Mock Mezzotint: Reductive Drypoint on Copper

Drypoint printmaking is very direct printmaking process in which a needle is used to scratch lines into a plate. The lines, as well as the resulting burrs, produce a rich, soft mark. Requiring no chemicals and minimal tools, drypoint printmaking appeals to artists who enjoy the immediacy of drawing directly onto a plate. This workshop puts a twist on the traditionally additive process of drypoint to employ a reductive technique akin to mezzotint. Students will use a simple drypoint needle and a ruler to prepare a rich, dark background field on a copper plate. A scraper and burnisher will then be used to create a rich tonal image that will be inked up and printed onto paper using an etching press.