Terror Management

Etching was originally invented as a method for adding decoration to armour during the Middle Ages. Artists began to use metal plates for printing in the 15th century, when Albrecht Durer made work on iron plates. Later artists such as Andrea Mantegna in Italy and Rembrandt in Holland went on to make etchings on copper.

Fine resin dust is applied to the surface of the etching plate, then melted from underneath to melt and harden the dots of resin. When immersed in acid the plate ‘bites’ between the aquatint resin dots, creating a distribution of tiny holes on the plate which print as a tone.

This Monday evening class is a unique opportunity to build your etching skills over the course of a year. The HAUSPRINT Etching Year is designed to provide stable building blocks for your printmaking future, whatever your starting point. Over 40 weeks you’ll be guided through a specialist programme delivered over three terms which teaches the principles of etching.