aquatinta
|a-qua-tin-ta|
/ˌæk.wəˈtɪn.tə/
water-tinted print/technique
Etymology
'aquatinta' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'acquatinta' (or 'acqua tinta'), where 'acqua' meant 'water' and 'tinta' meant 'dyed' or 'tinted'.
'aquatinta' changed from the Italian word 'acquatinta' into French 'aquatinte' and was later adopted into English as 'aquatint' and 'aquatinta'.
Initially, it literally meant 'water-tinted' (i.e., 'water-dyed'), but over time it came to denote a specific printmaking technique and prints produced by that process.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a printmaking technique in which a metal plate is covered with a porous ground and bitten with acid to produce tonal effects similar to watercolor.
She experimented with aquatinta to achieve soft tonal washes in her prints.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/29 21:16