Etching

A process of making a design on a hard surface such as glass or metal plate. On glass it can be scraped with a sharp object. If it is on a metal plate, it is called intaglio. The plate is first coated with a layer of soft wax on which the design is applied by the artist with a sharp needle. Then the etcher uses controlled acid immersion to burn the drawing into the plate where the needle has scratched away the waxy substance. An original print made with this process is called an etching. Famous etchers include George Charles Aid, James Whistler, Leonard Baskin, Gene Kloss, and Gustave Baumann. Source: Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques; AskART database