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bachelor of the fine arts here

I've always wondered if the etching process people do for this is similar to preparing a plate for an intaglio print. It sounds identical, you apply a ground, and then let the acid eat around that.

Have you ever tried using grounds that one would use for an intaglio etching? It's a mixture of asphaltum, rosin, beeswax, and maybe some mineral spirits to thin it out. You paint a thin layer on, and then draw onto the plate with a needle or something like that. The ground comes up really easily, so you scratch it away to make your drawing. You dunk it in acid, and wipe away bubbles with a goose feather while it etches, bubbles are the enemy because they can help the acid get underneath the ground and eat away metal you don't want gone. When it's etched as deep as you'd like you wash away the acid, and clean off the ground with mineral spirits.

From my understanding it seems like this process may be easier because you don't have to fuss with printers and irons and things. If you find the hard ground to difficult to work with you could also just dilute asphaltum with mineral spirits, and use it as a ground, that's harder to scratch into, so you would paint out the negative of your image.

here's a demonstration

Naturally when you make the print there's some more steps, because your image ends up on paper. But, you can still see the image on the plate, especially once you get some ink in it. Here's an end result of the type of printmaking I'm talking about

Am I crazy, and would this not work for some reason?

i was wondering about that as well! i think it would work. it sounds easier to apply, but i imagine it would be somewhat harder get the same design through that technique that the press and peel would give you.

but i'm very very intrigued. i like the really free and organic look of the lines done through that.

Reminds me of the song 1010011010 by Cog
Great job on that dude, Woolly Mammoth variant I take it?

While this thread is old, question about etching
what're people's experience with sharpie as a mask/resist? Acrylic paint? I'd like to avoid pnp, and draw/paint the design on.

aussy wrote:While this thread is old, question about etching
what're people's experience with sharpie as a mask/resist? Acrylic paint? I'd like to avoid pnp, and draw/paint the design on.

i've heard sharpie tends to get 'eaten through' sometimes. i don't know about acrylic paint, but i've heard nail polish works pretty well.

i'm working on an enclosure with faber castell indian ink pens. i haven't started etching yet, but i think it might work a little better than sharpie.

Let me know how it works out
I do have a bottle of india ink I could use
I'll see if I can get any friends to donate their old nail polish as well, preferably with glitter

Just make sure to agitate the acid every so often, to prevent bubbles from forming. The bubbles help acid get beneath your ground and eat away stuff you don't want eaten.

creepy.. i used that same face on this 4 knob rat.

they have the you are being watched poster hanging up in this bar I go to all the time. I love 1984.

eniacmike wrote:

creepy.. i used that same face on this 4 knob rat.

they have the you are being watched poster hanging up in this bar I go to all the time. I love 1984.

That's got to be one of the sexiest things I've ever seen! Reminds me of the Utter Stutter! Good job!!!!!!!!

aussy wrote:Let me know how it works out
I do have a bottle of india ink I could use
I'll see if I can get any friends to donate their old nail polish as well, preferably with glitter

i just tried this, using muriatic acid. ink didn't work. it literally just lifts off and bubbles away

nail polish however, is EXTREMELY successful. i used a nail enamel, idk if that makes a difference. if you use a small brush, you can paint some pretty great detail with it.