Another incredible technique I picked up during my visual arts course was intaglio printmaking via acrylic etching. For this project, I wanted to push my technical boundaries by recreating a gritty, raw scene from one of my all-time favorite cult classics, SLC Punk!, starring Matthew Lillard.

As an artist who primarily draws animals and botanical structures, diving headfirst into human anatomy and portraiture was a major test of my drafting skills.

The design was meticulously scratched and drypoint-etched in reverse into a clear acrylic plate using a sharp steel scribe. Ink was then worked into the incised grooves, the surface wiped clean, and the plate run through a heavy high-pressure rolling press with dampened paper.

This print represents a double challenge: mastering the unforgiving nature of plate etching while tackling realistic human features. Capturing the iconic, rebellious energy of Heroin Bob and Stevo from the film through fine scratched linework gave me a whole new appreciation for value, tone, and the depth you can achieve when printing from a hand-inked plate.