Contemporary Aquatint & Sugar-Lift Intaglio Printmaking Course
with Hermann Isaac
Explore modern aquatint techniques, expand the expressive potential of the sugar-lift process, and discover a new voice within your artistic practice. In this online course you will learn contemporary aquatint and sugar-lift etching methods, including plate preparation, painting with block-out, spraying the plate, and inking and wiping strategies to achieve rich tonal and textural effects, as well as how to work confidently with an etching press.
Who This Course Is For
This online printmaking course is ideal for artists and printmakers who want to explore expressive, contemporary intaglio printmaking under the guidance of master printmaker Hermann Isaac. Drawing on decades of professional experience, Hermann introduces a non-toxic approach to intaglio printmaking, with a focused exploration of aquatint and sugar-lift etching, where traditional processes are reimagined through contemporary practice.
Central to the course is Hermann’s innovative method of aquatint, replacing conventional techniques with a spray-paint process to achieve rich tonal depth, subtle gradations, and unexpected visual outcomes. Alongside this, participants will explore sugar-lift etching, valued for its fluid, painterly, and unpredictable textures, allowing gesture, mark-making, and drawing to play a central role in the printed image.
All techniques are demonstrated using accessible, studio-friendly, non-toxic materials, making the course suitable for artists working in a home or shared studio environment.
Designed for artists seeking to expand their printmaking vocabulary, this workshop supports the development of a personal, contemporary artistic voice through focused experimentation with two essential intaglio techniques.
Please note: Access to an etching press is required to complete the printed works.
Interview: Hermann Isaac on Printmaking, Studio Practice & Artistic Process
“For me, aquatint and sugar lift are really about chance and little miracles. You prepare the plate, you think you know what it will do, but the materials and even the weather have their own ideas. Suddenly there are these little textures and bubbles you never put in, and I like that very much. You can’t control everything, and that’s fine – you just keep working, see what happens, and let the plate surprise you.”
Hermann Isaac
Hermann Isaac Printmaking Portfolio
What You’ll Learn & Course Structure
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Begin the course with an introduction to Hermann Isaac approach to aquatint and sugar-lift etching. In this section, Hermann discusses the materials used throughout the course including papers, inks, plates and tools.
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In the second part of the course, Hermann:
explains the purpose of the drawing
walk you trough the sugar-lift process
and the aquatint technique.
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In the third part of the course, Hermann:
explains how the blackout and acid work
shows and explains all 5 steps of the tonal etching technique
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In the fourth section of the course, Hermann:
talks about the paper
registration, press preassure
and analyse the printed images.
Have your questions answered in one live Q&A with Hermann Isaac
Date TBA
Printmaking Techniques Explained
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique used to create tonal areas and painterly textures through controlled acid biting. While traditional aquatint relies on resin dust to form tonal screens on the plate, Hermann Isaac works with a spray-paint method that is faster, more responsive, and easier to control, eliminating the need for time-intensive resin preparation.
In this course, Hermann demonstrates how to apply the spray paint and how to use Blok-out to achieve rich blacks, subtle tonal transitions, and expressive surface variation. This approach encourages experimentation while remaining accessible to artists working in home or shared studios.
Sugar-lift etching is a process that lets you paint or draw directly onto the plate and have those gestures print as bold, flat, painterly marks. First, a mixture of sugar and ink is brushed onto the metal plate wherever you want your marks to appear. Once dry, the entire plate is coated with a thin, even layer of etching ground. When the plate is placed in warm water, the sugar mixture dissolves and lifts the ground off in those painted areas, exposing the bare metal beneath. An aquatint is then applied, and the plate is etched in acid so that the exposed areas bite to a consistent depth. After cleaning, the plate is inked and the surface wiped, leaving ink only in the etched, sugar-lifted zones. When printed, these areas appear as crisp, solid interpretations of the original brushstrokes, combining the freedom of painting with the depth and richness of intaglio.
In this course, you will learn how to:
Apply modern aquatint techniques to build tonal range and depth
Use sugar-lift etching to translate drawing and gesture directly onto the plate
Prepare plates, register paper, and operate an etching press with confidence
Develop expressive intaglio prints through inking, wiping, and printing strategies
Artist Bio - Meet Hermann Isaac
Hermann Isaac – Printmaker & Educator
Hermann Isaac is a Perth-based printmaker whose practice centres on etching, aquatint, and sugar-lift processes. Born in Aschaffenburg, Germany in 1956, he migrated to Australia in 1981 and has lived and worked in Fremantle since 1992. He holds a Diploma from the Claremont School of Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Curtin University.
Working from his Hilton studio, Hermann develops etchings through a process-driven approach that moves from drawing to plate, balancing careful planning with openness to chance. His work is known for its rich blacks, subtle tonal variation, and expressive surfaces, achieved through an intuitive use of aquatint, sugar lift, inking, and selective wiping. Daily studio practice is central to his methodology, with an emphasis on curiosity, close looking, and allowing materials to contribute to the final image.
Hermann’s work is influenced by surrealist traditions, particularly the legacy of artists such as René Magritte, alongside a sustained interest in science, chemistry, and the unpredictable nature of materials. His imagery embraces ambiguity and subtle humour, allowing unexpected associations to emerge through process and chance. This balance between conceptual intent and material accident underpins both his studio practice and his approach to teaching.
Hermann’s imagery often carries a quiet surrealism, shaped by unexpected juxtapositions and a wry observational humour. Animals, symbols, and fragments of everyday life frequently appear, sometimes directly, sometimes only implied, reflecting an ongoing engagement with the world around him and the shifting character of contemporary life in Western Australia.
Alongside his studio practice, Hermann has a long commitment to teaching and community engagement. He has taught printmaking to high-school students and led painting and printmaking workshops for people with disabilities, bringing an inclusive, thoughtful approach to creative learning.
Hermann’s workshops on Proartika offer artists a practical and reflective introduction to contemporary etching, with a focus on non-toxic processes, material understanding, and developing confidence from first sketch through to finished print.
Aquatint & Sugar-Lift Printmaking with Hermann Isaac (FAQ)
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This online workshop is designed for emerging, intermediate, and practising artists who want to deepen their understanding of contemporary intaglio printmaking. It is suitable for printmakers, visual artists, and creatives interested in expressive mark-making, tonal work, and experimental approaches to aquatint and sugar-lift etching.
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Some basic familiarity with printmaking or etching is helpful, but the course is structured to clearly guide participants through Hermann Isaac’s process step by step. Artists with experience in drawing, painting, or other printmaking techniques will also find the course accessible and rewarding.
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The course focuses on contemporary aquatint and sugar-lift etching techniques, including Hermann’s spray-paint method for building tonal depth, expressive mark-making through sugar lift, and inking and wiping strategies for achieving rich blacks, subtle transitions, and painterly surfaces in intaglio prints.
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All required materials and tools are explained in detail inside the course. Materials are commonly available from standard art supply stores, with some items also easily sourced from hardware or general stores. An etching press is required to complete the printing process.
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Yes. The techniques demonstrated are studio-friendly and can be adapted to a home or shared printmaking space, provided you have access to an etching press. The course emphasises practical, efficient methods suitable for independent practice.
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Instead of using traditional resin dust, Hermann Isaac demonstrates a spray-paint aquatint method that is more responsive, efficient, and accessible. This approach allows greater control over tonal variation while encouraging experimentation and openness to chance within the printmaking process.
Join Hermann Isaac and discover aquatint and sugar‑lift techniques, learning how to build rich tonal layers, expressive textures, and atmospheric depth in your intaglio prints.