What is a fine art limited edition work?
A Limited Edition Print is derived from an image produced from a block, a plate, a stone, on zinc, copper or some similar surface on which the artist has worked closely with a print maker or master printer. Unlike paintings or drawings, prints exist in multiples. The total number of impressions an artist decides to make for any one image is called an edition.
Each impression in an edition is numbered and personally signed by the artist.
An image may be based on an original painting, ‘after an oil’, or the artist (as in the case of Arthur Boyd) may paint “maquettes” specifically for prints.
The artist may also create an image directly onto the plates, depending upon the chosen medium.

What is an Etching?
Etching begins with a metal plate, usually of copper, that has been covered with a waxy surface called a “ground”.
The artist creates a composition by drawing through the ground to expose the metal. The plate is then immersed in an acid bath that chemically dissolves the exposed lines. The ground is then removed, ink is introduced into the incised lines and the plate is wiped clean.
The plate is then covered with dampened paper and run through a press under great pressure in order to force the paper into the lines, resulting in the raised characteristic of etching.

Craig Ruddy working on 'Nocturnal Flowers' multi-plate coloured etching