MEZZOTINT       Edith Smith, Instructor


     
Set out pencilled parallel rows on your copper plate, in width just  under
the dimension of your rocker, so that in rocking the right and left tip of
rocker won't mar the metal.  Cover  entire plate perpendicular to side  1.
Then rule similar pencilled rows  at a 70 degree  angle from side 1:  rock
completely.  Then at 50  degrees; then at thirty  degrees.  Score back  of
plate at edge  with number  1.  Turn plate  45 degrees.   Scratch back  of
plate here with number  2.  On front  of side 2  start pencilling rows  in
exactly the same manner:

































Continue until side  4 is completely  rocked.  You will  have covered  the
surface 16 times.
     
Start rocking  lightly  at first.   Make  sure rocker  is  sharpened  (and
continually sharp).  Rocking may take much over the prescribed times; e.g.
c. 23 or 24 times if metal glow still shows between the ridges.

Don't rock too far right or left.   Avoid "v" mark made by ends of  rocker
on plate.

				  2



Use brisk, sharp  action, rocker  quite upright, with  good cutting  edge,
rather than forcing the metal by too  much pressure and a dull edge.   Cut
rather than push or squash.  Cover  metal completely by more rocking,  not
deeper cuts.  File edges.  

A tonal  pencil drawing  should be  worked  up in  detail.  It  should  be
visible during scraping procedure.
 
Scrape with a  "frank" intention.   The lightest stroke  will "record"  if
inked and wiped properly.   Remember not to squash,  mar, or injure  metal
with scraper tip.   If tip  scratches metal,  scrape very gently over  dry
point line til burr  is gone.  Keep scraper  sharpened.  Sharpen on  stone
absolutely flat  on each  of the  4 sides.   PRESSURE CONTROL  and  VISUAL
CONTROL are both essential in  subtle modelling  of tones:  a simultaneous
perception of the  tone being  produced -- in  VISUAL TERMS  on the  metal
(good front lighting is essential) -- and in KINESTHETIC and TACTILE TERMS
in the hand.  After first  proof is pulled, a  light stain of very  dilute
ink can be left on plate.  This will make the image more visible.
 
As in producing a  charcoal drawing, it  may be best  to create your  true
whites (and naturally  your true  blacks are already  given) before  doing
much on your half tones.  Thus it  will be easier to visualize and  create
the exact subtlety of grey you desire in any particular place.  Its  place
on a range from black to white will be established.

Solid expanses of tone  read better than  miniature tonal textures:   i.e.
even small effects should be  worked into "frank schemes."  Much  subtlety
can be produced by, e.g.
 

 
 
 
rounded motions  of  the  scraper  if  this  technique  is  carried  forth
regularly enough, but the haphazard "virtuoso" effect is lost.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

				  3
 

 
Proof, refine, proof, refine; etc.
 
Extra scraping is usually required on  true whites.  Edges of these  areas
should  be  watched   carefully.   Gently  scrape   rough  or   accidental
transitions.   The   plate   itself   should  look   beautiful,   like   a
finely-finished carving (rather like leather tooling).
  
Try to keep a good portion  of the  plate in the 1/2 way grey → → to black
range.  The technique is not named "la maniere noire" for nothing.
  
If true whites are still grey, burnish carefully.
  
If it becomes necessary  to rework an area,  rock very gently with  either
(1) edge to 1/2 or 1/3 rock of regular rocker, coming in from many  sides,
or (2) delicately lined patching  rocker.  Very light pressure.   Rescrape
gently.
  
It's better to produce a tone by scraping several times over the area with
same motion of attack, with  light pressure, than to  dig in with lots  of
pressure, trying to produce the tone instantly.  The "frankness" refers to
the size and shape of the area (even if it's a small area, and  represents
a tiny plane), the exact tone  desired, and the direction of the  scraping
motion.
  
  
PRINTING:
 
Make ink.  Pigment.   Some  boiled linseed  oil,  lightened  with  regular
linseed oil.  Not at all runny.  Barely wet pigment.
 
Plate quite warm.   Apply ink  with dauber, not  cardboard.  Two  tarlatan
wipes, very  slow and  regular.  Then  begin hand  wipe.  When  ink  stops
moving off areas it should evacuate, return to lightest tarlatan and  very
slowly pull ink off with proper  pressure.  In general, the tarlatan  wipe
is slower than on  an etched plate,  a slow drag across  the whole of  the
plate, one direction  -- then  turn plate  45 degrees,  and drag  tarlatan
regularly across  plate, row  after row.   This tarlatan  wipe, after  the
initial hand-wipe,  can  be more  selective  if necessary.   Now  continue
hand-wipe, varying pressure according to tone, and using vigorous pressure
on light areas and whites.  Eye-ball.  Keep plate warm.
  
  
Prepare paper with sponge.  Both sides.  Cloth wipe.  Then brush  briskly.
Paper should be very wet.
 
 
Pressure should be tight.  Perhaps very tight.
 
 
Pull press through.  Then wait for about two minutes for ink to settle and
absorb.  Then remove paper very slowly, like "peeling" it from the plate.