Line Reversal Etching Technique

1st class session: Start with a linear drawing to create a hard ground or soft ground etching.
2nd class session: Make a reversal etching plate and print. 

Students will be guided through the basics of copper plate line etching with a special focus on the aquatint etching reversal process in this two-session etching intensive. 

This class is suitable for all levels; students can choose to experiment with the process without a specific image in mind or spend their time meticulously developing a design. If planning an image in advance, the design should be a line drawing 4”x5” in scale. In the first session, participants will create soft ground or hard ground line etchings. We will discuss the differences between these processes at the beginning of the first class, allowing you to select the process that best fits your drawn or traced image ideas. The second session will focus on the reversal etching process to create the inverse of your drawn etching plate. This portion of the class utilizes the aquatint process, so we will review how to achieve a nice rosin aquatint and etch. We will conclude the class by printing your plates by hand. You will have the option to print the plates as a single plate print or a multiple plate print in any color of your choosing.  

Students will leave with two etched plates and multiple prints. 

Class fee: $270
Materials Fee: $40

Materials Included: 

• Two 4”x6” copper plates
• Choice of cotton rag paper for printing: White 300 g/m Hahnemuhle or 300 g/m Soft White Somerset 
• Use of studio expendables, including acid, inks, whiting, tarlatan, rags, solvents, etc.