Soft Ground with Non-Toxic Materials

We use Graphic Chemical Crimson Water Soluble Relief Ink to create a ground which remains soft and impressionable for a period of time (12-24 hrs). This replaces traditional soft-ground which was made of beeswax and asphaltum.

Softground enables you to do these things:

1. Transfer textures from soft substrates (fabric, foils, leaves etc.) onto the plate so they may be etched
2. Create a line which closely resembles a soft pencil or crayon line in thickness and texture

Method:

1. You need to clean (degrease) a copper plate. This may or may not have been sanded as for hardground.
   
2. Roll out the Graphic Chemical Crimson Water Soluble Relief Ink on an ink slab with a synthetic roller
   
3. Roll an even layer onto your plate. The thickness of the layer will affect the quality of your finished image. Should be neither too thick nor too thin.
   
4. While the ink is still wet, put your plate on a piece of newsprint on the bed of the press. PUt the textured surfaces you have chosen face down on the plate. Cover with several thicknesses of newsprint and run through the press with enough pressure to transfer the texture.
   
5. REmove the newsprint and caefully remove your textured substrates. (this may require tweezers and patience). The texture should be apparent on the plate's surface.
   
6. Now you have several choices of approach. You can:
   
   1. a. Use Future Floor Wax or Screen Filler and a brush to stop out any areas where you do NOT want texture, and then etch the plate
      
      b. Allow the softground to dry (by air or with a hair dryer) and then scratch through it as you would for a hard ground
      
      1. • Subtle wash-type marks can be created with this ground by diluting parts of the softground while it is wet, and with Greased Lightning (available at Kroger with cleaning materials) when dry.
         • A great variety of marks can be made as this relief in softground undergoes its hardening process. As this ink hardens it loses its elasticity, becoming progressively more brittle. Line quality will change depending on how long after the ground has dried you make the drawing. Early lines are smoother, later ones more like drypoint.
7. Before inking and printing, remove the ground with Greased Lightning.

Soft Ground Drawing

For this technique apply a layer of Crimson Water Soluble Relief Ink to the plate with a roller or brayer. Allow it to dry 20 minutes or so, then place a piece of paper on the plate and draw on the paper. It will lift off the ground on the plate as the pen or pencil presses down to make each line. Etch the plate.