Wednesday 23 April 2014

Testing to destruction

I’ve learned a lot over the past few days about what I can and can’t do with aluminium and copper sulphate. I’ve also found that spit bite with these materials is a lot easier than I had imagined.

I’m fairly please with one of the prints. The starting point for this one had an image already partly worked on it and you can still see more of that in the background than I would like.

The other two plates I managed to ruin completely but I’ve enjoyed the journey.

4 comments:

  1. I loved reading about and watching your progress with these prints Jac. The result of this plate is lovely, and at the end of the day it doesn't matter about the other two because you would have learnt heaps from the making and wrecking.

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    1. Thanks. I certainly learned that hand tools are better for me than electrical ones. The dremel is going back into the cupboard

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  2. I am still fascinated by what a spit bite is? I know so little…
    This plate looks great and as Susan said - you learn a lot from the things you throw away.

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  3. Spit bite is where you apply the acid (or in this case copper sulphate soloution) dierctly to selected areas of the plate with a brush.
    I used an outline of oil pastel to stop it bleeding out of the area I wanted to etch and a very strong solution (equal parts copper sulphate and table salt in as little water as it would take to dissolve them). I also used a cheap chinese painiting brush to apply it, This has a good point and no metal in the ferrule for the mordant to eat

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