Technique: etching
Format: A4

Print: 4 of 6

Supervisor: Ardo Sägi, Pallas University of Applied Sciences

The etching process itself​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

1. First, you draw a mirrored version of your art piece with a needle on to a copper, zinc or steel plate.

2. The plate will then, once also being covered with an acid resistant wax, be immersed in acid. Here, the bare metal, exposed by the lines of the drawing, is eroded. The depth of the `etch’ is controlled by the amount of time the acid is allowed to `bite’ the metal. The longer in acid, the deeper the line and the darker it will print.

3. Now it's time to get dirty! Like real dirty. In order to obtain a print, a viscous greasy ink is pushed into the etched grooves, then the surface is wiped clean with muslin, leaving only the etched areas retaining ink.

4. The actual impression is made with a copper plate press which is similar to an old washing mangle with a large plank or `bed’ between the rollers. The plate is placed on the bed, covered with dampened paper and backed with three or four felt blankets. These are then passed through the press under high pressure, the malleable paper is forced into the cuts and ridges in the plate and thus picks up the ink. When the paper is finally peeled off, it reveals a faithful mirror image of the etched drawing. This inking procedure is then repeated for each print.

Yay! Oven warm prints! Total of all 6 shown in here just to show you the magic behind printing techniques - each one comes out a whole different one. 

Source: Linda Goodman 2019 (artmondo.net)

Big thanks to artist @TumulCanDraw for inspiring me with a similar style of drawing.