OK, step 3. Once you have what you want on your plate, you put it into the acid. The darker you want the lines, the longer you leave it in the acid. The asphalt is stopping the acid from eating away at the rest of the plate.

After the plate is done in the acid, of course, wash it off. Then, coat the plate with a thin layer of etching ink.

As Prof. Fiely says "Wipe lightly but repeatedly". This part takes some time. You want the ink to go down into the lines that the acid ate away, but you still want a clean surface. So depending on how big your plate is, you could be doing this for 15 minutes. It tends to get a little tedious but when you start to see your image appear, it's pretty cool.

Finally, you get to make a print! Lay the plate face up on the printing press. Also, you'll want to have your paper soaking in water for a few minutes, blot and lay it over the plate. The water in the paper helps to pull the ink out of the plate. Lay felt over the paper and run it through the press...

and there you have it... a print. How exciting right? Well this one needs a lot of work yet... so there will be more pictures to come. these are just the basics though. It is a LONG process to make a good piece, but thats what i really enjoy about printmaking. it's all about the process.

I want to take you through my process of making a print. A lot of people don't quite understand what I'm talking about when I say i made a print, or I'm really focused on printmaking right now, so I thought I would let you all in on what I do.

First step would be to coat your metal plate with asphalt, by melting the asphalt and using a leather roller to get a thin layer.

Next would be to transfer your image onto the plate, or go ahead and just free hand the drawing. The scratches made into the asphalt will, later on, be etched into the metal with acid. Also at this stage you can block out the areas where you don't want any accidental biting. Which tends to happen unless you block out areas. Using the asphalt and a little paint thinner, or also spray paint as blockers.

Venting

What is Art? A question I've never really had a solid answer to. But in my opinion it's not taking a picture of a flower, making in black and white and blowing it up on canvas. Now, say this this was all done a few years ago, in a dark room, making your own prints, dodging and burning, etc. ... then I would look at it as art. It's all about the process for me. Painting, pottery, printmaking, even tattooing. You have to start with an idea, sketch it out, set yourself up and make sure everything is in line, everything is prepared. Then you can start your piece. You put time, and emotion into it. Make it personal. Put your own twist on it. Even when you think your piece is done, theres always something else you think you'd like to change, or there is a way to make it better.
Don't get me wrong, i enjoy black and white. i enjoy photos. I don't enjoy when a photo of a flower, or a weed in a field gets "Best of Show" over paintings, prints, ceramics, and even glass blowing and jewelry (which i don't particularly like, but its a craft and it takes years to master, which I have respect for).  Photography is simply capturing God's creations in a moment. He did the artwork, they are just photographing it.
This is just me venting about something I saw today that really bothered me.