Drypoint

Drypoint

Drypoint is a printmaking method in which a design is inscribed onto a plate using a sharp, needle-like tool.

Drypoint is an intaglio printmaking method that produces distinct lines with soft, velvety edges. It involves the use of a diamond-pointed needle to incise lines directly into an unprepared metal printing plate, displacing metal ridges that adhere to the edges of these incised lines, known as burrs. During the inking process, the incised lines and burrs capture the ink. Damp paper is then placed on the plate and passed through a press, causing it to collect ink from both the incised lines and burrs, creating the characteristic fuzzy line quality.


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Parra's studio, with Parra at the centre, his back to the camera as he works on the large painting takes centre stage, showing a faceless blue woman in a striped dress, painted in red, purple, blue and teal. The studio is full of brightly coloured paints, with a large window on the right and a patterned rug across the floor under the painting.