Contains: judea bitumen, dammar resin, wax.

Dry extract: 100%
Finish: opaque matt
Hardness: hard, not quite as hard as Charbonnel hard black ball ground.
Consistency: paste
Characteristics: The matt black finish obtained makes etching work very clear.
How To Use: Wrapped in a piece of taffeta which serves as a filter, the ball is rubbed on the pre-heated metal plate. Dab on the ground to obtain an even surface before smoking.
Plate Cleaning: Before applying these grounds, it is imperative that all grease be removed from the plate. To do this, thin some Marly white with a small quantity of water and rub the plate with a soft cloth or a piece of cotton. Rinse under flowing water. Pour a soured solution of vinegar and salt on the plate. Rinse once again. Dry rapidly. Avoid putting fingers on the plate whilst carrying out these operations.
Hard Grounds: Once the ground is applied and dry, the picture is etched with a hard point in order to expose the metal beneath the ground. The plate is then placed in a bath of acid to erode the exposed metal. Once the required bite depth has been attained, the plate should be taken out of the acid bath solution and dried and the ground removed with the appropriate thinner.

Contains: judea bitumen, pitch resin, tallow, beeswax.
Dry extract: 52%
Finish: satin opaque
Hardness: supple
Consistency: paste
Characteristics: Soft lines and textural effects.
How To Use: A painting dabber is recommended for application. It is applied hot.
Plate Cleaning: Before applying these grounds, it is imperative that all grease be removed from the plate. To do this, thin some Marly white with a small quantity of water and rub the plate with a soft cloth or a piece of cotton. Rinse under flowing water. Pour a soured solution of vinegar and salt on the plate. Rinse once again. Dry rapidly. Avoid putting fingers on the plate whilst carrying out these operations.
Soft Grounds: Soft grounds protect the plate. They are non-drying grounds, applied with a painting dabber or roller. Textures and materials pressed into their non-drying surface will lift off, leaving the metal bared, ready for the bite of the acid. The plate must be heated before application. The “Pencil Method” consists of drawing with a hard point on “laid” paper applied over the soft ground. The paper sticks to the drawn parts. After the bite of the acid, a pencil stroke effect is obtained.

Recommended for aquatint, Charbonnel Lamour Black Covering Varnish is a popular stop out varnish.

This black varnish dries to a hard, opaque, gloss finish. Its liquid consistency brushes easily. It can be removed with petroleum solvents.

Use Liquid Tusche in silkscreen or lithography to produce rich, dark lines and solids. Apply it with pen, brush, airbrush, or using a spatter technique.

Liquid Tusche does not reticulate to the same degree as solid tusche.