From Paper to Copper: The Engraver's Process (2009)

A demonstration by Andrew Stein Raftery, Associate Professor of Printmaking, Rhode Island School of Design. In this video Andrew Raftery creates a copper engraving with the same methods done by the old masters of Europe. This project was created to celebrate "The Brilliant Line" an engraving exhibition at RISD's Museum of Art. Video shot and directed by Eric Meier (RISD 1986). Editing in collaboration with Collin William (RISD MFA 2010).
This video was produced in 2009.

[@Thisworldisagoner]

I did my bachelors in Art History and my roomie was a print-making major who did soo many engraving and etchings throughout our years together. I would be filled with wonder and respect for her on how hard she would work so hard over each and every print, sweating and crying and sometimes even bleeding from cuts by the sharp edges of the plates. In those years I learned so much through her about these processes while she worked in the room before taking the prints.

[@juanmendez3212]

You don’t need a bachelors degree for tracing sketches.

[@Thisworldisagoner]

@@juanmendez3212 bro, if you think thats what it is, you need to learn a little bit more before you comment. Maybe yeah we dont need a bachelors to learn engraving, then the person needs to put in a similar amount of time to the practice. A bachelors degree does that, allows people to put in years into the practice.

[@juanmendez3212]

@@Thisworldisagoner I do engraves. Nothing hard about it but I get it. Seems some of y’all got all sensitive. Funny stuff I tell ya

[@Thisworldisagoner]

@@juanmendez3212 wow you must have the gift from god then. Since its so easy for you. Well good for you

[@juanmendez3212]

@@Thisworldisagoner bow down to the all mighty.

[@aomarlargo]

I have a whole new found respect for engravers.

[@altar7885]

I feel like that cross hatching technique is really the whole thing. Pity we didn't see more of it.

[@danieldmyers]

100% what brought me here too

[@devinmichaelroberts9954]

thats the secret.. why would you feel entitled to know it for free?

[@altar7885]

@@devinmichaelroberts9954 Hhh... I just clicked on a video entitled "the engraver's process", but doesn't show the process, because according to you it's a "secret"... Keep your secret, I'm not one of the 3 people in this country who care, let alone pay for it. The real question is: why would the poster feel entitled to post clickbait and not be called a douchebag?

[@devinmichaelroberts9954]

@@altar7885 do you even understand english?

[@lois3356]

Exactly what I wanted, to see the etching part, the different tools. I can't find any video out there showing how they made those perfect hatching back in the 18th century...

[@jessefoulk]

That is amazing. The whole process

[@walterbenjamin1386]

Beautifully done. Such skill.

[@esramirezart]

I love this video. Thank you very much for sharing it with us. I watch it quite often.

[@KeithDvorak]

Stunning! Thank you for sharing this!

[@gervasiorobles1056]

thank you for this demonstration and share the ancient knowledge on engraving

[@WondrousEarth]

A complex process carefully done, wonderful to see the steps taken and your expertise!

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

Fascinating! Looks like a painstaking process but the results are wonderful.

[@kimhungrige8522]

Absolutely gorgeous. You are a true master at your art. I love that you adhere to the old ways of engraving. It came out so beautiful.

[@powerobxxx]

Wow, I was looking at other videos for a project I am doing and yours was in the view pane, so glad I had a look, what a stunning process. Great video

[@nellpolyhigh]

This is fascinating. My husband's great grandfather was a Copper Plate Printer and this shows what an artist he was.

[@vicorkit]

What a wonderful process to behold, and a beautiful result!

[@hamANDmeat]

Wow, got chills from that reveal. Incredible work.

[@rossfletcher4362]

Thanks for the demonstration, a wonderful skilled process!

[@leventoespinado]

so much effort and great work! I appreciate it

[@joshuasmith2486]

Thanks for this. I'm presently studying into the history of Graphic Design and needed to see a visual example of Copperplate printing to properly get it. This has helped me get a better understanding of the process. Thank you :)

[@robertaugust7425]

I find the entire process fascinating and beautiful. I am amazed by us human beings, especially when you consider how long ago this process was started. This was the super computing technology of its day. Thanks to all the people keeping it alive and probably rediscovering a lot of this history and artistry. Knowing others are out there doing things like this makes me proud to be a modern person. Great video...

[@kellybrown685]

Wow. What a beautiful end result. Thank You formsharing this!

[@simonedoherty6195]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful process and result

[@rescatadodeltiempo]

Impresionante trabajo, mis felicitaciones y gracias por publicar este documental.

[@grahamrowe3940]

I'm writing an academic article on a natural history book published in 1805 that contained, for that time, particularly elegant copper engravings. This video really helped me understand the engraving process. Thanks for taking the trouble.

[@garyphillips1127]

Lots of patience. Beautiful results.

[@anandpanchal6390]

Million of thanks for share your precious experience

[@kevinm3850]

Andrew is an amazing engraver. Fantastic video.

[@arspraestigium1]

Superb work, thanks for the demonstration!

[@BlueLineofthesky]

This art is fascinating. And it is amazing that it is still alive in our modern times with all printers and IT technology. True art will never die!

[@keepyourshoesathedoor]

You got me until you said true art...dude...come on. It’s actually better off to make prints of artwork to sell it and charge even more money for the original prints just to get them out there then to just make the originals. Secondly, printmaking is to printers as water is to H₂O. Both are equivalent in efficiency as well as well as being a medium. Presses and printers don’t have to exist, we could just do everything by hand. I’m sure you could replicate the art the people did with some cheap BIC pens and a loose leaf paper and draw it over and over. Or is the subject on the medium more important? If someone created the same artwork on photoshop and somebody else did some trash unrealistic not classy art with a copper plate and a printing press would it be true art? I mean, I ask myself these questions as an art major quite often because my professor is a bonehead and says crap like this. Printers are exactly the same as a printing press except printers are more efficient, tend to make things very similar looking and uniform, and are consistent with printing colors. Is it really the technology or you just really like the art? Also IT means information technology.

[@BlueLineofthesky]

@@keepyourshoesathedoor Hi. I really appreciate your elaborate comment. In my opinion, it is an art because of the process. Engraving on metal by hand or using acids, drawing, knowing your process and materials is making it a form of art. Today, machines can do almost everything. But when you use a pen to draw on metal and then use chemicals to etch...is a process that I consider art. I work with metal so I understand what he is doing. Art is not just unique items. I do some linoleum printing from time to time. I carve my designs in my hand. Sometimes I apply them on metal and I etch. From there is a wide range of possibilities. Every person who is using old techniques to make beautiful things...is an artist in my opinion. Of course, every person sees things differently. When Guttenberg printed the first pages...it was a productive multiplying or a form of art?

[@mesofius]

@@keepyourshoesathedoor ah, I remember when I was a douchebag college student. Don't worry, you'll grow out of it.

[@georgeinglis255]

Thanks for that great demonstration. One thing stands out, apart from the skill and knowledge, and years of practice involved in becoming a proficient engraver, and that's the amount of physical space needed to do this. Great video.

[@rjwh67220]

How wonderful! Thank you.

[@Detman101]

That is amazing work!

[@poitaots5054]

The print looked so good too. Great work 💪

[@ressikanflute]

My goodness... amazing. I think even Joseph Pennell would be impressed.

[@Otras_cosas_de_Jorgito]

excelente !!! ... gracias por su trabajo...

[@FREEDMFTR]

Wow. Stunning piece and talent

[@oledahammer8393]

"I think we're ready to print"...after a few HUNDRED hours of engraving and cross hatching!

[@alierem4266]

Manual or -graver-- pushing is one of the most trying of the artist/craftsperson's patients, when it comes to art creation processes.

[@johnnyoro4]

Beautiful work! :)

[@phe9238]

As mentioned: it's beautyful!

[@saphrinna]

Wow that's amazing

[@JohnnyArtPavlou]

Fantastic!!

[@bloodreport146]

l have the original copper printing plate for the share issue of The Glasgow and South Western Railway Company from 1850 and have never thought of having a print made from it.

[@markboetius]

Thank you :-) : very clear demonstration.

[@jsebastiengelinas]

...oh wow... this is amazing.

[@erosangelos9422]

Hello! I never saw such an Amazing Engraving before ,I wish it could be more slow process so we can see more )) ,That is Absolute Wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

[@LightHolmes]

This is amazing.

[@joaovitormr471]

Amazing! Thank you!

[@jayroland9481]

Quite amazing, thank you.

[@mirandabarrett8987]

Beautiful!

[@chrysallis317]

So I am a printmaker. Love intaglio, especially etching and dry-point. I now see the subtle differences. When etching the burr is created by a v tool carving pieces of metal out. Vs dry-poing where the surface is scratched, and etching, where chemicals take it away.

[@karen12345697]

This is beautiful

[@Metacognition88]

Awesome demonstration. Paul revere would be proud.

[@brianbailey462]

that camera work was stunning

[@barrieallan]

great work man

[@wikuscombrinck512]

Awesome information

[@lalagonegaga]

All of a sudden, oil painting looks easy... LOL!

[@peraera5241]

You are right! Engraving is a very demanding job. But it is a very traditional and preferred art branch. Don't think it's difficult, you can get experience in a short time. It will take you a short time to become a master at engraving. It is always easier to carve. Progressing by diminishing the existing is not something related to the creative side of the human being. Therefore, engraving is not difficult for us artists, it is only traditionally defined.

[@awildtomappeared5925]

@@peraera5241 hatching is much harder to master than painting, just look at zorn, you can look close at his paintings, copy the value/saturation/hue at each point and pretty easily make a study that looks very close to the original, but try to copy one of his etchings and thats another story even if you try to do it in pen it's far more challenging than oil painting where you can just paint what you see instead of translating all forms into lines

[@mydude3254]

@@peraera5241 Short time to master engraving? Easier to carve? I know some "professional" artists myself, (including a few carvers and sculptors) that have many many years on me and create works that demand decent price tags. They are so humble, that they do not even consider themselves a master of their respective crafts. Yet, they do consider themselves pros at their craft. Those artists I know have practiced for decades and became skilled enough to make a name for themselves while making a good living selling their artworks. Life is short but I would argue that it takes most people 10,000 plus hours of practice, let alone experience, to even be possibly considered being at the "mastery" level at anything that necessitates skill.

[@JudgeFredd]

Beautiful

[@laetitia2686]

Waouh, it's amazing !!!

[@edwinmiranda8174]

Amazing

[@porkscratchings5428]

Amazing, now I know how ! Thanks 🙏

[@berndthiel613]

Brillant !

[@pennycandyys]

Fascinating, thank you for sharing. For the benefit of anyone who has come to watch the video and appreciate Andrew’s work (so of course the original artist as well), may I suggest, and request that the image is framed by the camera and held there for a moment at the end so the viewer has a moment to press pause? Of course I did, but it’s at an angle, not ideal for viewing. Thanks again.

[@legendrebernard2549]

It is perfectly explained thanks a lot for sharing, a great pleasure merci . From french Brittany ;) :) :)

[@denasewell]

Amazing!

[@IrisYoungPrintmaker]

Wow, super nice

[@whotusay750]

Spot on 👍

[@Argyll9846]

Impressive!

[@skeetersaurus6249]

While I saw several engravers and their example works in college, I had never seen true 'modern masterpieces' until I happened to stumble upon where the 'true masters' of our modern age practice the 'old arts'...firearms engravers. Some of the greatest 'engraving masters' that live now, work in firearms and knives...doing 'custom one-off' contract pieces for clientele. A simple $1,000 hunting shotgun becomes a $10,000, $25,000 masterpiece after they have finished their work...with skill arguably better than even the Renaissance Masters themselves. Not to mention, their works done in hardened nickel-steel is FAR more difficult, and enduring, than copper will ever be. Take the time, search for videos...they ARE out there!

[@BengtRosini13]

Superb work, very informative. I need access to some of these materials and tools.

[@geegeeuk7]

This is incredible. I wonder how the newspapers managed to get this process done so quickly!

[@NewbFixer]

Insane Skills

[@TheMrcaLu]

NO WORDS 👏👏👏

[@moogybannahilstopaflingon6803]

Extraordinary...

[@juakarlospuerto9490]

Hermoso trabajo de gravado

[@MrLewisFloydHenry]

Wow so this is the technique used by Hendrik Goltzius. It still seems baffling to me. It must take ages, and there is no room for error! I was trying to research how they create the illustrations for portraits on bank notes. It's so detailed. Amazing

[@andomaxcha]

its amazing

[@Leejka]

Amazing ! :)

[@user-fm2vh1gv4v]

that's amazing

[@briehopkins803]

Amazing. 😱

[@icanplaythepiano3939]

Beautiful 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@sykoza789]

Thts so beautiful

[@zero15388]

impressive thumbs

[@madisonvannuys9236]

He’s so attractive and talented my little heart can not handle this

[@pyrogenetix]

woa that's really beautiful

[@bastmode882]

Super cool.

[@Tarmantarmant]

Nice video....

[@peraera5241]

Perfect

[@Estudinho]

Amazing, thanks f sharing. Do you do any work on photogravure on copper plate by any chance? All the best f Perú

[@srinivaskari]

beautiful work.....this needs a lot of skill...which means not all engravers can do an equally good job - there will be some engravers who are better at engraving than others....

[@runner406]

Awesome

[@realphukka]

How did you remove the wax from the copper plate once you finished scratching?

[@CoolDude-ip9no]

Do u have the full engraving process of that masterpiece?

[@moschino2]

very nice

[@avrenelroysaragi5364]

woww what a process

[@hmax1591]

Nice. Great job. I do have this small portrait of Benjamin Franklin with the number 100 on corners I want you to do for me in green ink.

[@sandysox]

Oh the hours and concentrating on engraving in the first place....wonderful....how did they work out the process in the old days? Did you find out what to do from writings?

[@savestheday258]

I wish it would have shown some kind of closeup of the cuts

[@jlanta]

grande!!!

[@charissvalerie]

That was really cool! How long did the entire process take?

[@trekranger]

where do you get your tools ? what do you think a started should buy first?

[@nuciide]

In love.