Etching

I make my etchings at my home studio. I try to work as 'non toxic' as possible, as my studio space is very small. I prefer to use copper plates, they are lovely to work on, but have experimented with aluminium & zinc. I like to bring some of the aesthetics & imagery from my drawing on paper onto the plate. I enjoy the technical challenge of creating precise & intricate lines, alongside dot work. My focus is about creating detail and often work using a magnifier. I use traditional etching needles & a micro needle for very small lines. Tones are created with silk, spray & traditional aquatint. Textures are created with a roulette & abrasives. Currently, I like to work on small scale pieces. I enjoy building up a collection of similar pieces. It also allows me to learn & develop, without the restriction of spending months on one piece. I like to cut my plates into shapes & plan to develop this further in the future. I generally print in Black & Sepia with the odd highlight colour, like a rich Gold or Rust. I have recently started to experiment with intaglio methods printed onto leather. Each etching is created in a small edition.