Medieval Window, Mdina, Malta.
Inspired by the silent, ancient city of Mdina in Malta.
WHAT IS A MEZZOTINT?:
A Mezzotint is a handmade print from a scoured, scraped and burnished metal plate; the artwork/design on the plate having been created and engraved by the artist.
You can place an order on another handmade print, then I can get one pressed for you.
PRINTMAKING: HANDMADE PRINTS:
Printmaking; (not to be confused with Giclee, commercial and affordable, digitally reproduced colour copies of an original painting) is a highly physical, time consuming and industrial process – hence the term, Handmade! Therefore, Each Handmade Print is an original so no 2 pressings from the same plate, no matter how hard one tries, is going to be identical to the other. They are pricier for a reason!
THE NATURE OF HANDMADE PRINTS FROM THE SAME PLATE:
Printmaking is versatile; a print from the same plate can be produced by the artist using a different colour of ink or a blend of coloured inks.
TO ORDER A HANDMADE PRINT WHICH IS OUT OF STOCK, I WILL NEED A DEPOSIT:
In order to prepare and etch a plate, and to use the Print Press, I have to hire Kew Studio for the day so that I can use their equipment. If you’d like a particular handmade print, but it is Out Of Stock, contact me to place an order so that I can book a slot at Kew and get one produced. To do this, I will need a £50 deposit!
AN IN DEPTH DESCRIPTION:
THE INTAGLIO PRINTMAKING PROCESS:
The opposite of Relief Printing, Intaglio; (of which Etching/Aquatint&Mezzotint) are a part), is an image or design incised or engraved into a metal plate by the artist for the purpose of making handmade prints.
WHAT IS A MEZZOTINT?
Like Etching, the Mezzotint is part of the Intaglio family and was introduced in the 17th Century.
A Mezzotint is the resulting print from a metal plate that has been scoured scraped and burnished by the artist to create a variation of light and dark rich, velvety tones. Ink is applied to the scoured, scraped and burnished textures of the plate. The excess ink wiped away from the smoother lighter burnished areas and the remaining ink absorbed and held in the rough scoured areas creating a deep, opaque richness of tone. The plate is then placed against paper and passed through a printing press with great pressure to transfer ink from the textured surface.