Etching Metal Upside down?
November 22nd, 2008 WendyLee Posted in Etching Metal, Techniques | No Comments »
In all the tutorials I have read about etching it says to place your metal piece being etched upside down. You can do this by using masking tape, sponges, styrofoam the list of flotation devices goes on.
Surely you didn;’t have to be so technical when etching, Couldn’t you just place the metal in the Ferric choride and walk away leaving it to work its magic. Upon your return you have a beautifully etched piece? Well you can do it this way and you get deposits of metal on the piece being etched. Now all the instructions tell you this is wrong and this is NOT what you want. BUTTTTTT I quite like it. The appearance is very antique.
The pictures below are of a piece of Brass that I etched in Ferric Chloride, the resist was PNP paper. I just left the metal in the bottom of the tray face up. The solution that I used was an old solution in which copper, brass and nickel silver had been etched in previously. The piece has deposits of copper and who knows what else is on it. The colours are some gorgeous greens and coppers. I added nothing to the plate after it came out these colurs have occurred naturally after sitting on the becnch for a day being exposed to the air.
I have lightly sanded the etched pattern to show the contrast.
Whilst etching like this is not going to suit all your projects I think it does have its place and can create some very interesting reactions. I should also point out that I don;t think this reaction is solely due to an old solution being used. As I have used old solutions many times over but have placed the piece upside down and have not had any deposits on the metal.
I would love to see if anyone else has etched like this and the interesting reactions they have achieved
Leave a Reply