Mezzotint

Mezzotint is an old way of making pictures with a special tool called a "ruler". The ruler has small, sharp points called "burins". To make a mezzotint, you rub the burins across a copper plate that has been specially coated with a material that will hold the print. The burins make tiny holes in the surface and make the plate look like it is covered with tiny dots. When ink is applied to the plate, it fills in the dots, which create the image. Finally, paper is pressed onto the plate to transfer the ink, creating a mezzotint print!