About Mezzotint

Mezzotint is an old printmaking technique. The technique is based on tones to define and create image. This technique, developed in the seventeenth century and in some recent years is combined with other techniques to make a new effect.

Here is the short summery of the technique:

A metal plate, usually copper, is first roughened by mezzotint rockers by crossing on top of the copper plate, and produce a rough surface. It should be done in different directions until it is perfectly done. The surface should uniformly textured. For transferring the image artists use some other tools like Scraper and burnisher. These two tools help to create different gray tones of the image. When the burred ground is removed perfectly the white will be shown in the image. between the white part and untouched burred surface artists make gay tones. Once the image is shown, the plate is inked and wiped afterwards. At the last stage the image is transferred to the paper by passing through an etching press.

It is common that the first proof is not the perfect one, and the artist should work on the plate again to adjust the gray tones to get the desired one.

I am going to add some more pictures from different stage of the new prints. The pictures are from the first Sang art project (Emerald).