Etching

An intaglio technique with a visual result similar to drawing. Etched lines are usually free: the artist draws with a sharp tool through a soft coating (usually wax-based) on the plate. The plate is then placed into an acid bath, where the acid eats away, or ​“bites,” the exposed metal of the incised lines leaving the areas that are coated with ground untouched. The artist can achieve a broad range of tone by controlling the time the plate spends in the acid-bath.