Introduction to Line Etching. Day One

Have you ever wondered what an etching is and how they are made? This two day class will introduce the process of hard-ground line etching and is suitable for people with no printmaking experience.
On a metal plate prepared with a wax etching ground, students will draw their own image using provided tools. During the class we will etch the plates and print them using different colors of oil-based etching inks, on the second evening we’ll experiment with spot inking and printing on decorative papers.
Students will receive:
1. Information about what kind of drawing is suitable for line etching
2. A demonstration of preparing a plate with hard ground and a prepared plate (3″ x 5″)
3. Instruction on etching the plate in nitric acid to create different line weights
4. Assistance printing the plate in black and white, with paper and oil-based etching ink provided
5. The opportunity to try an alternative printing method, or to print their etching in a card format.
Material Provided: Zinc plate, etching needles for drawing, acids and solvents, ink, paper, and tarlaton for wiping plates.