Soft Ground Etching: Important Tips and Tricks

Personally I find it always easier achieving a clean and precise line by drawing directly into hard ground. If you wish to achieve a softer line, as well as textural elements, it is useful using soft ground instead of hard. The soft acid resist should also be painted evenly over the copper plate. It can be painted a bit thicker than you would with hard ground.

Tips for pressing objects into soft ground:

If objects are pressed into soft ground, they will remove part of the ground because it stays soft. Paint the soft ground a little thicker than you would hard ground. You can press textures by hand, or use the press (use soft, flat objects that won't damage the press):

• Place the soft, flat object on top of the soft ground.
• Take one of the blankets off the press (to reduce the pressure).
• Place your plate with the soft ground and textural 2d object on top of the metal bed
• cover with newsprint (to protect the blanket)
• cover with the blanket and pass through the press.
  

Tips for drawing into soft ground:

When drawing into soft ground, best results are achieved if you place a piece of paper over the soft ground plate and then draw onto the paper, the ground will stick to the paper when you peel it off. This removes some of the ground and lets the acid etch your drawing into the plate. If the ground or paper is thicker or thinner, the line will be softer (thicker paper) or harder (thinner paper). Do remember though your drawing will appear in reverse so try and use mylar paper and put the reverse of the drawing onto the copper before drawing onto the copper.

• Put the copper plate onto a firm flat surface.
• Make a paper window mount and tape it down over the copper plate.
• Place your drawing under the mount, on top of the soft ground.
• Tape the papers down to prevent movement.
• An advantage of using this method, is that it allows you to draw directly onto the paper, and when the paper is lifted, the ground will be removed. The line will not be as thin and precise as when drawing direcltly into hard ground (of course this is what you may want to achieve).
• Also by making a window mount and placing your drawing under the mount, you start your drawing, then etch the copper, let the copper dry, do more drawing, etch it again, etc. The lines that are were in the acid for longer should be darker and heavier.
• Very interesting lines can be achieved using this method.