TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

MEZZOTINTE [2 records]

Record 1 2014-12-09

English

Subject field(s)
  • Engraving and Printmaking (Arts)
DEF

A relief printing process, that is a kind of reverse engraving procedure, in which the entire surface of a copper or steel plate is heavily abraded with a special tool called a rocker, or cradle. The over-all burr thus created prints as a dark, velvety black. The areas to be white in the print are painstakingly rubbed with a burnisher and an engraver's scraper, which smooth and depress those areas so that they do not take the ink in relief printing. ... For half-tones ..., the burr is only partially removed with the scraper or burnisher, leaving areas of variously concentrated dots.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Gravure d'art
CONT

Le mezzotinte [...] ou manière noire, est un procédé de gravure en creux. La planche de cuivre est dépolie à l'aide d’un berceau; la surface légèrement rugueuse retient l'encre; l'épreuve est alors entièrement noire. Le graveur polit ensuite plus ou moins certaines parties du brunissoir, ce qui lui permet d’obtenir toute la gamme des valeurs du noir au blanc. Parfois, le trait est gravé à l'eau-forte ou au burin avant l'application du mezzotinte, ou même après.

OBS

Le terme mezzotinte s’applique à la fois au procédé de gravure et à l'œuvre créée. On mentionne les admirables mezzotintes de Lucas, le mezzotintiste.

Spanish

Save record 1

Record 2 1987-11-18

English

Subject field(s)
  • Engraving and Printmaking (Arts)
  • Art Supplies
DEF

A type of chisel, with a sharp beveled edge, used in mezzotint engraving. It is set on the surface of a copper plate and rocked back and forth to produce a rough grain which, when printed, produces a velvety black.

OBS

According to other sources consulted, the rocker has a convex steel surface covered by fine, sharp teeth.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Gravure d'art
  • Matériel d'artistes
DEF

Instrument d’acier en forme de ciseau, dont la partie tranchante, dentée et arrondie, sert à la préparation des planches gravées en mezzotinte. En l'inclinant sur la planche, alternativement de droite à gauche et de gauche à droite(en le «berçant», on obtient un effet de pointillé.

Spanish

Save record 2

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