Polygraphice, or, The arts of drawing, engraving, etching, limning, painting, washing, varnishing, gilding, colouring, dying, beautifying, and perfuming in four books : exemplifyed in the drawing of men, women, landskips, countries and figures of various forms, the way of engraving, etching, and limning, with all their requisites and ornaments, the depicting of the most eminent pieces of antiquities, the paintings of the antients, washing of maps, globes or pictures, the dying of cloth, silk, horns, bones, wood, glass, stones and metals, the varnishing, colouring and gilding thereof according to any purpose or intent, the painting, colouring and beautifying of the face, skin and hair, the whole doctrine of perfumes, never published till now, together with the original, advancement and perfection of the art of painting / by William Salmon ...

CHAP. XIII. The way of Etching upon the soft Varnish.

I. THE way of Etching is the same with that in the hard Varnish; only you must be careful not to hurt your varnish, which you may do by placing on the sides of your plate two little boards, and laying cross over them another thin one, so as that it may not touch the plate, on which you must rest your hand whilst you work.

II. Then place the plate on a Desk (if you so please) for by that means the superfluous matter will fall away of it self.

III. But if you have any design to transfer upon the plate from any Copy or Print, scrape on the backside thereof some red Chalk all over; then go over that, by scraping some soft Charcoal, till it mingle with the Chalk; and with a large stiff pencil rub it all o∣ver till it be fine and eaven, and so lay down the de∣sign upon the plate: with a blunt Needle draw over the out stroaks: and as you work, you need not scratch hard into the Copper, only so as you may see the Needle go through the Varnish to the Copper.

IV. Always be sure when you leave the work, to wrap the Plate up in Paper, to keep it from hurt, and corrupting in the air, which may drie the var∣nish: and in Winter time wrap the Plate up in a piece of wollen, as well as paper; for if the frost get to

it, it will cause the Varnish to rise from the Copper in the eating.

An inconveniency also will accrew, by letting the Var∣nish lie too long upon the Plate before the work is finished; for three or four months will consume the moisture and so spoil all.

V. The marking of the design upon the soft var∣nish, is best done with black Lead or Chalk, if the ground is white; but with red Chalk, if the ground is black.

VI. Having graved what you intend upon the var∣nish, take some fair water, a little warm, and cast it upon the plate; and then with a soft clean Sponge, rub upon the white Lead to moisten it all over; and then wash the plate to take away the whiting, and drie it.

VII. Or lastly, with Aqua fortis mixed with fair water, wash it all over, and by this means you may take away the whiting, which then wash with com∣mon water and drie it; and thus have you the plate prepared for the Aquafortis.