Mezzotint

Mezzotint by David Crown

Mezzotint is essentially engraving in reverse. A spiked roller called a rocker is used to create a textured surface all over the plate, so that if it was inked and printed it would print in solid black. The picture is then developed in chiaroscuro with a scraper and a burnisher; the artist works from "black" to "white" by flattening (burnishing) areas so that they do not hold ink. No line drawing is employed in pure mezzotint, the result is therefore soft without the sharp lines of an etching.

Link to the International Mezzotint Society

About Monoprints: click here to learn about monoprints