Art of Paul Niemiec Jr. :: Running Wind Studio :: Etchings and Drypoints www.PaulNiemiec.com

"Early Light"

Etchings and Drypoints
Gallery 2 pages 1 2 3 4 5 Gallery 1 Gallery 3

Drypoint | 6" x 9" | Edition Size: 120

Two weathered fishermen prepare to go out to their lobster boats on a chilly winter dawn.

This plate utilizes a unique approach by the artist of combining drypoint work and a technique that the artist calls "gradated aquatint." The goal of this approach is to achieve a tonal and atmospheric feeling of the early morning hours.
—Paul Niemiec, Jr.

About Drypoints and etchings. Drypoints and etchings are original works of art, with each impression individually inked, wiped and printed on a printing press from a metal plate by the artist on acid-free, all rag paper. No two impressions are exactly the same, and the quality of the print can be influenced by wiping technique, ink viscosity, plate characteristics, paper, and other printing methods. I strongly believe in ‘artistic wiping’ and in printing my own plates to continually proof my work. Works printed from a single plate create an edition. Each print is individually numbered and signed by the artist.

An etching is produced by line drawing an image on a metal plate previously coated with an acid-resistant ground, subsequently immersing the plate in a timed acid bath. The drawing is etched into the plate creating ink-holding furrows. Further methods (i.e. aquatint) create tones by forming small-pitted holes. A drypoint differs by being scratched directly into the plate with a sharp needle, yielding printed lines that can vary from delicate grays to thunderous, velvety darks depending upon technique. The ink-holding burr of metal raised during drypoint drawing lends to the rich, soft quality of a drypoint print. I have personally come to adore drypoint for its hands-on quality, its sensuous richness, and for the range of line qualities achievable by further burnishing or scraping. It provides me the sensitivity I desire to render woolly fur, feathers, or a soft edge on a portrait. Drypoint complements my overall philosophical approach of ‘less is more’ in my artwork.