Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 46.djvu/622

 end of the last century, the drawing and effect are produced by small dots in place of lines (Fig. 3),

These dots follow at first the outlined shades, starting with a double dot where the darker shades are desired. Smaller dots are placed close to these double dots on the side nearest the largest space. Lights are had by using very fine dots, and high lights by leaving them out altogether.

Ryland, Bartolozzi, and Sherwin excelled in this style of engraving. It is well suited for portraits; several of Rasburn's have been capitally engraved in "stipple" by Walker. It involves much more labor than any other kind of work in this line of fine arts, except line engraving, and is now little practiced.

Rouletting is done with a tool very much like those sold on the streets nowadays for cutting glass. A small hardened steel wheel is set in the end of a pencil-like handle (Fig. 4). On the edge of this wheel is cut the pattern desired by the artist—notches, lines, dots, or whatever may be called for by the subject to be treated. This wheel is rolled on the plate, leaving an indentation like the marking on its edge.

This peculiar style of engraving is used, in connection with others, where particular effects are desired, pencil and charcoal lines being imitated in this way, thus securing that beautiful sketchy style better than can be obtained by any of the others. We now come to consider line engraving, the most important as well as the most difficult of them all, and the only kind that can be used successfully in bank-note work (Fig. 5).

It is so called because the effect is produced by a combination of lines or interrupted lines. The more harmonious these lines are in shape or direction, spacing, and texture, the better will be the effect and the more valuable the work. Because of the requirement of this accurate spacing and harmony of texture mechanical as well as artistic skill is called for in producing a first-class line engraving. Many good artists in other lines fail in this art for want of this mechanical skill.

Line engravings have always ranked the highest in this branch of the fine arts, some people preferring them to water colors or oil paintings.

As stated before, this is the only picture work that can be used successfully in bank-note work, for it is much more difficult to imitate, and consequently gives greater security, being less liable