Glossary: Aquatint

An etching technique that preserves the artist's original brush strokes and produces a picture that resembles a watercolour. The technique is only usable for broad lines and, oddly, combines science and cooking. The artist coats the plate with a mixture of sugar and black ink. The plate is then coated with an acid resistant varnish. When the plate is immersed in warm water, the sugar melts, lifting away some of the varnish to an imprecise edge. The plate is then grained for texture and dipped into acid. Where the varnish has lifted the acid bites into the plate giving a finished print of rich dark tones.

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