Special Collections Research Center
Striker's Wife by Dorothy Rutka
Aquatint: Crayon Method, 8" x 6 1/4"
The aquatint crayon method is a variation on the aquatint process. In this method the plate is cleaned and a regular porous aquatint ground is laid on the plate. A drawing is made on the plate with a cheap parafin wax crayon. Wherever the wax protects the plate from the action of the acid it will leave a white crayon-textured line on the plate. Usually, in actual practice the pure white lines are drawn before the plate is immersed for a short bite and each subsequent drawing and biting produces a darker crayon-textured line. The crayon method is sometimes used all by itself to produce an interesting, coarse, white crayon-textured print; at other times it is used in combination with etching, soft ground, pen process and other intaglio processes.