What is an aquatint?
A very important related process in etchings is called Aquatint. Aquatinting is generally used to create tonal areas, although it is possible to create an entire image with the use of aquatint. In the process, a dusting of finely grained resin is fused onto the late by heat to create4 a grained pattern. When the plate is immersed in the nitric acid, it etches away the resin-coated area creating a desired textured effect. For large aquatints this becomes an exceptionally time consuming process as the working and reworking of areas which require further acid biting demand careful control of the stopping out of the rest of the plate. This is followed by the removal of all varnish and meticulous cleaning of the entire plate before inking for testing or proofing of the results, and then repeating the process again and again, until the artist is satisfied with the end result. Because the plates are inked by hand, different colors can be placed on a single plate; however, often multiple plate
An aquatint is a variety of etching widely used by printmakers to achieve a broad range of tonal values. The process is called aquatint because finished prints often resemble watercolor drawings or wash drawings. The technique consists of exposing a copperplate to acid through a layer of granulated resin or sugar. The acid bites away the plate only in the interstices between the resin or sugar grains, leaving an evenly pitted surface that yields broad areas of tone when the grains are removed and the plate is printed. An infinite number of tones can be achieved by exposing various parts of the plate to acid baths of different strengths for different periods of time. Etched or engraved lines are often used with aquatint to achieve greater definition of form.
An aquatint is a type of etching which produces a distinctive variance of tones which looks almost like a watercolor painting. The technique for making aquatints was developed in the 1600s, and this technique was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable producer of aquatints was Francisco Goya, a noted Spanish engraver who was famous for being able to make very delicate, detailed, nuanced aquatints. The term “aquatint” comes from the Latin aqua, which means “water,” and tinta, for “dyed.” The finely detailed, flowing nature of a well-made aquatint does indeed resemble a fine watercolor, although there are a variety of techniques which can be used to create an assortment of styles. In all cases, an aquatint is composed of very finely grained tones, rather than the lines of etchings and engravings. To make an aquatint, an artist covers a plate in a granular substance known as a ground, which provides the speckled look of the finished product. Then, he or she “stops out” a
An etching technique that produces an unlimited number of gradations of tone from black to a very pale gray. It usually will have a granular appearance. The name is not from the actual technique, but in its visual similarity to that of a watercolor. The technique is usually used in conjunction with other processes such as engraving or drypoint. The majority of Goya’s prints are done in a combination of aquatint and etched lines. -back to top- Bas-Relief: A low relief sculpture that projects only slightly from its two dimensional background. -back to top- Bon a Tirer: This is a french term which translates as “good pull”. It denotes that the print that has just been pulled can be used as a guide to match up the remainder of the prints that are pulled in the edition. -back to top- Bronze: An alloy of copper and tin used for sculpture. -back to top- Collage: The term Collage is from the French verb Coller meaning “to glue.” In English it means to attach objects to a surface. It can be use
An etching technique that produces an unlimited number of gradations of tone from black to a very pale gray. It usually will have a granular appearance. The name is not from the actual technique, but in its visual similarity to that of a watercolor. The technique is usually used in conjunction with other processes such as engraving or drypoint. The majority of Goya’s prints are done in a combination of aquatint and etched lines. What Is A Collage? The term Collage is from the French verb Coller meaning “to glue.” In English it means to attach objects to a surface. It can be used as either a noun or a verb. The first collage in art was by Picasso, Still Life with Chair Caning, produced in 1912. After World War I, the Dada artists used found objects to make political statements. Since this time, collage has been used by many artists to make statements about our society. Since it uses real objects it has a particularly strong impact in the form of social statement. Other artists involved
