How did you begin?
I started with thumbnail sketches. Then I drew the final design on a larger sheet of paper, which I used as a guide.
What was your working process? I used intaglio printing, which is a laborintensive technique. You start by applying acid-resistant material onto a copper plate, which blackens the plate. Then you carve a design from the acid-resistant material and submerge the plate into an acid bath, which “bites” into the copper lines. After inking the plate, which forces ink into recessed lines, you remove the excess ink and print the remaining design onto paper. Because it’s a print, the final image is a mirror of the plate. To see what it would actually look like, I took pictures of my copper plates and reversed the photos.
What challenges did you experience? It was tough to imagine the finished image during the process, which was sometimes discouraging. My experience reflected the story I was illustrating!
What advice can you give young artists? Don’t compare yourself with other artists. Compare yourself with past versions of yourself. You’re likely improving steadily.