The majority of the work on this site is made through the process of copperplate etching, specifically the process of hard ground etching. For this process, a thin layer of waxy resist is applied to a sheet of copper. After scratching through this resist with an etching needle or scribe to expose the underlying copper, the plate is placed in a bath of Ferric chloride to ‘bite’ the design into the surface of the plate. 

To print the plate as an intaglio print, the waxy ground is removed and stiff ink is applied to the surface of the plate and pushed into the incised lines. The surface or raised areas of the plate are then wiped clean so that the ink remains only in the lines. The plate is then placed on the bed of a printing press with a sheet of dampened rag paper and several wool blankets. The plate, paper and blankets are then pushed through the press under great pressure. The plate can be printed in this manner multiple times.

For color, I apply watercolor to create slightly varied prints within an edition. 

In the below video, I demonstrate how I created a copperplate etching for Wicked Bugs.