A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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honey process
A biting process used in intaglio engraving on metal plates which, after impression, gives results similar to brush etching.
The honey mixture is spread on those areas of the copper plate one wishes to etch. The areas thus etched will, after printing, show up as a dark gray colour or even as a black. This process is particularly suited to painters and is used to obtain various "colours". The honey process also allows for stopping-out procedures as the lighter areas can be stopped out with an appropriate varnish and the rest be further bitten to obtain darker colours.
The honey mordant used in this process may be made with the following ingredients:
|
amonia salts |
|
|
100 g |
|
sea salt |
|
|
100 g |
|
verdigris |
|
|
50 g |
|
honey syrup |
|
|
800 g |
The ingredients mentioned above are ground up on a
slab of glass. The honey syrup tends to collect at the bottom of
larger honey containers but it can be replaced with a naturally
syrupy honey or even with nitric acid
saturated with gum arabic. The
values obtained by this process can be further accentuated by
applying (with a brush) some more or less pure nitric acid.
[attacking agents,
brush etching ,
mordant ,
biting].
1.
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