Etching
A little History
When etching was discovered in the early 16th century, engraving experienced a rapid decline and was relegated for use by artisan printers for copying and mass-producing the images of other artists. Those producing original work were now more inclined to use etching, the new "intaglio" technique. There were practical and creative reasons for this. The engraving process uses a sharp burin to cut grooves from the metal plate surface, and therefore considerable pressure is required. This results in a mechanical and considered line. The etching process, in contrast, uses acid in place of the burin to create recessed ink bearing lines. This considerably affects the type of image produced. Etching allows the artist to draw freely, almost like drawing with a pencil onto paper, resulting in the images with greater fluidity of line.
The Process
An etching is based on acid eating away at metal. It is a type of engraving or can also be described as an intaglio technique. The idea behind an intaglio process is to make groves into a plate, usually made of cooper or zinc, which hold the ink. The artist pushes oil ink into the plate and rubs the plate with a cheese clothe so the ink is only in the grooves and not on the raised surface. A damp sheet of paper is placed on top of the plate and the plate is pushed through the press, which in turn pushes the paper into the grooves, lifting the ink out of the groves.
There are a variety of ways to create the grooves. The first method uses a burin or awl. The artist covers the plate with a waxy material, refereed to as ground, then draws on it with the awl which peels away the ground exposing the metal. Then the artist puts the plate into the acid bath where the acid eats away at the metal. Once the desired depth is achieved the exposed area is covered with a "stopping out" varnish to prevent further biting. Subtleties and variations in the tonal quality of lines are achieved by exposing certain areas to acid for varying amounts of time. The longer the plate is in the bath, the deeper the line will be and will therefore yield a darker line because it holds more ink.
Aquatint is a method used to create the effect of shading. A fine powder, called resin that is ground from trees, is lightly dusted over the plate. When the plate is heated, the water in the resin evaporates making it stick to the metal, protecting the plate wherever the resin has congealed. When in the acid bath, the acid eats around the tiny dots of resin, pitting the plate. Again, the longer the acid eats away at the metal the darker the area will be. An excellent aquatint etching has the feeling of a watercolor.
Finally there is the method called soft ground etching which has the effect of a soft crayon or charcoal drawing. The waxy ground has tallow added which prevents it from complete drying. A sheet of paper, on which the artist draws, is laid over the ground. When the paper is lifted the ground under the drawn line adheres to the paper, exposing the plate beneath. The markings are fragmented because the cohesive nature of the waxy ground prevents it from leaving the plate in a clean and precise manner. Again, varying the length of time in the acid bath will change the value of the color. A wonderful example of this work is Alessandro Nocentini. He enhances the drawing like effect of a soft ground etching by using chine colle. Chine colle is when an artist glues a piece of paper on top of a larger sheet and then prints the image over the collage area. Usually the artist will use a textural and/or color paper to add dimension to the subject.
Color in etching is achieved in two principal ways -either by using separate plates inked with only one color (Jurgen Gorg) or by applying several colors to an individual plate. In both cases the artist has to decide beforehand how the image is to be colored before the plates are made. Each plate is consequently designed to carry specific areas of the colored image.
Artist
Example
"Polo I "
Etching
22 1/2 8" x 31"
1978
Edition
Size:
250 on paper
"Montreuil Bellay"
Etching
6 3/8" x 8 1/2"
1998
Edition
Size:
75 Arches
10 Japon
SOLD
Gorg's palette is more colorful in his etchings then in any other media. He uses up to five separate plates for the color as well as a combination of aquatint and line drawing with an awl. As in other media, he focuses on the use of line and form.
"Body Talk"
Etching
25 1/4" x 31 1/4"
2000
Edition
Size:
150 on Paper
SOLD
Kissmer uses a combination of printmaking techniques, such as Mezzotint and Dry Point, to create his seductive imagery. The result is a wonderful, velvet surface that conveys the contrasting textures of the surfaces he depicts.
"Seide III "
Mixed Media Etching
23 1/2" x 12"
2000
Edition
Size:
250 on paper
"Sofa"
Etching
11 1/4" x 15 3/8"
2001
Edition
Size:
185 on paper
"Hoffman Notch Wilderness" Series
Edition Size: 75
Hand painted Etching with Watercolor
4" x 5 3/4"
1990
"Skystreak"
Edition Size: 100
Etching
23 1/2" x 31 1/4"
1989