Etching - what is this technique? Types of etching

Etching is a kind of artistic engraving, imprinting an image from a finished cliche. Classical engraving is an impression from a wooden, polymeric (linoleum) or acrylic material, cut by a cutter in the form of any pattern. The number of impressions in this case is limited. Etching - this engraving, which is made by special technology. At the heart of the etched print is a metal plate, copper, steel or zinc.

Etching

A metal plate, a blank for a cliche, is processed with acidic preparations. Nitric acid is used for steel , for copper it is a chlorine reagent.

A metal plate of suitable size is ground to a shine, degreased and covered with a special acid-resistant varnish. After drying, a pattern is applied to the workpiece, which may be approximate and will subsequently require further work. In some cases, the image can be completely finished. Everything depends on the master's preferences. Many artists consider it necessary to develop a cliche, and some believe that true art does not need corrections. However, methods and the final result are not important. Nevertheless, etching is a genuine fine art requiring high skill both at the preparation stage and in the process of obtaining direct impressions.

Contour processing

After drawing the picture on the workpiece, the master scratches all the lines with a thin sharp needle, removing the acid-resistant coating in the right places. Thus, the metal becomes accessible to the reagent only at those points where it is necessary to make indentations. The finished shabby billet is immersed in acid and the etching process begins. The bath with the drug should be covered securely to avoid splashing. In this case, it is necessary to ensure the ventilation of the room, so that the air does not concentrate poisonous acid fumes.

Chemical materials

The technique of etching is a complex technological process that requires certain conditions that ensure the safety of the artist. Negligent attitude to protective measures is unacceptable. The chemical materials used in the processing of metal workpieces for etching are quite dangerous, their negative impact on the human body must be completely neutralized or, at least, minimized. After etching, the finished cliche is washed in running water, then the leftover varnish is scraped off.

Next, the base is applied to the printing ink, which fills all the depressions. Excess paint is removed from the surface with tampons. Then, with an etching board, prints are made by pressing. The paper is pressed against the substrate under pressure, the impression is clear and contrast. Thus, the technique of etching allows you to create drawings of any complexity; The finest lines, curls, dots and scratches look quite organic. If the number of prints is calculated in tens and hundreds, then the cliché is gradually erased and loses its contrast. In this case, it is necessary to periodically update the board, cover it again with an acid-resistant varnish and deepen the drawing with etching.

Printed forms

The metal plates treated appropriately, the newly etched process, can be used a certain number of times. Each cliche is a printed form, with which etchings are made. In most cases, this is an artistic image. Engraving etching is considered one of the most interesting forms of fine art. It was developed in the beginning of the 16th century.

Creative achievements

In 1515, the famous artist Albrecht Dürer turned to the etching technique, his experiments etching metal boards became the beginning of an era of fine engraving. Dürer combined the creation of classical engravings with etchings, these two techniques for a long time had an equivalent value in his work.

The Italian artist Parmigianino, an unrivaled master of etchings, elevated them to the rank of genuine art. Later, Dutch painter Rembrandt achieved in the images of a unique game of light and shadow, in addition, he began to practice re-etching, which gave an unprecedented depth of the picture.

Aquatint

In 1765 the French painter Jean-Baptiste Leprens discovered a new technique for obtaining particularly soft halftones, reminiscent of the watercolor drawing. The technology was called "aquatint". For the image, a contour was first etched, transferred from the tracing paper by the method of piercing, then the cliché was covered in rosy places with rosin. The board was heated, the powder melted and covered the surface with a granular layer. The bright places were processed in the usual way. Aquatint was often used in combination with color printing, the unbeatable master of such a technique is considered Francisco Goya, one of the best artists-etortists in history.

Jacques Cullo

Since etching is a delicate art, the best artists of the 16th and 18th centuries tried to prove themselves in a complicated genre. However, success was accompanied only by the most talented. One of the most famous masters of etching at the beginning of the 17th century was the French painter Jacques Callot. The artist worked in the style of gloomy realism, his most famous works are included in the series "Horrors of War", and the most eloquent etching of the master is called "The Hanged".

Types of etching

In the 17th century, engraving techniques were successfully used in icon painting. The representative of the Flemish school of painting, the artist Antonis van Dyck, became an excellent etchingist, practicing sacred drawings. The art of etching made it possible to catch the subtlest nuances of icon-painting images.

Another type was the so-called reproduction etching. He was adopted by the publishing house. Virtually all the illustrations in the books published in the second half of the 18th century were executed in the etching technique. This style of image could not be better suited for literary works. Drawings turned out colorful and well conveyed the essence of the plot. Technically, the etching graphics were available, cost relatively inexpensive, and the image quality remained at a fairly high level.

Mezzo-tinto - the kind of the most laborious, but very spectacular. It is built on the use of halftones due to the "grain" of the surface of the cliche. Minimal depressions give a roughness, which, when printed, provides smooth transitions from light to shadow. Etchings made in the manner of mezzo-tinto differ in velvety and rich shades.

"Original" view - highly artistic images, which were only available to the most famous masters. For many artists, etching has become a kind of vent, thanks to which they were given the opportunity to fully realize their creative aspirations. The most outstanding engraver of the 18th century is the Italian architect Giovanni Piranesi, the author of many images of Roman city landscapes and antiquities. No less famous artists-etertists of that time were: Giovanni-Baptista Tiepolo, Francisco Goya, Antoine Watteau, Canaletto, Francois Boucher.

Revival

In the 19th century, the art of etching fell into decay, this happened under the influence of the appearance of printed technologies on a colorful basis. However, at the end of the century engraving artists re-established themselves. New etchings were no longer perceived as illustrations for book publications, they became full-fledged works of art, artistic trends in graphics. In the early 20th century, many French painters, such as Charles-Francois Dobigny, Camille Corot, and others addressed them. Specialized in the technique of etching and the Parisian impressionist painter Edward Manet. Among the Russian painters, the engraving technique was mastered by Valentin Serov and Ivan Shishkin. The American etching was James Whistler, Swedish - Anders Zorn, in Germany, Adolf Menzel worked on engravings.