Etching Workshop✒

 For this weeks workshop, I chose an etching one. Out of all 3 that were on offer, I thought this one would suit my aims the best. I had been looking at line drawings previously, so it seemed to be the most beneficial!

After picking out two designs I liked the most, we had to go through a long process of preparing the metal place. With de-greasing, washing, burning, adding the actual designs onto the metal with a sharp object, soaking them and cleaning, it took a considerable amount of time before we could actually print.

I found it really interesting learning about why you have to do each process, all just so you can print from the plate.

Some images I took from the workshop:

Once they were finally finished, you apply the ink and use the press. After the process above, we didn't have too much time with the actual designs. I chose to do some in black, just to initially see the design, and then picked blue and pink as my two colours - stereotypical to my current topic.

I would have liked some more time, to experiment and see what other outcomes I could have got, with different colours, placement, layering, etc, but the ones I created, I do really enjoy. 

I feel each one has something about it. The way it's just one line, and your eye focuses on that one individual is something I think is really important about these. Similar to the Rosie James approach, focusing on that one person in a large crowd. Regardless of our gender, we are all just humans, with the same worth and the same needs. 

I was thinking about large scale anyway, but this workshop just enhanced that idea. As I move forward, I think I want to explore this. Seeing what I can do with the designs and how I can go forward with the project in this way.

Some pages from my sketchbook, documenting this workshop: