Lithograph

Lithography is a form of pinrtmaking anchored on the principle of oil and water repelling each other. It involves drawing or painting an image onto a smooth, flat surface, traditionally a stone, using a greasy medium like crayon or ink. The surface is then treated with a chemical solution to fix the image and make the non-image areas water-receptive. When inked, the greasy image areas attract the ink while the wet non-image areas repel it. A piece of paper is then pressed onto the surface, transferring the image. Lithography offers artists a wide range of expressive possibilities, from detailed drawings to bold, painterly effects. It became popular in the 19th century as a means of producing high-quality and innovative reproductions of artworks.