Etching Summer School - 3 day course
3 day course
28, 29 and 30 July 2025
10am to 4pm
£325 including 1 x polished 20x25cm zinc plate
Our new Etching Summer School is the perfect introduction or refresher to the traditional etching techniques used for centuries to create beautiful and enduring images, printed from metal plates.
Over three consecutive days, you will learn how to plan and develop a single image on one zinc plate. Using hard ground, soft ground and aquatint to obtain different linework, textural and tonal effects, you will also learn how to use coffee and spit bite solutions to manipulate these grounds and produce painterly and subtle effects.
Once your plate has been etched multiple times, you will learn how to select and prepare paper for intaglio printing; and how to ink up, wipe and finally print your work using an etching press.
Course structure
DAY ONE
• Introduction to the different etching techniques and their applications with examples.
• Discuss and learn how to plan the development of your image.
• Prepare the plate, apply and etch a hard ground
• Learn how to ink up and wipe your plate for printing
• Pull a proof using the etching press
DAY TWO
• Review your etching proof and plan the next stage
• Learn how to apply a soft ground and create hand drawn and/ or textured impressions
• Learn how to apply a coffee lift to make painterly marks
• Pull a proof using the etching press
DAY THREE
• Learn how to apply a rosin aquatint
• Learn how to step etch different tones and experiment with spit bite
• Print a small variable edition of your final image to take home
Pre-course information
Any image preparation notes will be sent prior to the course date.
Experience level
Suitable for beginners and those wishing to refresh their skills.
Maximum 6 places
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For all courses except CPSC Certificate course
Full payment of the course fee is required when booking a place. A reserved place is not secure until full payment has been received.
If for any reason you are unable to attend, we will refund monies paid minus a £20 admin fee, as long as you cancel your place more than 1 month before the course start date.
For CPSC Certificate course
Payment for Term 1 is required when booking a place. A reserved place is not secure until this payment has been received. Payments for Terms 2 & 3 will be due at the end of the previous term. Payments for Terms 2 & 3 will be due before the first day of each term.
If for any reason prior to the commencement of the course you are unable to attend, we will refund monies paid minus a £20.00 admin fee, as long as you cancel your place more than 1 month before the course start date. Once you start the course on Term 1 you have committed to all 3 terms. Course transfers are at the discretion of Curwen Print Study Centre.
There is an option to book your place for £100 deposit. If you choose this option your place is secured. The balance of term 1 will be due 20 working days before the start of the course. If you cancel more than 20 working days before the course start date, we will refund monies paid minus a £20 admin fee. If your place is not cancelled during this timescale, and the balance is not paid then the deposit is non refundable. All other Terms & Conditions remain the same.
Curwen Print Study Centre reserves the right to cancel courses – a full refund will be made in these circumstances.
