Etching: Part 2 of 2: Sweeping Crinoids

-

After a number of prior etchings - click here to see more - I planned to have another go at etching crinoids. My favourite part of the prior Early Carboniferous etching were the crinoids. Their feather like arms were really fun to do, and put motion into what was otherwise a motionless view. 

Left to right: the initial idea, the next iteration of the idea and thoughts on composition and scaling. 

After a process of planning, mainly on composition and scaling, a final design was formed. This design was reversed and printed. This printout can then be placed behind the transparent etching plastic (drypoint) and the resulting print will be the 'correct' unreversed image.

The planned design and a horizontally flipped version to trace while etching. 

A note on anatomy.
The fossil crinoids that the piece is based upon were dis-articulated. This means the full anatomy of the organism isn't clear so therefore there is some reliance on secondary sources.
The crinoids on my first etching had a smooth stalk, formed of numerous rings leading to the crinoid's crown. However, some of the fossil stalk ring shaped plates had attachments. These small unassuming circles on the side of the plates were where cirri were attached. Cirri are root like structures that extend up the stalk, and were added to this piece for both anatomical accuracy and as another indication of water flow and movement.

The plastic is then hand etched:

The reversed print out is then traced onto a plastic sheet using an awl like scraping tool. The image can be revealed by shining a light onto the piece and the etched plastic creates a shadow. 

When the plastic is then scrubbed with ink using fabric, the ink falls into the etched grooves, giving a clearer image. The ink is them moved into the grooves using scrim (a coarse material), and then the excess is wiped away.

The plate after the excess ink is wiped away.

The plate is then ready to print. The hot-press paper is soaked before being put on top of the plate and rolled through a press.

The printing setup. 

A hand coloured print, a heavily inked print and averagely inked print. 

The print can then be hand coloured, using watercolour, but first the colour scheme has to be decided upon. When it comes to colouring I considered three variables:

• Relation to related living species
• Relation to living species with a similar life mode
• Relation to unusual species, those with unusual colours or a personal connection.

Top: left: Buoy barnacle (Dosima fascicularis), right: By-the-wind-sailor (Velella velella), bottom: left: Portuguese man o'war (Physalia physalis), right: Green sea-urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis).

The buoy barnacle has a muted colour scheme, though with a stalk, feathered feeding cirri, and plate like scutum and therefore has a similar life mode. The by-the-wind-sailor and Portuguese man o'war are marine hydrozoans and have striking colour schemes and the green sea-urchin is a member of Echninodermata and is therefore closely related to crinoids.

After some consideration I chose a similar species to the buoy barnacle, another stalked barnacle called the goose barnacle (Lepas antatifera). This species is far more spectacular with a dark green/black stalk, white/blue-grey plates and orange joints between the plates.

Trans-Atlantic timber with thousands of goose barnacles at Killianallen, Islay.

The coloured print inspired by goose barnacles.

Details of the coloured print.

I was happy with the final print, although it was somewhat more static than I wanted, perhaps due to a different style in pinnules, with the first print looking more feather like. There are still some uncoloured prints that I may colour differently.