Etching Session West Hove Studios

Coming soon: New Autumn Courses-
 Please register your interest via the contact form
Etching Taster Session - Half Day £55 
(Whole day dates TBC, please register your interest)
£55  2-5pm Etching Taster workshop /Intaglio introduction
Including drinks, copper etching plate & materials.
Venue: West Hove Studios, 16 Kingsthorpe Rd, Hove BN3 5HR  
 
An fantastic opportunity to work with printmaker Catherine Greenwood who has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share at the newly refurbished light airy West Hove Studios which houses a beautiful Ironbridge Press.
 
Explore the possibilities  of copper plate intaglio etching on a half day taster course, you will be introduced to the possiblities of etching, developing a copper plate from an initial drawing or tracing using a 'hard ground' method, and printing on a traditional printing press.
 
Enjoy a sustainable approach to etching without the need for harsh solvents and using contemporary materials.
Etching a plate requires patience and skills that develop slowly. In this morning you will be able to print a good proof of you first etched plate.
 
Printing on an Ironbridge press onto Somerset paper, to create a hard/soft ground copper etching. Renew your love of etching with expert guidance in a welcoming setting. 
 
By the end of the session you will have gained confidence in the etching process using ferric chloride onto copper, or refreshed your knowledge of etching,  also learning specialised inking and printing techniques such as chine collé  and à la poupé.
 
This course is a basic introduction to etching for all levels.
Returning etchers will build confidence by preparing their own second plate and developing their first one with new markmaking. The induction is in 3 steps Hard ground, soft ground and Sugarlift aqautint, roughly one 3 hour session per process.  
 
Etching is part of a rewarding printmaking tradition that has many different processes, each one taking time and patience.
 
What’s included: Copper etching plate approx. 15 x 12 cm. Use of all materials & sundries eg: Somerset etching paper, inks, tools, metal and press. You are welcome to also bring old plates to reprint, your own ink paper and materials .