Drypoint Printing The Pythia
The Pythia Drypoint print on paper 5 x 8 in Drypoint is an intaglio printing method wherein an image is incised into a hard plate, usually copper (or in this case, plexiglass ). The image is scratched into the surface using a sharp stylus . The plate is then covered with ink and wiped clean, with the incised lines retaining ink in their grooves. This plate is then run through a printing press with a dampened sheet of paper on top. The paper is dampened so that it is pliable enough to be forced into the grooves of the plate by the pressure of the press. Unlike other intaglio methods, like etching and engraving, the incised lines of the drypoint plate are shallow and depend for inking on the sharp raised burr along their edges. As the plate is used the burr deteriorates. As such, only a few prints can be pulled from a drypoint plate. However, even a used plate retains a ghost of its incised image and this can form the basis...