A printmaking technique that produces rich, velvety tones by roughening a copper plate with a rocker tool, then smoothing areas to create lighter values. The process works from dark to light, unlike other engraving methods.
From Italian 'mezzo tinto' meaning 'half-tinted,' coined in the 17th century when the technique was developed. The term reflects the method's ability to produce subtle gradations of tone between pure black and white.
Mezzotint was called 'the English manner' because British artists perfected it for reproducing paintings in the 18th century, before photography existed! The technique is so labor-intensive that a single plate might require 40+ hours of rocking to create the initial textured surface.
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