Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Anthon van Rappard (c. 27 February 1883) ... left, and I have no time to do it better.
What can you see from it? - (1) what kind of paper it is;
(2) on which side you must draw; (3) what kinds of things one
can do on it - but the autographic ink is treacherous.
Sometimes the transferring succeeds quite well, but at other
times the ink runs (for the drawing is wetted before it is laid
face down on the grained stone, and then run through the press
to be printed). So it may happen that the ink starts running,
and in that case you get nothing but a black blot instead of
your drawing.
All the same it can be done - and the important thing
is that you can retouch the drawing with ink on the stone
itself.
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Anthon van Rappard (c. 5 March 1883) ... of the sketch of the tools. ]
The scraper I used has this form: I got it at Smulders's -
[illegible] called a point - to scratch hair with, for
instance, only for light fine scratches like those an etching
needle makes, but which turn out white on the black
surface.
It goes without saying that you - [illegible] can use all
kinds of implements as scrapers; the shape doesn't matter - now
and then I scrape with my pocket-knife.
What am I paying for my proofs? ? - he promised to state a
fixed price, as well as the prices for printing and for the
stones. The prices that I paid provisionally do not count; as
the printer himself was not familiar with the method, we have
compounded the matter - and also because there were failures,
etc. I shall get estimates from Smulders, however, that will be
rather important to know, but he will have to calculate them at
his leisure. The fact is that he will give me the prices of the
stones in various sizes, if taken by the dozen, and also...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 6 March 1883) ... in which that crayon can be used.
I wrote Rappard about the crayon yesterday, because I had to
write him about various things concerning lithography; and as I
wanted to send him a few sketches done with it, I used it for
some drawings of our baby, in different positions, and I found
it is very well suited to sketching, too. One also can bring in
demitones by means of breadcrumbs. Perhaps only the very
deepest shadows can't be done very well with it, but in many
cases one can use lithographic crayon then, which is also very
rich in tone.
I think you will see from the figures how the studio has
improved as to light. How beautiful everything out-of-doors is
these days, don't you think so?
You can imagine that I am full of plans.
You know that I am working on many different things, for I
should so much like to know many different techniques; because
it stimulates one to work hard, and creates new ideas.
I wish I had thought of that crayon before, for it is
preferable...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Anthon van Rappard (c. 2-4 April 1883) ... understand that you are very busy.
Just one thing, though. What do you think of the following
method for making drawings in black and white? You make a
drawing, either with lead pencil or with charcoal. Put as much
vigour into it as you can, but without worrying about the
weakness or inadequacy of the effect. When you have done this,
you put a little ordinary printer's ink on a palette, then a
little Cassel earth, for instance, and also white - oil paint.
With these - mixing the colours and the printer's ink, which is
as thick as tar in its ordinary state, with turpentine
(no oil, of course) - you start to attack the original drawing
again - with the brush, of course. This is something I tried
out the other day. 1
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 21 & 22 April 1883) ... come. Perhaps
he will come this week.
At present there isn't a single drawing in which I do not
work with brush and printer's ink.
To tell you the truth, my purse is rather empty; it
certainly isn't your fault, yet it isn't mine, either - no
matter how I contrive, I can't save more, and I need more money
than I have to execute some plans. If I started on those
things, I should have to give them up in the middle. But it is
a melancholy thing to have to say, “I could make such and
such a thing if it weren't for the expense.” Then an
unsatisfied energy remains, which one should wish to use
instead of stifle. But I don't want to complain - I am grateful
that I can make progress - though not so vigorously as I should
wish. But the English say, “Time is money,” and
sometimes I can't help thinking it is hard to see the time pass
during which things might have been done if I had had the
means.
You will understand what I mean: I should wish to be able...
