A three-day immersive course introducing the classic printmaking technique of copperplate etching, where images are made on copper plates and then printed onto paper.
The aim is to give you a solid foundation in line etching, hard ground and soft ground, so that you can keep working with these methods on your own afterwards.
- Preparing and handling copper plates, including polishing and protecting them before etching
- The chemistry of etching, working with different etching liquids and controlling the depth of the etch
- Using the printing press: placing the plate correctly, applying pressure and avoiding common mistakes
- Choosing the right ink and paper to achieve the result you want, experimenting to find the best match for your artwork
By the end of the course you should have a basic understanding of the artistic process in copperplate printmaking and know the materials and techniques involved.
