Aesop's Fable Research 10

The Process For Creating Aquatint Etchings

STEPHEN MCMILLAN

I was inspired enough by McMillan's work that I decided to keep a link ('attached to STEPHEN MCMILLAN') of his work and his processes so that I could refer back if I ever intend to create aquatint etchings myself in the future. I would be able to begin learning his ways and continue to practice until I managed to create such aesthetically pleasing images like his own.

Aesop's Fable Research 9

Aquatint Etching

STEPHEN MCMILLAN

Since he received his BFA from UCSC in 1975, he has focused on creating aquatint etchings of wilderness landscapes, drawn freehand from photographs he has taken.

Stephen McMillan's aquatint etchings cause my attention instantly as I was scrolling through a large amount of aquatint etching images. The amount of detail I saw was unbelievable and I was unaware that such detail could be created using a process like aquatint etching. I aim to remember his work as influence for the future if I ever decide to create a detailed and textured image with different media and methods.

Aesop's Fable Research 8

Drypoint Etching

JOHN DOUGLAS PIPER

The close attention to the crafting of a line and of an object, so central to John’s creative education and work, lends itself particularly well to the highly exacting medium of dry-point etching. John moved from drawing to dry-point printing after coming to Cambridge and, as he states, this is an unhurried process developed in the 15th-century and most suitable for the artist trained in drawing. John’s dry-point etchings focus on the theme of British wildlife, on the flora and fauna native to our isles, and he has a delightful and delicate touch when capturing the pose and poise of his subjects.

When I first came across these etchings I thought they were more like pencil drawings. The amount of detail and the use of different tones make the etchings appear realistic and almost 3D like. After coming across these images I will aim to also create a rather realistic looking etching despite my design having a cartoony look, but I will adapt my design to try and accomplish this task.

Aesop's Fable Research 7

A Beginners Guide to Drypoint

ARTISTS AND ILLUSTRATORS

On the labels of prints with scratchy, seemingly hand-drawn images, you will often see the term ‘drypoint’, but what exactly does it involve?

The process is like using a pen without the ink – literally, drawing with a dry point – to create an impression of a drawing that, when inked, can be printed from again and again.

Think of it as an etching without the acid, or engraving with an etching needle. Whistler and Picasso are two artists worth looking at for examples of this type of work. 

The soft, feathery lines of drypoint lend themselves to playful illustrations or expressive sketches, which can then produce an edition of prints. Traditionally drypoint is done on copper plates with a diamond- or carbide-tipped needle. It is then inked (as in all intaglio methods) and cleaned, leaving ink only in the crevices. The force of the printing press then squeezes out the remaining ink and the image is transferred onto the paper – this requires tremendous pressure that cannot be applied by hand (hence the necessity of a press). If you are serious about intaglio printmaking, you will want to find a studio with a press.

But before you go gallivanting into the abyss or dismissing it entirely, how about trying it at home? A DIY print can be created using drypoint card or any card that is laminated on one side (like card from a cereal box) for the plate, a nail or other sharp implement to make the drawing, and a rolling pin, bayer or hand-made palm-press to press it.

Prepare the Plate

Drypoint or intaglio printing card is available from printing shops and is simply cardboard that is laminated on one side. You can draw into ordinary mountboard instead and then varnish it with button polish before using it to print. Try something small, between A5 and A6 size, for convenience.

Transfer the Image

Plan or transfer your image onto the plate using tracing paper and a soft pencil or, if you want to keep the freshness the drawing, just grab your drawing tool and get going. You need to break the surface of the card to create the burr that will hold the ink later. And don’t forget that your image will print in reverse!

Don't Just Scratch the Surface

Experiment by using other tools to make marks in the surface. Sandpaper can create interesting textures or an impression of shading. Improvise with tools: you may have embossing or sculpture tools, sewing needles or nails lying around the house – try them all.

Scrape on the Inks

If you are using laminated card then you can ink your plate up straight away. If you use ordinary mountboard, you need to varnish it first using button polish. Scrape a thin layer of intaglio printing ink evenly across the whole plate, making sure it gets into the grooves. Blot most of it off the surface with rags or newspaper.

Print Away!

Soak a piece of heavy paper and then blot excess water. Make sure you are working on a nonslip surface (buy non-slip material or rubbery cleaning cloths). Use a clipboard to hold everything in place and layer it thus: non-slip material, plate, damp paper, newspaper and then a soft, thick fabric, e.g. felt. If you don’t have a clipboard, improvise with a bulldog clip and board. Use a rolling pin, bayer or anything that will allow you to apply pressure evenly. Peel back the paper carefully to see your print.

Aesop's Fable Research 6

Etching Processes

WIKI

WIKI

Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate (or "matrix") with a hard-pointed "needle" of sharp metal or diamond point. Traditionally the plate was copper, but now acetate, zinc, or plexiglas are also commonly used. Like etching, drypoint is easier for an artist trained in drawing to master than engraving, as the technique of using the needle is closer to using a pencil than the engraver's burin.

Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching. In intaglio printmaking, the artist makes marks on the matrix (in the case of aquatint, a copper or zinc plate) that are capable of holding ink. The inked plate is passed through aprinting press together with a sheet of paper, resulting in a transfer of the ink to the paper. This can be repeated a number of times, depending on the particular technique.

Like etching, aquatint uses the application of acid to make the marks in the metal plate. Where the engraving technique uses a needle to make lines that print in black (or whatever color ink is used), aquatint uses powdered rosin to create a tonal effect. The rosin is acid resistant and typically adhered to the plate by controlled heating. The tonal variation is controlled by the level of acid exposure over large areas, and thus the image is shaped by large sections at a time.

Another tonal technique, mezzotint, begins with a plate surface that is evenly indented so that it will carry a fairly dark tone of ink. The mezzotint plate is then smoothed and polished to make areas carry less ink and thus print a lighter shade. Alternatively, beginning with a smooth plate, areas are roughened to make them darker. Occasionally these two techniques are combined.

Aesop's Fable Research 5

Etching

REMBRANDT

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art and the most important in Dutch history. His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the Dutch Golden Age when Dutch Golden Age painting, although in many ways antithetical to the Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative.

Rembrandt's etching are rather expressive and abstract but still identifiable. The lines appear free and loosely done but detail can be seen on the faces of the subjects. I'd refer back to and use Rembrandt's images as an influence when it comes to creating my etchings, but currently I'm thinking of taking a neat and tidy approach as my image is slightly cartoony and humorous. 

Aesop's Fable Research 4

Etchings

MARC CHAGALL

In 1927, Chagall began working on another project for Vollard, a series of etchings illustrating 'The Fables of La Fontaine'.

Chagall now foregoes the application of aqua tint and use of the rocking tool; also dry point technique is scarcely evident. Instead, he does everything by means of etching, and covers the engraved surface with stopping out varnish, a combination that makes for intensive painterly effects. The etching needle draws the most delicately ramified foliage and bush patterns, the texture of plumage and soft fur, and through shadings and cross-hatchings gives a range of tonalities, from white to a deep black. Thus each picture is the result of a long series of working stages in the course of which the pictorial design in light and dark is slowly worked out in a process comparable to the building up of the colour structure in a painting.

Although Chagall's images come across very atmospheric and textured, I'm not sure if I'm a fan of how its displaying the specific fables. At a first glance I wouldn't have guessed what the fable was straight away but after studying the individual images I was able to work them out. The etchings show great depth and I'd like to be able to show that in my etchings too. I aim to make my etchings would rather pristine and have the 'carefully done' look but also present a textured and atmospheric look.

Aesop's Fable Research 3

Etchings

FRANCIS BARLOW

All images are from Aesop's Fables with His Life: in English, French & Latin... Second edition (first published in 1666; virtually all copies of the first edition were destroyed in the great fire of London of 1666).

Francis Barlow (English, 1626 - 1704) An accomplished painter, etcher, and book illustrator, Francis Barlow was the leading bird and animal artist in 17th century England. Because of his talent for depicting animals, it is only fitting that Barlow made a contribution to the well established European tradition of Aesopic illustration with his own designs for Aesop Fables. Barlow's edition of Aesop Fables, published in 1666, is one of his most well known works. The interpretive, almost naive illustrations of creatures are skillfully rendered in physical detail and the sense of active motion. Each print includes the fable and moral in English and Latin. French text verso.

Barlow seems to make the lines of the characters and foreground rather strong which takes away the subtlety that is usually the main attraction when creating an etching. Fine lines usually clot when it comes to etching but Barlow has avoided this through the openness of his lines. His etchings are extremely detailed and present great texture and shading which I will be hoping to achieve when creating my etchings.

Aesop's Fable Research 2

The Mischievous Dog

WIKI

The story concerns a dog that bites the legs of others. Its master therefore ties a bell around its neck to warn people. The dog, thinking the bell is a reward, shows it off in the streets until an older dog reminds him that the bell is not a reward but a sign of disgrace. Victorian editors of the fables supplied the moral that 'notoriety is often mistaken for fame'.

TALES WITH MORALS

A Dog used to run up quietly to the heels of those he met, and to bite them without notice. His master sometimes suspended a bell about his neck, that he might give notice of his presence wherever he went, and sometimes he fastened a chain about his neck, to which was attached a heavy clog, so that he could not be so quick at biting people's heels.

The Dog grew proud of his bell and clog, and went with them all over the marketplace. An old hound said to him: "Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself? That bell and clog that you carry are not, believe me, orders of merit, but, on the contrary, marks of disgrace, a public notice to all men to avoid you as an ill mannered dog."

I chose this fable as it has always been one of my favourites, and the quote 'notoriety is often mistaken for frame' is a strong and cleverly thought quote which I've always admired. I always thought this fable applied to our dog - Nige, who when he was a puppy would go around the living room in circles nipping at everyone's feet almost as though it was a game of Russian roulette

Aesop's Fable Research 1

Aesop's Fables

WIKI

• The Ant and the Grasshopper
• The Ape and the Fox
• The Ass and his Masters
• The Ass and the Pig
• The Ass Carrying an Image
• The Ass in the Lion's Skin
• The Astrologer who Fell into a Well
• The Bird-catcher and the Blackbird
• The Bear and the Travelers
• The Beaver
• The Belly and the Other Members
• The Bird in Borrowed Feathers
• The Boy Who Cried Wolf
• The Cat and the Mice
• The Cock and the Jewel
• The Cock, the Dog and the Fox
• The Crow and the Pitcher
• The Crow and the Sheep
• The Crow and the Snake
• The Deer without a Heart
• The Dog and its Reflection
• The Dog and the Wolf
• The Dove and the Ant
• The Farmer and the Stork
• The Farmer and the Viper
• The Fir and the Bramble
• The Fisherman and the Little Fish
• The Fowler and the Snake
• The Fox and the Crow
• The Fox and the Grapes
• The Fox and the Mask
• The Fox and the Sick Lion
• The Fox and the Stork
• The Fox and the Weasel
• The Fox and the Woodman
• The Frog and the Mouse
• The Frog and the Ox
• The Frogs and the Sun
• The Frogs Who Desired a King
• The Goat and the Vine
• The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs
• Hercules and the Wagoner
• The Honest Woodcutter
• The Horse and the Donkey
• The Lion and the Fox
• The Lion and the Mouse
• The Lion's Share
• The Lion, the Bear and the Fox
• The Man with two Mistresses
• The Mischievous Dog
• The Miser and his Gold
• The Mountain in Labour
• The Mouse and the Oyster
• The North Wind and the Sun
• The Oak and the Reed
• The Old Man and Death
• The Old Woman and the Doctor
• The Rose and the Amaranth
• The Satyr and the Traveller
• The Sick Kite
• The Snake and the Crab
• The Snake and the Farmer
• The Snake in the Thorn Bush
• The Tortoise and the Birds
• The Tortoise and the Hare
• Town Mouse and Country Mouse
• The Travellers and the Plane Tree
• The Trees and the Bramble
• The Trumpeter Taken Captive
• The Two Pots
• Venus and the Cat
• The Walnut Tree
• Washing the Ethiopian white
• The Wolf and the Crane
• The Wolf and the Lamb
• The Woodcutter and the Trees
• The Young Man and the Swallow