WHAT IS A MEZZOTINT?

A mezzotint is a relatively rare form roughened plate, and uses a press of printmaking. (Other more to transfer the ink to the paper, the commonly-known original prints print would appear as a rich velvety include etchings, drypoints, black rectangle. aquatints, lithographs, linocuts, woodcuts, and silkscreens.) To create the art image, the artist uses metal tools to smooth out Like other intaglio prints, a portions of the roughened plate. mezzotint involves creating a design The smooth areas would repel the or image by incising it into a flat ink and therefore print with a lighter metal plate, inking the plate surface, tonal quality than the roughened positioning the paper on top of the areas of the plate. inked plate and applying pressure to the paper, which transfers the inked To achieve colors, the artist would design. When the paper is carefully generally use multiple plates, hand- lifted off the plate, the result is an inking them. Varying colors may be artwork (in reverse) as you see created by printing one color on top before you – an original mezzotint. of another.

What distinguishes a mezzotint from Why are mezzotints so dark? other (more common) intaglios is Because a mezzotint plate starts out the arduous method by which the in a state that would print only black. engraving plate is prepared and the The image that appears is made by image is formed on the plate. softening the roughened plate so the image, when printed, appears to To prepare the plate, the artist may emerge from the darkness. spend weeks or months roughening the plate surface in a systematic There are very few artists in the manner using a small curved-edge world creating mezzotints as it hand-held tool called a rocker. The requires a technical skill that so few tool has a serrated edge. When the have mastered. In this exhibition artist rocks the tool against the plate you are viewing the largest while applying heavy pressure, the collection of mezzotint artists you entire plate is roughened so it has will likely ever see again. an appearance similar to sandpaper. Enjoy – and please ask as you have If, at this stage, the artist inks the questions!