2012-07-23

A girl's face - my first etching

Here's my first experiment with etching. This was done on a zinc plate in an introductory class, and so there is still work to be done on it. The darks are too dark in places, but I am told there are ways to fix this by burnishing back the over-etched areas.

The whole process is much more like drawing than I expected, with the additional benefit of being able to add textures. In this case the only instrument I used other than a coarse graphite pencil was my finger - you can see my fingerprints all over it.

I also learned that it may be possible to do this process at home by substituting citric acid for dilute nitric acid, which apart from being not altogether pleasant stuff also has to be purchased in industrial quantities. Someone on the course claimed that citric acid is the principle ingredient of kettle cleaner. I shall look into this.

Disclaimer: you copy anything I have done or suggest here entirely at your own risk.

2012-03-17

Three angels - the larger version

Here is the finished larger version of three angels. The smaller one that I am still working on is not intended to be a simple copy - I am still trying to express what I didn't quite manage to express in the larger version, or maybe didn't express well enough.

This version is 3 feet square.

2012-03-06

Three angels - work in progress 2

The second angel
Here is the middle angel after a bit more work. The upward gaze is very difficult to do. I think this is nearer.

2012-02-14

Three angels - work in progress

Three angels - detail
This is a detail of a painting of three angels striving upwards.

I have completed a larger version which I shall be submitting to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. In this one I am developing the theme. I'll know what it all means when I've finished it.

The expressions on the angels' faces are very important, and I haven't got there yet.