Table of Contents
Dark red text has been formatted as certain heading types. To ensure the table of contents is rendered correctly, make sure any edits to these fields does not change their heading type. |
Name: Celine Camps
Date and Time:
Location: Havemeyer Hall, Chandler 260, Columbia University, NY, NY 10027
Subject: Polishing the copper plate
The first step in learning how to engrave was to clean our copper plates (image 1), removing all grease and stains, by polishing it with copper polish (which had a very strong and penetrating smell) and paper (image 2). This took about 10 minutes.
| Image URL: |
|---|
|
| Image URL: |
|---|
 |
Name: Celine Camps
Date and Time:
Location: Private apartment, 405 West 118th Street, 10027 New York.
Subject: Gridding the copper plate
Tools:
Ruler
Etching needle
Pencil
Materials:
Copper plate
I used a pencil to mark the places where I had to draw a line with the etching needle (image 1).
I then used a ruler and etching needle to grid my plate.
Like with the etching, I was surprised how easily (and without much pressure) the needle drew a visible line/made an incision (image 2).
| Image URL: |
|---|
 |
| Image URL: |
|---|
 |
Name: Celine Camps
Date and Time:
Location: Havemeyer Hall, Chandler 260, Columbia University, NY, NY 10027
Subject: Instructions Ad Stijnman and transferring the design
Ad Stijnman explained—and showed—us:
1. How to hold a burin – the mushroom shaped handle needs to be cradled in your palm, your index finger placed on the top of shaft, the rest of your fingers positioned on the side of the mushroom and the shaft – not underneath as this will prevent you from bringing it in parallel with the surface of the plate)
2. How to pay attention to your posture – relaxed, fairly straight up position.
3. How to move the burin forward – work from your shoulder, not from your wrist. Resistance
4. How to position your free hand (always next or behind the burin. Never above.
5. How to use your burin and the plate to create various kinds of lines, shapes and forms (see image 1)
THOUGHTS
1 & 4 Holding the burin and positioning free hand
I struggled a lot with holding the burin in a comfortable manner. I still don’t know if my holding it was simply incorrect and this is what lead me to feel discomfort, or if I just had to get used to the positioning of my fingers in a way that was uncommon and new to me.
While I was holding the plate with my left hand, I noticed that instead of my burin moving forward, it was my plate that changed its position. My hands were too slippery and so was the table. We placed a sort of wash cloth underneath the copper plate to prevent it from sliding (see image 2). This helped a little, but I still wasn’t able to create an incision.
2 & 3 Posture and moving forward
Ad Stijnman explained us that you need to work from your shoulder as opposed to with your wrist. A relaxed, straight position; little pressure. If you noticed you were cramping up, it was a sign you were going about it the wrong way and you should adjust your posture (relax) and check your grip on the burin.
The ‘less pressure, the better’ sounded very counterintuitive to me when working with copper –which I have always thought of as a hard material to work through and master.
It was probably because of that conceptualisation of copper as ‘hard’, ‘resistant’ and ‘rigid’ that I failed repeatedly to move smoothly (or at all) through the copper.
As with so many other making processes, my body and its engagement with the material in question became the guiding principle (as opposed to a set of instructions) for my ability to (quite literally) move forward:
Key to success was the way the material responds to how your tool engages with it (which is depended on the way your are holding the burin, which in turn is related your bodily techniques)
So if you feel the copper resisting as you move the burin forward on the plate, it means the angle at which you’re holding the burin is to steep. This is because the shaft of the burin needs to be parallel to the plate. Resistance thus requires you to lower your burin (and hence the shaft). I often failed to do this correctly and struggled a lot with finding the right angle. My struggles had in part to do with me trying to get used to holding a burin in my hand -- I just didn’t find it comfortable to place my fingers on the side of the mushroom and instead positioned them underneath, which is exactly what prevents you from lowering the burin (and hence moving smoothly through the copper).
| Image URL: |
|---|
 |
| Image URL: |
|---|
 |
Name: Celine Camps
Date and Time:
Location: Private apartment, 405 West 118th Street, 10027 New York.
Subject: Continue engraving, finish transferring design
I finished my engraving design (see image), with the exception of 2 small blocks.
I still haven’t managed to find the right bodily technique to move smoothly through the copper. I reckon I probably just need more practice.
| Image URL: |
|---|
 |
Name: Celine Camps
Date and Time:
Location: Private apartment, 405 West 118th Street, 10027 New York
Subject: Sanding copper plate
I had brought home some sanding paper (600) to remove any ridges or burrs from the copper plate, so these wouldn’t damage the paper upon printing.
However, I completely forgot to wet the sanding paper/the copper plate and thus unknowingly ruined my design by scratching into it with the rough sanding paper (see image). Something I only learned when I saw other people’s plates the next morning and noticed how shiny they were compared to my. A fact Ad Stijnman immediately recognized as well, as he asked me if I had polished it properly.
I decided not to print my engraving and to focus on my etching plate instead.
However, as etching and engraving both fall under the same printing technique, I would still be able to learn how to do intaglio printing (see my etching fieldnotes for a description and explanation of that process).
| Image URL: |
|---|
 |