The Etching Studio and Art Gallery of Doreen Foster

An etching is the common term used for a print made from a metal plate, usually zinc or copper, where the design has been etched or corroded by the use of acid. In conjunction with etched lines, I use the technique of aquatint (explained later) to create tones of colour. I hope you find the following helpful in understanding how I make my etchings.- Doreen Foster

An Introduction to Etching & Aquatint

Preparing the Plate

To begin, a hard wax material known as the ground is applied to the surface of a heated metal plate and evenly spread with the use of a rubber roller to create a fine, smooth surface. When the ground has cooled, the design is traced onto the coated plate and using a sharp instrument (I use a needle-pointed stylus) drawn into the ground, exposing the metal plate below.

The Acid Bath

When the drawing is complete, the plate is immersed into a bath of water-diluted nitric acid. The acid mixture will begin to bite (erode) the exposed areas of the zinc plate where the metal was scraped bare by the stylus. Depending on the exposure time in the acid and the thickness of the line, grooves are left on the surface of the plate.

The plate is then removed from the acid and washed in water to stop any further biting. The ground is then removed with mineral spirits.

Aquatint

At this point, the plate is simply a line drawing. In addition to the line, I use the technique of aquatint, a method of adding dimension to the drawing by means of various tones.

The first step to creating an aquatint is to cover the entire surface of the plate with a finely ground rosin. This is done by sprinkling the rosin through a fine sieve (I use a fine nylon mesh stretched over a tin can). When the plate is heated the rosin melts and adheres to the surface of plate in a random dot-pattern. As with the etching of the lines into the plate, certain areas of the plate are exposed (while others are covered).

The next step is to decide which areas of the drawing will have the darkest and lightest tones and the various shades in between. The principle of aquatint is that the darkest areas will be left in the acid the longest time and the lightest areas left in the acid the shortest. Areas that are to remain white will not be bitten by the acid at all.

After the plate and rosin have cooled, the tones of the print can be created, but first the areas which will remain white are covered with an acid-resistant varnish commonly refered to as blockout varnish. The plate is then placed into the acid bath which pits the surface of the plate where there is no rosin or blockout. While the plate is in the acid bath a feather is used to brush away the bubbles that are created by the chemical reaction of the acid and the zinc. Left on the plate, these bubbles can create an uneveness in the depth of the bite resulting in inconsistent ink coverage when printed. After biting, the plate is removed, washed, and the process repeated, blocking out those areas which will have the second lightest tone. Once again, the plate is placed into the acid bath and allowed to etch the entire surface of the plate, with the exception of the previously and newly varnished areas. Of course, each time the plate is placed into the acid bath, those areas which have remained unvarnished have been exposed to the acid each time. These areas have the deepest pits and, when the print is made, will have the greatest concentration of ink. In my prints, the blocking out is usually done five or six times, but there is no limit to the number of times it can be done.

Preparing the Plate for Printing

When the aquatint is complete, the blockout varnish and resin are removed with mineral spirits. To avoid cutting the paper and the etching press blankets, the edges of the plate are bevelled with a file.

Inking the Plate

The technique of inking the plate varies from artist to artist and the results are as varied. I use oil-based inks applied to the plate with small pieces of mat board which gives me more control in where the ink will be placed. I start in one area, gradually adding the neighbouring colours and blending them together with a fabric called taraltan. Taraltan is a starched ballet crinolin which in its original stage is very stiff but can be softened to varying degrees by stretching, rolling, and kneading. Using a circular motion, the colours gradually become blended. When the mixing is complete, the surface ink is removed with a soft paper (I use old telephone books or newspapers), leaving ink in the lines and in the aquatint.

"Pulling" the Print

The print is made, or pulled, by pressing wet paper into the surface of the plate by means of an etching press. Wet paper is used because it must expand without tearing as it goes through the press. First, the plate is placed on the steel bed of the press. The paper is then blotted dry and placed over the plate, covered by several layers and densities of felt blankets, and rolled between the two steel rollers of the etching press. The tremendous pressure of the steel rollers pushes the paper into the lines and aquatint transferring the ink from the plate to the paper. Finally, the felt blankets are carefully lifted and the paper peeled back from the plate revealing the final print. The print is allowed to air dry.

Editions

Etchings are usually printed in editions, that is, a selected number of the same print. The size of the edition is limited by the plate itself as eventually the surface will become worn down causing the aquatint and the lines to hold less ink. Although the prints in the entire edition can be exact duplicates, there will always be subtle differences.

In most printmaking techniques, the artist not only signs and dates each print but identifies the print number, for example 3/50, 6/24, 21/25, where the first number represents the print number and the second the number of prints in the edition.

To me, etching is a compliment to my painting, however, because etching is a multiple of one design, I have the freedom to extend my understanding of colour and experiment with the subtle nuances of line, shading, and form.



An etching is the common term used for a print made from a metal plate, usually zinc or copper, where the design has been etched or corroded by the use of acid. In conjunction with etched lines, I use the technique of aquatint (explained later) to create tones of colour. I hope you find the following helpful in understanding how I make my etchings.- Doreen Foster

An Introduction to Etching & Aquatint Preparing the Plate To begin, a hard wax material known as the ground is applied to the surface of a heated metal plate and evenly spread with the use of a rubber roller to create a fine, smooth surface. When the ground has cooled, the design is traced onto the coated plate and using a sharp instrument (I use a needle-pointed stylus) drawn into the ground, exposing the metal plate below. The Acid Bath When the drawing is complete, the plate is immersed into a bath of water-diluted nitric acid. The acid mixture will begin to bite (erode) the exposed areas of the zinc plate where the metal was scraped bare by the stylus. Depending on the exposure time in the acid and the thickness of the line, grooves are left on the surface of the plate. The plate is then removed from the acid and washed in water to stop any further biting. The ground is then removed with mineral spirits. Aquatint At this point, the plate is simply a line drawing. In addition to the line, I use the technique of aquatint, a method of adding dimension to the drawing by means of various tones. The first step to creating an aquatint is to cover the entire surface of the plate with a finely ground rosin. This is done by sprinkling the rosin through a fine sieve (I use a fine nylon mesh stretched over a tin can). When the plate is heated the rosin melts and adheres to the surface of plate in a random dot-pattern. As with the etching of the lines into the plate, certain areas of the plate are exposed (while others are covered). The next step is to decide which areas of the drawing will have the darkest and lightest tones and the various shades in between. The principle of aquatint is that the darkest areas will be left in the acid the longest time and the lightest areas left in the acid the shortest. Areas that are to remain white will not be bitten by the acid at all. After the plate and rosin have cooled, the tones of the print can be created, but first the areas which will remain white are covered with an acid-resistant varnish commonly refered to as blockout varnish. The plate is then placed into the acid bath which pits the surface of the plate where there is no rosin or blockout. While the plate is in the acid bath a feather is used to brush away the bubbles that are created by the chemical reaction of the acid and the zinc. Left on the plate, these bubbles can create an uneveness in the depth of the bite resulting in inconsistent ink coverage when printed. After biting, the plate is removed, washed, and the process repeated, blocking out those areas which will have the second lightest tone. Once again, the plate is placed into the acid bath and allowed to etch the entire surface of the plate, with the exception of the previously and newly varnished areas. Of course, each time the plate is placed into the acid bath, those areas which have remained unvarnished have been exposed to the acid each time. These areas have the deepest pits and, when the print is made, will have the greatest concentration of ink. In my prints, the blocking out is usually done five or six times, but there is no limit to the number of times it can be done. Preparing the Plate for Printing When the aquatint is complete, the blockout varnish and resin are removed with mineral spirits. To avoid cutting the paper and the etching press blankets, the edges of the plate are bevelled with a file. Inking the Plate The technique of inking the plate varies from artist to artist and the results are as varied. I use oil-based inks applied to the plate with small pieces of mat board which gives me more control in where the ink will be placed. I start in one area, gradually adding the neighbouring colours and blending them together with a fabric called taraltan. Taraltan is a starched ballet crinolin which in its original stage is very stiff but can be softened to varying degrees by stretching, rolling, and kneading. Using a circular motion, the colours gradually become blended. When the mixing is complete, the surface ink is removed with a soft paper (I use old telephone books or newspapers), leaving ink in the lines and in the aquatint. "Pulling" the Print The print is made, or pulled, by pressing wet paper into the surface of the plate by means of an etching press. Wet paper is used because it must expand without tearing as it goes through the press. First, the plate is placed on the steel bed of the press. The paper is then blotted dry and placed over the plate, covered by several layers and densities of felt blankets, and rolled between the two steel rollers of the etching press. The tremendous pressure of the steel rollers pushes the paper into the lines and aquatint transferring the ink from the plate to the paper. Finally, the felt blankets are carefully lifted and the paper peeled back from the plate revealing the final print. The print is allowed to air dry. Editions Etchings are usually printed in editions, that is, a selected number of the same print. The size of the edition is limited by the plate itself as eventually the surface will become worn down causing the aquatint and the lines to hold less ink. Although the prints in the entire edition can be exact duplicates, there will always be subtle differences. In most printmaking techniques, the artist not only signs and dates each print but identifies the print number, for example 3/50, 6/24, 21/25, where the first number represents the print number and the second the number of prints in the edition. To me, etching is a compliment to my painting, however, because etching is a multiple of one design, I have the freedom to extend my understanding of colour and experiment with the subtle nuances of line, shading, and form.