Etching: a Guide to Traditional Techniques

Etching today is regarded as the old man of printmaking, its roots lying with alchemists and armourers. It has slowly evolved over the centuries, taking and incorporating new developments such as photography in its stride. Topics include: * The basics of etching the materials required; how to prepare a plate; ways of making marks using hard ground, soft ground an aquatint * Other etching techniques including spit-bite and sugar lift and how to transfer images onto the plate using photo etching * Engraving various ways of marking the plate without acid; drypoint, line engraving, stipple engraving and mezzotint * Printing advice on papers and inks, the printing process and advanced techniques such as colour printing AUTHOR: Alan Smith was the last person to be trained by Phillip McQueen, the last in a line of five generations of Master printers. For the last twenty years, Alan has run the etching room at the Royal College of Art, London. The majority of artworks in this book have either been printed by him or under his supervision, or by students he has taught, including established artists such as Marcus Harvey and the late Ken Kiff. colour throughout