Next Step in the Printmaking Process.

Grounding the Plate.

The polished copper plate has been cleaned with vinegar-salt water to remove tarnish and degreased with a paste of whiting (chalk powder) and ammonia water. The degreasing process assures that the hard ground adheres well to the smooth copper plate.

The clean plate is warmed on a hotplate and the hard ground, which is a waxy, tar-like substance, is applied with a small brush. The warm ground flows out into a thin, even coating over the plate. The plate is placed back on the hotplate to evaporate the solvents and begin the drying. After the plate has smoked a few minutes, it is removed to a cool surface to harden. After the plate has cooled and the ground hardened, the plate is ready to be worked.

Next: Scribing the image into the hard ground coating.

My attitude about printmaking is not necessarily about printmaking.

It's about making the best kind of image I can...

It's about talking as clearly as I can.

Stephen M. Perry