Drypoint is a direct intagio printmaking technique in which the artist draws into a metal or perspex plate with a sharp tool called a drypoint needle. Unlike etching, which uses acid to bite into the plate, drypoint relies on the physical action of scratching and gouging the metal surface to create grooves that will hold ink. As the needle cuts through the metal, it raises a small ridge of displaced metal called a "burr" along each side of the incised line.  This burr catches and holds ink during printing and is is what gives drypoint its distinctive character.