ETCHING • ENGRAVING • AQUATINT
The early beginnings of the intaglio process can be traced to the 15th-century European craftsmen in metal (The world intaglio comes from the Italian and means to engrave or cut into),The process of etching of etching as we know it originated largely as a faster and less demanding alternative to burin engraving. There is evidence that acids were used well before the 16th century.
Engraving on the metal by goldsmiths and armourers was a flourishing art long before the first engravings were printed on paper. In the context of INTAGLIO Printmaking, the term "etching" normally refers to both the action of corroding lines, etc. into metal plate with acid, and the inked, paper impression taken from the surface of the plate.
In intaglio printing, an impression is made by pushing the paper into inked depressions and recesses in a metal plate. These depressions and recesses are created by acid (in etching and aquatint), by a burin or graver (in line and stipple engraving), or by direct scratching and scoring on the metel (in drypoint).
Images of the 18th century plate makers
Engraving by light screens (near windows) a plate treated with a ground and "smoked" by use of a candle (standing).
An
18th century etching press with a cylindrical roller. Paper passes between
the roller and the plate.
Inking and wiping of the inked plate is shown near
the window.
In intaglio print is made in several operations. First, a short, soft ink ia applied to the surface of the etched or engraved plate and rubbed into all recessed and incised areas. The surface ink is then removed, leaving the ink deposited in all the crevices, Paper softened by being dampened with water–is placedon the plate. Considerable pressure is applied with the aid of an etching press and felt blankets, forcing the paper into the recessed areas to pick up the ink.
The quality of the printed line can very greatly, depending on the image-making method that was used. It can be sharp and crisp, soft and cronies, or smooth and almost velvety.
ENGRAVING
The engraved line, exemplified by the good banknote, is characterized by sharp and infinitely crisp detail. Lines are often smooth and flowing–thinner where the engraving tool cuts less of the surface metal, swelling to heavier and wider lines where the line is pushed deeper into the metal. Tonalities are achieved by engraving parallel lines close together (hatching), by making parallel lines that intersect at various angles (cross-hatching), or by many closely spaced fine dots (stippling). Some engraving is often employed on etched plates to intensify, correct, or alter the lines after the etching has been completed.
ETCHING
An etched line does not have the smooth crisp quality of an engraved line. It is usually sharply defined, but slightly irregular due to the action of the acid biting into the metal plate. There is a characteristic freedom of line in softground etching as opposed to hard-ground etching, because the softer ground offers less resistance to the drawing instrument. For this reason, soft-ground etching is often refers to as crayon manner of pencil manner. Even more typical of the soft-ground technique are the textural effects achieved by pressing fabrics or other materials into the ground.
AQUATINT
Aquatint is a method of etching tonal areas into the metal. The name derives from the Latin aquafortis , indicating nitric acid (literally, "strong water" ), and the Italian tinto, meaning tone. This technique is often used in conjunction with linear etching or engraving. The texture of the aquatint plate can be coarse or very fine. The depth of the acid bite, stiffness of the inks and the accepting tooth of the dampened paper all are factors in the success of a good aquatint.
There are more processes involve under the "Intaglio" heading then these core techniques, Other techniques on metal such as , Photo-Etch, Mezzotint, Drypoint are equally important but are not a standard part of the work presented through IBIS.
To further view the animated processes
of intaglio, woodcut and screenprinting techniques,
go to the Metropolitan
Museum of
Modern art's site.
(Please be advised that a Flash 5 module needs to be installed
as part of your browser in order to view the animation)
http://www.moma.org/whatisaprint/flash.html
•"The Complete Printmaker", by John Ross & Clare Romano ©1972 by the Free Press
•The Thames & Hudson "Manual of Etching and Engraving" by Walter Chamberlain, ©1972 Thames & Hudson, Ltd.
• "Printmaking, History and Process" by Donald Saff and Deli Saciletto, ©1978 by Holt Reinart and Winston
Images used "A Diderot Pictorial Encyclopedia of Trades and Industry" by Denis Diderot reprint Dover Publications, Inc,
|Ibis Press™ • Toledo, Ohio • USA • cfisher@ibispress.org• location map |