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À la poupée
Inking method in colour printmaking / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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À la poupée is a largely historic intaglio printmaking technique for making colour prints by applying different ink colours to a single printing plate using ball-shaped wads of cloth, one for each colour. The paper has just one run through the press, but the inking needs to be carefully re-done after each impression is printed. Each impression usually varies at least slightly, sometimes very significantly.[2]
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Though invented much earlier, the technique became common from the late 17th century into the early 19th century. It was always an alternative to, and often combined with, hand colouring, usually with watercolour and brush.[3] Large areas, such as the sky in landscapes, might be done à la poupée, with more detailed parts hand-coloured.[4] It was used with all the various intaglio printmaking techniques, but tended to be most effective with stipple engraving, "giving a bright and clean look".[5]
The term à la poupée means "with the doll" in French, the "doll" being the wad of cloth, shaped like a ball.[6] The term only came into use after about 1900, with a variety of contemporary terms being used in different languages. In fact, technical descriptions make it clear that the ink was applied with a "stump brush" at least as much as by the "doll".[7] It may be called the "dolly method" in English.[8]