Etching: A Guide to Traditional Techniques

by Alan Smith

Etching today is regarded as the old man of printmaking, its roots lying with alchemists and armourers. It has slowly evolved over the centuries, taking and incorporating new developments such as photography in its stride. This book teaches the basics of etching, such as the materials required, how to prepare a plate, and ways of making marks using hard ground, soft ground an aquatint; other etching techniques including spit-bite and sugar lift and how to transfer images onto the plate using photo etching; engraving, such as various ways of marking the plate without acid, drypoint, line engraving, stipple engraving, and mezzotint; and printing advice on papers and inks, the printing process, and advanced techniques such as color printing.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

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Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book that explains the processes of etching including information on using further processes such as sugar/water/salt spit, aquatint, mezzotint and more.
Helpful for the beginner to etching as it is written in easy-to-understand terms and explains the processes very well. It would also be a helpful book to have on the shelf for a more advanced printmaker as a reference.