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Chine-Collé Etched Print

Create an adorable etched print with this Chine-collé printmaking technique.

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-221 -- More Projects »
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Project by Laura Zeck from Seattle, Wash.
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Laura Zeck of Seattle, Wash., first learned about printmaking in the 3rd grade but wasn’t very interested. Later, while attending art school, she entered into a dare with a classmate, in which the loser had to take an elective of the winner’s choosing. Luckily, she lost and her classmate chose a printmaking class, which sparked some interest the second time around. Although she held jobs as a waitress, an art director, a writer and a headhunter, she eventually returned to her passion for printmaking.

Materials:

tracing paper
pencil
zinc etching plate
hard ground acid-resistant coating
paintbrush
nitric acid
baking soda
brush or feather
photo trays
water
protective respirator
industrial strength rubber gloves
various texture making tools
medical latex gloves
ink
palette knife
Easy Wipe compound (ink)
glass surface
cheesecloth
newsprint
Japanese paper (several colors)
scissors
water bottle
wheat paste
mat board
Italian paper suitable to etching process
blotting papers
rolling pin
etching press
felts
poplar wood
Masonite board
sandpaper
wood finish
archival book binding glue
rubber roller
craft knife
drill
screws
wax
hairdryer
scrub brush
odorless mineral spirits
artist white tape
orange pumice soap

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Figure A
Steps:

1. Draw a chosen sketch on tracing paper.

2. Paint a blank etching plate with hard ground (coating) until it is completely covered and let dry to the touch for 15 minutes to an hour depending on the thickness of the hard ground and humidity (figure A).

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Figure B
3. Lay the sketch over the hard ground and transfer the image onto the plate by tracing over the sketch with a pencil. As you draw on the hard ground you are removing the ground and exposing the plate. Remove the sketch and trace the outlines again with the pencil to completely remove the hard ground lines (figure B).
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Figure C
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Figure D
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Figure E
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Figure F
4. Transfer the plate with finished drawing to a tray of nitric acid. Use a mixture of one part nitric acid to eight parts water. It is important to wear protective gloves and a respirator and to work in a well-ventilated area. Baking soda can be used to neutralize the acid and should be available in case of emergency. While the plate is bathing in the acid, check on it several times and brush the bubbles away from the drawing using a paintbrush (figure C). When the etching is finished, pull it from the acid, rinse with water and check to make sure the etched lines are the desired depth. Clean the hard ground off the plate with a scrub brush and odorless mineral spirits (figure D). After the ground is removed clean it with an orange pumice soap (figure E).

5. Create marks and textures on the plate with hand tools (figure F).

6. Trace shapes on the plate to create a pattern.

7. Trace shapes on various colors of Japanese paper and cut out shapes.

Also in this Episode
That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-221
•Chine-Collé Etched Print
•Copper Mood Lamp
•Bottle Cap Collage Mirror
•Copper Frog
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