etch your memory of old good creative skill – work of arts [1]

it was exciting to find some of my old collection of artworks in the dusty portfolio cases i kept under an old katil kayu [wooden bed] at my mother-in-law’s house in my kampong [village].

one still surviving is this etching art works, done during my 1 [one] year stint in AA [Architectural Association School of Architecture] London way back in 1985 before i left to further my study at Humberside College of Higher Education School of Architecture in 1986 – 1987. i did this [under the supervision of the then Mr. Steve Gettler] as part of the school’s requirement that every student must choose one art media class or workshop in the exercise of exploring their drawing skill and with the intention of giving students a better understanding of drawing technique in presenting their architectural art works.

what is etching ? etching is a form of printing technique in producing an art works.

in the process of doing etching, the line, tone and textures of the art works are obtained by corroding the plate [metal printing plate] which already had art works on it, with acid [this is what etching is referred to].

how it is done ? : first a metal [usually copper, zinc or steel] plate is covered with a waxy ground which is resistant to acid. the artist then scratches off the ground with a pointed etching needle where he/she wants a line to appear in the finished piece, so exposing the bare metal. the plate is then placed into an acid bath for about 10 to 15 minutes; after which it is taken out, rinsed with water and the ground removed with white spirit. the plate is later ready for inking up and finally the plate is then put through a high-pressure printing press together with a sheet of paper [often moistened to soften it]. the paper picks up the ink from the etched lines, making a print.

for more on etching Visit http://www.artmondo.net/printworks/articles/process.htm