"Marsh Breeze" An Etching Of Live Oaks by Charleston Artist Katherine M Schneider

" Marsh Breeze"
Zinc plate etching
Image size: 4.5" x 6"
Paper size : 8.75" x 10"
Price: $50.00

To view all Live Oak artwork, click here.
The etching process used to create "Marsh Breeze" begins with a zinc metal plate covered with a tar like coating (a "ground") through which thin lines are cut with a diamond tipped stylus or other sharp tool. The plate is then put into an acid bath to etch or corrode the lines into the plate's surface.

The longer the plate stays in the acid bath, the deeper the lines. Deeper lines hold more ink, creating darker marks in the final artwork. This same process of coating the plate, drawing into the ground, and etching the marks is repeated numerous times to develop the final image for printing.

To print the artwork, the plate is coated with a thin layer of specially formulated "printing ink" which is wiped off, leaving ink only in the recessed lines. The "inked" plate is next placed between wool blankets and hand cranked through a press to transfer the artwork onto a dampened sheet of paper. The resulting artwork depends on the artist's use of ink, type of paper, pressing techniques and etching skill.

A well done etching is a combination of skill in drawing, processing the plate in numerous acid bathes, applying the ink, and printing techniques. It's a long process but worth the effort-an artistic image in the manner of old masters such as Rembrandt, Goya and Durer.