Aquatint is an intaglio process in which the plate is covered with grains of rosin called an aquatint ground, which are then fused to the plate, generally by heating. The plate is immersed in an acid bath allowing acid to bite into the entire area pitted with the rosin, creating an overall grainy effect. This technique is often combined with etching and used to create tonal areas of colour or shading to capture the same effect as watercolour, hence its name. Artists can experiment by applying different types of aquatint ground to the plate. 

 

'The possibilities and freedoms of aquatint are limitless'

- Norman Ackroyd