Workshop

Aquatint

June 25-27, 2025, from 10AM – 4PM

3-day workshop, Wednesday-Friday

Class size 4-6, some printmaking experience recommended

$380 Members, $430 Non-members

*includes all materials

Aquatint is a beautiful and simple word describing an age-old process that printmakers use to achieve tone in intaglio prints. A prepared copper plate is covered with a thin surface of rosin dust, which is then melted, creating a tiny network of dots on the plate surface. Artists draw on the plate, then etch it in acidic solutions to produce diverse printed values, from the lightest, most delicate grays to the richest, darkest blacks.

Aquatint works in conjunction with stop-out and spit bite techniques, which provide hard-edged shapes or watercolor-like washes, respectively. In this three-day workshop, we will add to your toolbox of etching knowledge by introducing you to these techniques as well as refreshing your skills in plate preparation, printing, and chemical safety. Gain familiarity with some new pieces of studio equipment and strengthen your expertise in handling delicate materials. Since we will be covering more advanced topics, this workshop will be most beneficial to artists with previous experience in etching or an interest in technical processes.

Expectations: We will be working with corrosive liquids, solvents, and in environments where ventilation is required and N95 dust masks are encouraged. Please let us know upon sign up if you have respiratory concerns, and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Workshop fee covers PPE and all materials, including one 6” x 9” copper plate and up to 4 sheets of 11” x 15” archival rag paper.

Workshop Location: Ground Floor Etching Studios

Click here for our Cancellation Policies
Questions? Please email Workshop Coordinator Toni Miraldi at tmiraldi@contemprints.org

LIZ BANNISH lives and works in Norwalk, CT as Studio Manager and Collaborative Printer for the Center for Contemporary Printmaking. She earned her BFA in Printmaking and Art History from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2011 with her award-winning show of stone lithographs. Afterward, she served as an intern for Zea Mays Printmaking, bringing their research in non-toxic printmaking to SGC San Francisco in 2013. She served as Printmaking and Photo Technician for Smith College in Northampton, MA for five years, running their printmaking studio, letterpress studio, photo darkrooms, and OSHA compliance programs. Liz has trained with masters Barry Moser (Pennyroyal Press), Peter Pettengill (Wingate Studios), and Liz Chalfin (Zea Mays Printmaking). Her personal work spans the media of sustainable and traditional printmaking and includes relief, etching, lithography, and alternative photography. When not getting her hands inky, Liz dives for the local aquarium.

Image Credit: Liz Bannish