Prints II
March 1990
Warner Roberts Gallery, Palo Alto, CA

Traditionally, reproduction of a toned drawing in etching has been a long process – many steps removed from the original drawing. First, etchers must redraw the picture in reverse onto the etching plate so that a right-reading image can be printed. Then, to produce a variety of tones, aquatint must be applied to the plate and areas must be successively stopped-out prior to each immersion in the acid bath.

Searching for a more direct method, I developed a new technique whereby an etcher can offset an original toned drawing onto a blank metal plate which, after aquatinting and a single acid biting, will produce a right-reading, fully-toned print. Many scoffed, laughed, nay, lifted their eyebrows at my quest - but were proven incorrect after a year of experimentation and rummaging around through potentially suitable household products.

All of the following prints are products of the new technique I developed that year -- the drawing-transfer aquatint.