Linocut print making is probably my favorite plate making process.  The linoleum is so much fun to carve into and try to figure out what will be white space and what will hold the ink.  And the more I learn about carving the more gray areas I can create.  On some plates I can even create the illusion of a wood carving and it is so much easier on the hands than carving into wood.

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Copper Plates are the most difficult to make for me.  Carving into them requires both strength and precision as well as specialized tools.  Also, acid is needed to eat away at the metal.  Aquatint is the process of spraying a fine plastic coating on the copper plate and then scratching into it.  Softground is melting a soft wax on the plate then making impressions or mark in it.

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Collagraph plates are super cool to make.  You start with a mat board and cover it in gesso.  You can carve into it or add textures with fabric, metal, molding paste or more card board.  It's all about building up texture to hold or repell the ink.  With the chick print I used steele wool for her fuzz!