Needles and feathers

More about the beloved drypoint technique : 

a copper plate ready for inking and printing,

with three etching needles, one burnisher/scraper, and a small grindstone.

The drawing was carved and scratched with the needles directly into the copper.

Therefore this is called "drypoint" because no etching liquid is used.

The plate is first completely covered with sticky etching ink, 

and then wiped with this tissue called tarlatan.

Two prints on the etching press

(they are printed one by one)

Pulling a print from the press

After only a few prints, a drypoint plate needs to be reworked or all is finished.

The pressure crushes the fragile drypoint lines.

I love this reworking, drawing many of the lines a second or a third time.

Slowly this deepens the image when it is done with the right feeling.

Two completely different prints (click to zoom)

In her wings

In her wings