Since there is apparently no other source for ready mixed White Ground currently available, I'm offering it here.  I've used White Ground (the recipe from Ruth Leaf's book) for decades, and have also developed my own recipe for a more permeable ground (Soft Edge stopout) which is similar, and is used similarly.  I have found White Ground to be too hard a stopout for getting satisfactory mid-tone painterly effects with some degree of control.  You can get interesting textural effects, but if your expectations are too specific it ends up stopping out too much, or not enough. The Soft Edge stopout offers more of a range of tones, and a higher degree of control, though even with it precise tonal control is quite a trick. (Of course, precise tonal control with etchings is always quite a trick!)  For those interested, here are some more detailed technical notes.

I'm offering a 4oz jar of White Ground for $5.00,  and a 4oz jar  of the Soft Edge stopout for the same, $5.00.  A shipping & handling charge of $12.00 (domestic) or $20.00 (outside US) will apply to each order, regardless of quantity ordered for orders of 4 jars or less.  For orders of more than 4 jars, please email me.

 

4oz jar of White Ground (Ruth Leaf recipe)	jar lid makes a handy palette	4oz jar of Soft Edge Stopout

 

Here is a 5 X 6 in. copper plate with White Ground on the left, and Soft Edge stopout on the right.  (The plate first had a rosin/box aquatint applied to it.) I tried to get them as similarly applied as possible. The top row was applied with a bristle brush, middle row with a wadded paper towel, and bottom row with wet in wet sable brush.  The left column of each stopout was etched to about 50% of tone and the right column of each to about 100% black.  This is to illustrate the comparative blocking action of each ground at two different tonalities. Lines and lettering are with a red Staedtler Lumocolor 317 pen, which makes a good stopout.

Here is a print made from the test plate above. (flipped for easier viewing)