drypoint

drypoint an intaglio printing process in which the lines are scratched directly into a metal plate with a needle; also, the print made from such a plate. Although it is often used in combination with etching , no acid is used for the drypoint. It differs from engraving in the type of tool employed and the consequent shallowness of the line. In drypoint the burr raised by the needle is usually left on the plate, producing a rich, velvety effect. It is characteristically a sketchy medium suitable for improvisation, but it can also be used to render fine detail. Unless the plate is steel faced, the burr deteriorates rapidly, allowing relatively few good prints to be pulled. Dürer, Rembrandt, Whistler, and Picasso are considered the greatest masters of the technique.

drypoint Quick engraving technique, probably originating in the 15th century, using a sharply pointed tool to draw lines in a metal plate. The drypoint steel can produce different qualities of line according to the amount of pressure.

drypoint A printmaking method in which the design is scratched directly into a copper plate with a sharp tool that is held like a pen. It is a more spontaneous technique than line engraving, but not so fluent as etching. A distinctive feature of drypoint is provided by the burr—the tiny upturned edge of the furrow made by the cutting tool. This produces a soft, rich quality in the print, but because it soon wears down only a limited number of good impressions can be taken. Drypoint, which seems to have originated in the last quarter of the 15th century, has frequently been used in combination with other processes; Rembrandt, for example, often touched up his etchings in drypoint. He also made a few prints purely in drypoint, notably one of his most celebrated works, The Three Crosses, and he sometimes used special papers to bring out the softness of the burr.