Artwork description:

Etching of a helicopter using aquatint and lithographic tusche. This is part of a series of prints that focuses on technology and surveillance.

It is printed with archival oil based ink on BFK Reeve's white paper. It's print image measures 8 x 6 inches. This is a limited edition of 20 prints, as aquatint is very fragile and the plate wears down during the printing process. Each print individually numbered and is hand signed by the artist in pencil. This print is sold unframed, matted, and foam core backed. It fits in a standard 11 x 14 inch frame.

Etching Process. Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) into the metal. In traditional pure etching, a zinc plate is covered with a waxy or hard ground which is resistant to acid. A drawing is transfered onto the hardground, which I then scratch into the ground with a pointed etching needle to expose the bare metal. The plate is then dipped in a bath of nitric acid, which "bites" into the exposed metal, cutting lines into the plate. The remaining ground is then cleaned off the plate. The plate is then etched again to add texture or tonality. The plate is inked all over, and then the excess ink is wiped off the surface, leaving only the ink in the etched lines. The plate is then put through a high-pressure printing press together with a sheet of dampened paper. The paper picks up the ink from the etched lines, making a print. This printing process is repeated until the edition is printed.

Materials used:

Ink

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