Basic Engraving Tools

Pablo Salvaje lists the tools you need to start engraving

Artist Pablo Salvaje (@pablosalvaje) mixed his passion for ink, paper, and illustration with his family's old printing press business, focusing on engraving, design, illustration, and screen printing techniques. With nature as his muse, he aims to leave a mark, literally and figuratively, with each of his pieces.

To encourage you to try some of his methods, Pablo Salvaje shares a list of 22 basic tools that you need to start engraving. They are all easy to find and work with, so you can get down to business with the ideas you already have in your head.

These are the basic materials you'll need, but some may be optional and only be required for certain projects. And remember that you can get creative and find other tools and objects that add texture and volume when creating new designs:

· Gouge: the most important tool in carving. It must be adapted to your needs and the material you are going to work with.

· Pencil: it is essential that you use a 2HB, so that you leave the necessary amount of graphite on the paper. An H would be too hard, you would not see your sketch very well, and B would be too soft.

· Engraving ink: used to print both on paper and textile. Pablo recommends Speedball, a well-known brand that is easy to find.

· Folding bone: used to pass the sketch to the surface that will be carved. It is not really necessary since you can use any tool that allows you to apply some pressure on the paper.

· Chopsticks: their shape allows you to work the white clay template that you will later use.

· Precision cutter: to make the relevant cuts and reach the most complicated corners.

· MDF: the surface on which you'll work on your matrices. You can also use a piece of hardwood or a carving block.

· Paper: it can be the most basic, cheap paper available since you will use it only to sketch. Just make sure you can see the line of the pencil well.

· Tissue paper: to make the final print. You can use engraving paper as well, depending on the result and texture you want.

· Transfer paper: to transfer your sketch to the matrix you are working on.

· Piece of cloth: any rag you have at home will do. You will only do test the ink on it using the matrix.

· Roller: for inking; it does not have to be a specific one.

· Everyday objects: useful to get textures from. Use your imagination and what you have to hand.

· White clay: for carving volumetric objects.

· Roller and a smooth surface: to work the white clay. The surface must be pleasant so as not to leave any smell on the material.

· Bowl and a balloon: to make curves and shapes with the white clay.

· Wooden spoon: used both for printing on paper and textiles, and to work the press.

· Brushes and watercolors: don't fret over the quality of the brushes, any will do. Watercolor will be used to highlight the contours in the white clay.

· Autentico paint: a chalk paint brand that has no undesirable chemicals, and is 100% natural.

· Sponge: Use a natural sponge to apply color. Like any other tool of natural origin, you'll need to clean it thoroughly, so it lasts longer.

· Jigsaw: to separate the carved matrix from the MDF surface.

· White silicone: an adhesive for wall installation.

Pablo Salvaje teaches Relief Engraving and Contemporary Printing in Domestika, where you'll learn how to decorate a mural using engraving and stamping. He also teaches Engraving Stamps and Printing Techniques, where you will learn how to design your own stamps and print anything you can imagine.

You may also like:

- Manual Printing for Photopolymer Stamps, a course by Fábrica de Texturas
- Visual handmade identity, a course by Tatabi Studio
- Textile Silkscreen Printing with Stencil, a course by Festela Store