Print Appraiser
Aquatints and mezzotints are intaglio techniques, used to create tone. Instead of drawing lines onto a copper plate, the plate has to be slightly roughed up, so that the ink will lightly stick to the textured area. For aquatints, fine rosin particles are melted to the desired area. For mezzotints, a sharp tool is used to stipple or cross-hatching. Contemporary printmakers commonly use a fine layer of spray paint.