Discover mezzotint, a traditional intaglio technique from the 17th century known for its rich blacks, velvety textures, and subtle tonal transitions. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you'll learn how a mezzotint plate is prepared and how different tools can be used to transform a dark, textured surface into an image through light and shade.
This workshop focuses on building a strong technical foundation. You'll work through a series of exercises to understand how mezzotint creates tone, texture, gradients, and highlights before developing your confidence with the tools.
During the workshop, you'll learn how to:
Understand the basic principles of mezzotint
Prepare and test rock a mezzotint plate
Handle and use mezzotint tools correctly
Create different textures and patterns
Scrape and burnish the plate to create lighter areas
Develop smooth tonal transitions and shading
Understand the basic inking and printing process
Rather than creating a finished personal artwork, the class is designed around hands-on technical exercises. You'll experiment with different marks and shading techniques so you can understand how to control the plate and confidently begin your own mezzotint projects afterwards.
This class is ideal for:
Complete beginners who have never tried mezzotint
Printmakers wanting to add mezzotint to their practice
Artists interested in learning traditional intaglio techniques
Anyone wanting to understand the tools and processes before committing to a larger project
No previous mezzotint experience is required.
You'll leave with your practice work and, more importantly, a practical understanding of how to prepare, work, and print a mezzotint plate.
This workshop is also the recommended starting point for students who want to continue into our Mezzotint Design & Edition Workshop.
This is a skills-based introductory class. Students will work on practice exercises rather than developing their own finished design or producing a personal edition.
CONTINUE YOUR MEZZOTINT JOURNEY
We offer advanced levels of mezzotint and intaligo processes in our other courses where you get to create full edition works too.
This class repeats every 3 months on the fourth Sunday.
Sign up to get the latest on classes, sales, new releases and more!
