Frottage yields textures and shapes by rubbing a crayon over paper placed on textured objects. This definition best matches which technique?

• A. Frottage
• B. Collography
• C. Stamping
• D. Mezzotint

Answer: (A)

This is about capturing textures by rubbing a surface to create a print. When you place paper over a textured object and rub with a crayon or pencil, the pattern and shapes of the underlying surface are transferred to the paper. That direct transfer of texture is the hallmark of frottage, producing often spontaneous, organic textures and forms.

Collography, by contrast, uses a prepared plate with added textures, inked and printed to transfer the plate’s textures. Stamping relies on applying ink to a stamp and pressing it onto paper to transfer a designed image. Mezzotint is an intaglio process that creates rich tonal shading by roughening a metal plate, not by rubbing textures from objects onto paper.