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Etching

Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.16, 12:00pm

Location: Chandler 260

Subject: Polishing zinc plate

Materials

Procedure

Polished one side zinc plate with a dime-sized amount of copper polish (3% 2-butoxyethanol) and paper towels. Same procedure and materials as polishing copper plate.

I tried to polish this plate until I could see my eyelashes (the measure/standard we used to know that we had sufficiently polished our copper plate), but the zinc remained cloudier than the copper plate after polishing for roughly the same amount of time (15 minutes total). Perhaps this is because zinc is a softer metal?

Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.16, 1:15pm

Location: Chandler 260

Subject: Covering zinc plate with etching ball ground

Materials

Procedure

I held the zinc plate with pliers (taped on the tip) over a hot plate. Then I placed the ball ground on the plate, but it wasn’t hot enough to melt any of the ground. I repeated this 30 seconds later, and it still wasn’t hot enough, then repeated 30 seconds later. At this point the ball ground stuck slightly to the zinc plate, so I lifted the ball ground and placed it back a few times, tapping the zinc plate.

I spread the ball ground with the feather with the curved side facing away from me, using long, sweeping motions. I did this 5-7 times but the corners of my zinc plate still were not covered, so I also swept the tip of the feather along those portions of my zinc plate with shorter, more abrupt motions. The feather was a bit unwieldy and the results were unpredictable. I imagine using a paintbrush or a cloth (used with beeswax) or a roller (used by modern etchers) would enable more control.

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Next I placed the hot zinc plate with etching onto a sheet of newsprint. I lightly tapped and dragged the etching ball ground directly onto the zinc plate that was covered by the pliers. Only on this part of my plate did I achieve the golden or honey level of transparency described by Ad Stijnman as ideal for etching.

With the exception of small splotches on the area where the pliers were, my etching ground is darker (and therefore thicker) than it should be. I also observed several small bubbles in the ground and wonder if the acid will bite through those.

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Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.20, 11:00am

Location: My apartment

Subject: Transferring design onto zinc plate

Materials

Procedure

The design I am planning on transferring to my linoleum block is based on a photograph of a lizard laying on a polished slice of blue agate.

Unlike with the linoleum block, I traced only the outline of the lizard and agate since shading could be freehanded. It was also not necessary to think in negative since the etched portions will be printed, so I felt more comfortable freehanding details on this design.

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I transferred this design onto the zinc plate covered in etching ground using white chalk, which will contrast against the dark ground. I coated the back of a photograph printed on white paper with white chalk.

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I placed this coated paper chalk-side down onto the zinc plate and fit it to the dimensions of the plate, then secured everything together with tape. I traced my design with a pen, pushing hard into the design but not breaking through the paper. Removed paper.

The transferred design with chalk was much messier than with charcoal, but still legible.

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For transferring design onto linoleum block with charcoal, see Jiang - Linocut Field Notes FA18.

Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.20, 11:15am

Location: My apartment

Subject: Etching design

Materials

Procedure

I ran across a few issues with this composition. Achieving texture and depth on a figure superimposed on an object and seen from aerial view presented difficulties, since I couldn’t rely on perspective to convey that the superimposition of a figure over a plane. I’m interested to see how depth and tone translate in printing this plate. I tried to create darker tones by etching into the zinc plate itself. I etched into the plate on the left (on this plate) portion of the agate slice, the right side of the agate slice, and the top of the lizard’s head.

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Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.22, 12:05pm

Location: Chandler 260

Subject: Zinc plate acid bath

Materials

Procedure

First I prepared my zinc plate for the acid bath by taping all four edges and creating a handle by taping the back with a portion of about 10 inches left hanging, and folding that portion over itself. Taping the edges helps prevent foul biting.

Placed the zinc plate in the acid bath and used the feather to sweep away copper sediment. Copper is produced as a byproduct of the acid and zinc interacting, and it builds up in the groves where zinc has been exposed to acid. As per Ad’s suggestion, I tried to limit the contact of the sediment with the plate since it can scratch the ground. I “feathered” my plate continuously, for the whole 15 minutes that my plate was in the bath. I also “feathered” some of the other plates in the bath during this period.

Removed zinc plate from acid bath and placed it in the water bath, using quick motions to rinse it off.

Placed my zinc plate on a ceramic dish to transport it to the sink, where I washed it off thoroughly. Dried zinc plate thoroughly.

Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.22, 1:00pm

Location: Chandler 260

Subject: Removing etching ground

Materials

Procedure

Held zinc plate with pliers over hot plate until the etching ground began to melt, as indicated by a change in the texture and transparency of the ground. Tapped the ground with a paper towel after about a minute to check if it could be removed. After another minute, the ground was liquid enough to be wiped off. Placed the hot zinc plate onto newspaper and wiped etching ground with paper towels. This removed some of the etching ground, but enough ground to cover the plate with a thin film still remained, and had also filled the etched grooves. Added a quarter sized amount of oil to the zinc plate and rubbed it over the plate in circular motions. This successfully dislodged the ground in the etched grooves. Washed and rinsed zinc plate in the sink.

I was initially concerned about the copper deposits that had built up on my etching, but they washed off easily with water.

Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.22, 1:20pm

Location: Chandler 260

Subject: Beveling zinc plate

Materials

Procedure

Held zinc plate over a counter (with a trash bin directly underneath to catch zinc shavings), with the bottom corner projecting out from the counter at a slight angle. Used the curved beveling tool on all four sides and followed with the beveling knife.

Sanded down corners with 1200 sandpaper.

Same procedure as beveling copper plate.

Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.23, 12:15pm

Location: Teacher’s College Printmaking Workshop

Subject: Inking plate

Materials

Procedure

Placed plate on newspaper at the inking station set up. Scooped a few pea-sized amounts of black ink and dabbed it onto my zinc plate, taking care not to scratch the plate with the palette. Spread the ink with a piece of cardboard using left to right and up to down motions for two to three minutes. Rubbed the ink in circular motions with a wad of cloth tightly bound into a ball-like form for two to three minutes.

To remove excess ink, I folded a piece of newsprint in half and pressed it onto the plate. I rubbed the plate and newsprint with the heels of my hands. Repeated this six times.

Wiped off the rest of the ink with newsprint folded into eighths, using circular motions and holding the newsprint parallel to the plate. I tried to just let the surface of the newsprint pick up the ink instead of scrubbing the plate in order to avoid removing too much ink.

Same procedure as copper plate.

I was less concerned about wiping off too much ink with my etching than with my engraving. In the first place, I could see the black deposited in the impression on my plate. For the engraving, I knew I had made very shallow cuts with the burin and I could see this as I was inking the plate - the relief was very faint. I spent about the same amount of time inking both plates, so I think I might not have pressed the ink thoroughly into the copper plate in the first place. If I were to print my engraving again, I would be more thorough in my inking.

Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.23, 12:40pm

Location: Teacher’s College Printmaking Workshop

Subject: Printing plate

Materials

Procedure

Placed plate etching side up on newsprint onto roller press. Removed gloves. With clean hands picked up damp watercolor paper by two opposite corners and placed onto plate. Placed felt blanket over print matrix.

Turned roller press crank until the felt blanket was completely on the other side, except for about a centimeter. This roller press is larger than the one used for the linoleum prints.

Removed blanket and newsprint. Print is legible and the tones are dark. The background tone is also fairly even.

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Name: Angel Jiang

Date and Time:

2018.10.23, 2:00pm

Location: Teacher’s College Printmaking Workshop

Subject: Cleaning zinc plate

Materials

Procedure

Poured enough soy solvent to plate to cover it--soy solvent is very thin / not viscous, so this didn’t require a lot--and rubbed in circular motions with my (glove covered!) fingers. The ink came off surprisingly easily.

Washed thoroughly with soap and water.

Ink must be removed or it will dry and make it difficult to create additional prints with this plate.

Same procedure as copper plate.

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