🖋️ A printmaking method 🖋️ A print artwork

drypoint

9.8

To scratch an image into a metal plate with a sharp needle to make prints

noun
/ˈdraɪpɔɪnt/

Specialized

: punta seca

The artist created a stunning drypoint of the landscape.
drypoint etching
drypoint and aquatint

Examples

The artist used the drypoint technique to create intricate textures in her prints.
Have you ever tried drypoint printing?
The artist used drypoint to create delicate lines and rich textures in her print.
A classic drypoint print often shows soft, velvety edges due to the burr left on the plate.
He learned the basics of drypoint in his first printmaking class at the art school.
He showcased his latest drypoint artworks at the gallery this weekend.
In printmaking class, we learned how to create a drypoint by scratching a design into a metal plate.

Synonyms

engraving

vsdrypoint

25 4.1

A picture made by cutting or etching a hard surface

is a specific print technique using a hard needle to scratch a plate

to graving

vsdrypoint

Archaic

7.9

To cut words and designs into metal or stone

is focused on making prints by scratching a plate with a hard needle

Surface Forms

drypoint singular

drypoints plural

Morphology

drypoint = dry + point (semi-transparent) = dry + point

While the components 'dry' and 'point' are clear, the specific meaning related to a printmaking technique is specialized and not immediately obvious.

Etymology

Drypoint comes from two plain English words, dry and point: dry means 'without liquid or acid' and point means 'a sharp tip'. So the name fits the technique — you scratch a metal plate with a sharp, 'dry' needle instead of using acid, which is why the method is called drypoint.