{"id":1530140,"date":"2024-06-10T00:14:38","date_gmt":"2024-06-09T23:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=1530140"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:05:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:05:51","slug":"mezzotint-printmaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2024\/06\/10\/mezzotint-printmaking\/","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to Mezzotint Printmaking"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have recently introduced some mezzotint plates with a pre-rocked surface, in economical aluminium, manufactured in Japan. This means you can try your hand at creating a mezzotint print with very little initial outlay and without the need to hand rock a plate yourself. In this article, I will share some of the history behind this technique and describe the process of making and printing a mezzotint using the pre-rocked aluminium plates.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Mezzotint\"
Summer Morning<\/em>, ca. 1830
David Lucas after John Constable
Mezzotint, 30.5 x 44.3 cm | 12 x 17 7\/16 in
The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Introduction to Mezzotint Printmaking<\/h2>\n

Mezzotint is a form of intaglio printing related to drypoint and engraving. It is a non-acid technique, capable of unique tonal chiaroscuro. The name \u2018mezzotint\u2019 derives from the Italian half-tint or shade, or more aptly, for printmaking half-tone. Mezzotint was invented by Ludwig von Siegen, an engraver working in Amsterdam in the middle of the 17th century. His first mezzotints involved adding texture selectively to the engraving plate by means of rolling it with a tool resembling a roulette, creating multiple tiny pits and burrs to hold the ink. Working in Amsterdam at the same time was Rembrandt, who was pushing the techniques of etching and engraving and creating prints of high-tonal drama by means of repeated overlays of etched and engraved lines. As a 17th-century engraver, Ludwig von Siegen found that his method of texturing the plate softened the hard-edged engraved line and captured well the painterly effects used to render flesh and fabric. Much more so than cross-hatching and stippling, the usual methods for adding tone to engravings.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Paradise Lost of John Milton with Illustrations by John Martin<\/em>, 1846
John Milton
Illustrations: mezzotint, 39.3 x 30.7 x 6.2 cm | 15 1\/2 x 12 1\/16 x 2 7\/16 in
The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prince Rupert of the Rhine is credited with inventing the tool we know today as the mezzotint rocker, a curved blade edged with multiple tiny teeth that is rocked like a herb chopper across the plate in several directions. A fully rocked plate is covered with a carpet of thousands of tiny pits and burrs that will hold the ink and is referred to as the \u2018ground\u2019. Lighter tones are then created by scraping and burnishing the texture away, working from dark to light to create an image of great tonal variation.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Great Executioner with the Head of Saint John the Baptist<\/em>, 1658
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Mezzotint with engraving, 63.3 \u00d7 44.2 cm | 24 15\/16 \u00d7 17 3\/8 in
The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/small>
This famous mezzotint by Prince Rupert must surely have been inspired by Caravaggio\u2019s David with the Head of Goliath<\/em>, the epitome of chiaroscuro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mezzotint, \u2018mani\u00e8re noire\u2019 or \u2018schabkunst\u2019 (scraped art) became the preferred method for reproducing portraits of eminent figures that could be cheaply and widely distributed amongst the middle classes. As skilled European printmakers sought refuge and work opportunities in the relative stability of post-restoration England, and smart publishers spotted a marketing opportunity, London became the centre of printmaking. Eventually, mezzotint became known as \u2018la maniere anglaise\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Pandemonium<\/em>, 1853
John Martin
Mezzotint, 53.9 x 71 cm | 21 1\/4 x 28 in
The New York Public Library Digital Collections<\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the second half of the 19th century, mezzotint took a back seat after the arrival of photography, which superseded printmaking as a means of reproduction, and the consequential explosion of new printmaking techniques engaging artists. Often dismissed as too laborious a technique, it retained a certain appeal amongst artists of a particular temperament who responded to its unique qualities of graduated tone, unrivalled velvet blacks and its gauzy, dreamlike quality.<\/p>\n

How Plates Are Ground for Mezzotint Printing<\/h2>\n

\u201cFirst take a very well polished Plate of Copper, and ruffen it all over\u201d says Alexander Browne in his Ars Pictoria of 1669.<\/p>\n

There are no hard and fast rules as to how you create the ground (texture) on the plate. Most commonly today, a mezzotint rocker, a sharp curved tool edged with lots of tiny teeth, is used on a plate of polished copper. Rockers<\/a> come in a variety of widths and tooth counts per inch; the finer rockers cut more, but shallower pits on the plate, and the coarser rockers will cut fewer but deeper pits. The texture of your ground will be integral to the image you create, with some artists utilising a combination of grades to widen the breadth of tone and subtlety.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

If you want to try your hand at mezzotint without investing in expensive rockers, you can buy pre-ground plates. We have added some cost-effective aluminium mezzotint plates to our printmaking range. Aluminium is a softer metal than copper so fewer prints can be taken from the plate, but they are a great way to acquaint yourself with the technique. Below I will outline the basics while making my first mezzotint on these plates.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

Transferring Your Image<\/h2>\n

As always in printmaking, the image you see on the plate will be reversed when printed, so bear that in mind when transferring the image to your plate. Any carbon paper or transfer paper can be used under your image, just make sure you don\u2019t press too hard when tracing it down or you might risk crushing the mezzotint ground on the plate. You can go over the carbon tracing to reinforce the image with a pencil, again not pressing too hard.<\/p>\n

\"Mezzotint\"<\/p>\n

What Tools to Use<\/h2>\n

Scrapers and burnishers<\/a> of varying sizes and shapes can be used. A scraper is going to scrape away the burrs, a light scrape shaving off just the tips, creating tiny dots of flat plate from which the ink will be wiped. The more you scrape, the larger the areas of plate you expose, so the lighter the resulting tone. A burnisher will crush the burrs and the further you burnish, the further these will be smashed down and evened out. The more you burnish, the lighter the resulting tone. Some artists prefer to scrape, some to burnish, and of course many make use of both, burnishing to a high shine those areas already scraped. It seems to be a matter of personal choice and can depend on the effect you are working towards.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

Here, we can see from some historical instructions by Alexander Browne in his Ars Pictoria of 1669: \u201cWhere you would have the light strike strongest, take a burnisher, and burnish that part of the plate\u2019 \u2013 \u2018where you would have the fainter light, you must not polish it so much, and this way you may make it either fainter or stronger, according to your fancy.\u201d<\/p>\n

By contrast, a 1668 treatise, The Excellency of the Pen and Pencil<\/em>, \u201cThe way of laying a Mezza-tinto Grownd, with the fashion of the Engine [here referring to Ludwig von Siegen\u2019s method, an engine is something resembling a roulette], and manner of scraping your design.\u201d<\/p>\n\"\"\n

So, a scraper and\/or a burnisher are your most basic tools and the curve of the blades will allow you to control the size of the mark you make in the ground. Different sizes can be purchased to widen your scope of mark-making, with ball burnishers being particularly useful for detail. Part of the scraper blade can be covered in tape to protect your hands should you want to grip it closer to the tip. Printmakers also use agate burnishers and other sharp blades if suitable.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n\"\"\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

Making the Image on the Mezzotint Plate<\/h2>\n

If you first bevel the edges of the plate and then ink and print it, the result would be a black rectangle. So, having traced your image onto the plate, you now need to begin scraping\/burnishing. This will feel like drawing in reverse. The untouched ground will print as your darkest tone, and your smoothed out areas your lights. The process of scraping and burnishing is gradual in order to prevent damage to the ground. Looking online, I found a good tip shared by a few artists: Make a simple screen from tracing paper to diffuse the light falling onto the plate, and this will help you see what you are doing. You can make one easily and if you prop it in front of your light source, be it a lamp or a window, it will reveal the graduation of tone your marks are making.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n\"\"\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

The aluminium plates are much softer than traditional copper. I did find that the burnishing was easier if a little lubricating oil was used. The softness makes the plates easy to work with but will not yield that many prints before the image starts to lose definition through the effects of wiping and printing.<\/p>\n\"\"\n\"\"\n

Proofing and Correcting Mezzotints<\/h2>\n

Checking the development of your image can be done by proofing as you go along. If you want to make any corrections, you can re-ground any spot using a roulette wheel to add texture back. You can choose a roulette<\/a> that most resembles the texture of your ground – a fine regular dot roulette will most likely suit – by contrast, irregular roulettes more closely resemble the texture of aquatint. The re-ground area can be worked upon as before.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

Inking and Printing Mezzotints<\/h2>\n

Artists recommend a soft ink for printing, here I used Cranfield Traditional Etching Ink<\/a> in Aquatint Black<\/a>, a good choice for printing tonal images. The ink has a medium viscosity and a high tack helping it to remain in the wider areas of tone. If your ink is particularly stiff, you can modify it with a little plate oil. Applying the ink by roller is quite common and a good option on a delicate plate, applying an even layer in all directions. The wiping process with tarlatan can be as much part of the creative process as any other in mezzotint, the amount of wiping can be tailored to your image. Highlights can be spot-wiped, even picked out with cotton buds, and a final hand wipe can brighten the light tones.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n\"\"\n

Evenly dampened soft paper is going to give the best results for printing. Any unevenness in the moisture content of the paper will show up on areas of tone. Somerset<\/a>, BFK Rives<\/a>, and Hahnem\u00fcehle<\/a> are favourites amongst mezzotint practitioners, and creating a damp pack and leaving overnight is a good idea.<\/p>\n

As a general rule, a heavy press, able to exert high pressure, is necessary for mezzotint, along with good quality blankets. Being a non-etch process, mezzotint is ideal for working at home, and if you can access a larger press at an open studio or print co-op, you can get the best out of the medium. However, working with these smaller and thinner aluminium plates, I was able to get a decent print on the lightweight Fome Press<\/a> I have in the studio.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n\"\"\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

Colour can and has been used throughout mezzotint\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\"Mezzotint\"\n

The newly arrived pre-rocked mezzotint plates from Japan are a great way to make your acquaintance with this truly unique technique. If you fall for the absolute blacks and tonal possibilities you can find polished copper plates<\/a> and mezzotint rockers<\/a> on our website.<\/p>\n

\n

Further Reading<\/h2>\n

Etching for Beginners \u2013 What You Need to Get Started<\/a><\/p>\n

Safer Intaglio Printmaking<\/a><\/p>\n

Monotype Printmaking for Beginners<\/a><\/p>\n

Sl\u00e1ma Press Printmaking Techniques<\/a><\/p>\n

Shop Printmaking on jacksonsart.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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This means you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":1530222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[477],"tags":[15157,511,129],"class_list":["post-1530140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-printmaking-art-technique","tag-mezzotint","tag-print","tag-printmaking"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIntroduction to Mezzotint Printmaking - 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