Engraving is a process of incising (cutting) a design or image into a flat metal plate. The engraved plate is then used to print the design. Engraving has importance both in the fine arts and in commercial printing. This article discusses engraving as a fine art. For information about engraving in commercial printing.
Engraving the plate.
Most plates used in engraving are made of copper or zinc. To engrave an image into the plate, the artist uses a burin, a slim bar of tempered steel. One end of this tool is cut and sharpened to a 45-degree angle. The other end is set into a round wooden handle.
Engraving a plate requires great skill and patience. With one hand, the artist slowly and carefully moves the plate against the point of the burin. At the same time, the artist uses the other hand to guide and drive the burin in the desired direction. The depth and width of the incisions help determine the appearance of the line and thus the character of the picture. The artist removes the metal shavings from the incisions with a scraper. Lines can be altered or erased with special tools and materials. The artist can even eliminate all the incisions and begin a new engraving on the same plate.
Printing the engraving
also requires considerable skill because the artist wants to produce pictures that are as identical as possible. Each picture pulled (printed) from a single plate is called an impression. To pull an impression, the artist needs ink, paper, and a press. First the engraved plate is warmed over an appliance called a hot plate. The heated metal holds the thick printing ink more firmly than cold metal could. A piece of cardboard or a small roller is then used by the artist to put a layer of ink on the engraved surface. The artist rubs and pushes the ink across the plate, forcing ink into the incisions.
After the incisions have been filled with ink, the plate is wiped several times with a pad of stiff fabric. The artist wipes in a circular motion, varying the pressure to distribute the ink evenly over the entire plate. Additional wiping eliminates all except a thin film of ink from the plate’s surface. The plate is usually wiped a final time with the hand to create highlights and delicate tonal effects. The plate is then ready for the press.
Artists usually print engravings on handmade paper because of its superior quality. They soak or sponge the paper with water so it becomes more pliable and receives the ink better. They then adjust the press to obtain the desired pressure from the metal roller. They place the plate on the press and put the dampened paper on the inked plate. Next, they cover the paper with two or more felt blankets and run the plate through the press. The pressure of the roller causes the ink to transfer onto the paper, creating an impression or print.
After the plate has passed through the press, the artist removes the blankets and carefully lifts the paper so that it does not tear. The freshly pulled impression is placed between white blotters to dry. The artist puts flat boards on the blotters to make sure that the paper lies flat and does not wrinkle. Inking and printing are repeated for each impression. After pulling the impressions, the artist removes all ink from the plate with turpentine and carefully wraps and stores the plate.
Dry point
is a variation of the basic engraving process. Like engraving, dry-point prints are made by cutting a design into a metal plate. But instead of a burin, the artist uses a metal tool called a needle with a diamond or hard steel point. As the needle cuts into the plate, it throws up a soft ridge of metal called a burr. Depending on the angle, the artist can create a burr on one or both sides of the incision. The burr, rather than the incision, holds the ink and thus forms the lines of the image. Dry-point plates are printed in the same way as other engraved plates. Dry-point lines are softer than those in burin engravings. Dry point is often combined with etching and engraving to obtain special effects.
History.
Engraving ranks as one of the earliest forms of artistic expression. The first engravings were carved during prehistoric times. The oldest surviving metal engravings date back to the 1400’s.
The German artist Albrecht Dürer, who lived from 1471 to 1528, became the first great engraver. Other early masters included Martin Schongauer of Germany, Lucas Van Leyden of the Netherlands, and Andrea Mantegna and Antonio del Pollaiuolo of Italy. William Hogarth was a leading English engraver of the 1700’s. William Blake of England was a major engraver in the 1800’s. The leading engravers of the 1900’s include Stanley William Hayter and Gabor Peterdi.
