Good Morning

This is a dry point etching done on a sheet of plexiglass. This was a fun picture to make. I thought the image of a sheep looking over a barn door inquisitively at me, would make a nice print. I really can't draw very well, and prefer to start with one or more photograph and merge the elements I want to keep using Photoshop. To make this image I used bottom of and old door, flipped it upside down, cropped it and added the sheep's head. Once the final image is created, the next step is to flip the image hotizontally and print it. Pictures and words need to be worked backwards so they print correct. Once printed use place a piece of plexiglass on top of the print, and using a sharp pointed tool scrtch the image into the plate. This is the most artistic phase, because you need to scratch enough lines to compose the desired finished print.

In a dry point etch, a very pointy and sharp tool is used to scratch into the material, this may be a copper plate, plexiglass, lexon or any other smooth material that will allow a line to be incised. When incising a line into the material, a small burr or rough edge is left along the edge of the line. To make the print, the entire plate is inked, then the excessed ink is wipe away, leaving ink in the incised lines, and that captured in the burr. It is the ink captured in the burr that give the image the deeper tonal qualities. Unfortunately, the number of prints that can be made is limited. With each inking and wiping, some of the burr is removed. So from time to time, the plate needs to be re-scratched, but this obviously cannot be done indefinitely.