The magic world of etching prints
L'altra faccia di un uomo (The other face of a man) Etching prints are obtained through an ancient technique. Etching is a process to engrave a metal surface (most often copper or zinc) with acid to create a design and reproduce it on paper. The metal plate is cleaned and smoothed with emery paper, then degreased with cotton wool soaked in whiting. It is covered uniformly with a waxy ground which is resistant to acid, then dried and smoked with a candle. The artist begins drawing with a pointed needle therefore exposing the bare metal. The plate is then dipped in a bath of acid to achieve the process which is known as biting. The acid bites into the plate only where it is not protected by the waxy ground, leaving lines in it. The longer it remains in the acid the deeper the engraved lines become. During this process the artist covers the engraved lines with an alcohol varnish where those lines need to have different depth. He then uses a bird feather to take away bubbles from the surface of metal which have been produced by the biting. The plate is then removed from the acid and washed with water. The ground is removed with a solvent such as white spirit. The plate is inked and the surface is then cleaned with a piece of stiff fabric called tarlatan and then wiped with a sheet of newspaper leaving only the ink in the etched lines. The plate is then put through a printing press with a damp sheet of paper and the pressure transfers the image from the plate to the paper. A limited edition is printed through this technique.
Torso 2
Il fiore della notte
L'albero delle meraviglie
Il viaggio (The journey)
Bust (etching/softground-etching)
Palm trees (etching)
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