All things etching with Morgan Academy
Senior pupils explore printmaking
We love introducing the skills and techniques available in DCA Print Studio to young people, so we were delighted when Dr Marika Knowles, Lecturer in Art History at University of St Andrews, got in touch with an idea...
The idea is to have secondary school pupils spend some time doing etching in DCA Print Studio and spending time in the print archive room at National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, looking at examples with curator Hannah Brocklehurst. I want to see how secondary school students respond to the material and what interests them or doesn't.
We paired Dr Knowles with Morgan Academy's Art and Design Department to plan the project. Nine pupils took part in this unique three-day experience, immersing themselves in all things etching and engraving. Their thoughts before they began ranged from wondering what etching was to being excited to try a new technique that they couldn't do at school. Here we take a look at what they got up to and find out their thoughts at the end of the project.
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Visiting National Galleries of Scotland Archive
The pupils took a trip to Edinburgh to visit the National Galleries of Scotland Archive. Here they explored works from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, including original works by Durer and Rembrandt. Each artwork was introduced by Hannah Brocklehurst, Curator of Prints and Drawing at National Galleries of Scotland. The pupils said:
I enjoyed learning about the different artists and it was interesting to see their varying styles.
We learnt how to spot the difference between etching and engraving.
Creating work in DCA Print Studio
The pupils then spent two days in our Print Studio working with Bruce Shaw, a freelance artist tutor. He introduced them to the full etching process, from preparing a zinc plate, to transferring a drawing, etching an image, inking up the plate and printing a number of versions. The pupils enjoyed exploring an ‘old technique’, making their own etchings and learning from the artworks they had seen on their archive trip. They said:
Having the full history or a bit of it broken down first, before doing my own (print) helped me understand better what I was doing.
I enjoyed the whole etching experience. Bruce was great – great to learn from someone with so much experience. The entire process was interesting and fun.
I loved it very much – etching can create really intricate and detailed work.
I learned how to etch a real plate which I thought would be more difficult but it was surprisingly easy.
Our pupils really enjoyed the whole process and working in such an amazing space. They enjoyed learning about a process that they couldn’t learn about or see happening in a school department. The experience that Bruce was able to share with them gave them confidence and support in this new setting. They looked as if they knew the space well by the end of the two sessions and were comfortable in the surroundings, which added to their confidence in the process.Claire Valentine Principal Teacher Art & Design, Morgan Academy
It was so rewarding to share with the students and to learn alongside them! I was impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and curiosity and Bruce’s expert guidance. It was particularly great to get such engaged responses to looking at ‘old stuff’ and then using it to make new things.Dr Marika Knowles Lecturer in Art History, University of St Andrews
This is a great example of how working with DCA can enhance and enrich the school curriculum for Expressive Art pupils at Nat 5/Higher and Advanced Higher. Exploring the technique of etching helped the pupils' focus on the visual elements of line, texture and tone. They also also produced a finished piece that they could include in their Further or Higher Education application portfolios. Get in touch with learning@dca.org.uk to find out more about opportunities like this.
Many thanks to the University of St Andrews and its Impact and Innovation Fund, the Leverhulme Trust (which is currently funding Dr Knowles’ research on early modern printmaking), and the National Galleries of Scotland, including Hannah Brocklehurt for hosting the pupil's visit. And thanks to photographer Erika Stevenson for capturing images of the pupils' work in DCA Print Studio.
