My Chaboo by Maren Jensen Part 2
We’re all monsters, you know?……
Continued from part 1…
First I sketched out the images I wanted. Some were more thoroughly drawn
out, like the portrait, and the tentacles were often free-hand as where
they are placed doesn’t need to be as accurate.
Then I use the etching tool (normally used on metal for dry-point or
acid-etching) to follow the images I’d drawn using pencil. The tool can
create a very fine line, but the grain of the wood can pull and push it
around a bit making it a little tough on the hands. After a few hours the
tool began to dent my finger so band-aids and cotton balls were needed in
order to keep on!
The etching process takes a long time as sometimes deeper lines than the
tool can provide ensure that the ink will stay in the grooves.
Next I spread printing ink on the areas where I had etched. At first I
wanted to do a lighter color, to contrast with the wood and the purple
heart inlay, but the ink stained the wood in an unflattering way. Instead
I mixed a color pretty close to that of the purple heart.
After the ink has been spread I used a wet rag to wipe away the excess,
ideally leaving it only in the etched lines. Because the ink was water
soluble and many of the lines were very thin I needed to do a few rounds
of the inking process.
THE EEEEEEEEEND!!!!!!!!!!!
