Accession Number
1949/1.52

Title
Six Ways to Draw on Copper

Artist(s)
Reynold Henry Weidenaar

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1948

Medium & Support
softground, engraving, mezzotint, etching, aquatint and drypoint on paper

Dimensions
10 15/16 in x 8 7/8 in (27.78 cm x 22.54 cm);14 in x 11 11/16 in (35.56 cm x 29.69 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Carl Fredric Clarke

Subject matter
Six Ways to Draw on Copper is a circle cut into six pieces, like a pie, depicting six different methods for etching a copper plate. In each section is a different scene of a home or building with the exception of one that appears to be a herd or horses and another image that is of a tall ship. Weidenaar was primarily an etcher who dabbled in watercolors later in his career. He obtained a formal art education from the Kansas City Art Institute but he had to seek out additional mentorship to learn how to make fine prints since the school did not have a department for it. His printings skills were primarily self-taught through reading and experimentation. Weidenaar was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and kept strong ties to the area throughout his life, often incorporating the city into his etchings.
Each image is labeled in very small text within its section:
1. In the Catskills, New York
2. Mountain Cabin, Tennessee
3. Threshers, Old Mexico
4. Shipyard, Macatawa, Michigan
5. Street Scene, Washington D.C. 
6. Haystack, Columbia, MO

Physical Description
This print shows a circle divided into six sections like a pie. Each piece of the pie is filled with a miniature scene. In the center, the text reads "Six ways to draw on copper," and has the numbers one through six corresponding to each section . Underneath are two columns of text also numbered one through six naming the print technique used on each section which are:

1. Softground
2. Engraving
3. Mezzotint
4. Etching
5. Aquatint
6. Drypoint

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
artists
houses
modern and contemporary art
printing techniques
sailing ships
techniques (processes)