Kaleidoscope Etch Art Creations: Butterflies and More

Product Information

To apply hard ground of this variety, the plate to be etched is placed upon a hot-plate (set at 70°C, 158°F), a kind of metal worktop that is heated up.

However, even if you’re familiar with the term “etching,” you might not know exactly what the process involves. Relief etching was invented by William Blake in about 1788, and he has been almost the only artist to use it in its original form. The artist then scratches off the ground with a pointed etching needle [3] where the artist wants a line to appear in the finished piece, exposing the bare metal.The innovation delighted the artists-engravers: the speed of the plate processing, accurate reproduction of hand movements, clarity and subtlety of the stroke, the 500 sheets print run without loss of image quality made the etching graphics popular for five centuries. With that in mind, we’ve put together this beginner’s introduction to etching, showing how artistic etchings are made. However, from 1880 to 1950 a photo-mechanical ("line-block") variant was the dominant form of commercial printing for images. For first and renewed uses the plate is inked in any chosen non-corrosive ink all over and the surface ink drained and wiped clean, leaving ink in the etched forms.

Additional impressions can be created by re-inking, cleaning, and putting the plate through the printing press again. There are many techniques for printing – these can be used for different results, including fine art, textiles and advertising. On the other hand, the handling of the ground and acid need skill and experience, and are not without health and safety risks, as well as the risk of a ruined plate.Etching is printing produced by etching patterns, shapes and designs into the surface of a metal or acrylic close acrylic A paint or ink made from a mix of pigment and a fast-drying liquid plastic plastic plate. Photopolymer plates are either washed in hot water or under other chemicals according to the plate manufacturers' instructions.