2nd Laser Assist Etching

After an encouraging first try with a laser assisted etching (with the simplest drawing in my book), we tried a more complex drawing from my book to make a second laser assisted etching (Nov 3 and 4).

Final print, January 2019

Manuel Guerra made the final print above, at Horned Toad Prints studio in El Paso, using Van Dyke color ink.  This is for the Ambos Lados International Print Exchange.

Update:  Proof made at Remarque on Nov 9,

after the black spray paint ground was removed

The plate an a quick proof,

without taking off the spray paint grounds yet

After spray painting a copper plate, we downloaded drawing 150 from my book, and edited it in XnView -- image/Convert to Binary/Binary(Pattern) -- to simplify the drawing for the laser cutter. 

Massaging the drawing on the computer, 

before sending it to the laser cutter

Darren ran the laser cutter for me at QueLab,

to cut the black spray paint off the copper plate,

exposing my drawing

The results were not perfect -- the background etched, and the weaker gray lines got darker, blurring out all the detail in the neck, for instance.

The results were not perfect --

 the result was blurred, 

compared to the image we downloaded

So before etching the plate in ferric chloride, I drew on it with Sharpie markers.  The Sharpies act as a resist, preventing the copper from being etched.  Therefore I drew into the more open areas (wider lines) of the laser cut lines.

Black spray paint 

was laser cut off the copper plate,

and I drew on the plate again with Sharpie markers,

before etching

We etched the plate for 30 minutes in ferric chloride

Mike Kimball looked at the plate with a loop

20 minutes into the etch,

and said we should etch it ten more minutes,

making the first etch 30 minutes

Without taking off the black spray paint ground, we printed the first proof with Akua black ink.

UGLY

The first proof,

30 minute etch,

with Akua black ink

Mike Kimball suggested an "aquatint" because some of the etched lines looked too thick, and would not hold ink when wiped. So we added a light dusting of black spray paint over the whole copper plate -- a kind of aquatint technique -- and etched the plate for 30 more minutes in ferric chloride.

We dusted the plate with black spray paint,

to make an "aquatint"

Then we etched the plate 30 minutes more, after the spray paint "aquatint."  The total etching time in ferric chloride was then one hour.

After the second etch,

the plate smeared when rubbed,

in a sort of wet chalk like way

The plate was completely washed,

but we left the ground on

We did a proof without taking the spray paint ground off.  The results are promising, after the spray paint "aquatint" and etching 30 minutes longer (one hour total).

Proof after one hour etch,

without taking off the spray paint ground

I then cleaned the spray paint grounds off the copper plate with Safest Stripper, which I bought at ACE Hardware.

Safest Stripper

Safest Stripper took the paint off pretty easily

Update (Nov 22):  Manuel Guerra scrapped my plate, taking out most of the mechanic noise, and proofed it in El Paso:

Proof after the plate was scrapped

It looks like a little residue remained

after the plate was scraped, 

but the noise was not a real distraction anymore