Dancer on Ball (etching)

Another etching I've been working on. This one uses the mezzotint technique, which (for me, at least) is a lot harder than it looks! It involves using aquatint to create a black background, then rubbing out your lighter tones.

The learning curve for me was knowing how hard to rub and scratch in order to get those light tones. This process requires a lot of test prints, which is what I regard these prints. The spotty effect is accidental, probably caused from working in a shared space and possible splashing around, although I'm undecided if I like it or not. More work needs to be done on this plate - expect updates in the future.

The first print:




Worked the plate, then printed again: