<P> Mezzotint is known for the luxurious quality of its tones: first, because an evenly, finely roughened surface holds a lot of ink, allowing deep solid colors to be printed; secondly because the process of smoothing the texture with burin, burnisher and scraper allows fine gradations in tone to be developed . </P> <P> The mezzotint printmaking method was invented by Ludwig von Siegen (1609--1680). The process was used widely in England from the mid-eighteenth century, to reproduce oil paintings and portraits . </P> <P> A technique used in Intaglio etchings . Like etching, aquatint technique involves the application of acid to make marks in a metal plate . Where the etching technique uses a needle to make lines that retain ink, aquatint relies on powdered rosin which is acid resistant in the ground to create a tonal effect . The rosin is applied in a light dusting by a fan booth, the rosin is then cooked until set on the plate . At this time the rosin can be burnished or scratched out to affect its tonal qualities . The tonal variation is controlled by the level of acid exposure over large areas, and thus the image is shaped by large sections at a time . </P> <P> Goya used aquatint for most of his prints . </P>

The printmaking technique that uses acid to cut the lines of the image is called