Etching
Is an type of intaglio printmaking technique which relies on a chemical reaction to produce indented lines on a metal printing plate to create a desired image.
The process starts by covering the plate with a layer of wax which is resistant to acid. This layer is known as a ground. The artist will use an etching needle to scrap away at the ground where a line in the finished image should appear, by doing this the bare metal will be exposed. The plate is then dipped into acid, which 'bites' away at the exposed metal creating indented lines. The deeper the line the stronger the acid and the longer the exposure. The wax resist is removed and ink is applied to fill the incised lines. The surface of the plate is then wiped clean. The plate is then placed against paper and put through a printing press to apply pressure in order to transfer the ink from the lines to the paper. Sometimes ink is left on the plate surface to provide a tonal background to the work.
The process starts by covering the plate with a layer of wax which is resistant to acid. This layer is known as a ground. The artist will use an etching needle to scrap away at the ground where a line in the finished image should appear, by doing this the bare metal will be exposed. The plate is then dipped into acid, which 'bites' away at the exposed metal creating indented lines. The deeper the line the stronger the acid and the longer the exposure. The wax resist is removed and ink is applied to fill the incised lines. The surface of the plate is then wiped clean. The plate is then placed against paper and put through a printing press to apply pressure in order to transfer the ink from the lines to the paper. Sometimes ink is left on the plate surface to provide a tonal background to the work.
