Stage 4: drawing the copper plate. After grounding the plate, this is where the image really begins. I work from my own drawings and photographs, reversing the image on screen, zooming in, and sometimes printing sections to draw from. If I need a little help, I’ll trace parts of the image onto the plate — though I do this less and less now. I like the freedom of drawing directly, but I’m not afraid to guide myself when it matters. This plate is of St David’s Palace and the old cathedral — a plac