JUANBERNAL.COM

ETCHINGS

Intaglio prints

by Juan Bernal

 

The art of etching is almost magic, allowing the artist during the engraving, to discover little by little the result that will be seen on the final print. During the etching process artist proofs are made in order to see how the plate is coming along. Once the plate is ready (bon a tire), a limited and numbered edition is printed.

Etching is aptly derived from the Dutch word etzen, to eat. To make an etching using the aquatint technique, lines or dots are created on the plate using an acid, through a process called ‘biting.’ Another method, called dry point, works by engraving lines with a sharp instrument. 

Once the plate is engraved, prints are made by inking the incised lines and textures, placing a damp paper over it and running it through an etching press. The resulting image is a mirror view of what’s on the plate. These impressions are called proofs, each one is considered an original due to the fact that no two prints are ever exactly the same.

Etchings have been a staple for great masters such as Rembrandt, Goya, Durer, Picasso, Matisse, Whistler, among many others.

Lithographs, on the other hand, are made by taking advantage of a chemical reaction due to the immiscibility of oil and water.  A special kind of stone takes the ink, after which it’s run through a press to transfer the image unto paper.