Intaglio was one of my favorite printmaking processes in college. I loved how etching on copper plates allowed me to create highly detailed images. The process felt natural and similar to drawing.
What is intaglio?…
Haven't heard of intaglio before? It refers to any printing technique where the image is incised into the printing plate, and the etched lines hold the ink. Incisions in the plate can be made by techniques such as: etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or mezzotint. A combination of the techniques can also be used for a single print or artwork.
What’s the process like?…
Just like with any form of printmaking, intaglio includes multiple steps. First, the copper plate must be prepped: The edges of the copper plate are filed down; and this is done as a preventive step, so that the edges of the plate don't rip the paper when the plate and paper are run through the printing press later during printing. After the edges are filed, the plate is degreased. Degreasing is done so that a protective ground can stick to the copper plate. Ground serves as a layer to protect the copper when it is put into the acid bath. In the printmaking studio where I worked, we used ferric chloride as the solution in the acid bath. After the plate is degreased, the ground can be applied. Ground in printmaking refers to a waxy acid-resistant material used to protect the copper. There are different types of grounds: hard and soft. There are even different applications for ground: it can be brushed on, poured on, or the plate can be heated and the ground can be melted on. Artists have their preferences. After the ground dries on the plate, a sharp, pointed, metal stylus tool is used to scrape away the image that the artist wants to be printed. The areas that are scraped with the stylus will be exposed to the acid when the plate is submerged into the acid bath solution. This results in incisions in the exposed copper. The plate can be submerged into the solution for different lengths of time depending on how light or dark the artist would like the line work to be on the final print. Ground can be reapplied to areas to mask them; and those areas of line work remain lighter because they are etched for less time. Once that is complete, the ground can be cleaned off, and the plate is ready to be inked up, and then rolled through a printing press with paper. The incised lines or etching will then create a print on the paper.
A note about aquatint: You'll be able to see an examples of etchings all throughout this post, and you'll be able to see the aquatint technique on my Cat and Rabbit print and on Plate II of my Idea Leuconoe series. Aquatint allows the artist to create tones, shades, and even areas of color on the print. For aquatint, instead of scraping into the ground with a stylus, acid-resistant powdered rosin particles are sprayed onto the copper plate, and the particles attach to the copper by heating the plate. When the plate is put into the acid bath, the ferric chloride eats around the particle covered areas and into the exposed copper. This leaves specs etched into the plate's surface, which when inked up, creates areas of tone for the print.
Some examples of my Copper Plates Before Etching
Below you can scroll through photos of some of my copper plates. These plates have the ground still on them. They haven't been etched / exposed to the ferric chloride yet. Notice the ground is a very dark brown color, and you can see the image that I've scraped into the ground using the stylus tool.
This is a photo of the copper plate for the intaglio etching titled Among the Flowers by Kristin Frank. This photo shows the plate before it has been etched.
This is a photo of the copper plate for the intaglio etching titled Weeping Willow by Kristin Frank.
This is a photo of the copper plate for the intaglio etching titled Winter Tree by Kristin Frank.
COPPER PLATE FOR IDEA LEUCONOE II
This is a photo of the copper plate for the etching titled Idea Leuconoe Plate II by Kristin Frank. This photo shows the process of scraping the image into the ground. Notice the sketch lines in grey pencil.
COPPER PLATE FOR IDEA LEUCONOE III
This is a photo of the copper plate for the etching titled Idea Leuconoe Plate III by Kristin Frank. This photo shows the process of scraping the image into the ground. Notice you can see the shiny copper where the ground has been removed with a stylus. Anywhere the copper is exposed will be etched.
Copper Plates After Etching
Next are photos of my copper plates after they have been etched by the ferric chloride solution; they are inked up and ready for printing. Notice how you can see the copper in this photo. The ground has been removed from the plates, and the ink is sitting in the incised lines; that's why the images of the butterfly look black.
This is a photo of the copper plates for the series of intaglio etchings titled Idea Leuconoe by Kristin Frank. The plates shown here are inked. Clockwise from the top left: Plate I, then Plate III, and at the very bottom is Plate II. Notice the aquatint technique used to create the flower shape and tones on Plate II.
One of my favorite things about intaglio was the amount of detail I could achieve with etchings! Also, I loved how I never knew how my final print would turn out. For one, it was hard to see exactly what I was scraping into the ground, and secondly, there could be things that could go wrong once the plate was dunked into the acid bath. Such as, if the plate wasn’t de-greased correctly before applying the ground, the ground could have fallen off and any of the image I had worked on would be etched differently than what I would have liked. Even during the printing process there were many factors which would influence the final image...from inking and wiping the plate to the dampness of the paper or the pressure of the press...all of the little things made a difference in the final image. For me, this lack of control made the craft exciting! I had to trust the process. In a way, I felt free with it, and I didn’t overthink my final project because I never knew how it would turn out.
inspiration
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inspiration ~
This next part of my post is less about the technical processes of intaglio and focuses on some of my etchings and what inspired me.
Among the Flowers:
I was inspired by the details found in nature, the animals of Beatrix Potter, and the characters and illustrations in Alice in Wonderland. I wanted to make this illustration realistic but also dreamlike…notice the flat perspective, and how the size of the plants and animals doesn’t make sense… This combination makes the viewer feel like this little world is playful and imaginary. Also notice the features and expressions of the animals. They are all unique.
Sketch for Among the Flowers
Copper plate for Among the Flowers
Among the Flowers Intaglio
IDEA LEUCONOE (PLATES I II and III)
The Paper Kite Butterflies that I saw at the Key West Nature Conservatory inspired this series of three etchings. Idea leuconoe is this butterfly’s Latin name, and it is also know as the rice paper butterfly and the large tree nymph. It isn’t a bright or colorful butterfly, but something about the bold size combined with the delicate feel of the wings is striking, and that’s what attracted me to it when I first saw the species in the butterfly garden. I took tons of photos there because I wanted to make sure I remembered this butterfly.
Plate one shows the butterfly from a distance sitting on a flower. It’s also the piece I selected for my logo. Plate two shows the detail of the paper kite’s face, antennae and legs on a flower. The flower is out of focus intentionally to make you focus on the detail of the insect. I used the aquatint technique to create the grainy look of the flower. Plate three shows a close-up of the butterfly’s wing. It’s what you would see if the wing were under magnification.
For this series, I also did some prints that were embellished with watercolor and some that used the Chine-collé technique. As you can see in this example of Chine-collé, two pieces of paper are used to support the etching. One is rives BFK paper (which is a heavy weight paper) and the other is a tissue thin layer of paper (notice the color difference: off white and white). I had fun experimenting with different techniques when making this series.
COPPER PLATE FOR IDEA LEUCONOE II
This is a photo of the copper plate for the etching titled Idea Leuconoe Plate II by Kristin Frank. This photo shows the process of scraping the image into the ground. Notice the sketch lines in grey pencil.
Copper Plate for Idea leuconoe Plate III
Anywhere the copper is exposed will be etched.
This is a photo of the copper plates for the series of intaglio etchings titled Idea Leuconoe by Kristin Frank. The plates shown here are inked. Clockwise from the top left: Plate I, then Plate III, and at the very bottom is Plate II. Notice the aquatint technique used to create the flower shape and tones on Plate II.
Below you can see photos of the Chine-collé version of the Idea leuconoe series on the drying rack.
Below you can see my Idea leuconoe series displayed at the University of New Orleans Fine Art Gallery. I won second place in the Svenson Drawing competition.
Idea leuconoe plates I, II, and III
Weeping Willow and Winter Tree
For this etching: I was inspired by a couple of things. One being the trees that I see in City Park in New Orleans. Going there for walks is one of my favorite things! I find it relaxing and meditative. I was also inspired by some of Eyvind Earl’s trees in his oil paintings, and the details he used on their bark. Another source of inspiration was the Grandmother Willow tree from Disney’s Pocahontas. I had fun with this print! It wasn’t as structured as some of my other prints. I also liked experimenting with different color inks for the etching and for the backgrounds.
This is a photo of the copper plate for the intaglio etching titled Winter Tree by Kristin Frank.
This is a photo of the Winter Tree intaglio printed in white oil based ink on a purple background.
Winter Tree | Original Intaglio Etching (printed in two layers) on Rives BFK paper | Intaglio etching printed in black oil based ink | Monoprint background printed in light blue water based inks
Cat and Rabbit
This is another piece where I was inspired by Beatrix Potter’s animals, watercolors, illustrations, and drawings. I was also inspired by the unique worlds of Alice and Wonderland and old Walt Disney background art. Notice the flowers are huge! And notice the unique facial expressions of the animals.
What’s special about this print is that it uses two plates! This means that two plates must prepped, and made, and then run through the printing press to produce the print. They also have to be lined up very carefully so that the image isn’t offset. Plate one is printed first and then plate two. Plate one consists of the color, texture, and tone of the daisies. I used the aquatint technique to etch into the plate. Plate two is all of the line work and details (shown in black).
Life Cycle of Lepidoptera
I was inspired by the life cycle of butterflies and moths. I chose Lepidoptera for the title, because Lepidoptera is the order of winged insects, which includes butterflies and moths. It’s the Latin / scientific term for the order / classification. This print incorporates many different butterflies and moths all in different stages of their life. The size of the insects and plants don’t make sense because I wanted this print to be reminiscent of a collage style.
Hope you enjoyed reading about the process of intaglio and seeing some of my examples.
Which print is your favorite? comment below :)
And as always, contact me if you have questions.