 My next process is called
aquatinting, most of my plates goes through this half tone process.
Aquatint is ground up very fine pine rosin that I fill a small bag
with and sprinkle into the top of a five foot tall home made box.
I let the heavy particles fall to the bottom and then insert my plate on a
shelf partway up from the base. The fine particles of rosin dust
fill my plate and then I heat them to melting on a hot plate and let
them cool. Now I have thousands of tiny acid resistant dots on
my plate. I begin masking out areas that will be lighter
in tone and the darker sections get to be in
the nitric acid for a longer period of time and therefore will hold
more ink eventually.
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This progression of photos shows the masking out of tones. |
I guess what I love most about doing etchings is
the element of the unknown. I never really know until I take my
proofs what I have etched into the metal, and the fascination never
ends when I examine a plate up close and look at all the tiny grooves
I've made.
