[In sense 1 prob. a. Du. stippel, dim. of stip point; in sense 2 f. STIPPLE v.]
† 1. pl. Dots or small spots used in shading a painting, engraving, or other design. Obs.
1669. A. Browne, Ars Pictoria, 95–6. The manner how to draw with Indian Ink…. Dash on your shadows very faintly, and deepen it by degrees, as you think convenient, then finish it with stipples.
2. The method of painting, engraving, etc., by means of dots or small spots, so as to produce gradations of tone; the effect so produced; dotted work done with the point of a brush, a pencil or a graver. Also transf. applied to natural appearances resembling this.
1837. Penny Cycl., IX. 442/1. Engraving in stipple, as practised by Bartolozzi, Ryland, and others, in imitation of chalk drawings.
1843. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., I. II. II. v. § 16. 198. The stipple of the miniature painter would be offensive on features of the life size.
1912. Daily News, 17 April, 4. A hedge sprinkled with many kinds of green stipple.
b. An engraving produced by this method.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., II. 248. Like the other engravings … a meagre stipple.
1907. Tregaskis’ Catal., 29 July, 47. The extra illustrations comprise … a series of 100 stipples, printed in brown.
3. attrib. and Comb., as stipple artist, engraver, engraving, plate, print, shading: stipple graver, an engraving tool for stippling, having the point bent downwards; stipple-paper, drawing-paper with an embossed surface which can be scraped off so as to intensify the high lights of a picture.
1841. T. H. Fielding, Art Engraving, 63. The process of stipple engraving is very simple. Ibid., 64. All the lighter parts are laid in with the dry-point or stipple graver.
1880. Printing Times, 15 May, 96/1. Wanted, a young chromolitho stipple artist.
1886. W. Walker, in R. A. M. Stevenson’s Delaborde’s Engrav., 320. The stipple engraver William Walker.
1896. H. Holiday, Stained Glass, i. 23. Stipple-shading … is in common use.
1908. A. M. Hind, Short Hist. Engraving & Etching, 299. The lighter kind of crayon and stipple prints, such as those of John Jones and William Ward, are eminently fitted for printing in this manner, but it is rare to find one of the pure stipple plates at all successfully rendered in any delicate scheme of colour.
