Is it drypoint or drypoint etching? What actually creates that beautiful soft line? Which plate should you use? How much pressure do you need? And why does a drypoint sometimes print beautifully at first and then seem to disappear?
Drypoint is one of the most immediate forms of intaglio printmaking. You can make a plate with remarkably little equipment, yet it is also a process that can become incredibly sophisticated.
It is often introduced as a simple technique: scratch a drawing into a plate, push ink into the lines, wipe the surface and print it onto damp paper.
And fundamentally, that is exactly what happens.
But understanding why it works opens up a much bigger subject.
The material you choose affects the line. The tool affects the burr. The angle and pressure of the tool affect the mark. Your ink, wiping, paper, blankets and press pressure all affect the final print. Even the way you draw into the plate can influence how many good impressions you can take from it.
And then there is the terminology.
Is it drypoint?
Drypoint etching?
Engraving?
Intaglio?
Those words are often used interchangeably, but technically they don’t all describe the same thing.
So this is my complete guide to drypoint: not simply how to make one, but what is actually happening at every stage and why.
What is drypoint?
Drypoint is an intaglio printmaking process.
An image is drawn directly into the surface of a plate using a pointed tool. The tool displaces material as it travels through the surface, creating an incised line and, importantly, a raised ridge of displaced material alongside it known as the burr.
The plate is inked and then wiped so that ink remains within the incised marks and around the burr.
Dampened paper is placed over the plate and the plate and paper are passed through an etching press under pressure.
The damp paper is pushed into the marks and against the ink held by the line and burr, transferring the image onto the paper.
That burr is one of the defining characteristics of traditional drypoint.
Instead of producing only a clean, sharply incised line, it can hold additional ink and create the wonderfully soft, rich, almost velvety marks associated with drypoint.
Is drypoint an intaglio process?
Yes.
Intaglio describes a family of printing processes, rather than one particular method of making a plate.
In intaglio printing, ink is held below the main surface of the plate — in engraved, scratched, etched or otherwise recessed areas — and is transferred to paper under pressure.
Drypoint sits within the intaglio family alongside processes including:
- etching
- engraving
- mezzotint
- aquatint
- photogravure
They can all produce intaglio prints, but the way the image is created on the plate is different.
And this is where some of the confusion around terminology begins.
Is it drypoint or drypoint etching?
Technically, drypoint is drypoint.
It doesn’t need to be called drypoint etching.
The word etching has a specific technical meaning in printmaking. In traditional etching, a metal plate is covered with an acid-resistant ground. The image is drawn through that ground and the exposed metal is then bitten using an etchant.
The etchant creates the recessed line.
In drypoint, there is no etchant involved.
The line is made mechanically, directly into the plate with the tool.
That’s the crucial distinction.
However, you’ll see and hear the phrase “drypoint etching” everywhere — in studios, courses, museums, galleries, shops and online.
That doesn’t mean everyone using it has misunderstood the process.
Language evolves, and “etching” is frequently used more loosely to describe intaglio printing or an incised print.
So I’m not particularly interested in telling somebody off for calling it a drypoint etching.
But understanding the technical difference is useful.
Drypoint = the plate is incised mechanically.
Etching = the plate is bitten chemically.
Both are intaglio processes.
Drypoint vs etching: what’s the difference?
The difference isn’t simply the appearance of the finished print. It is fundamentally how the line is created.
With drypoint, you physically push a tool through the plate surface.
With traditional etching, you generally draw through a resist and allow an etchant to bite into the exposed metal.
This affects the character of the resulting mark.
An etched line is recessed into the plate.
A drypoint tool both incises the plate and pushes material aside, producing that characteristic burr.
Consequently, a traditional drypoint can have a softness and richness around the line that is very different from an etched line.
Of course, printmakers have spent centuries combining processes, manipulating them and deliberately making one technique imitate another.
That’s part of the joy of printmaking.
Is drypoint the same as engraving?
No.
Again, both belong to the intaglio family, but the tools and the way they cut the plate are different.
Traditional engraving uses a burin or graver to cut and remove metal or wood from the plate.
Drypoint generally uses a pointed needle that displaces the plate material rather than cleanly removing it.
That difference is important.
The displaced material creates the burr that contributes so much to the characteristic drypoint line.
The burr: the really important bit
If you want to understand drypoint properly, understand the burr.
As a drypoint needle travels through the plate, it doesn’t simply create a neat V-shaped trench.
It pushes material aside.
Imagine dragging something through soft earth. You create a furrow, but you also push material up alongside it.
On a drypoint plate, that raised displaced material is the burr.
When you ink the plate, ink isn’t held only within the incised line. The burr can hold ink around it too.
When printed, that creates the beautiful soft halo and richness associated with traditional drypoint.
But the burr is also fragile.
Every time the plate is wiped and passed through the press, it can gradually flatten and wear.
And that leads us to one of the most important decisions in drypoint.
What are you drawing into?
Which materials can you use for drypoint?
Drypoint can be made on a surprisingly large range of surfaces.
Some of the most commonly used are:
Acrylic and plastic plates
Plastic is fantastic for learning drypoint.
It is relatively inexpensive, easy to work into and, because many plastics are transparent, incredibly useful when transferring or tracing an image.
It requires much less force to make a mark than a harder metal.
That makes it accessible, particularly for beginners.
But don’t assume a plastic drypoint is simply a cheap version of a copper drypoint.
It behaves differently.
The material displaced by your needle behaves differently, the burr is different, the plate wears differently and consequently the printed mark can be different.
Aluminium
Aluminium is relatively soft and easy to work into.
You can create marks without needing the force required for harder metals.
It can be a very useful drypoint surface, but again, its softness affects the nature and durability of the burr.
Zinc
Zinc is harder than aluminium and offers a different drawing experience.
The resistance of the plate affects the way the tool moves and therefore the marks you’re able to create.
Copper
Copper is the traditional surface many people associate with fine intaglio work.
It is harder to work into than aluminium or zinc, but that resistance can give you tremendous control.
A copper drypoint can produce an extraordinarily beautiful line.
Copper itself can also vary in hardness depending upon its condition and temper, so not every piece of copper will necessarily feel identical beneath the needle.
Does the plate material really make that much difference?
Absolutely.
This is something that can easily be missed when drypoint is taught simply as “scratch a line into a plate.”
You’re not merely drawing on something.
You’re physically manipulating the material.
A tool travelling through plastic behaves differently from the same tool travelling through aluminium, zinc or copper.
That’s why changing your needle isn’t always the solution when you’re struggling to create a particular mark.
Sometimes the important variable is the plate.
The harder the material, the more resistance you feel.
That changes your hand pressure, the angle of your tool, the depth of the line, the burr and ultimately the printed result.
Drypoint needles and tools
You don’t need a studio full of specialist equipment to begin making drypoints.
At its simplest, you need something sufficiently hard and pointed to make a controlled mark in your chosen plate.
But different drypoint tools absolutely do produce different results.
You can use traditional steel needles, carbide tools, diamond-point tools and a variety of other mark-making tools.
Different points create different lines.
But there isn’t one universally “best” drypoint needle.
The important question is:
What mark are you trying to make, and what plate are you making it on?
A tool that feels wonderful on plastic may feel completely different on copper.
Equally, the angle at which you hold your needle matters.
Hold it more upright and you affect the plate one way.
Lower the angle and you begin pushing material differently.
Experiment deliberately rather than simply pressing harder.
How do you create different tones in drypoint?
Drypoint isn’t restricted to thin black lines.
Tone can be built through mark-making.
Cross-hatching, repeated lines, closely spaced marks, dots and directional drawing can all build areas of tone.
You can vary:
- line density
- line direction
- depth
- pressure
- tool
- burr
- plate material
You can also combine drypoint with other intaglio techniques.
What you cannot do with a single drypoint line is magically create a continuous tonal field in exactly the same way as an aquatint or mezzotint.
Understanding that isn’t a limitation on creativity.
It helps you choose the right process for the image you want to make.
Transferring a drawing onto a drypoint plate
There are lots of ways of getting an image onto a plate, ranging from almost free to considerably more sophisticated.
Transparent plastic has an obvious advantage: you can place your drawing beneath the plate and trace it.
For opaque plates such as copper, aluminium or zinc, you need another method.
A simple transfer can be made using tracing methods or transfer papers, while more sophisticated image-transfer processes can be used where greater accuracy is required.
But remember something particularly important with printmaking:
Your printed image reverses.
If orientation matters — particularly with lettering — plan for that before you start working into your plate.
Can you correct mistakes in drypoint?
Yes — although it depends upon the plate and the severity of the mark.
Because drypoint physically alters the surface, you can’t simply rub a line out.
On metal, unwanted marks can sometimes be reduced using traditional plate-working techniques: scraping, burnishing and polishing the surface before reworking it.
But correction itself changes the plate.
On some plastics, attempting to polish out a deep mark may leave a visible area or alter the surface enough to print.
My advice is not to think of drypoint as a pencil drawing where everything can be erased.
Work progressively.
Proof.
Look.
Then work again.
That relationship between plate and proof is an important part of intaglio printmaking.
Inking a drypoint plate
Intaglio ink needs to be worked into the marks, not simply rolled across the surface as you would with a relief block.
You want to make sure the ink has reached the incised lines and burr.
Then the excess ink is removed from the plate surface while leaving the ink within those areas.
This is one of those stages where experience makes an enormous difference.
A beautifully made plate can produce a disappointing print if it is badly inked or wiped.
How do you wipe a drypoint plate?
I use muslin.
I don’t wipe the plate with my bare hand.
Muslin gives me the control I need to gradually remove surface ink without unnecessarily stripping the image.
Wiping is not simply “getting the ink off.”
You are effectively controlling the final image.
Too much wiping and you can lose delicate ink.
Too little and you can leave unwanted plate tone.
And with drypoint there is another consideration: that beautiful burr is physical material standing proud of the plate.
You want to treat it accordingly.
Paper for drypoint
Because drypoint is an intaglio process, a suitable intaglio paper can make an enormous difference.
The paper needs enough flexibility to be pushed into the plate marks and pick up the ink.
This is why intaglio papers are normally dampened before printing.
Dampening softens the fibres and allows the paper to respond under pressure.
Different papers behave differently, and there isn’t one universal soaking time for every paper.
As a general studio practice, I commonly soak intaglio paper for more than 20 minutes, then blot it appropriately before printing.
You’re looking for damp, relaxed paper — not a sheet carrying pools of water into your press.
Do you need an etching press for drypoint?
For a traditional intaglio drypoint, an etching press makes the process dramatically more controllable and repeatable.
You’re asking dampened paper to make intimate contact with the incised plate and draw ink out of those marks.
That requires pressure.
But this is important:
More pressure does not automatically mean a better print.
You need the correct pressure for the plate, paper, packing and blankets you’re using.
One of the biggest mistakes I see in printmaking is the assumption that if something hasn’t printed properly, the answer must be more pressure.
It isn’t necessarily.
Blankets and drypoint printing
The blankets are part of the printing system.
They help the damp paper conform to the plate and its marks as the sandwich passes through the press.
Different blanket combinations behave differently.
For intaglio work in our own studio, the relationship between the plate, damp paper, blankets and pressure is something we actively adjust rather than treating pressure as a single fixed setting.
That’s why learning to set a press is much more useful than simply being told, “turn the screw this many times.”
Every setup can vary.
How much pressure does drypoint need?
Enough to transfer the ink beautifully but not enouph to crack the plate or to kill the burr either.
Not as much as you can physically force through the press.
I like teaching pressure progressively.
Start sensibly and proof the plate.
Look at the result.
Is the paper picking up the complete image?
Are the fine marks printing?
Is the plate embossing unnecessarily heavily into the paper?
Are you compensating for poor wiping, unsuitable paper or another problem by increasing pressure?
The print tells you what needs adjusting.
How many prints can you get from a drypoint plate?
This is one of those questions for which a precise number can be misleading.
The life of a drypoint plate depends on:
how firmly the printmaker presses into the plate
the plate material and its hardness
the depth and character of the marks
the size and strength of the burr
wiping technique
press pressure
the printing method
how the plate is handled
One of the most important factors is how much pressure the printmaker applies when drawing into the plate. If the marks are too light, the line may not hold enough ink to print clearly, and the delicate burr can flatten very quickly under the pressure of the press. Deeper, more confident marks generally create a stronger burr, although every plate material responds differently.
A delicate burr can begin changing surprisingly quickly. This is part of the historical character of drypoint and one reason why the earliest impressions from a plate can be particularly prized.
A harder plate, or a different style of mark, may behave very differently. Plastic, aluminium, zinc and copper should therefore never be presented as producing a guaranteed number of identical prints.
Edition by quality, not by an arbitrary number.
Proof the plate regularly and watch the image carefully. When the character of the print changes beyond what you are happy to include in the edition, stop.
Why does my drypoint get lighter after several prints?
You are probably seeing the burr gradually wearing down or flattening.
The burr is not the incised groove itself. It is the ridge of displaced material pushed above the plate’s surface as you draw into it. Repeated wiping and the pressure of printing gradually act upon this delicate raised edge.
How quickly this happens depends greatly on how firmly you made the original marks. A very lightly scratched line may create only a delicate burr—or may not hold much ink at all—and can flatten quickly under the pressure of the press. A deeper, more confident mark generally creates a stronger burr, although this also depends on the plate material.
As the burr changes, it holds less ink and the wonderfully rich, velvety character of the original line begins to diminish. The incised line may continue to print, but it will look cleaner, finer and lighter.
This gradual change is one of the fundamental characteristics of traditional drypoint and one reason why the earliest impressions from a plate are often especially prized.
What is steel-facing?
Historically, copper plates could be steel-faced to increase their resistance to wear during editioning.
A very thin harder surface was deposited onto the plate, helping protect delicate plate information through a longer print run.
It’s an interesting part of the history of intaglio editioning and helps explain how printmakers dealt with the inherently delicate nature of certain plates and marks.
It isn’t a necessary part of learning drypoint, but it’s useful to understand when looking at historical prints and editions.
Why do old drypoints sometimes look different from modern plastic drypoints?
Because “drypoint” describes how the image is made — not one guaranteed visual appearance.
Plate material matters.
Tool matters.
Burr matters.
Ink matters.
Wiping matters.
Paper matters.
Press setup matters.
And historical printmakers frequently worked on metal plates with materials and methods quite different from those used in a contemporary introductory workshop.
So if you make a drypoint on plastic and it doesn’t look exactly like a historic copper drypoint, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
You’re using a different material.
Understanding that difference allows you to decide whether to embrace the qualities of the material you’re using or change materials to pursue a different result.
What can’t drypoint do?
I love this question because we don’t talk about it enough.
Every printmaking process has characteristics and limitations.
Drypoint excels at direct, expressive line, burr, rich dark marks, hatching, drawing and incredibly subtle linear work.
But if the image in your head depends upon something the process doesn’t naturally create, forcing drypoint to behave like another technique can become frustrating.
For example, if you want a very even flat intaglio tone, aquatint may be more appropriate.
If you want extremely rich continuous tonal modelling from black towards white, you might investigate mezzotint.
If you need a particular clean engraved line, engraving may be the better process.
And you can, of course, combine processes.
The question isn’t:
“Which technique is best?”
It is:
“Which technique gives me the marks I need for this image?”
That’s a much more useful question.
What are the minimum requirements for making a drypoint?
This is one reason drypoint is such a wonderful introduction to intaglio.
To make the plate, the minimum requirements can be incredibly simple:
a suitable plate, a suitable pointed tool, an image or idea and something to protect your working surface.
Printing traditionally requires more:
intaglio ink, wiping material, suitable paper, water for dampening, blankets/packing and access to an appropriate press.
You don’t need hundreds of pounds’ worth of specialist drawing equipment to discover whether you love drypoint.
Start simply.
Then invest in better or more specialised tools when you understand why you need them.
Common drypoint problems
My lines aren’t printing
First establish whether you’ve actually created sufficient plate information.
Then look at your inking, wiping, paper and press setup.
Don’t immediately increase the pressure.
Everything looks grey and dirty
You may simply have too much ink remaining on the plate surface.
Work on your wiping.
My lovely fine lines have disappeared
You may be overwiping, the marks may be too shallow, or a delicate burr may be changing through printing.
My plastic plate looks completely different from someone’s copper drypoint
That’s entirely possible.
They’re different materials.
I’m struggling to scratch into copper
Copper is considerably more resistant than plastic and softer metals.
Consider your tool, its condition, your angle and the mark you’re trying to make rather than simply forcing it.
My paper isn’t picking up the ink properly
Check the complete printing system: paper dampness, plate, ink, wiping, blankets and pressure.
Printmaking problems rarely exist in isolation.
Drypoint Questions & Answers
I’ve been discussing drypoint on social media recently and the response has been extraordinary.
Hundreds of comments and questions have demonstrated something I find fascinating: even a process as old and apparently straightforward as drypoint contains an enormous amount of misunderstanding and curiosity.
So I’ve collected some of the questions here.
What is drypoint?
Drypoint is an intaglio process in which an image is physically incised directly into a plate with a pointed tool. The displaced plate material forms a burr that can hold ink and produce the characteristic rich drypoint line.
Is drypoint an etching?
Technically, no. Drypoint and etching are different methods of making an intaglio plate. Etching uses an etchant to bite exposed areas of metal; drypoint creates the marks mechanically.
Why does everyone call it “drypoint etching”?
Because terminology is messy! The phrase has become extremely common and “etching” is sometimes used colloquially to describe intaglio prints generally. I understand exactly what someone means when they say it, but technically drypoint is the more accurate term.
Is drypoint intaglio?
Yes. Absolutely.
Is drypoint engraving?
No. Engraving traditionally uses a burin to cut and remove material. A drypoint needle displaces material and creates a burr.
What is a drypoint burr?
It’s the raised ridge of material pushed up beside the incised line as the needle travels through the plate. It holds additional ink and contributes to the characteristic soft, velvety drypoint line.
Do you need a burr?
You can create incised marks that print without a dramatic burr, but if you’re looking for that classic rich, fuzzy drypoint character, the burr is hugely important.
Which is best for drypoint: plastic or copper?
Neither is universally “best.”
Plastic is accessible, easy to draw into, inexpensive and wonderfully convenient for transferring drawings.
Copper gives greater resistance beneath the tool and can produce exceptionally beautiful traditional drypoint marks.
Choose according to the result you want.
What about aluminium and zinc?
Both can be used. Aluminium is relatively soft; zinc offers more resistance; copper is harder again. Each feels different beneath the tool and creates a different relationship between line and burr.
What thickness should a drypoint plate be?
For beginners, I recommend an acrylic or styrene plate approximately 1 mm thick. This provides enough stability for drawing and printing without creating an unnecessarily large step for the press rollers to climb.
Etching presses do not like sudden changes in height. If you use a 3 mm plate beneath two or three blankets and apply excessive pressure, the roller may struggle to travel smoothly up and over that step. This can make printing difficult and place unnecessary strain on the press.
Very thin materials may flex or distort, while overly thick plates create their own practical problems. For most beginner drypoint work, a 1 mm acrylic or styrene plate is the ideal choice.
Which drypoint needle should I buy?
Start with a good controllable tool appropriate to your plate.
Different needles and points make different marks, and the same needle behaves differently on plastic, aluminium, zinc and copper.
Once you understand the marks you’re trying to achieve, specialist tools become much more meaningful.
Can I use the same needle on plastic and copper?
Potentially, but don’t expect it to feel or behave identically.
The plate is half of the equation.
How do I make darker areas?
Build tone through mark density, cross-hatching, repeated marks, deeper or more pronounced marks and controlled burr.
For broad continuous tones, consider whether another intaglio technique would achieve your intended result more effectively.
Can drypoint create semitones?
Yes — but predominantly through the organisation and density of marks rather than a mechanically produced continuous tone.
Hatching, cross-hatching, dots, layered marks and burr can produce an enormous tonal range.
How do I transfer my drawing?
On transparent plastic, put your drawing underneath-make sure you have flipped it as your image will print the other way around!
On metal plates, tracing and carbon paper provide inexpensive options, while more sophisticated transfer methods can be used where precise reproduction is required-these are in my Book called Printmaking A Step-by-Step Studio Guide
Remember that the printed image reverses.
Can I correct a mistake?
Sometimes.
Metal can be scraped, burnished and polished before being reworked. Plastic can be more difficult to correct invisibly.
But don’t become terrified of mistakes. Proofing and reworking are part of making a print.
How much ink should I use?
Enough to thoroughly fill the plate information without making wiping unnecessarily difficult.
The goal isn’t to cover the plate with the maximum possible amount of ink. It is to work ink properly into the marks and then control its removal.
Should I wipe a drypoint with my hand?
I don’t.
I use muslin because it gives me excellent control over the wiping.
Why have I wiped all my lines away?
You may be overwiping or the marks may not be deep enough to hold enough ink in the first place.
Look at the plate before assuming the ink is the problem.
Does drypoint need wet paper?
For traditional press-printed intaglio drypoint, dampened intaglio paper helps the fibres mould into the plate marks and collect the ink. Soak your paper for longer than 20 minutes and then blot your paper before printing.
How long should I soak the paper?
It depends upon the paper.
In my studio I commonly soak intaglio paper for more than 20 minutes and blot it before printing, but learn how your particular paper behaves rather than treating one soaking time as a universal rule.
Which side of the paper do I print on?
Many printmaking papers have differences between their surfaces, although how pronounced this is varies enormously by paper.
Learn your paper rather than assuming every manufacturer’s sheet behaves identically.
Do I need blankets?
For conventional intaglio printing on an etching press, blankets form part of the system that helps the dampened paper make contact with the plate.
How much press pressure should I use?
Enough.
That sounds deliberately unhelpful, but it is actually important.
There is no universal drypoint pressure setting. Plate thickness, paper, dampness, blankets, press construction and the marks themselves all affect it.
Set your pressure progressively and read the print.
Will more pressure give me a darker print?
Not necessarily.
A dark print comes from the whole system working properly: plate information, ink, wiping, paper, blankets and appropriate pressure.
Cranking down the press isn’t a cure-all.
How many prints will my plate produce?
There is no honest universal number.
Material, burr, mark-making, wiping, pressure and handling all affect plate life.
Watch the quality of your impressions and edition accordingly.
Why was my first print richer than my tenth?
Your burr may be changing or flattening as the plate is wiped and printed.
This is a characteristic of drypoint, particularly with delicate burrs.
Can I make an edition from drypoint?
Absolutely.
But remember that drypoint plates can evolve as they’re printed.
If you’re editioning, compare impressions and establish what degree of variation you’re prepared to accept.
Can I make a large edition?
Potentially, but if maintaining a very delicate burr identically across a large edition is essential, you need to consider plate material, mark-making and historically processes such as steel-facing.
The technique should serve the intended edition.
What are the disadvantages of drypoint?
The burr can be fragile, plate materials behave differently, large consistent editions can be challenging and some kinds of tone are more naturally achieved with other intaglio techniques.
But those “disadvantages” are also part of drypoint’s character.
What can I NOT achieve with drypoint?
Rather than saying something is absolutely impossible, I’d ask whether drypoint is the most appropriate process for the result.
A perfectly even aquatint-like tone, for example, is more naturally created using aquatint. A mezzotint-style continuous tonal range is more naturally produced through mezzotint.
Printmakers combine processes precisely because different processes do different jobs beautifully.
Why doesn’t my drypoint look like an old master drypoint?
Possibly because you’re comparing different materials, tools, inks, papers, wiping methods and printing conditions.
A contemporary plastic plate isn’t going to automatically behave like a historic copper plate.
Study the process behind the appearance, rather than trying to copy the appearance alone.
What’s the cheapest way to start drypoint?
Keep it simple.
A plastic plate and suitable pointed tool can get you making marks without a huge investment.
You can learn an enormous amount before buying specialist equipment.
Is copper worth the extra expense?
If you specifically want the working and printing qualities of copper, yes.
Don’t buy copper because you think it makes you a more “serious” printmaker.
Buy it because you understand what that material can give you-personally I dont like to drypoint into copper, I much prefer styrene!
Can children and beginners make drypoints?
Yes. It can be an exceptionally accessible introduction to intaglio, particularly using suitable plastic plates and age-appropriate tools with appropriate supervision.
And it can also be an extraordinarily sophisticated professional printmaking process.
That’s one of the things I love about it.
⸻
The most important thing to understand about drypoint
There isn’t a single recipe.
That’s perhaps the biggest message I want this guide to leave you with.
If you change the plate, you’ve changed the process.
Change the tool and you’ve changed the mark.
Change your angle and you’ve changed the burr.
Change the ink and you’ve changed the wiping.
Change the paper, its dampness, your blankets or your pressure and you’ve changed the way the image transfers.
Printmaking is a series of relationships.
Once you understand those relationships, troubleshooting becomes much easier because you stop asking:
“What setting should I use?”
and start asking:
“What is happening here, and which variable do I need to change?”
That is when printmaking becomes really exciting.
⸻
Want to go further?
I’ve been printmaking and teaching these processes for many years, and there’s far more to drypoint — and printmaking generally — than I could fit even into an article this size.
My book, Printmaking A step-by-Step Studio Guide, is designed as a comprehensive practical studio resource, taking you from the foundations of printmaking right through to advanced and specialist processes, with processes demonstrated step by step and has a dedicated chapter on Drypoint!
And I’ll keep adding to the technical information here on the Ironbridge Fine Arts & Printmakers website too.
If you’ve arrived at this article because you had a drypoint problem that I haven’t answered, leave us a comment or get in touch.
Because judging by the conversations we’ve been having recently, there are still plenty more drypoint questions to answer.
⸻
