Drypoint etching needle tool - RGM - PS7, 2 mm

A steel drypoint needle placed on a wooden handle.

Drypoint tools are steel needles used to etch zinc, copper or brass plates. Their varied shapes and sharp edges with different angles are inspired by the oldest techniques and classic traditions. These tools are ideal for dry needle and etching techniques. Thanks to their ability to accurately reproduce details, dry needles are widely used for engraving, creating embossing, making ceramics and carving.

Scratching the metal, the tip of the tool creates a special groove and raises the metal fibers, which retain the paint on them. The form obtained with the needle and metal is then coated with printing ink and cleaned as in copperplate, and then reflected on moistened paper, using a light press pressure. The drawing created using the drypoint technique produces an effect similar to a pencil sketch.

Dry needle is a technique that complements other graphic techniques such as etching, aquatint and soft varnish. Drawing with a needle on a copper plate is also a preliminary stage in the creation of copperplate.