Aquatint

A variant of etching, aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique. However, rather than producing lines like etching, aquatint produces tonal values and is characterised by a fine or coarse grainy texture of tones. Etching and aquatint are often used together to combine these tones and lines. To produce an aquatint work, the plate is carefully and evenly covered with a powdered resin dust and heated so that each particle of dust becomes crystallised and adheres firmly to the plate. The particles leave small exposed sections of the plate, which are then bitten by immersion in acid. Through a series of resin treatments, delicate gradations of tone can be produced.