Studio Tour - The Technique of Color Etching 1. Biting the zinc plate

My etchings start with zinc plates. I paint or draw the image on it with any medium that resists acid, such as wax pencil, wax crayon, or asphaltum liquid. The design is in reverse (mirror image). Then the plate goes into an etching bath with acid. The acid bites out exposed - undrawn or unpainted - areas. I clean the plate. The sharp sides of the plate are filed so they will not cut into the paper or the press when it gets printed. Sometimes, as in Temujin, I cut up pieces of the zinc.