In order to have a superior liquid hard ground it has to be plasticized. The main ingredients for plasticizing hard ground are Sax True Flow Tempera Varnish and Cretex pure pigment colors.
In order to make the liquid hard ground mix:
-7 tsp (35 mL) of Johnson’s floor polish
-1 tsp (5 mL) of Sax True Flow Vanish
-½ tsp (2.5 mL) of black Cretex pure pigment
Take and pour 1 coat over a clean deoxidized plate and let it dry by a fan. When dry repeat the process. It takes 2 coats. When dry you can draw into the surface.
Now take a hair dryer and heat the surface for 1-2 minutes. This sets the surface harder, drawing the polymer the molecules closer together making it more resistant to the etch. Some people like to heat set the ground prior to drawing which gives you a firmer surface. Another way to make this ground that is firmer is to begin with substituting Cretex Liquid Color Pigment with black India ink in the same proportions. India Ink is made with shellac and is a hardening agent.
On a plate that has been previously etched the ground doesn't want to penetrate into previously etched lines.
To compensate for this, pour 1 coat on a plate and dry, set the plate in a horizontal position on a block of wood so it is raised up. Take foam brush and coat the plate with liquid ground and dry. Occasionally, you will have some air bubbles in the ground because of the brushing action of the brush. Take the edge of your foam brush and bust the bubbles and they will disappear. These grounds are superior and hold up in the etches for aluminum and copper. In order to remove the ground use sodium carbonate and hot water.
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