A drawing is made into a zinc or copper plate which is covered with a layer of varnish. The drawing is made with a steel tipped pen, a scriber. Next, the plate is put into an acid bath, making the lines of the drawing sink deeper into the plate.

The varnish protects the rest of the material. After cleaning, the plate is covered in ink, filling the lines of the drawing. Now, only the surface is cleaned, so the ink stays in the drawing. Now the drawing can be printed on wet etching paper.

The first print is always a surprise, because it shows the lines that need more attention, or other small imperfections, which in turn can be adjusted.

When the etch is finished, Gerda saws the outline of the drawing out of the zinc, and uses black ink to fill the lines in the figure. After the printing process, when the paper has dried, Gerda uses water-colour paint to complete the drawing.

The finished drawing is then, together with a matched trimming, put into a brightly coloured aluminium frame.