Forgive my scruffy edges!

I think you are doing ok with the tools you have Fiona, sort of feeling your way into it while you are waiting for your etching needles. Are you going to try portraits with this? or landscapes Fiona.

Edges look ok to me Fiona. A lovely sheep. Your Scottish sheep and cattle all seem to have horns.... not yours , particularly , but Scots ones in general.

You’re very kind Charles, thank you. I’ll be doing whatever is easiest knowing me Charles! Lol Anything that takes my fancy. We like them with horns Sylvia, they are easier to catch....ready made handles! Lol My edges in furure will be much better, I have my plates which are already cut to size. Thank you.

Looks good to me, Fiona.

Nice tone variation Fiona, I don't know how you manage it.

Here I am Fiona, with my critical eye! This is one occasion when I would have cropped that skewed plate out and just left Dolly on her own. The sheep itself is a good effort (using nails), and the shadow looks fine. The rest of it is a mass of somewhat erratic scratching which hasn't really worked. When you get your etching needles, concentrate on adding some more interesting marks to your foreground. (These are taking an age to arrive). You do seem to be getting a reasonable quality print and that isn't easy when you start this process.

It sounds like a really difficult process Fiona, I love the way you have captured the sheep though, it's certainly got a good woolly coat on, 😁

I'm impressed by your success with sub standard materials Fiona. A very handsome sheep especially with the horns. I'm really looking forward to watching your progress with this technique. I WILL reply to your latest E-mail in due course -I've not forgotten you!!

Those marks above the sheep give a feeling of a very wind swept day Fiona. Don't know if that was intentional but I like that and the movement in the foreground grasses.

Looking good Fiona.

A new venture Fionna, well done for being bold enough to try this. I love etching, have you seen the works of Norman ackroyd? He does fantastic land / sea scrapes of the remote islands around Scotland. If this is your first effort it's excellent, I'm impressed.

Is this a new thing Fiona, Looks fine to me but I know nothing of this type of work. You are very adventurous, Well done you.

I echo John...I'd get confused with so many different techniques but you thrive on them so yes....well done you !

Whoops...David...:)

Seth, Carole, thank you very much! Well now Alan, I left this one uncropped because I wanted you to check whether I’m getting enough pressure on the plate. You’re right about the erratic scratching....I did....and no my needles still haven’t arrived. From greatart and said it would be 3 to 8 days for delivery. Thanks darling. Many thanks Linda, no it isn’t easy, as I’m finding out. As always you are very kind Carol, look forward to our catch up. Lol....Val I just scratched and rubbed, you can’t see the marks you’re making on the plate so it’s all a bit of a surprise....or disappointment when you print it!

Thanks very much Margaret! Hi Stevan, no I haven’t heard of Norman but I will be looking him up just as soon as I come off the gallery, thank you for the tip. This is my second attempt, the first I posted a couple of days ago, a landscape. It’s a difficult medium, but I haven’t been using the correct tools, which I hope to rectify shortly. Thanks very much for your feedback. David thank you very much, I really ought to concentrate getting one thing right before exploring others! Lol Thank you Sylvia, you are very kind.