Aquatint Demo with Hannah Skoonberg

[@m_therese_walsh]

Came here for a basic explanation of what an aquatint is - you explained that and more in an extremely clear, economical way with great visuals and flashes of humor to boot. SO easy to watch and learn from this. Hard to believe it's your first video. You also have a great voice, which goes a long way in making educational videos successful. Your students are lucky! Thanks.

[@emilybenton6890]

Very interesting! As someone who is learning about conservation of works of art on paper, this is very enlightening.

[@bigsleepies]

I'm a translator working on a text for an artist. Being a total newbie when it comes to etching, I came here looking to better understand the aquatint process so I can deliver a more accurate translation. Thank you so much for posting. Your video is helping me a LOT!

[@hannahskoonberg]

I don't know what language you are working with but one of my favorite terms is that the Spanish word for etching is "aguafuerte" which just translates to "strong water"

[@bigsleepies]

@@hannahskoonberg I translate from English to French and the French term is ‘eau-forte,’ so pretty much the same vibes!

[@shengjiesong7630]

Love the entire process which is therapeutic. I was a student and took printmaking class with Tony Zepeda who is the printmaking master professor at Art Center College of Design. Intaglio was my favorite, and I put lots of effort to learn the process. Your video just recalls my beautiful memories. Currently I'm a Screenprinting printmaker in China, hopefully I will work on etching someday. Thank you for the video, all the best for you!

[@hannahskoonberg]

Thank you! A fellow California printmaker! I'm glad my video is a reminder of a favorite process. This was my first video right after pandemic lockdown so it's a little rough. I plan on making more videos once we hit the fall semester. Can't have my students crowding in too close so making videos is a good solution.

[@nunyabusiness164]

I need tone!!! Thanks for explaining. Cant wait for the explanation in class haha

[@ddeegz9766]

I went down a wikipedia rabbit hole reading about Goya's etchings and was having a hard time understanding the descriptions of how they were made. This helped clear it up. Thanks. Super cool stuff.

[@hannahskoonberg]

Goya's etchings are beautiful. You picked a very nice rabbit hole.

[@inklayer1213]

Goya used a lot of hand shaken rosin bag aquatints vs a box - gives it a starry look

[@hannahskoonberg]

@@inklayer1213 This is true. If you want that larger dot look I have had good luck with a spray paint aquatint especially as the can is running low. It looks textured just like Goya.

[@muhammadashrafkhanghori8082]

Great Video Hannah Thanks a lot for information

[@kaittromans8075]

Love your scarf and the way you tied it! :)

[@alcyonecrucis]

Looks like a really cool setup you got there

[@robertallia9863]

This was a very helpful and informative video. Thank you.

[@AlessandroAued]

Great explanation, Hannah! Thanks a lot

[@AlessandroAued]

Hannah, pls post the end result. I would love to see how this work turns out. Congrats from Brazil.

[@hannahskoonberg]

I never got to finish this plate because of the pandemic. T_T

[@inklayer1213]

I would recommend a mask - that rosin can go down into your lungs -- and not a mask hung up by the aquatint box for public use like I've seen at all the schools I've been to

[@hannahskoonberg]

You are right. I didn't put one on because of the camera.

[@felixsantiagoreyes9486]

🥺🥺🥺loved the video ! I hope soon you end up getting paid by KZbin.

[@hannahskoonberg]

Thank you Felix! This was my first time making a video. T_T I miss my classes.

[@neoaureus]

Hannah.. as an introductory video... your discussion on color by numbers ( Bite ) is presuming knowledge which we hope to get. A basic definition on what it is in the beginning would be logical.

[@hannahskoonberg]

Fair enough, this video was made for my etching class at the beginning of the pandemic so I was trying to fill them in on a process they wouldn't get a chance to do in person. The main point here if you are making an aquatint yourself if that you want to keep layering the block out onto your plate and biting the plate at intervals to achieve different depths of bite. You can't clean the plate part way through the process without damaging the integrity of the aquatint. So making a value map of the different bite times will help you land all your values with one application of aquatint and several dips into the acid bath.

[@neoaureus]

@@hannahskoonberg ...interesting ...I am a photographer...sounds like Ansel Adams’ zone system .thanks.

[@hollymorrison8207]

Rosin melts perfectly at 240 degrees. 400 is too hot!

[@hannahskoonberg]

Holly, I feel it's more of an issue of the length of time it takes to melt. I was brought up in a print shop that melts the rosin over an open flame. So it can be a very quick very hot process. I'm glad you are getting good results with your lower temp. With a slower melt time / cooler temp I find it can be harder for my students to see the transition to transparent on the surface of the rosin. I also think the grind of the rosin is a factor, you may be working with a more finely ground rosin which gives you less textured aquatints and melts faster while in my shop we may have a coarser grind in the box. The coarser grind is a little more student proof on accidently over biting in the acid.

[@NasserAlhameli]

Thank you so much for the great vid! I do photopolymer gravure... But I would like to do Aquatint... Please advice me of a good book for learning Aquatint

[@hannahskoonberg]

Aquatint was the traditional under layer when making old school photo gravures, But I think with your process you are putting the dot texture into the image itself? A great book on aquatint is Magical Secrets of Etching and Aquatint by Crown point press

[@NasserAlhameli]

@@hannahskoonberg Thank you Hannah!

[@thegfxmech5475]

[@murtadhaahmedalkhazali]

You are so pretty 😍 ... Continue

[@harshkumarsoni5211]

I'm confused.Why painting on plate instead of paper. 🤔😅

[@hannahskoonberg]

With the plate your image is bit as a texture into the metal. This means you can wipe ink against the metal and print multiple of the same image. At the end of the day the plate is the tool and not the finished artwork.