It had been many years since I last worked in the medium of mezzotint, and I was hungry to try my hand at the medium once again. All of my previous efforts had been on copper plates, but I decided as an experiment that I would attempt to rock a zinc plate this time around. For my subject, I turned to a figure study demonstration drawing from a class I had taught the previous summer.

The results were something of a mixed bag. While the physical rocking of the plate was certainly quicker and less strenuous than with copper, it was also easier to create uneven patterns. Likewise, burnishing was easier, but perhaps too easy: subtle tones could easily melt away to nothing. And finally, printing presented it's own bugaboos. It was nearly impossible to get a consistent edition, and the plate rapidly degraded with each proof.

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