What is an
Etching? – and other Printmaking questions answered
An artist like Zak Benjamin sometimes uses a printmaking
process instead of a brush or pen to create a limited edition of original
works of art, which he signs and numbers. These “prints” are not created by
machines, but by the artist himself. They are not reproductions of works of art
– they are works of art.
These rough working definitions of a few terms used
on Zak’s site should provide you with a general idea
of what the words mean:
Etching
The artist draws through an acid-resistant coating
onto a copper plate, after which the plate is placed in a chemical bath and the
image is bitten into the metal. Next, the plate is inked and then carefully
wiped clean. The etched grooves retain the ink. A sheet of acid-free linen
paper is laid onto the plate, and heavy pressure is applied to force the paper
into the inked-filled grooves. When the edition – or predetermined number of prints
– is complete, the plate is effaced so that it cannot be used again.
Drypoint
The artist scratches his drawing into a metal plate with a
sharp instrument called a burin, or he draws with an electrically powered
engraving tool called a drimmel. Once his drawing is
complete, it is printed in the same way one prints an etching.
Litho (Lithograph)
The artist uses a special crayon, and draws onto
a surface (Zak uses a zinc plate, but some artists use stone). The surface is
treated with a chemical that will make the exposed areas slightly porous and
water-retentive, whilst the crayoned areas remain smooth. The smooth areas will
accept ink, so that the image can be transferred onto paper. The pressure
required to transfer the ink from the plate to the paper is much less than
needed for an etching or drypoint.
Screenprint (Silkscreen or Serigraph)
A form of stencil printing in which the stencil is
adhered to a screen made by stretching silk, or
similar finely woven fabric, onto a frame. The artist prepares a different screen
for each colour. Ink is forced through the fabric with a squeegee onto paper.
Screen prints usually have a hard-edged quality caused by the crisp edges of
the stencil.
So what is a reproduction of a work of art? A
“print” of a painting or a drawing is made by photographing the original and
using sophisticated, electronic machinery to print it – the same way a
magazine, a calendar or birthday cards are printed. The artist himself is not
required for the process.