Shackled - Aquatint shops Etching

This is the second print in the "Wilted" series. It is an original hand printed etching on white BFK Reeves paper. I use oil based inks which takes about 2 weeks to cure. This ensures the print is archival and will endure through the ages. The etching image incorporates aquatint, drypoint, and softground etching techniques. The printed image measures 4 X 8 inches. As this is a zinc plate etching, the print edition size is very limited and varies on color. This listing is for the black and white image. Other color printed versions will be listed separately. Edition size is 25. Each print is individually numbered and is hand signed by the artist in pencil. This print comes unframed, matted, and mounted on foam core. It comes in green, blue, and black. Specify the color that you want when you order.

Etching Process. Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or shops mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) into the metal. In traditional pure etching, a zinc plate is covered with a waxy or hard ground which is resistant to acid. A drawing is transfered onto the hardground, which I then scratch into the ground with a pointed etching needle to expose the bare metal. The plate is then dipped in a bath of nitric acid, which "bites" into the exposed metal, cutting lines into the plate. The remaining ground is then cleaned off the plate. The plate is then etched again to add texture or tonality. The plate is inked all over, and then the excess ink is wiped off the surface, leaving only the ink in the etched lines. The plate is then put through a high-pressure printing press together with a sheet of dampened paper. The paper picks up the ink from the etched lines, making a print. This printing process is repeated until the edition is printed.