Etching with Copper Sulphate

Leeds Print Workshop is running a workshop on copper sulphate etching on Tuesday 20 October. It's a creative printmaking session held at their studio in Patrick Studios, Leeds LS9 7EH, and it's open to anyone with an interest in print, so you don't need to be an experienced printmaker to get involved.

For those who aren't familiar with the process, copper sulphate etching is a non-toxic alternative to traditional acid etching. Instead of using nitric acid or ferric chloride to bite into a metal plate, it uses a solution of copper sulphate. It's a slower, gentler way of working that's much easier to manage in a studio setting, and it's one of the many traditional printmaking processes the workshop teaches. The session is designed to get you hands-on with the technique, from preparing the plate to seeing the final print come off the press.

It helps to know a bit about where this is happening. Leeds Print Workshop is a membership-based, co-operative studio in the centre of Leeds, run as a not-for-profit with the mission of providing affordable and accessible workshop space. They run a steady programme of workshops and courses across a range of traditional printmaking processes, all open to anyone with an interest in print, alongside facility access for members. If you're not a member, these workshops are one of the best ways to get a feel for the place and try out a process you might otherwise never have a go at.

The studio sits a short walk from Leeds' train and bus stations, so it's easy to get to from across the city. The workshop is on Tuesday 20 October at Leeds Print Workshop, Patrick Studios, Leeds LS9 7EH.