The Painterly Printmaking Technique You May Not Know About

The Painterly Printmaking Technique You May Not Know About
"The Fishermen," 1771, by Jean-Baptiste Le Prince. Etching and aquatint printed in brown image; 12 11/16 inches by 9 1/8 inches. Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, National Gallery of Art, Washington. National Gallery of Art, Washington
Lorraine Ferrier
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In the mid-18th century, European artists, art admirers, and collectors were keen to view the finest artworks from across the continent, in the comfort of their studios, homes, and studies, respectively. Prints fulfilled that need, and as the demand for fine art prints grew, printmaking innovations blossomed.

One such innovation was a painterly printmaking technique that you’ve probably seen but maybe not heard of: aquatint. Aquatint is an intaglio printing technique (involving incisions applied to a metal plate) used in conjunction with etching, which allows artists to effectively mimic the subtle tones of ink, wash, and watercolor.

Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.
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