Dry Point Etching.

 This is a mock up of the print that I wanted to make, using copies of my hand carved stamps, pieces of my sun prints and actual Eucalypt leaves.

 Here I've used a piece of acetate to copy the beetles and sun print patterns with an electric engraver.
I thought that I could work out a way of using the leaves by embossing them in the printing press, but they don't show up well enough, so I'll leave that area blank for the moment.

 This messy looking photo is of the etching ink partially rubbed off. One has to deposit the ink onto the plate, by toothbrush in this case, and then rub off the excess. The ink stays in the grooves made by the engraver and the rest of the area is rubbed clean.

    Of course the print will be in reverse. This one is printed with  sepia coloured ink on a fawn paper.

                                              Using the same paper this print is in black.

 I thought that a handmade paper with lots of inclusions might be interesting, but the image is too       indistinct on this paper.

This print is too pale, so it's a waste of some really nice handmade paper unfortunately. Maybe I could use the reverse for something else! Next I'll try to add some prints from the leaves that I wanted to use earlier.