See examples of the St Trinian plates above while they were being made.
Learn more about the photographs, drawings, limited edition prints.
Learn about the Plate creation process in summary:
- Capture the scene with photos for later reference in the studio and integration of imagery during the processing stage.
- For the St Trinians etching series William did 50 sketches on site using a pentel brush pen on super white cartridge. This was a difficult task as the girls were never still and William had to capture them on the move. This did mean that the drawings were very lively and immediate and captured the vigour and movement of the figure.
- Transfer the sketches on to plate using a photographic and masking process using a product called Lazertrans. In order to do this the following steps were involved;
- First the sketches were scanned and transferred to digital format at 300dpi (print resolution) at the final output size of the print to prepare the image for printing.
- The digital image is reversed so that the white areas become a mask ans act as the acid resist. All white areas will be bitten on the plate.
- The digital image is inverted so that the image then doesnt print in reverse off the plate. Of course the artists might like it the other way round but that is a decision that can be made during processing the digital image.
- The image is printed (using a colour photocopier at 100% for all colours so get the maximum amount of toner on the the film) on to Lazertrans which is a film that sits on a paper medium.
- The film holds the photcopiers toner that acts as an acid resist when the plate is being bitten in the acid bath.
- The lazertrans film is then applied with heat to a plate (e.g zinc or copper).
- An aquatint is then applied to the plate on top of the toner mask.
- The back of the plate if protected with varnish or tape, then the plate is bitten in the acid bath.
- Sometimes william repeats the aquatint stage to get a deep bite in the wider areas and then ensure that the deepest depth of tone is achieved.
- The plate is then ready to be printed.
Learn more about printing techniques.