Multi-stage etching, also known as sandblasting, is a technique much like airbrush painting, with abrasive sand substituting for paint as the medium. Etched artworks begin with the design stencilled into the masked surface. Pieces of the masking are removed in turn while the glass is sprayed using suitable air pressures and abrasives such as garnet sand or aluminium oxide. Exposure to the dust these materials produce can be dangerous, so an industrial extractor fan is part of the sandblasting booth.
Multi-stage sandblasting is a method where the intensity of the blasting is managed, resulting in a three-dimensional appearance, providing depth and further design detail in what is traditionally a flat positive or negative image. With prolonged exposure to sandblasting the glass surface can be carved.
Etching, with its soft aspect and fine lines, adds detail to the information in artworks, so demanding closer inspection. It is also a simple way of creating 'obscure' glass where both privacy and light transmission are desired.
Other glass techniques:
[copper-foiling]
[painting]
[kiln-forming]
[lamp working]
