Visual Arts Brampton
Etching

Part of The Printmaking Process

A special section, in partnership with the Art Gallery of Peel, part of Brampton's Peel Heritage Complex.

An acid proof ground of asphaltum is applied to a metal plate. The artist draws on the asphaltum exposing the metal as the asphaltum is scratched off. The plate is then immersed in an acid bath. The exposed areas will be bitten by the acid while the other areas are protected. The quality of the line depends on the strength of the acid and the length of time it is left in the acid bath.

Photo Etching
A plate is covered with a light sensitive emulsion. A transparent positive of the image on high contrast film is then placed, emulsion side down, on the plate. The next step is to expose the emulsion. For this procedure a light source with ultraviolet content is necessary.

After exposure the plate is washed and the areas of the plate covered by the positive areas of the image are not hardened and will wash away. This leaves the non-image areas covered with the hardening solution that is acid resisting. The plate is then etched and printed as a normal intaglio plate.