David Beattie-Limited Edition Etching-

Etching is an 'Intaglio' process whereby prints are created by an image being engraved below the surface of the material the artist is working on, prints of the engraved image are then produced by covering the image in ink and pressing it against an absorbent material such as paper. It is considered to be one of the most versatile of all the graphic media due to the endless effects it allows a skilled artist to achieve.

The origins of etching stretch back over many centuries to the time when metal workers first learned to engrave fine lines into metal objects for decorative purposes. There is evidence that some of these early engravers were producing images of their work by 'blacking' their lines and pressing absorbent media against the engraved metal even before the advent of paper. Etching truly came to the fore during the seventeenth century as craftsmen became able to use acid to bite their lines into metal, this allowed far more subtle effects to be created and reduced the physical exertion needed to engrave their designs. Subsequent generations of etchers have continued to enrich the styles and techniques of the art form through the years.

David's etchings are produced using traditional methods which have remained unchanged in hundreds of years and require a huge amount of skill and attention to detail. Prints produced in this way are true original works of art and should never be confused with prints produced using modern mass production printing methods. The rest of this page describes some of the techniques David uses in producing his etchings.

Stage 1 - Preparing the etching plate:

First of all David chooses a suitably sized copper plate and cleans it thoroughly to prevent it getting scratched by dirt, he then spreads ground over the plate using a roller and a hot plate (photo 1). Once the ground is evened out, the plate is smoked until it turns black (photo 2), this allows David to clearly see the lines he cuts into the plate in the next stage.

Stage 2 - Needling the ground:

Next David needles his design into the ground using a variety of etching tools (photo 3), these range from specialised etcher's needles to old pens and sandpaper depending on the effects required. It is vitally important that the lines drawn actually expose the copper plate underneath the ground. The image has to be drawn in reverse so that it will appear the 'right way round' in the final print.

Photo 1.	Photo 2.	Photo 3.

Stage 3 - Etching the plate:

After the design has been needled into the ground, the areas of the plate which David does not want to be exposed to the acid used in the etching process are 'stopped out' by covering them with a lacquer or strong tape. The plate is then etched in a bath of nitric acid (photo 4). By varying the strength of the acid and by stopping out parts of the plate, David can control how deeply the acid bites into different areas of the plate and therefore how much ink they will hold. The remaining ground is removed from the plate once the etching process is completed.

Stage 4 - Test proofing:

Before deciding on the coloured inks he will use in the design, David first takes a series of test proofs of the etching to see how the design appears when printed and to see if he needs to make any adjustments to any of the lines on the plate.

Photo 4.	Photo 5.	Photo 6.

Stage 5 - Inking up the etching:

Once David has decided on the colours he will use, he carefully begins to apply them to the plate, one at a time, using a small corner of mounting board (photo 5). The plate is kept hot during this process to encourage the ink to flow into the lines on the plate properly.

Stage 6 - Wiping the plate:

After covering the design with ink, David cleans the surface of the plate using a fine cloth so that only the ink in the etched lines remains (photo 6).

Stage 7 - Taking a proof:

Before taking a proof, the velum paper David uses has to be dampened, this is usually done anything up to a day before printing. When the paper is ready it is gently placed on top of the plate on the press bed (photo 7). David then lowers the press blankets over the plate and turns the handle of the press to apply pressure over the plate (photo 8), this forces ink out of the etched lines and onto the paper. Finally the press blankets are lifted and the paper peeled from the plate to reveal the print (photo 9). The print is then placed on a bed of tissue paper and covered with more paper to ensure that it dries flat.

Photo 7.	Photo 8.	Photo 9.

The whole process from conceiving the initial design through to producing the final print often takes well in excess of 100 hours to complete. All David's prints are produced using these types of methods and are in limited numbers editions.