Today I made a small sample board of the different colors associated with the metals I use in metalpoint drawing.  From left to right below are: copper, aluminum, .9999% pure silver, pewter, 12k gold, and .925 % Sterling silver.

I dated the card so that as the metals oxidize and age, color differences over a specific period of time can be known.  I mention that because some metals, such as gold, fade over time, and a gold drawing I did 3 years ago has all but faded completely. It is also good to know what hues are reflected, what colors are reflected by each metal, especially if combining the different metals in one drawing.  The support I used is marbledust and rabbitskin glue on heavy illustration board.

Metalpoint - Page 3 - Drawing Styli or Implements

Basic drawing implements for working in metalpoint are easy to find, or if purchased, very economical to buy.  Metal points last through hundreds of drawings.  Probably any metal would work on the right surface, but the most common metals used are silver, gold, copper, platinum, and perhaps aluminum.

Below are some examples of drawing implements that I used from items I had in the house:

From left to right:  Two vintage Alvin lead holders.  Each holds size 2 mm leads.  One has copper wire in it, and one has aluminum armature wire in it.  Next is a crowquill pen holder with a thinner copper wire in it.  I taped it in place because the wire is much thinner than the hole for a pen nib.  Next, a vintage steel knitting needle.  In the small grouping of items there is a pewter rabbit, a gold heart pendant, a Sterling silver earring, and a brass bracelet.  The last is of course, the large silver spoon.  All of these may be used to draw with on a prepared surface.

Below are two more examples; Aluminum armature wire that I had for use in sculpture and a copper wire I originally had purchased for work with my bonsai trees.

As already stated on the paper preparation page, if you want to purchase a tip and holder, currently I have found two websites that offer silver tips:  Silverpoint.com and Natural Pigments. 

Shown below are jewelry wires that I purchased specifically for metalpoint work.  I purchased a foot of 99.9999 % pure Fine silver wire (12 gauge, about 2 mm thick), Sterling silver wire (Sterling is 99.925% silver with copper making up the most of the rest of the alloy) (19 gauge, about 0.9 mm thick for use in a standard mechanical pencil), and 12k gold-filled wire (18 gauge, also for use in a standard mechanical pencil).  Gold-filled wire is made up by bonding the gold around a core of another metal (brass in the wire I purchased).  That is different from gold-plated, which is applying a layer of gold electro-statically onto another metal core.  I'm not sure there would be a difference in the way these two gold wires act in metalpoint work, but I felt the gold-filled wire would eventually wear down to the brass, and I can just continue to use that as a point.

99.9999% pure silver wire (more pure than what is usually sold as "Fine" quality which is 99.999% pure

Gold-filled and Sterling silver wires

Below is a photo of how I made some simple holders to hold the jewelry wire or other thin wires.  Using a 1/8 inch dowel, cut to about pencil-length, I drilled a hole in the center of one end.  I then glued a piece of my wire into the hole.  I had all of these items available, but purchasing them would have cost mere pennies.  :)  To shape the point, I use an "Arkansas Stone" (in the grade "hard").  These stones are available for shaping or polishing pen nibs.  I followed up by polishing the point with wet / dry sandpaper in a 1000 grit grade (shown underneath the other items).

Here is a link you might find helpful if looking to purchase jewelry wire for use in metalpoint work:

Atlas Nova . com - supplier of 99.9999% pure silver wire (not 99.999%)

If you do an online image search for work done in metalpoint, you will find examples of older drawings that show the different colorizations of the oxidized metals used.  Goldpoint has obvious yellows and is very beautiful whether used alone in a drawing or as a highlight.

In other methods of drawing or painting, the tool used (paint, colored pencil, etc.) usually has color as part of its make-up.  It is the same with metalpoint, each metal will have both a tonal and color element that it imparts to the drawing.

From spoons to expensive pure gold, a wide range of metals is available for use in drawing.

A word of CAUTION - Metals are, well, metals.  Repeated use of them will have an effect on the body.  You may want to wear gloves, make sure you do not inhale metal dust when working or finishing points, etc.  One website mentioned above also sells a kit for what is called "colloidal silver" which is a liquid silver suspension.  I personally do not endorse its use.  Do your research! about any metal you plan on using long-term.  A disease that can result from silver exposure is shown here: Argyria

As with any natural pigment, mineral or metal, make sure you are aware of what you are using and its potential effects.

Metalpoint - Page 2 - Preparing The Paper

Preparing the paper or board:  If a surface is not prepared in some way, the metal will not leave a mark.  The preparation method is the one factor I am finding, as an experienced artist, that truly affects the outcome of the drawing.  Many websites or books say that an even coat of "Chinese White" watercolor or gouache paint is an acceptable preparation for the paper.  Chinese White paint or probably as well my favorite white watercolor paint, Winsor and Newton's Designer's Gouache, is made up of white pigment and gum arabic.  Gouache has other ingredients that to date, I have not been able to eeek out of the people at Winsor and Newton.  However, there are subtle differences in the reaction of the metal to the different paints. 

Paint made with zinc oxide as a pigment (Chinese White) will allow a faster darkening of areas as the initial lines are darker.  Titanium white, another white pigment in many paints, accepts an initial lighter mark from the metal, and therefore will also affect the execution of the drawing.  The graininess of the pigments is what creates the lightly abrasive surface that allows the metal to leave a mark, but the type of white used will affect the amount of metal left on the surface.  As well, there seems to be a slight chemical reaction in my use of copper on zinc white.  Initial lines in copper are more blue on zinc white, and less blue on titanium white.  I do not know yet if this difference will even out over time and the copper will actually oxidize to the same color.

My first inclination for long-term planning was to use a Clayboard ®- type product.  Clayboard is a commercially prepared clay-surfaced board that is a fairly good substitute for my own hand-prepared traditional gesso panels.  It is readily available, more convenient than preparing my own panels, and should have the abrasive-ness needed for metalpoint work.  My thinking was that my work in silverpoint would be closer to my painting of icons: on carefully prepared boards, with great care in the execution.  I am finding now that no matter what I use as a support for the drawings, it is not like painting icons, nor like ink work or watercolor.  It is specifically different.   As I experimented more with what I had already at hand, gouache on paper as a support is all I would really need to draw "correctly" with this medium. 

At hand, I had a traditional gesso mix, Titanium white gouache, Zinc white gouache, rabbit-skin glue and Titanium white raw pigment.

A note before I continue regarding the preparing of paper:  I am a very experienced pen and ink artist.  I expected to use the same techniques in metalpoint drawing as I do in any of my pen and ink methods.  I am finding, however that there are differences that may actually be called "complete" differences.  Similarities are hatching and cross hatching, direct line shading, and rotating the point in small circles to shade an area.   What may make these methods completely different from pen and ink is the way the prepared paper accepts the mark.  When a mark is made with ink, some ink absorbs into the surface, and it can be manipulated to some extent, either by adding more ink over it with more lines, erasing the surface ink, or burnishing the surface to change the way the ink is received by the paper. 

Metalpoint is different in that there is no absorption.  The line or mark that is made always sits on the surface of the prepared paper.  The atoms of the metal never penetrate the atoms of the paper surface.  Build-up of tone is then reliant on whether or not additional metal will stay on top of metal marks already made.  This fact means that great subtlety must be used when making each mark, each is a step to the next mark, more so than with ink.  I can't really even say that graphite is similar, although it is in a chemical-property sense.  Graphite seems to cling to itself in a different way, perhaps because of the chalks which make it up.

For those who are reading this page who want the fastest way to get started, here is what you need:  Chinese White opaque watercolor paint or gouache, a good quality watercolor paper (no student grade that is less than the quality of Cotman watercolor paper), and yes, the metal point.  My initial drawings are done in copper wire that I had in the house.  I rounded the tip with a whet-stone and sandpaper.  If you want to purchase a tip and holder, currently I have found two websites that offer silver tips: Silverpoint.com and Natural Pigments.  My experience with Natural Pigments is long, and they are a great company.  I recently contacted Silverpoint.com and plan on ordering from them soon.  

Preparing paper with Gouache or Chinese White

Prepare your paper by painting a clean, even wash of the paint over the surface.  I've been applying three or more thin coats, but two coats should suffice, painting first in one direction and then the second coat being applied in the other direction.  The paper should be treated as watercolor paper that is being moistened.  Tape the paper to a board before applying the paint, and let dry for 24 hours after all the paint is applied.  Paint that is applied too thickly will crack if the paper is not mounted to a rigid support such as a panel or board.

In the above photo you can see the initial application of gouache paint.  I have added a slight amount of yellow ochre dry pigment to the paint to tone the background areas of my paper.

Above, I have changed the tone of my paint to a pale grey-green.  You can clearly see the directions of my brush strokes in applying the paint.  Winsor and Newton Designer's Gouache paint dries almost completely without these lines, but I still apply the next coat in the opposite direction.  Note: the addition of too much pigment to the white will probably affect how the metal reacts to the surface, because it is the Zinc or Titanium white that you are marking on.  (For those used to making their own pigments or gesso, see below for using marble dust as an abrasive).

My papers above have five coats of paint on them, except for the top piece, which has four. I wanted to use up the paint I had mixed, and five coats should not affect my drawing.  The first four coats were applied as shown further above.  The fifth coat was "scumbled" on, to allow a more traditional look to the background surface.

Other surface options:

If you do some reading about metalpoint, you will find that originally it was used as a way to write or draw on sheep, goat, or calf skin for manuscripts.  I like to complete my finished fine art pen and ink pieces on calf or sheep skin, so I am familiar with the properties of working on it.  The layer of traditional size used in antiquity would have to be very evenly applied, and I believe would actually make the sheep skin less durable than if not treated with a preparation.  However the added surface is needed in order to make a mark.  They must have worked very carefully when this method was the "only" way it was done, and the finished pieces would be what I would describe as "delicate".

Then there is the method already described above, gouache or Chinese white paint applied to a good paper.  I personally like to mount this paper to a board, so that I do not have to worry about the paper bending, and the gouache paint subsequently cracking.

Preparing paper with Rabbit Skin Glue and Marble Dust

Another method is to use a traditional size specific to this use.  Generally this comprises rabbit-skin glue and white pigment.  Traditional gesso "should" do this.  I have traditional gesso that is a rabbit-skin glue, white chalk powder, and other ingredients  It is the best traditional gesso that I have found to work with for oil painting or egg tempera and I absolutely love it. It is made by Gamblin , and the product is wonderful, the label and instructions are great, but it will not accept a mark from metalpoint.  Hmmm.  My guess is that the addition of gypsum to its ingredients affects the way metal interacts with the surface.  One artist whose work I admire, Victor Koulbak, uses marble dust as a whiting agent.  Below you will see how I applied that to as paper, much in the same way as above for the gouache preparation.

Rabbit skin glue and marble dust:

 Ingredients used: Gamblin Rabbit Skin Glue, marble dust (available from Kremer Pigments or Natural Pigments or Dick Blick).  The glue has to be soaked overnight, and then warmed.  Follow the package directions for preparation of the glue.  Rabbit skin glue can be refrigerated for a short time, so if you make more than you need, put it in a clean glass jar and keep it in the fridge.  I would recommend using it within a week.

Ratio of marble dust to glue:  I used 2 ounces of warm rabbit skin glue (in liquid form) to 1/2 ounce of marble dust.  I made a test swatch before applying the preparation to my paper.

Below: the papers are taped to a board as shown above.

The glue and marble dust are mixed together with a brush.  The glue must remain warm and the mix needs to be stirred continually during application, as the heavier marble dust settles in the glue.  The more evenly the marble dust is applied, the better the surface.

Below is my test swatch.  On the upper half of the paper, you can barely see the first layer of application.  Very faintly on the bottom of the application are initial lines in copperpoint.

A couple of notes about applying any liquid to a paper surface:  use a good "wash" brush to minimize lines between strokes.  A lesser-weight paper will buckle more until it's dry, so taping it down is a must.  Below is a sheet of my favorite sketch book paper, Aquabee Super Deluxe paper.  It is lighter in weight than the Winsor and Newton 140 lb. hot press paper I use for finished pieces, and is buckling quite a bit as it dries.

Below is a photo of the Winsor and Newton 140 lb. hot press paper with the rabbit skin glue and marble dust preparation on it.  As it dries, the areas that are still damp show as darker areas.  Metal will not make a mark on damp paper, which is why it is best to let the paper dry for 24 hours.  What doesn't show up in the photo is that the marble dust has true sparkles to it, because of it chemical formation it has and it truly adds the the beauty of the paper, even before any drawing.

Paper preparation cost comparisons:

(Prices are found as of this date, February 1, 2010)

Chinese White (zinc white and gum arabic) opaque watercolor paint should be under $3.00 per tube.

Winsor and Newton Designer's Gouache  32ml tube  - approximately $15.00 (most economical if two coats are applied per sheet of paper).

Rabbit skin glue and marble dust:  Rabbit skin glue is approximately $15.00 per pound, and marble dust is approximately $3.00 per pound.  A pound of each would surface many drawings.

Golden Silverpoint / Drawing Ground: Approximately $12.00 per 8 ounce bottle.  They state that two coats are best per paper, one coat is sufficient in their product video.

Advantages and disadvantages:  Chinese White and Gouache paint preparations are the most convenient to apply.  Rabbit skin glue and marble dust, for me, is the "most professional" preparation,  as well as being very cost effective, but is not as convenient.  I haven't yet tried Golden's ground because it seems expensive to me, and 8 ounces wouldn't last very long for someone working exclusively in metalpoint.  However, it may be the preparation that combines professionalism and convenience overall, and if the aspect of expense is not a factor, may be the one ground anyone would need.  I plan to try it in the future.

Paper storage

There's a great, inexpensive way to store un-mounted papers that have been prepared with a liquid preparation.  I have found that even when taped to a board during application, papers will tend to bend when dry.  One method of keeping them flat was to place them in-between / under my many (heavy) botanical illustration books.  Then I was reminded that I have a flower press for pressing flowers.  This works by increasing pressure between two boards by the means of tightening two straps over a period of days. It effectively presses flowers perfectly flat, but also will hold papers flat until use.

Below is a photo of my flower press that I paid about $10.00 for many years ago.  A similar press could be made by hand very easily.  There are two pieces of plywood, and two straps that closes with Velcro® for tightening.  The flower press came with absorbent interleave papers for absorbing flower moisture, but I use wax paper to separate the individual prepared papers for metalpoint.

Metalpoint and Preparation

Overview

Silverpoint, also referred to as metalpoint, is an ancient method of drawing that was used for the most part, prior to the "invention" of graphite pencils.  The history of silverpoint drawing and the artists most famous for using it may be easily found online.  For the purposes of this page, a brief explanation of silverpoint is the use of a pure silver stylus point making marks on paper or other prepared ground.

I remember a moment when I was fiddling with a paper clip and noticed that it made a mark on whatever paper I attached it to.  I noticed it because the marks made the papers look "messy" from the mark.  In fact, I can even remember "doodling" with the ends of paperclips in school.

Recently I wrote two pages that address the vocation of being an artist in a poor economy, titled "What Do I Really Need" and "Drawing With Wax Crayon".  These two pages explain methods of drawing that enable any artist to continue to work while struggling with finances, either in graphite or in wax crayon, the basis of both being drawing skills. The third choice I would include in this group of methods is silverpoint.  It is perhaps the top end of an inexpensive way to achieve fine art.

A few months ago, I was looking through the products at one of my favorite vendors, Natural Pigments, and noticed their header on Silverpoint products.  At the time, I was buying pigment, and didn't want to invest in more than I needed, so thought I would explore silverpoint later on.

More recently,  I was looking for the best way to depict some natural subjects, animals, plants, etc., without using my standard method of pen and ink stippling.  I was looking for a sophisticated, yet somewhat "dreamy" effect that my color stippling would have shown in too direct a manner.  I explored the idea of graphite, but for permanent drawings, I do not like how it smudges, and do not like to apply fixatives to finished pieces.  Color pencil is closer to the effect I was looking for, but the color gets in the way to some extent, drawing the viewer away from the metaphysical aspect of the subject, and toward the application of color and the skill (or lack of it) of the artist.  Hmmmm.

So, I did an image search online to see how others achieved what I was trying to do and again found silverpoint.  The paperclips I used to doodle with were telling me something.

Metal will make permanent marks on certain surfaces.  Soft metals especially, leave deposits of their "atoms" as it were, on these surfaces.  The marks are permanent, can not be erased, and will react to the environment over time.

Most commonly used in metalpoint work is pure silver.  Gold, copper, aluminum, and platinum are also used, each having distinct reactions as they oxidize.

Metalpoint, or more specifically, silverpoint,  seems to be the right tool that I have been looking for.  Its use follows my personal requirement that my tools must be fairly inexpensive (following along the lines of the two above-mentioned pages), the resulting work must be permanent, and the application or use must be fairly simple.  Silverpoint meets all of those needs, as well as bringing a unique quality of ethereal history, a continuation of art for the sake of art, following in the footsteps of many of the great Masters of art.

The basic requirements for metalpoint or silverpoint are a metal stylus or point to draw with, prepared paper or prepared paper mounted to a board or other substrate, and time.

"Sinningia 'Mini Sinn' ", pen and ink, (c) laeom

In July and August, I found I might become homeless.  This was a shocking, unexpected experience that was initiated by a decision by my landlord, and made worse by the limited availability of apartments in my area.  In the months since then, I have gone through several changes regarding the Quilts For Veterans.

I found I might actually end up in a homeless shelter, which was a terrifying way to learn how many of our Veterans have to survive.  The local homeless shelter told me that I would only be allowed to bring in a medium-sized bag, and planning for that brought about my Hankie Quilts (c) and my Tarp Totes (c), both items designed for my ability to quilt while "on the road", and the Tarp Tote (c) reflecting a medium-sized bag.  Videos regarding the Tarp Tote (c) can be seen at this Playlist .

Because I was facing putting all my belongings in storage, I had to make some very difficult decisions about my sewing machines.  I had to sell two of my father's machines, and one of my brothers took another of my father's machines.  That knocked the wind out of my sails a bit.  Just after selling them, I found out through my lawyer that I would be able to stay here after all through the remainder of my lease.  However, I do still have to find a smaller apartment, and some of my remaining sewing machines may also need to go in storage.  What was a common thread through all of this was trying to make a quality quilt for a Veteran no matter what my circumstances are.

I have donated two traditional-looking quilts to Veterans and am finishing the hand-quilting on a third, I have completed one Tarp Tote (c), and just have to stitch the shawl-lap quilt for the second Tarp Tote (c).  They became shawls or lap quilts and will be given to Veterans through my local Senior Center.

I have continued to get my belongings ready to be stored, and have deliberated a great deal over where my sewing machines will be.  I am "Living In One Room", paring down to bare necessities in the expectation of moving to a studio apartment.  I have several of my machines, 17 in total, but have a 1959 Singer Spartan handcrank and a 1937 Singer model 15-88 treadle set up for use.  I will be making my newly designed "Hello" quilts for Veterans.  The video for the "Hello" quilt can be seen here .

While facing homelessness, and knowing I would only have a medium-sized bag, I realized many homeless people, homeless Veterans, have little interaction with family.  The "Hello" quilt was at first going to be called "Never Alone", based on a painting I did several years ago of two trees, showing how each of us is never alone. "Hello" suits it better because we cannot replace a Veterans family, but we can say hello, we can try to help.

Because of this experience, my Quilts For Veterans will now be wholly focused on homeless Veterans.  As such, they won't be as traditional looking, will be what is called "rag quilts".  I had been told that homeless Vets would ruin my quilts because of the rough life they lead.  A rag-style quilt will be more suited to that rough life. It also is more suited to my limited space, as I can sew each square by hand or by small machine.  My father was never homeless, but in today's society, any one of us could face homelessness.  I believe my father, who served in the Korean War, would be proud to have me helping out homeless Vets with a quilt, not only to say thank you for their Service, but to not leave out the homeless Veterans simply because they lead a rough life.  The experience of almost being homeless affected me to such a point that I will never be the same.  At any minute, a landlord can make a decision that can put one on the street.  The empathy and fear I now feel both for myself and for the homeless will never leave me.

Since facing homelessness in the summer months, I have continued to "downsize".  Although I can stay in this apartment through the remainder of my lease, my next apartment will be smaller, probably a studio apartment, and I am literally "living in one room" in order to decide just what I need to take to a new apartment.  I have been doing some videos of this, and they can be seen at this Playlist .

Currently, I have two sewing machines available for use in my "one room", and the other 15 either packed or about to be packed. Today I set up a garment rack - and it will be my "closet".  It changes the room completely because I feel like I am living in an over-sized closet.  :)  The video of my garment rack is here .

Another item I purchased was a foldable scooter - and I have to say, it is fun to ride.  Because it takes up so little space, if I have to move my bikes into storage, I will still have a scooter, which is faster than walking.

This entire experience has been both very difficult and very rewarding.  It is actually comforting to have everything in one room, to have what I use daily in my one space.  I will continue to post here as I refine my one room.