Rocking a Mezzotint Plate Closeup

Rocking a copper mezzotint plate by E. Valentine DeWald, II.
Mr. DeWald is a Redmond, WA based artist. He graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1978 with a BFA in Painting and Photography. He is currently teaching mezzotint and etching and attending printmaking classes at the Kirkland Arts Center in Kirkland, WA. Mr. DeWald is concentrating primarily in the mezzotint printmaking process. Earl’s previous works included equine western and dressage images, a fire series and a cumulus clouds series. His current mezzotint prints are an in-depth examination of the human face. DeWald hopes to convey some of the intense life experience emanating from the faces of homeless people.
Mezzotint is a tonal engraving process. As opposed to burin engraving, in which black lines are incised on a white background, mezzotint begins with a black background from which tones are deducted. It’s similar to the method of drawing in which a white sheet of paper is blackened with charcoal and the image is “drawn” with an eraser. In mezzotint, a copper plate is substituted for the paper, and the black background is created using a tool called a rocker.
The rocker has a curved serrated blade that is rocked back and forth over the plate surface. As the blade’s teeth prick the copper they plow up tiny burrs. When printed, these burrs will hold ink. Systematically rocking over the entire plate surface in many directions produces a field of burrs that will hold ink all over and print as a solid black tone. Variations in this process can imbue the ground and image with unique textures.
To create an image, the burrs are either shaved away with a scraper, or squashed and polished with a burnisher. Only by completely removing the burred ground can the plate be made to print white again. Altering the ground in minute increments produces subtle gradations and a broad range of grays or half tones. In fact, the word mezzotint is derived from the Italian mezzo, for half, and tinto, for tone.

[@4355dcox]

Hello how often do you sharpen your rocker doing a plate that size? I just ordered some mezzotint tools, I’m new with printing process. Thanks

[@earldewald6726]

Hi Diane, your rocker should always be razor sharp. How often you need to sharpen the rocker depends on the gauge (how many passes you need to do), the size of the plate, and the brittleness of the copper metal (not all copper plates are the same).
On a small plate I generally sharpen the rocker every 5 passes or so. But… it’s best to just check the plate after each pass; if it doesn’t feel razor sharp, then sharpen it.
Do you have a Facebook account? If so, please ask to join the Mezzotint Printmakers International group that I administer. Be sure to answer the questions and you will be accepted. Send a friend request to Earl Valentine DeWald and I will try to help you as much as I can.