aquatint

Printmaking technique. When combined with etching it produces areas of subtle tone as well as more precisely etched lines. Aquatint became common in the late 18th century.

An etching plate is covered with a fine layer of resin and then immersed in acid, which bites through the resin, causing tiny pits on the surface of the plate. When printed, a fine, grainy tone is apparent. Lighter tones are created by using acid-resistant varnishes, darker tones by longer exposure to the acid. English painter Thomas Gainsborough experimented with aquatint, but the first artist to become proficient in the technique was J B Le Prince.