One
of the things I wanted to do is etching. What kept me from actually doing it
was the fact that in order to etch you were required to use all sorts of
concoctions involving hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and sodium chlorate; all
of those to be handled with holy respect as they are extremely corrosive and in
the process of etching emit fumes, capable of stripping off the lining of your
lungs. I spent sufficient time in laboratories to know that the least
requirement was a well ventilated fume cupboard for which at this moment
haven’t got the room or the funds for.
Sooooo....after
looking around on the net I found this gem http://www.printstudio.org.au/sa/copetch.html a web page from a Sydney based Printmaking
Studio. Text is by Ad Stijnman.
He
discusses a technique which was used sometime in the nineteenth century
rediscovered by - among others - Cedric
Green, who also has a website describing the technique which he has named Bordeaux etching; etching in zinc plate with copper sulphate which practically
eliminates all aforementioned hazards. http://gravert.club.fr/galvetch/contfram.htm
Armed
with a ten percent solution of copper sulphate, a solution of sodium
bicarbonate, two flat glass dishes, a pair of rubber gloves and running water
handy I set out to try this and...
great. It worked like a charm. Thanks very much.
On
this page my first result. A pretty old vine I saw in the Barossa valley near Adelaide, printed on Stonehenge warm white 245 gsm
with raw umber from Charbonnel. Image size is 157 x 110 mm. Also one of the City of Deventer from a photo I made, living there during the 1965 to 1969 years. Many dreams there, leading to different realities....
All images copyright © to acw
ten broek
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/icsc/dtasht/_icsc14/icsc1416.htm
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/icsc/dtasht/_icsc07/icsc0751.htm
