Work diary: 22 August 2012

Etching: Girl sleeping (1)

My second print turned out to be a test photo etching, from one of the drawings of the sleeping girl… which I had done to focus myself. When the intaglio technician put it on the plate, I was amazed by the process, although he used the same material as the silkscreen photostencil, he coated the copper plate with it, using a silkscreen, and let it dry to expose it the following day. I used the image that I had drawn here as the positive. I added the detail loosely to contrast with the detail of the face, and introduced some pattern also in the background. I used Indian ink and chinagraph pencils, and oil pastel.

Original sleeping girl

It was one of the first pieces of drawing I did, to get myself into it. I thought it would give a good indication of what marks transferred and that I could also practise my proofing skills here.

Etching process (1)

There are many stages involved in obtaining the perfect photo etching plate! Here is the etching technician working on my plate, in the dedicated etching room at the back of the workshop.

Etching process (2)

Etching process (3)

The plate was left to dry before being etched in the acid.

Etching process 4 and 5

The tecnician etched the plate for me, rinsing it well and then removed the protective stencil so that we could proof it, and see what we had.

Etching process (6)

This is an example of the detail of the bite that was achieved.

Etching process (7)

Etching process (8)

I have to say there seemed to be (as with everything here) a great deal of skill involved. The meticulous (yes I know that I use that word a lot) attitude to the plate creation meant that we (I watched) washed the image out of the plate, then put it into the acid to bite, for 38 minutes! Actually it needed a couple more, (often the temperature and age can affect the bite, so he tested it then put it back in again). When it was finished one of the technicians did a perfect proof for me to see how much there was… I was amazed at the detail, it was all there. As I had drawn the image with a litho pencil, it was paler on the drawing, but the print had become heavier, so I have decided to do the larger print that it came from as a lithograph once again (seems to be my favourite process here at the moment).