Etching Fundamentals 5-day course | Summer School: 29/06 - 03/07, 2026

This week long course offers the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Etching – hard ground, soft ground, aquatint and steel plate colour printing, and to gain an in depth knowledge into a process that has been used by artists for hundreds of years. But most importantly, get your hands inky and have fun!

‘It was a privilege to work in the historic print room and the tutor was very skilled in gently guiding each of us to achieve our learning goals.’ Lucie

We are very proud of our historic Print Room, which has been central to practice at the Art School since the late 19th century and is quite a unique find these days. It gives students access to the Intaglio process in its historical context and offers the same experiences, in terms of techniques, problems and solutions, as faced by the Old Masters Rembrandt, Goya and Picasso.

On our short course, you’ll learn how to make prints through the process of Intaglio Etching, a rare opportunity for students at this level. We’ll cover hard and soft ground, sugarlift aquatint, colour etching, as well as printing with collage and multiple plate printing. We’ll also examine the historical background of printmaking and how it has been used by artists from its origins to present day.

The traditional Intaglio process involves various methods of ‘cutting’ an image into the surface of a metal plate, using waxy acid resists and then etching. Once the plate is inked, the incised lines hold the ink whilst the rest of the plate is wiped clean. The plate, in contact with damp paper, is passed through a roller press under pressure. The paper is forced into the sunken areas to receive the ink.

By the end of the course you’ll have a confident understanding of the etching process, and you’re own prints to take home.

Please note that the Print Room, where this course takes place, is accessed by a staircase.

What’s included: all materials and sundries eg paper, inks, tools, metal and presses.

What isn’t included: your meals, and please bring sketchbooks or images for ideas and inspiration. You’ll also need to bring aprons or old clothing you don’t mind getting inky and pencils, graphite, drawing materials.

10% discount available for City & Guilds of London Art School undergraduate, postgraduate and foundation students and alumni, and staff. Contact [email protected] to receive the discount code.

Please note: in accordance with Eventbrite's Terms of Service, Eventbrite's fees are non-refundable. Any refunds made for Summer School bookings will have Eventbrite's fees deducted, unless we cancel the course. For more information, please see our terms and conditions.

‘The teacher, Laura, was amazing. Very well prepared, clearly very experienced and willing to share all her knowledge. Excellent.’ Alexandra

If you’d like to keep up to date with news about our Summer School courses, please add your details to our Summer School mailing list. If you have any queries, please email us at [email protected]

Any queries? Take a look at our FAQs page and for further help, please contact us at [email protected]

The Art School thanks The Grocers’ Charity for their generous support of this initiative.

City & Guilds of London Art School is a small, not-for-profit higher education provider in central London.

We specialise in teaching contemporary fine art, design, conservation and historic craft skills at Foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels, focusing on both traditional and contemporary skills, processes and theories.

Our summer short courses are a unique opportunity to step inside our renowned Art School, and explore and develop your skills and interests with our expert tutors.

Discover new talents, foster existing skills and develop your creative interests in a fun and supportive setting.

Class sizes are small, and our tutors make sure our intensive courses for adults (18 years +) are enjoyable and fun, as well as inspiring and informative. And as a student on one of our introductory courses, you’ll receive the same warm welcome that we extend to all our friends and students.

Current or former students (Foundation, BA or MA) of the Art School are eligible for 10% discount on all our summer courses.

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