The Peacock And the Crane
THE FABLE:
The peacock was making fun of the crane and criticizing his colour:
“I am dressed in gold and purple,” he said. “you wear nothing beautiful on your wings.”
“But I,” replied the crane, “sing near to the stars and I mount up to the heights of heaven. You, like the cockerels, can only mount the hens below.”
MORAL:
It would be better to be renounced and in poor garments than to live without honour in rich attire.
WHAT IS AN ETCHING?:
An Etching is a handmade print from an etched metal plate; the artwork/design on the plate having been created and engraved by the artist.
You can place an order on another handmade print, then I can get one pressed for you.
PRINTMAKING: HANDMADE PRINTS:
Printmaking; (not to be confused with Giclee, commercial and affordable, digitally reproduced colour copies of an original painting) is a highly physical, time consuming and industrial process – hence the term, Handmade! Therefore, Each Handmade Print is an original so no 2 pressings from the same plate, no matter how hard one tries, is going to be identical to the other. They are pricier for a reason!
THE NATURE OF HANDMADE PRINTS FROM THE SAME PLATE:
Printmaking is versatile; a print from the same plate can be produced by the artist using a different colour of ink or a blend of coloured inks.
TO ORDER A HANDMADE PRINT WHICH IS OUT OF STOCK, I WILL NEED A DEPOSIT:
In order to prepare and etch a plate, and to use the Print Press, I have to hire Kew Studio for the day so that I can use their equipment. If you’d like a particular handmade print, but it is Out Of Stock, contact me to place an order so that I can book a slot at Kew and get one produced. To do this, I will need a small deposit!
AN IN DEPTH DESCRIPTION:
THE INTAGLIO PRINTMAKING PROCESS:
The opposite of Relief Printing, Intaglio; (of which Etching/Aquatint&Mezzotint) are a part), is an image or design incised or engraved into a metal plate by the artist for the purpose of making handmade prints.
WHAT IS AN ETCHING?:
Etching is part of the Intaglio family and began in the 14th Century as a way of decorating metal, but was only used for printmaking from around the early 16th Century. An Etching is a Handmade Print from an etched metal plate; the artwork/design on the plate having been composed and engraved by the artist.
The plate is prepared with an acid resistant ground. Lines are drawn into the ground exposing the metal. The metal plate is then submerged acid that ‘bites’ into the drawn lines creating incisions. The acid resist is removed and ink is applied to the sunken lines; the excess ink is wiped from the surface of the plate which is then placed against paper and passed through a printing press with great pressure to transfer the ink from the incised lines.