Etching

In traditional etching, a metal plate is coated with a substance that resists acid (known as a “ground”). The artist creates the image by removing areas of the ground to expose the metal. The plate is placed in acid until the exposed areas are sufficiently etched to produce indentations or grooves that will hold the ink. The ground is then removed, and the plate is ready to be inked and printed. (This differs from drypoint etching, where a tool is used to scrape away the metal.) The various processes of etching– sugar lift, aquatint, white ground– are all different means of controlling the speed and manner in which the acid etches the plate.