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An etching is an image etched by acid into a metal plate through a variety of different methods. The plate is then inked and wiped, with ink remaining in the etched areas of the plate. Paper is put on top of the plate and run through an etching press. The pressure of the press transfers the inked image to the paper. The image will be the black ink on white paper -- color is eliminated.
The art of etching is in the variety of methods used to create the image on the plate. My process primarily uses aquatinting (lightly spray painting the plate so that the acid etches between the particles of paint), using distinct steps over a period of time. The result is a complex mixture of texture and tone. It is carefully planned and very mechanical, but is also subject to the spontaneity of chemical reactions that I can’t always control or predict.
The unique mechanical process of etching allows for a wide variety of shapes, textures and resonant grays and blacks that are not possible with any other medium.