The Etcher's Studio [Hardcover]

Arthur Geisert (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A young boy helps his grandfather, an etcher, prepare for a year-end studio print sale. The boy's most important task is to color each etching by hand. His work is tedious, and his mind begins to wander into the world of art as he imagines himself within the very pictures he is coloring. He soon finds himself exploring distant lands and flying over his town in a hot-air balloon. Using a young boy and his grandfather as guides, Arthur Geisert explains how drawings are engraved in copper and printed. He describes the process involved in the intricate art of etching, while his colorful illustrations demonstrate the elegance and beauty of this unique art form.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Creating an enthralling parallel, Geisert (Oink; Pigs from 1 to 10) illustrates this story of the intricate goings-on in an etcher's studio with the stylish, full-color etchings that have earned him accolades. Step by careful step, a boy helps his grandfather prepare for the annual sale of prints made from his etchings. After Grandfather soaks the paper in water, inks the copper plate and rolls it through the press, the boy's real work begins?he colors each print by hand. This soon proves tiresome, and the boy daydreams of exploring the exotic places?the jungle, the ocean?depicted in the prints. Luckily his wandering mind doesn't prevent him from filling the studio with a bounty of artwork ready for sale. Geisert's portrait of an involving intergenerational relationship is warm and welcome. As the story's narrator, the boy balances a certain maturity and respect for his grandfather's work with typical kidlike thoughts and reactions. Readers are also rewarded with a bit of an education: Geisert provides a precisely labeled illustration of an etcher's studio, as well as a detailed spread explaining, in stages, how an etching is made. Geisert fans will also enjoy spotting scenes from his previous books scattered around Grandfather's studio?and, not surprisingly, the etching on the how-to pages is of a pig. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-8?Watercolor, crayon, and color pencil are mediums children can relate to easily; the complex work of etching is more challenging. Here, Geisert takes away the mystery as he transports young readers to an etcher's studio and provides step-by-step explanations of this age-old art technique. In a thin gesture to story, an unnamed narrator helps his grandfather prepare for a year-end studio print sale. However, as the boy undertakes his most important task (hand coloring the images), his mind begins to stray and soon he is inside the pictures?sailing around Cape Horn, flying over his hometown in a hot air balloon, changing places with a deep-sea diver, and exploring a jungle. While the working relationship between the boy and his grandfather is a nice touch, the youngster's imaginative wanderings go nowhere; suddenly he is back in the studio with the dramatic possibilities never realized. Nevertheless, there is much to share with children. The work of an etcher is skillfully divulged, two well-labeled appended spreads (a panoramic view of the studio, and, in storyboard fashion, the processes of making an etching) give breadth to the presentation, and a short afterword capsulizes the history of the art. In addition, the pages reveal cues to other Geisert books. This selection balances the many books on other art techniques, such as the "DK Art School" series or Douglas Florian's A Painter (Greenwillow, 1993), and, of course, makes an excellent introduction to Geisert's own esteemed creations.?Barbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 2nd printing edition (April 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395797543
• ISBN-13: 978-0395797549
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,484,981 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Arthur Geisert's unique and exquisite etchings have been widely praised and exhibited at the Chicago Institute of Art, among other museums. His work is regularly selected for the Society of Illustrators', annual Original Art exhibition, and his illustrations are now being collected by the Dubuque Museum of Art. He lives in a converted bank in Bernard, Iowa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Fascinating, January 29, 2003

By 

S Langworthy (Littleton, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Etcher's Studio (Hardcover)

I was introducted this past weekend to Arthur Geistert's body of work via an exhibit of his various etchings and books at the renowned Art Institute of Chicago. They were, in a word, exquisite. Parents will enjoy them as much as older children in subject matter as well. I was wishing that I could buy the etchings framed and display them at home. I plan to order his books for myself, and I don't have children!

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice pictures, December 9, 2009

By 

Jenny "Sometimes shopper" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Etcher's Studio (Paperback)

My son loves Arthur Geisert books in general. This wasn't one of his favorites but he still likes it