather like a -bitten painting. Silk and canvas can also -be placed on the grounded plate, which is -then run through the press, to get tints in -the ground.</p> - -<p>Tints may be obtained after the plate is -bitten by painting it with olive oil and -sprinkling flowers of sulphur on it, which -gives a very charming tint, but it does not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>141]</a></span> -last long; I believe that if acid is poured -over it, it may last better. Mr. Frank -Short says so, but I have never tried the -experiment.</p> - -<p>Soft ground etchings are made by mixing -etching ground and tallow together in equal -proportions, covering the plate with this -composition by means of the roller: that is, -put some of the composition on a clean -plate, pass the roller over it till it is covered -with the soft ground, and then roll it on to -the plate on which you propose to work, -smoke it and then stretch a piece of rough-grained -or lined drawing paper over the -face, as paper is stretched for making -water-colours, draw upon this with a lead -pencil and then carefully take the paper -off; you must not rest on or touch the -plate with your fingers; the ground comes -away with the paper where the pencil -has passed, and the design is seen on the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>142]</a></span> -copper, and is then to be bitten in as in -ordinary etching.</p> - -<p>Mezzotint is also included, for some unknown -reason, with etching. The face of -the plate is roughened in every direction -by going over it with a toothed instrument -called a rocker, until it will print perfectly -black; the design is then traced on it; the -drawing is made by scraping down the -lights, and finally by burnishing the whites -quite smooth.</p> - -<p>Tint effects can also be obtained by a -smooth-toothed wheel, the roulette, the same -as that used by process engravers; only -here it produces blacks, while they use it -to get lights.</p> - -<p>Monotypes, that is paintings made in -colour or black and white on a bare copper -plate in the usual way, though they must -be handled thinly, may be passed through -the press, and they will yield one exquisitely -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>143]</a></span> -soft and delicate impression. The electrotyping -and duplicating of them changes -their character and value entirely: it is a -ridiculous and inartistic proceeding.</p> - -<p>But after going through all this list,—I -have barely referred to steel engraving in -line, which, as I have said, is only working -with an ordinary graver in steel, and is slow -and tedious, unsatisfactory drudgery; or -to stipple engraving, dotting and biting in -dots, instead of lines, as practised by Bartolozzi,—one -comes back to the simple -method I described at first, the method -with some improvements of Rembrandt, -the method of Whistler, or in dry point -the method of Helleu; and what is good -enough for those masters should be good -enough for you.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>144]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap09" id="chap09"></a>LECTURE IX.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">THE PRINTING OF ETCHINGS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>HICH is the more interesting and -amusing—the drawing, biting, or -printing of an etching has never been -decided. But no artist is willing, if he can -help it, to allow any one else, once he has -mastered the method of work, to perform -any part of the operation for him.</p> - -<p>The printing of an etching is, in theory, -very simple; in practice, it is most difficult, -but most delightful.</p> - -<p>The plate being bitten, as I have described -in a previous lecture, must now be printed, -for the prints from it, and not the plate itself, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>145]</a></span> -are the end of etching—really of all illustration.</p> - -<p>You will have to spend several pounds -on an etching outfit, so you had better get -a good one. The small ones, including press, -ink, chemicals, quite complete, sold by Roberson, -of 99, Long Acre, are most excellent -as far as they go, for small plates, and taking -round the country with one on a sketching -tour; but for serious work, a more practical -set of tools is necessary. Therefore I would -advise you first to take lessons of a good -etcher, who will allow you to work with him, -or to go to a printer and get him to show -you how the work is done.</p> - -<p>This is the method: the first thing to do -is to obtain some good handmade paper, -almost all old paper is excellent; it should -be unruled, of course; often the tone of it -is lovely, and it may contain most beautiful -water-marks. I am referring to Dutch, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>146]</a></span> -French, English, or German papers of at -least a century old. At times you may be able -to pick up old ledgers, account-books, or -packages of unprinted paper; treasure them -up; if you don’t print etchings on them, there -is nothing more delightful to draw upon. -There are also Japanese and India papers, -which give most beautiful delicate translucent -effect to prints. Vellum, parchment, and -even silk or satin may be printed on. But -as a general rule the old handmade Dutch -paper is the most satisfactory, if you can -get it. For ordinary work and experiments, -modern paper is quite good enough, and -very good handmade paper can be obtained -from Roberson’s. Let us suppose you are -going to print; twenty-four hours before, -take several sheets of paper, rather more -than you want, in case of failure or for any -other reason; cut the sheets the size you -desire them, a little larger than the plate, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>147]</a></span> -so as to leave a decent margin. Cut the -paper first; Japanese paper, for example, -cannot easily be cut when it is wet. Get -a sheet of window glass, lay it flat on a table, -take the first sheet of paper and damp it on -one side by passing a wet sponge over it, -lay it on the glass; on top of this sheet lay -another dry one; damp the top of that with -the sponge; and continue laying down sheets -and damping their upper faces till you have -enough; put another sheet of window glass -on the top, and a heavy weight upon it; in -a day the whole mass should be completely -dampened all through. I believe the same -thing can be done by a copying press and -book, and I have heard it is so done by -lithographers, but the way I have described -is the usual one that is followed by plate -printers. The next thing is the press. A -good secondhand one may be bought at -Hughes & Kimber’s, West Harding Street, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>148]</a></span> -Fetter Lane, for about five pounds. Much -depends, however, on the size and finish. -You should have it brought to your studio, -set up and adjusted for you by skilled workmen. -Then you must buy a heater and a -jigger for your plates, ink, oil, canvas, and -a number of other things, dabbers, a muller, -an ink-slab, and a big palette knife; all these -will run up a bill of ten pounds or so.</p> - -<p>But having your press and other things, -let us go to work: light the gas-burners -under the heater which you have bought; -if too much flame comes out and makes the -iron top too hot, plug up some of the jets. -Put your plate on the top of the heater. -First, however, see that your press is adjusted, -so that the plate will fit in. To do -this, put a piece of paper on the top of the -plate and run it in the press to try it, and see -if it goes under the roller without tearing the -paper. Take some of the ink out of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>149]</a></span> -can, or better, get it in powder, put it on -the ink-slab and mix it with oil with the -palette knife; then take the muller and grind -the ink until it is thoroughly ground and -mixed and of about the thickness of paint -as it comes out of the tube. But each plate -will require more or less oil or colour, and -some brown, red, or possibly blue mixed -with it to take off the crude raw look which -pure black often has in the print. The plate -being now warm, not so hot as to boil or -burn the ink, dab with a dabber the ink -from the slab all over the face of the plate -(it is warmed to wipe the ink off easily), slide -it from the heater to the wooden box called -a jigger, which must be placed alongside -the former. You should get a printer to -arrange your things for you. Take a piece -of the rag or canvas for wiping, double it -carefully and loosely in your hand—this -requires much practice—and remove all the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>150]</a></span> -ink which is on the surface of the plate. -Even after you have wiped it some time, an -oily film will remain, which, unless you polish -the plate with whiting rubbed on your -hand, you cannot remove, and you do not -want to, because the oil gives a delicious -tone to the print. Some ink may be left -in places on the surface to increase and -strengthen the work, but what you must -learn to do is not to wipe any of the ink out -of the bitten lines. This is very difficult, -and if you do wipe it out, you must commence -all over again, only the chances are -that you will know nothing about this until -the plate is printed. The colour may also -be increased by going over the surface of the -plate, having again warmed it, if it has become -cool, with a bit of soft taffatas silk -with a trembling muscular motion of the arm -and fingers. This action, called retroussage, -which must be seen to be understood, drags -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>151]</a></span> -the ink slightly over the surface of the plate -without taking much out of the lines.</p> - -<p>Now take off the weights from your paper, -take up a sheet, which should be thoroughly -damped, first brushing it with a soft brush -to remove any drops of water or dirt or dust. -The paper should be placed near the press. -Put the plate face upwards on the press, -on which the blankets have been properly -arranged—you must see this done for yourselves—the -plate underneath of course; lay -the sheet of damp paper on the face of the -plate and run it through the press once; it -is well to put a sheet of ordinary thick paper -on the top of the damp sheet, otherwise the -latter will stick to the blankets; raise the -blankets and take up the first sheet of paper, -the print will most likely adhere to that, if it -does not, take it up carefully by one edge, it -will come away from the copper, and you -will find the print on the under side of it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>152]</a></span> -Japanese and India prints require very careful -handling, especially the latter. They are -usually printed on to a sheet of plate paper -by dusting it, or the back of the India paper, -with flour; this, on passing through the press, -is made into paste by the dampness of the -India paper, and they are thus moulded -together.</p> - -<p>As soon as the prints are taken off the -press, put them between sheets of blotting -paper and allow them to dry for some time, -they will come out flat; if you neglect this, -they will crinkle up very badly, and are -difficult to get smooth again.</p> - -<p>This is the way a copper plate is printed, -but you must see it done and practise for a -long time before you can do it decently.</p> - -<p>Colour prints from copper plates may be -made in one or more ways. The various -colours may be put on by applying them -where they are wanted with stumps, or the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>153]</a></span> -plate may be painted by applying the colours -with brushes. Several plates may be used, -just as in lithography or coloured block -printing, and these coloured plates wiped as -I have been describing. Many prints, however, -are coloured by hand after they are -printed.</p> - -<p>Mezzotints, acquatints, steel engravings, -&c., are printed in the same way as copper-plates. -The rubbing with the canvas and -the hand, and the tremendous pressure to -which the plates are subjected, quickly spoil -the clearness and sharpness of the lines; -therefore if any large number of prints are -wanted, a coating of steel is put on the -face of the copper-plate by steel-plating it; -this protects the copper, and as soon as the -steel facing shows signs of wear it may be -removed, and a new film of steel applied; -hence an unlimited edition can be printed -in time from a copper plate. If it is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>154]</a></span> -necessary that the printing should be done -more rapidly, electrotypes can be made -from the original copper-plate (<i>see</i> <a href="#chap11">electrotype -and stereotype</a> Lecture), and several -printers can then work on these electrotypes -at the same time. The electrotypes are -rarely equal to the originals.</p> - -<p>Such is a brief outline of the method of -printing copper plates; but I cannot too -strongly impress upon you the fact that it is -a handicraft which, though most interesting, -requires long apprenticeship, with a master -printer, and in one’s studio, before good -results can be obtained.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>155]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap10" id="chap10"></a>LECTURE X.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">PHOTOGRAVURE AND PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHY, -ETC.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HESE processes or methods of reproduction -are the outcome of the -endeavour to supersede the artist and engraver. -They are quite mechanical, or -should be; in fact the less evidence there -is of any intervention on the part of the -operator or maker of a photographic plate, -the better it will be for the work which -is being reproduced; still, if an artist turns -his attention to these processes, the finest -results are obtained, even though he must -completely efface himself in the work. M. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>156]</a></span> -Amand Durand made the best photogravures -ever produced because he was an -artist. No mere photographic or mechanical -engraver ever approached him.</p> - -<p>The theory of photogravure and photo-lithography, -in the best work, is the same -as that of photo-engraving, which is described -in a previous Lecture. In photogravure a -photograph of a drawing is usually made on -a sensitised copper plate; this is coated with -some acid-resisting varnish, but when the -varnished plate is washed with water or -some acid, the varnish covering the picture -on the plate comes away, leaving the picture -on the bare copper. This is then bitten in -exactly the same way as an etching, the -success of the plate depending entirely on -the artistic intelligence of the person who -does the biting. Or else the photographic -print is made on the varnish itself just -exactly in the same way as for a zinc block; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>157]</a></span> -only in this case the picture is washed away -and not the surrounding portions; the biting -is then proceeded with.</p> - -<p>There are also many other processes -of photogravure, while heliotype, autotype, -Woodbury-type, collotype, are closely allied -to it. The word type is probably used -simply because by none of these methods -can the plates be used with letterpress. All -these processes, however, are very complicated, -require expensive machinery, are quite -outside the field of art, most secret, and, -except theoretically, of little importance to -you.</p> - -<p>A good photogravure, for example, by -Amand Durand or Ch. Dujardin is often -a most excellent reproduction of a line-drawing -or an etching—so good, in fact, -as to be almost indistinguishable from an -etching. But to endeavour to palm off pen -drawings as etchings, when they have been -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>158]</a></span> -reproduced in some such way, is to act the -part of a common swindler.</p> - -<p>Photo-lithography is exactly the same as -photo-zincography—process block-making. -The drawing is photographed on to transfer -paper, covered with lithographic ink and -transferred to the stone like any other lithograph. -This is a mechanical process; there -are a number of ways of getting the drawing -on to the stone, and the results are described -under many names. Collotypes and other -varieties of photographic prints are made -from gelatine or other films; they require -expensive machines to produce, they are all -mechanical processes which you could not -readily use unless you went into the business, -and are quite outside your art.</p> - -<p>One is being continually shown processes -which are going to revolutionise engraving -and incidentally do away with the artist; -this has not yet been accomplished. But -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>159]</a></span> -just as one sees to-day the momentary -triumph of the photographer—or rather of -the person who is exploiting the poor photographer—one -may remember that chromos -have not annihilated painting, nor can the -photograph ever be anything more than a -useful aid to illustration.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>160]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap11" id="chap11"></a>LECTURE XI.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="lecture">MAKING READY FOR THE PRINTING PRESS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="dropcap">H</span>AVING made your drawing, had it -reproduced by one of the methods -I described, you must now have it printed.</p> - -<p>Excepting in the case of very limited fine -editions of not more than one hundred -copies, the original plates or blocks on which -the designs have been engraved are very -seldom used, because if anything should -happen to the blocks or plates they would -have to be done over again. So copies of -them, called electrotypes and sometimes -stereotypes, are made. The electrotype of a -wood or metal block or plate is produced in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>161]</a></span> -the same way as an electrotype of any other -object, by usually taking a wax cast of it, -putting the cast in an electrotyping bath, -when a shell of copper is deposited upon it. -As many of these wax casts may be made as -are wanted, and as many shells are deposited -as desired. These copper shells are then -backed up with wood or metal and are ready -to print from. They are wonderfully cheaply -and quickly turned out, and in the case of -magazines and books, for which a large -circulation is expected, are always used; and -it is almost, with good work, impossible to tell -the difference between the electrotype, and -the original; from a process block or wood -engraving, while the original block is preserved -for making additional electrotypes for -future editions. In the case of cheap books, -or newspapers with illustrations, the <i>Daily -Graphic</i>, for example—the <i>Chronicle</i> was -printed almost altogether from the original -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>162]</a></span> -blocks, or electrotypes—the page of type is -set up with the original blocks in it, and this -is stereotyped to print from; that is, a papier -maché mould is made of the entire page of -type and illustrations, either by pounding -down on to it, with a heavy brush, a thick -sheet of papier maché till the entire page is -moulded into the pulpy papier maché, or by -covering it with successive sheets of thin -damp paper until a solid mould or matrix of -paper is made on the type; this matrix is -hardened and placed in a curved steel case, -and type metal poured into the case upon the -paper mould; as soon as the type metal has -cooled it is taken out, and a perfect cast of -the page is seen in metal, curved so that it -will fit on the cylinder of the printing press. -If there are no illustrations, it may be printed -right off, without further preparation; but if -the page contains illustrations, in order to get -the proper amount of colour on the blacks, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>163]</a></span> -and the delicacy of the greys, little pieces of -paper must be put over and under the illustrations, -on the printing press, to bring out -their colour, by increasing or lessening the -pressure. This is the way in which it is -done: a man, called the overlay cutter, has -several proofs of the illustration given him, -and he cuts them out so as to produce a -series of skeleton designs, one containing -only the blacks, another the blacks and dark -greys, the third the blacks, dark and light -greys, and so on; these he pastes on the top -of each other, forming the picture in relief, -and this relief picture is either placed under -the block to be printed from, or else on the -opposite cylinder under the paper on which -the picture is to be printed—it must be put -on very accurately and firmly, for if it slips -it will ruin the whole page. All this work -connected with printing is most interesting, -most complicated, and most wonderfully -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>164]</a></span> -performed. In order to understand it thoroughly, -you must go and work in a printing office; -all illustrators should learn at least how overlays -are made, how to correct them, and how -to work on blocks or electros, though this is -really the duty of the engraver; when they -are on the printing press, little things may -happen which may make or mar a whole -book, which only the artist can detect, and -which he should be able to set right. Therefore -if you are making a beautiful book, you -should not only see all the engraver’s proofs -of your drawings, but the printer’s proofs as -well; all this requires much work and more -knowledge, but unless you care enough about -your work to acquire this knowledge, I doubt -if you will ever be a great success as an illustrator—that -is, artistically.</p> - -<p>Very much has been said lately about the -artist considering the limitations of the printing -press, the paper, and ink. Really to-day -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>165]</a></span> -with the best engravers, the best printers -and paper-makers, there are no limits to the -possibilities of reproducing and printing -drawings. The limits are the depth of the -publisher’s pocket. Almost any drawing -whatever can be reproduced very well, by -some means, provided the editor or publisher -will pay the price charged for having it reproduced, -and the engravers and printers have -the knowledge of their craft to reproduce it. -And if the book or magazine will stand the -expense, it very likely will pay the publisher. -But if you are working for a magazine, it is -not likely that the proprietors can afford -photogravures, therefore your work must be -made so that it will reproduce well by wood -engraving or process. And the necessity for -attention to the mechanical requirements of -drawing, engraving, and printing increase, as -the price of the book or paper decreases, -until when one comes down, financially, to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>166]</a></span> -the halfpenny papers, only those drawings -can be used which will print at the utmost -speed, and with the least care bestowed upon -them, in poor ink and cheap paper. Still, -there is no reason why the artistic quality -also should degenerate; there are men at -work to-day whose drawings would look just -as well in the halfpenny evening papers as in -a three-guinea book, and these men are to be -congratulated on their perfect mastery of the -cheaper methods of reproduction. Therefore -try to do good work in your own way, and -do not bother about anything but whether -it will look well on the printed page.</p> - - -<p class="printcredit">UNWIN BROTHERS, PRINTERS, LONDON AND CHILWORTH.</p> - - - - -<div class="bbox"> -<p><b>Transcriber’s Note</b></p> - -<p>Archaic and variant spelling is preserved as printed.</p> - -<p>Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.</p> - -<p>Hyphenation has been made consistent.</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Illustration of Books, by Joseph Pennell - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS *** - -***** This file should be named 51778-h.htm or 51778-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/7/7/51778/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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