a little help to understand banknote engraving

[Mario Sarto]

Seems to me, today is my "finding day"

Below you see three pictures. The first i found on a website about Mexican banknotes. I thought, it must be a negative. So i was curious how it could look in reality - the result is picture two. The third picture is the result of my curiosity, how the original engraving on the steel-plate could look.
This helped me to understand how the engraver did it. On some points in the picture i imagine i can see where he started the line and where it ends. Hope this helps others, too.
Mario

 

[Roger Bleile]

This reminds me of something I saw on Antiques Roadshow last night, Someone had an original Albrecht Durer portrait print and they showed a close up of the eyes. In each pupil you could see a minute window payne which the appraiser said indicated the belief that the eyes are the windows on the soul.

 

[Kevin P.]

Roger I'd love to check out that print. Was it his self portrait?
"In each pupil you could see a minute window pane" indicates to me what an insane genius was Al Durer. And he must have been a great soul.
Kevin P.

 

[Mario Sarto]

And he must have been a great soul.

And he was a goldsmith also

Roger, a lot of people believe to that thing with the soul - including me. Often in less than a second i can see by a look in the eye of someone if he or her feel good. I bet you an Euro most of us can see it too.

 

[Ron Smith]

Mario, you can see the many spirits of men, and every human emotion is displayed in the eyes, so I agree. I pay the very closest attention to the eyes when I am doing a portrait of animals or men. Ultimately important!!

Ron S

 

[kcrutche]

Mario

I am constantly looking for close up examples of BankNote/Bulino.

These are great.

Thanks for the Post

Ken

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

I am glad to be enlightened as to the spiritual aspects of the window pane in the eye trick.
Walt Disney used the window pane in the eye trick, and R.Crumb also.
I always thought it just meant the subject was in a room with a window, hehe.

On the technical side, most banknote engraving on plates for currency was actually etching, with gravers being used to finish off, espescially where the etched line would be too wide, and beyond the limits of etching.

 

[Mario Sarto]

On the technical side, most banknote engraving on plates for currency was actually etching, with gravers being used to finish off, espescially where the etched line would be too wide, and beyond the limits of etching.

That is interesting - does this also mean, the lines in the picture could be done by etching?

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

I cant tell by looking at the photo Mario.
There are tails on some of the marks as best I can see, which would indicate engraving, on those marks, however, that effect can come from etching also, when the etch is very light. The effect or look can be had and the work can be done by either technique.
The practical difference for printers is that an etched line holds ink much better than a cut , or scribed line.
Scribes are often used without acid or ground for lighter tones.
This is where the term "dry point" comes from, in which no acid is used.
In the old days printers would put the jobs out to bid to the many workmen in a town, and the best etchers were preferred over engravers, as the etched plate lasted longer, and gave a better print because an etched cavity holds ink better than an engraved trough. An Etched line saved the printer time in inking the plate.

Artists are not as concerned with the time.
Rembrandt for instance, would sketch onto a plate, put a ground on it, scribe it, etch it, and then drypoint over it with a scribe for another, lighter shade of tonality.
As he pulled prints it is said he would rework the plate again and again.
As far as I know, Rembrandt was not an engraver as we would use the term, as he either did not use, or spent little time with, a burin.
The same mostly holds true for Durer, as most of his "engravings" are etchings. I have read that he used some gravers and perhaps you can see it in his work occasionally, but the original prints of his that I have examined appeared to be from etched plates.
The best source of info I know of on the history and use of these banknote techniques in the United States is Bob Swartley.

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

This is a piece I etched, engraved, drypointed and stipple many years ago. It is about the size of a quarter.
The dogs, grass in foreground, the bushes at the fence, the fence, and the trees are all etched, for the most part.
The light grass between the hunter and the dogs are drypoint.
The grey on the hunter, dogs and trees are stippled, The bushes beyond the fence are stippled.
The scroll is cut with a gravermax.

This is ok to look at, but the stippling would not pull a good print if you tried,.
The etched parts would print very well, and the scroll would print, but look a little wet, with vague edges, because it holds a lot of ink,
and the edges are not as sharp as an etched edge.

 

[Mario Sarto]

...saved the printer time in inking the plate.

I think i get a slight idea about it and can imagine why - could it be that etched lines are a bit "kerned" (like undercutting when inlaying)?

Your explanations are very informative, thank you very much and for the fantastic close up too!
Mario

 

[John B.]

Barry,
Another great tutorial on mixed technique artwork.
You sure pay your dues for your research of decorative arts.
Thank you.

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

You are welcome and Yes, Mario, the etch makes a cavity, not a trough.
Here are some examples of first rate US banknote engravings from my collection which I have scanned for you.

Series 1928 George Washington:

Series 1953 two dollar bill reverse, Monticello:

Bob Swartley etched work, from his Business card :

 

[Mario Sarto]

Those are great! I have taken copies to study them - i hope it is ok? The first i never have seen before - they have teardrops between the teardrops! Very special thing i believe. The second thing is on the 2 Dollar bill: Monticello's West Front - there are two lions, each on its wall. Are they removed today? If so, this (and others of course) is a very important contemporary witness.
Thank you again!

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Thanks Barry, very useful

arnaud

 

[Christopher Malouf]

This is a microscope photo taken of an ACTUAL plate engraved by the American Bank Note Company in the 1850s. I shot this photo last month to use as reference for my study of the techniques used. The background is not etched but engraved by machine similar to a zero pantograph to get each line perfectly straight and equidistant from one another.

I just happen to still have this on my camera while traveling this weekend .... Enjoy .... Chris

 

[Dmitry Martinov]

Thanx guys for the interesting images. Interesting stuff for studying.

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

Nice photo Chris,
Perhaps you will find those lines, if drawn by a Zero, or any other ruling machine, drew it through a ground with a stylus, and then the metal removal was done with acid, I have yet to see a ruling machine with a graver on the end of it.
There are two Cronite ruling machines in my studio, and they both are diamond stylus machines for use with a resist, or ground.
This is an excellent example of what I observed previously about the etching for the slender lines, as on the shoulder, and then gone over with a graver for the thick lines, as on the right cheek.
Thank you for that awesome pic.

 

[Christopher Malouf]

Yes Barry, I agree that the image is initially lightly etched then most (95%) lines are deepened with a burin. I believe the background here was probably scribed with a ruling machine, cut (and then possibly back cut by hand) to achieve the crisp, raised rectangles. The black stuff in these cuts is dried ink. As this plate was engraved in the 1850s, I believe acid for material removal was not as prevalent as it is in the more recently engraved vignettes ... that of course, is a guess as these look different from 20th century plates.

Gotta run. I'll check back later or tomorrow. I have more scope shots including one of George Washington engraved by W.L. Ormsby at home (It better be there) which I'll post when I get there.

Chris