Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sharp steel needle used for engraving: A "dry point" is a tool, specifically a hard steel needle with a sharp point, used to incise lines directly into a bare metal plate (typically copper) without the use of acid.
   • A print made from such an engraving: A "dry point" is also the final artwork, a print on paper, that is produced from the inked, incised copper plate.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Tool):
  • The artist carefully held the dry point to scratch the fine lines into the copper.
  • Creating a burr with a dry point gives the printed line a distinctive velvety quality.
• Noun (Artwork):
  • This gallery owns an early Rembrandt dry point.
  • The rich, fuzzy lines are characteristic of a dry point.

Advanced Usage

• "Dry point engraving": The technique or process of using a dry point needle.
  • She specializes in dry point engraving for its direct and expressive line quality.
• "Dry point etching": While sometimes used, this is technically a misnomer, as "dry point" refers specifically to a non-acidic (dry) technique, whereas "etching" involves acid.

Variants and Related Words

• Engraving (n): A general term for the art of incising a design onto a hard surface, or a print made from such a process. Dry point is a type of engraving.
• Burr (n): In dry point, this is the ridge of displaced metal thrown up along the sides of the incised line, which holds ink and creates the characteristic soft line.
• Intaglio (n): The category of printmaking where the image is incised into a surface, and the incised line holds the ink. Dry point is an intaglio technique.

Synonyms

• Stylus: A more general term for a pointed instrument used for writing or engraving.
• Needle: A simple, generic term for the tool, though it lacks the specific artistic context.

Related Phrases

• To work in dry point: To use the dry point technique.
  • The artist decided to work in dry point for the portrait series.

Noun

1. a steel needle for engraving without acid on a bare copper plate
2. a print produced by dry point engraving