Printmaking: Hardground and Softground
Hardground:
Acid resistant coating, normally black or dark brown in colour.
The ground is then rolled on to a plate that has been heated on a hotplate and becomes hard when it cools down.
The whole plate should be covered with grond.
When the plate is ready and cold, an etching needle is used to lift the ground of the plate.
The areas that are removed/engraved will be etched into the plate in the acid bath.
Softground:
Softground has a higher grease content than Hardground.
It is applied the same way as hardground (roller on heated plate)
but remains soft even after it has dried so that you can press different textures into it.
You can draw directly on to it with an etching needle or press down materials to leave imprints.
eg. fabric, scrim, tissue paper, feathers and leaves.
The materials are laid onto the plate in the desired design and then
white chalk is lightly brushed on top before the plate is covered with tissue paper and then run through the press.
The plate is then put it in an acid bath to be etched.
The advantages of using softground is that almost any texture can be pressed into the plate,
while the hardground is much better for creating sharp lines.
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