Sunday 28 July 2013

Italian Inspiration

 
Since returning from Scotland I've been  down at Northern Print making some work inspired by my visit to Herculaneum in the south of Italy.This is the first piece which will be part of the annual 20:20 exhibition, the joint fundraising project run by Northern Print and Hotbed Press in Salford.It is a small etching with aquatint. The image is 12cm x 12cm on paper 20cm square.
 
This is my photograph of the fragment of fresco which inspired it.
 
Making an etching involves several processes. Top left, the  reversed image is traced on to the zinc plate which is covered with a soft wax ground. It is then placed in nitric acid which bites into the plate where the wax has been removed by the tracing. Top right, the resulting line etching.Bottom left, aquatint is used to add tone to the plate. This is the first proof printed with black ink.Bottom right, the colour proof using two colours.Centre, the finished zinc plate.
 
The edition of 25 prints - all numbered, titled and signed - made by inking up and wiping the finished plate - 25 times!
 



No comments:

Post a Comment