A fish with the embossing technique

drawing of the model to be reproduced (made in pencil on a sheet of notebook or printer paper)
anodized aluminum foil for embossment

On the notebook sheet draw, horizontally, a rectangle of the same size as the plate that will be used for the embossing. (Never use cardboard sheets)
Inside the rectangle, draw a smaller rectangle to create a 1 cm wide frame on all four sides.
Draw a horizontal line dividing the interior space into two equal parts
Using pictures taken from the internet or from books, draw your fish (remember that the drawing must be done in pencil).
Cut out the rectangle along the outermost edge (same size as the metal plate)

put the notebook , the ballpoint pen and the wooden skewer on the table
place the aluminum foil on the notebook so that the silver side is visible
place the rectangle of paper on the plate
fix the rectangle of paper with the drawing with a piece of adhesive paper tape (about 3 cm) on the plate by folding the adhesive tape on the back of the plate itself . (Do not attach the drawing to the notebook: the plate must remain free, so that it can be turned during the work).
Go over your drawing with the ballpoint pen, treading a little so as to create a path in the plate corresponding to all the lines of the drawing. (Attention: in case you have blackened some spaces on your drawing, just go over the contours of the shapes).
Lift the sheet of paper and go over all the marks again with the wooden skewer to make the path deeper. (Be careful not to use too much strength: you could make a hole in the plate). To obtain a sufficiently deep mark, move your skewer back and forth in the already drawn line: it is the repetition of this operation that will allow you to shape the plate without breaking it .

Turn the foil so you can see the copper side .
Observe that the grooves you traced on the back of the plate appear in relief: the relief must be very well defined (at least a couple of millimeters).
If the marks are not all well defined, turn the plate over and correct again.
Turn the foil again from the right side (copper-colored side) and, using the tip of the skewer, make a well-defined mark next to the previous ones at a distance of one, maximum two millimeters. This operation is called straightening and serves to create a precise boundary of the parts that you will then go to emboss from the reverse.
If you drew scales on the fish, remember to make a mark along the outer edge of each scale.
Starting from the external profile of the fish, and using the flat part of the sushi stick, go to the outside of this second mark in order to well define the profile of your subject.
If necessary, smooth the plate around the fish using the cotton ball. The plate around the fish must be perfectly flat .

RUSH

Turn the foil so you can see the silver back and, with regular, light movements, start embossing the parts you want in your fish to be embossed. For this you need to use the sushi stick , but you can also use the back of the skewer in the smaller spaces. In larger areas you can use circular movements, in narrower ones, straight movements. Move the tip back and forth, as if you were coloring with a pencil . The aim is to create a deep space, which from the obverse will be in relief. You don't have to press too hard, either because you could break the plate, or because you don't have to create unnecessary marks .
During this operation, turn the plate often and observe what you are doing: some areas will probably have to be more embossed than others (for example the lips and the head of the fish).
If you want to have very prominent areas, place the soft cloth folded in four on the notebook and go back to working exclusively in the affected areas. Be careful not to bend or crumple the plate. If you notice any imperfections, remove the cloth. Place the foil on the notebook facing the straight side and smooth it back around the fish, in order to restore the correct levels.
Still working from the back (silver side), smooth the areas you embossed well with cotton.
If you want to add textures or embossed marks, placing the plate on the notebook and draw them using the skewer.
Your fish should be finished at this point.