Engraving with your own hands is an ancient and eternally young art form

Engraving is a kind of fine art, which has many different techniques, although the principle of obtaining an image is almost the same: a special stamp is made by which the image is applied to any material.

The appearance of engraving in Europe is attributed to the 15th century. It was during this period of time that book printing began to develop actively, and to simplify the illustration of books, steel stamps were used. The engraving helped to apply fonts, images and other additional elements of text decoration. In the 18th century, Japanese engraving became popular, and in the 19th century - the Spanish engraving. Today engraving is very diverse, has many techniques and styles, it is experiencing its rebirth.

Currently, many are addicted to this ancient art form and achieve excellent results. Engraving, made by hand from beginning to end, will be an exquisite decoration of your house. Various materials can be used to create stamps, although metal is considered to be classical. In addition to it, wood, stone and even wax can be used. In addition, engravings differ in the materials used, which are printed.

The most ancient type of engraving is woodcut. The first printed images on wooden boards appeared in China in the sixth century. Currently, the very concept of "engraving" has become much broader. This method of creating inscriptions or images with the help of impressions is used not only in the printing house, but also in many other areas. For example, a sample of metal on a jewelry or image of a logo is also an imprint. Paper bills are also decorated with engraving images. It's amazing that even a child can cope with such simple images.

The simplest method of engraving with their own hands is done on paper. You will need a smooth, dense cardboard or Whatman. The main tool can be a regular stationery knife and a hard roller. Cut out the future image on the cardboard. Then roll out the paint on the other sheet of paper using a roller, and use the one that lasts longer. Next, paint from the paper is applied to a cardboard mold. Now you need to take a piece of paper that is put on top of the mold, and cover it with a press (when the engraving is done by oneself, the sheet of dense plywood is most suitable). Then, several times with effort go through the roller on the press. The impression on paper is the engraving you made.

In the beginning of the 16th century, the first etching (1513) appeared. This is an engraving on copper. Later began to use zinc, sometimes iron plates, which were covered with acid-resistant varnish. The history of this craft stores many recipes for such varnishes, but at the base of all of them were wax, mastic and asphalt. The master works with etching needles of different thicknesses. With their help, the picture in the varnish is scratched. Then the surface of the board is filled with acid. Metal is etched only in those places where the needle completely cut a layer of varnish. After this, the board should be thoroughly rinsed with water. The layer of varnish is removed with the help of turpentine or alcohol.

Engraving, made by yourself at home or in the workshop, will not only be an ornament of your house. You will be carried away by the process itself, and, perhaps, you will become engaged in this business more often.