An ingenious process dependent on the immiscibility of oil and water. Using a greasy crayon, the artist draws directly on the smoothed surface of a stone (or specially prepared metal plate), after which the design is fixed on the stone with a chemical solution. The surface is then dampened and, with a roller, inked. The ink is repelled from the wet areas but sticks to the greasy areas, which are then transferred to paper. Odilon Redon owed his first fame to his lithographs, whose rich blacks were the envy of fellow artists and the delight of collectors.
LITHOGRAPHY
