copperplate etching
KYOKO IMAZU, ARTIST
How were you introduced to printmaking? I was introduced to techniques like etching, monoprinting and screenprinting in 2005, through a diploma course in Melbourne. It was like finding a missing puzzle piece; the excitement I felt when an image revealed itself after peeling paper off a matrix has stayed with me after many years. My first copper etching was a series depicting the Seven Deadly Sins with animals.
Why did you choose to pursue copper etching over other printmaking techniques? I’ve been hugely influenced by Goya’s etching and aquatint series Los Caprichos, Albrecht Dürer’s engraving Knight, Death and the Devil, and Rembrandt’s etchings. Another reason is that etching is perfect for including the tiniest details – like animal furs – that other media cannot achieve.
What was copper etching originally used for? The first etchings were used to decorate armour. Instead of engraving, etching was a much faster way to achieve detail. After that, artists started printing on paper to spread information.
First, I apply an acid-resistant ground (a mixture mostly made of bitumen, beeswax and resin) to a copper plate, then I draw on it with an etching needle, like I would with a pen. The needle removes the ground as I draw, exposing bare copper. Once the drawing is complete, I submerge the plate in a corrosive
