nieuw etsen van deelnemers van cursus etsen (new etchings from this week's etching course)

These are the latest etchings from the new etching course.  The first etchings!  All have been made on a copper plate and measure 10 x 15 cm.  Always exciting to see the first etching printed off!

These are etchings made by the etchers on our classes with more experience.  The dove on the far left had been treated with an aquatint to produce the contrasting background.  Aquatint produces a kind of raster on the plate.  Ressin from the pine tree in powder form is dusted onto a maticulously cleaned copper plate (in this case that has already been etched and placed in the acid bath).  The plate is then heated and the powder layer melts onto the plate.  With the dove etching, the bird was covered up using a spirit varnish so that it remains 'white', ie without a raster.  The plate is then placed in the iron chloride bath -  in this case for 30 mins to produce a deep raster.  It is then cleaned and prepared for printing.

The blue and brown artworks top and bottom were engraved using the dry needle technique on perspex, and the brambles on the right were etched on copper and placed in an iron chloride bath.