A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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ink lift process
Intaglio engraving process perfected by the engraver Bracquemond in 1863. This process is extremely simple. All that needs to be done is to draw with a normal fountain pen and a normal ink on a well scoured copper plate on which the ink runs easily [scouring]. Then ground the whole plate with a very light varnish when the ink is thoroughly dry. Once the varnish is dry (one must not wait for it to become too hard) plunge the plate into some clean water. After a while the ink will pick up some of the humidity from the water through the varnish and will crack the ground in the areas where it has been applied. The removal of the ground can then be helped along by rubbing the plate lightly with a flannel cloth. When the lines of the drawing are quite clear proceed to etch the plate as with any etching (feathers of varying sizes can be used and several bitings can be done).
Bracquemond managed to make several very beautiful engravings using this process. He then spoke of his ink lift process to his friend Félicien Rops who was not able to do much with it. However, Pops did invent a variant when he took to drawing on a lightly grounded copper plate (called the Rops process in his honour ).
The ink lift process has not seen much use since it was invented even though it allows the draughtsman a great amount of freedom. One of the reasons for such neglect may lie in the fact that the ink does not always remove the ground, especially when the ground is either too dry or too thick. On the other hand, the sugar lift process, which is closely related to the ink lift, works better because the sugar saturated ink dampens more easily.
If the reader is interested in further pursuing the subject of ink lift techniques he may turn to a very complete article by J.P.Bouillon: "Bracquemond, Rops, Manet et le procédé à Ia plume" in "Nouvelles de l'Estampe", 1974, no.14.
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