Dale Rayburn - Homepage

My paintings are started by drawing the image on canvas or paper with charcoal. After the composition is established, I block in the bold shapes with acrylic paint. At this point, the painting has very little color. Next, the colors are applied as transparent glazes to give the image depth. After final details are added, two coats of acrylic varnish are applied to give the painting protection.

The image is painted on a plexiglass plate with etching inks and oil paints. Before the painting dries, a sheet of paper is placed on top of the image. Both plate and paper are run through an etching press under heavy pressure so that the painting is transferred to paper. After the image is printed, some additional painting may be applied to the paper for finishing touches. Only one print can be pulled from the painted image, therefore all my monotypes are one-of-a-kind works of art.

A copper plate is covered with an acid resist ground and the design is scratched through the ground with a stylus to expose the metal. The plate is submerged in acid and the image is etched into the metal. When the plate is finished, it is inked up, paper is placed on top, and it is run through an etching press. After the print is printed, each impression is hand colored with watercolor and signed as part of an edition. When the edition is finished, the plate is defaced so that no more prints can be run.