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Fine Arts · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Etching Advanced Techniques

This course dives deep into the alchemy of Intaglio. Moving beyond simple line etching, students will master tonal techniques like Aquatint and Spit Bite to create rich, painterly surfaces on copper or zinc plates. The curriculum covers complex “Viscosity Printing” (printing multiple colors from one plate based on ink oiliness) and Photo-Etching, bridging the gap between photography and traditional printmaking.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master tonal techniques: Aquatint, Spit Bite, and Sugar Lift
  2. Execute "Viscosity Printing": Simultaneous color printing using oil viscosity principles
  3. Create "Multi-Plate" color etchings with precise registration
  4. Incorporate photography through Photo-Etching (Photopolymer film)
  5. Practice advanced editioning: Chine-collé and A la Poupée inking
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Review of Intaglio: Plate Prep & Hard Ground
  2. 02Aquatint I: Rosin Box & Airbrush
  3. 03Aquatint II: Stepped Biting for Tone
  4. 04Spit Bite: Painting with Acid
  5. 05Multi-Plate Color: Registration Systems
  6. 06Deep Etch & Embossing (Blind Etch)
  7. 07Chine-collé: Bonding paper during print
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Sugar Lift: Painterly Marks
  10. 10Soft Ground: Texture & Impression
  11. 11Viscosity Printing: The Hayter Method
  12. 12Photo-Etching I: Film & Exposure
  13. 13Photo-Etching II: Developing & Biting
  14. 14A la Poupée: Multiple Colors one Plate
  15. 15Curating the Edition: Signing & Numbering
  16. 16Final Project: The Color Intaglio Suite

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Color Intaglio Suite

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. The Complete Printmaker by John Ross and Clare Romano
  2. Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials & Processes by Bill Fick
  3. Intaglio: The Complete Safety-First System for Creative Printmaking by Robert Adam
  4. New Directions in Printmaking by Krishna Reddy
  5. Magical Secrets about Aquatint by Emily York
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