Meaning & use
aquatint
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
A printmaking method that uses acid to create shaded areas on a metal plate, or a print made by this method.
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the technique (a master of aquatint); countable when referring to a specific print (an aquatint by Goya).
Patterns
- an aquatint by someone
- the aquatint technique
- make an aquatint
The exhibition featured aquatints by Francisco Goya.
She learned aquatint in her printmaking class.
This aquatint shows a soft, grainy shading that etching alone cannot achieve.
Word forms
| plural | aquatints |
|---|
Common combinations
- aquatint print
- He bought a rare aquatint print at the auction.
- aquatint technique
- The aquatint technique is valued for its rich tones.
- aquatint plate
- The artist prepared an aquatint plate with resin dust.
Synonyms and how they differ
- etching
- Etching uses lines, while aquatint produces broad areas of tone.
Word family
- aquatinter noun
- An artist who makes aquatints.
Commonly confused: aquatint or aquatint?
aquatint vs aquatint
Not to be confused with aquatic, which means relating to water.
Practice
The artist used ___ to create soft, tonal areas on the copper plate.
Choose one answer.
Aquatint is the printmaking technique that produces tonal areas. Aqueduct is a water channel, aquarium is a tank, and aquatic is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aquatint”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.