Artist talk: SooMin Leong

Using a sharp pointed tool like an etching needle, an image is scratched into a flat polished sheet of metal such as copper or aluminium. Plastic or card can also be used.

Soft ground was invented in the latter half of the eighteenth century as a means of reproducing the grainy qualities of chalk work. It was first used in England by Gainsborough and artists of the Norwich School.

Abrasive carborundum grit (silicon carbide) is mixed with acrylic medium or glue and painted onto a flat surface, such as plastic or metal.