Etching - what is this technique? Types of etching

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Etching is a kind of artistic engraving, a print of an image from a ready-made cliché. A classic engraving is an impression from a wooden, polymer (linoleum) or acrylic material, cut with a cutter in the form of a pattern. The number of prints in this case is limited. Etching is an engraving, which is made using a special technology. The etching print is based on a metal plate, copper, steel or zinc.

Etching

Metal plate, blank for cliche, treated with acid preparations. Nitric acid is used for steel, chlorine reagent is used for copper.

A metal plate of suitable size is polished to a shine, degreased and coated with a special acid-resistant varnish. After drying, a drawing is applied to the workpiece, which may be approximate and will subsequently require refinement. In some cases, the image may be completely finished. It all depends on the preferences of the master. Many artists find it necessary to refine the cliches, and some believe that true art does not need to be corrected. However, it is not the methods that are important, but the finalresult. However, etching is a true fine art that requires great skill both at the preparation stage and in the process of obtaining direct impressions.

Processing contour

After drawing a pattern on the workpiece, the master scratches all the lines with a thin sharp needle, removing the acid-resistant coating in the right places. Thus, the metal becomes accessible to the reagent only at those points where it is necessary to make recesses. The finished hatched workpiece is immersed in acid and the etching process begins. The preparation bath must be securely covered to prevent splashing. At the same time, it is imperative to ensure ventilation of the room so that toxic acid fumes do not concentrate in the air.

Chemical materials

Etching technique is a complex technological process that requires certain conditions to ensure the artist's safety. Careless attitude to protective measures is unacceptable. Chemical materials that are used in the processing of metal blanks for etching are quite dangerous, their negative impact on the human body must be completely neutralized or at least minimized. After etching, the finished plate is washed in running water, then the remains of varnish are removed from it.

Next, printing ink is applied to the base, which fills all the recesses. Excess paint is removed from the surface with swabs. Then prints are made from the etching board by pressing. Paperis pressed against the base under pressure, the print is clear and contrasting. Thus, the etching technique allows you to create drawings of any complexity; the thinnest lines, curls, dots and scratches look quite organic. If the number of prints is in the tens and hundreds, then the cliche is gradually erased and loses contrast. In this case, it is necessary to periodically update the board, re-coat it with acid-resistant varnish and deepen the pattern by etching.

Printable forms

Metal plates properly processed, re-etched, can be used a certain number of times. Each cliché is a printing plate with which etchings are made. In most cases, these are artistic images. Etching is considered one of the most interesting forms of fine art. It was developed in the early 16th century.

Creative achievements

In 1515, the famous artist Albrecht Dürer turned to the technique of etching, his experiments in etching metal boards marked the beginning of a whole era of fine engraving art. Durer combined the creation of classical engravings with etchings, these two techniques for a long time were of equal importance in his work.

The Italian artist Parmigianino, an unsurpassed master of etchings, elevated them to the rank of genuine art. Later, the Dutch painter Rembrandt achieved a unique play of light and shadow in his images, in addition, he began to practice repeated etching, which gave unprecedented depth to the picture.

Aquatint

In 1765, the French painter Jean-Baptiste Leprince discovered a new technique for obtaining particularly soft halftones, reminiscent of a watercolor drawing. The technology is called aquatint. For the image, first the outline was etched, transferred from the tracing paper by the method of pricking, then the cliché was covered in dark places with rosin. The board was heated, the powder melted and covered the surface with a granular layer. Light areas were processed in the usual way. Aquatint was often used in combination with color printing, and Francisco Goya, one of the best etchers in history, is considered the unsurpassed master of this technique.

Jacques Callot

Since etching is a fine fine art, the best artists of the 16th-18th centuries tried to prove themselves in a difficult genre. However, success accompanied only the most talented. One of the most famous etching masters of the early 17th century was the French painter Jacques Callot. The artist worked in the style of gloomy realism, his most famous works are included in the "Horrors of War" series, and the master's most eloquent etching is called "The Hanged Men".

Types of etching

In the 17th century, the engraving technique was successfully used in icon painting. The representative of the Flemish school of painting, the artist Anthony van Dyck, became an excellent etcher, practicing sacred drawings. The art of etching made it possible to capture the most subtle nuances of icon-painting images.

Another type was the so-called reproduction etching. It was taken over by publishers. Actuallyall illustrations in books published in the second half of the 18th century were made using the etching technique. This style of depiction was the best suited for literary works. The drawings were colorful and conveyed the essence of the plot well. Technically, the etching graphics were affordable, relatively inexpensive, and the quality of the images remained at a fairly high level.

Mezzotint - the most time-consuming, but very effective look. It is based on the use of halftones due to the "graining" of the surface of the cliché. The smallest depressions give a roughness, which, when printed, provides smooth transitions from light to shadow. Etchings made in the mezzotint style are distinguished by their velvety and rich hues.

"Original" look - highly artistic images that only the most famous masters could do. For many artists, etching has become a kind of outlet, thanks to which they were able to fully realize their creative aspirations. The most outstanding engraver of the 18th century is the Italian architect Giovanni Piranesi, the author of many images of Roman cityscapes and antiquities. No less famous etchers of that time were: Giovanni-Baptiste Tiepolo, Francisco Goya, Antoine Watteau, Canaletto, Francois Boucher.

Rebirth

In the 19th century, the art of etching fell into decline, this happened under the influence of the emergence of printing technologies on a colorful basis. However, at the end of the century, engravers reiterated theiryourself. New etchings were no longer perceived as illustrations for book editions, they became full-fledged works of art, artistic trends in graphics. At the beginning of the 20th century, many French painters turned to them, such as Charles-Francois Daubigny, Camille Corot and others. Specialized in the technique of etching and the Parisian impressionist artist Edouard Manet. Among Russian painters, the technique of engraving was mastered by Valentin Serov and Ivan Shishkin. James Whistler was an American etcher, Anders Zorn was Swedish, and Adolph Menzel worked on engravings in Germany.