knowing nothing about etching aside from that it took some chemicals and paper to get it done, i signed up for etching classes at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts at the insistance of a christmas present from mom&dad.
Mel Paca was my teacher, and we learned her personally developed non-toxic approach to etching (so we could live longer than traditional etchers), as well as some other more common methods (like dry point).
all of these plates were etched on zinc, some of them went in a solution to burn into the zinc, some we just carved into them. then we inked the plates, wiped them carefully, and put them in the press with damp paper (holds the ink better, and accepts the plate better). roll it through a press and WAH LAH...a work of art.
my class learned that no, it is not an easy way to duplicate the same drawing over and over ---a lot depends on the inking and wiping!! |
