:: What Is A Drypoint?

Richard is primarily a printmaker and draws directly onto the copper plate (we even lug a box of copper plates away with us on holiday!).

In 'drypoint' the image is inscribed into the plate surface with a sharp etching needle (hence ‘drypoint’ – no acid used).  Depending on the force and angle used (and he likes to scratch very deeply - which, unfortunately, is rather painful on the fingers!) fine, sharp pieces of metal are thrown up either side of the line.  This burr holds ink, as does the furrow created by the needle, and the result is a warm, velvety line.

The plate is then inked up and wiped by hand, before being run through an etching press.  Many years of experience dictate just how much of the ink must be wiped off. The 100% pure cotton paper is printed damp so that it readily moulds itself to the plate and accepts the ink.  Richard has several etching presses, most are antique; indeed the process has changed very little since the days of Rembrandt!

The plate is re-inked, wiped and run through the press for each print made, and thus each print will vary slightly.

Etching, engraving, aquatint, drypoint and mezzotint techniques are all termed 'intaglio' - i.e. the image is held in marks made into the plate surface.  A characteristic of intaglio prints is the 'platemark', an impressed mark around the image, caused by the plate and paper being forced together in the printing press.

After the drying process, each print is meticulously hand painted with watercolours chosen for their vibrancy with the rich drypoint line.

So for example the ‘Perching Kingfisher’ will be one of an edition of only 100; each hand-printed, hand watercoloured, then signed, titled and numbered by Richard. There is thus no one original, as there would be with a painting. Each drypoint print is an original, each one being slightly different and sold in a limited edition. Indeed the art world refers to handmade prints as ‘original prints’, as they are not reproductions and not mass/machine produced.

When the edition is completed, the plate is chopped up on the studio guillotine and recycled.

To learn more about our methods, please visit our studio's website.