Wednesday 26 June 2013

Silverpoint, my darling Silverpoint.

After hours of sanding and waxing tiny little frames, I must say I am very pleased with my efforts.
The Langridge Black Wax (refined beeswax, pigment and white spirits) was the perfect match for my little Tassie Oak frames -Thanks Omnus- the pigment sits in the grain and tints the wood a perfect hue to compliment my silverpoint drawings.

Sorry for the low quality image (above) I only had my phone handy to snap a picture.
Below is a photo that does the work a little more justice!


These little keys are Silverpoint drawings -quickly becoming my favourite medium to work in-
Silverpoint is the original pencil, da Vinci drew with a silverpoint stylus, just like a pencil, but with a silver nib. It's such a clean way to draw and you never need to sharpen the silver- which is great news to me, I usually have to sharpen my pencils with sand paper to get a fine enough point!

So, as the silver tip draws across the surface, traditionally a rabbit skin Gesso, although I am using Golden Silverpoint Ground, a little of the silver rubs off leaving behind a blue-ish grey mark, over time the marks turn a warmer brown tone as the silver oxidises. The silver tarnishes in response to moisture and oxygen and varies depending on the level of pollution in the air.
I have found my drawings oxidise quite quickly when using the Golden Ground and I assume this is due to the ammonia in the acrylic polymer. I am looking forward to making my own silverpoint grounds when I have the time to play around again.

But for now, I'm just happy my framing is working out
x




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