Etching is an intaglio printmaking technique in which an image is bitten into a metal plate using acid. The artist coats the plate with an acid-resistant ground, draws through it to expose the metal, then immerses the plate in acid, which eats into the exposed lines. Ink is worked into these grooves, the surface is wiped clean, and the image is transferred to paper under the pressure of a press.
A major artistic medium since the sixteenth century, etching has been used by Rembrandt, Goya, Whistler and countless contemporary printmakers for its fluency and expressive range.
A metal plate, traditionally copper or zinc, is coated with a waxy acid-resistant ground. The artist draws into this ground with a fine needle, exposing the metal beneath wherever a line is wanted. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal, while the protected areas remain untouched.
Once the ground is cleaned off, ink is rubbed into the bitten lines and the flat surface wiped clean. Damp paper is laid over the plate and both are passed through an etching press, forcing the paper into the inked grooves to lift the image.
Because the artist draws into a soft ground rather than cutting directly into hard metal, the etched line has the freedom and fluency of pen drawing. The acid does the cutting, freeing the hand to move naturally.
Etching also offers great tonal range. Lightly bitten lines print pale and fine; deeply bitten lines print dark and strong. Etching is frequently combined with aquatint, a related technique that adds areas of tone, to create richly atmospheric prints.
Etchings are produced in signed, numbered editions. A plate can yield many strong impressions, though earlier prints in an edition are sometimes marginally crisper. Look for clean lines, depth in the darker passages and good overall contrast.
Like all works on paper, etchings benefit from conservation framing with UV-protective glazing and acid-free mounts. At Byard Art, our print collection includes original etchings from leading contemporary printmakers.
