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Tavik František Šimon (1877-1942) On this page drawings and some prints by the artist, showing the process of making prints. The artist published two books on printing-technique: 1. Dřevoryt druhá přiručka umĕlce-grafika. Prague 1927. (Handbook of Artist-Woodengraver). 2. Přiručka umêlce-grafika. Prague 1921. (Handbook of Artist-Etcher). |
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 7,5x7,5cm. pencil and ink. 19,5x18cm. |
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| 11x10cm. pencil and ink. 19x18. | 12,5x10cm. pencil and ink. 20x17cm | 10x10cm. pencil and ink. 20,5x17,5cm. | 9x9cm. pencil and ink. 19x19,5cm. |
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7x13cm. pencil and
ink. 16x18cm. |
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Handbook of Artist-Woodengraver 1927 Sketches in pencil and ink |
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 Hokusai (reproduction). Published in Handbook of Artist-Woodengraver, page 93. |
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 Emil Orlik (original woodcut in colour) Published in black- and white in the Handbook of Artist-Woodengraver, p. 97. |
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Handbook of Artist-Etcher 1921 Sketches and chemical proofs |
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 Aquatint Original chemical proof by the artist. 10x10cm. 26,2x16cm. Published in Handbook of Artist-Etcher, page 55. enlarge image |
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This technique is used to create tone and texture in a print. The
plate is sprinkled with a powdered resin, heated so the resin melts
and clings, then given an acid bath to bit the areas not covered by
the resin, creating a porous ground. Aquatint is rarely employed by
itself, but rather in combination with other intaglio methods. Aquatint is in fact a monochrome process and consists of etching rather than engraving. Acid, aqua Fortis, not hard tools, creates hollows in the metal plate. It is only less texturally rich than the mezzotint and it suggests a far greater extent a freedom of tone akin to the limpid brushwork of water colour. Aquatint is a complicated process and involves dissolving resin in spirits of wine and pouring the liquid over a highly polished copper plate. The plate is warmed and the spirit evaporates, leaving a granulated surface on the plate, known as the ground. Usually the outline of the subject is etched onto the plate, before ground is applied and the etched lines filled with ink. Sometime the subject was traced or drawn onto the plate. When it is ready the plate is exposed to acid which bites around the resin granules. As each required tone is reached, the plate is withdrawn and the area of tone covered with a stepping-out varnish. This continues until the darkest tones are obtained, possibly eight or twelve "bites" being required. Aquatints could be printed uncoloured or in one or two coloured inks, olive, brown, green or red were used in England. Coloured aquatints were finished by hand and the best examples are difficult to distinguish from water colour. The main disadvantage of the coloured aquatint was the cost of production, long print runs were impractical and it almost ceased to be used in England by the mid-nineteenth century. In an aquatint one is aware of a surface grain of varying depth and opacity covering almost every part of the print. This may be coarse or fine but is usually consistent texture. It is never a smooth blur but appears as lighter and darker areas of speckled powdery tone rather than the engraver's multitudinous individual lines. A magnifying glass makes this clear. |
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 Original proof by the artist: 12,8x11,2. |
 Original proof by the artist: 12,8x11,2. |
 Original proof by the artist: 12,8x11,2. |
 original final print in yellow. Published in: Handbook of Artist-Etcher, page 69. 10,5x10,5cm. 27x21cm |
 reproduction |
 reproduction |
 reproduction |
 reproduction final print |
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In contrast to the mezzotint, the aquatint was worked from light tones into ever increasing darkness. The shadows never acquired the intense velvet texture of the mezzotint but the light has a limpid brilliance. |
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Pencil in
color. 10,3x11cm. 18x14,7cm |
Original proof 10,5x10,5cm.
27x21cm |
Original Final print in blue. 27x21cm |
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 The artist (photo) |
 April 14, 1922 |
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 The artist (photo) |
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Drawings in pencil  |
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 With special thanks to Mr. D.C. Karl. Last Update June 2016 |
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