How to Do Tombstone Etchings

Creating an etching of a loved one's tombstone is a way to observe his death and remember his life.

Inside the Christ Church Burial Grounds of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there is a head stone that reads, "Like the cover of an old book, its contents turn out and stript of its lettering and guilding lies here; food for worms, for, it will as he believed, appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, corrected and improved." The stone belongs to Benjamin Franklin; he wrote the message himself. To remember a loved one's message personally or to display it for the public, create a tombstone etching.

Things You'll Need

• Container of water
• Paintbrush
• Roll of watercolor paper
• Fat-tipped watercolor pencils

Instructions

1. Cut a section of waterproof paper from the roll measuring the approximate width of the tombstone you are planning to rub. Travel to the cemetery with the paper section and the water, paintbrush and watercolor pencils.

2. Locate the tombstone you will rub, and lay the paper flat on the ground. Dip the paintbrush into the water, then cover one side of the paper with a small amount.

3. Hold the paper up to the headstone securely with your left hand. The water-covered side should face outward.

4. Grab a watercolor pencil with your right hand and firmly rub the pencil over the stone so that the message is revealed on the paper. The water will catalyze the watercolor pencil and the color will run, mimicking the look of a watercolor painting. Alternate colors if you choose to.

5. Take the finished product home and save it in a meaningful way. Consider framing it or adding it to a scrapbook.

References

• Brain Candy: Epitaphs and Tombstones of Famous People