Can you draw with a pencil? If so, then you can do Silverpoint! As a matter of fact, even if you are not the most skilled in pencil, Silverpoint can provide an incredible option to create and work, forgivingly and easily.
Silverpoint is a very accessible medium for everyone — from beginners to professional artists.
The drawings shown below reveal a beautiful shine as silver is layered on –warming to a sepia tone as they oxidize.
Metalpoint is commonly referred to as Silverpoint because silver is the most often used metal in this technique. However, Metalpoint can also be created with many different metals including copper, bronze, and gold.
This medium dates back to the 15th century. Before there were pencils and graphite, artists sketched with metal on paper that had to be specially prepared to accept the silver. For example, check out the Metalpoint work of Leonardo da Vinci for example. They are some of the most beautiful and accomplished drawings ever made!
In an era of technology and digital art-making, Silverpoint stands out as a bastion of classically created art. It is one steeped in history and mystery. Contemporary artists are increasingly embracing the medium and exploring new methods and metals which can achieve unexpected tonality and color.
The key to creating Silverpoint drawings is finding the right substrate to work and create on.
Michael Ambrosio of Legion Paper Corporation, explains that “Legion wanted to introduce a new paper that would work perfectly to capture the silver — to create gorgeously sensitive and delicate drawings without needing to first prime the surface. We wanted the ready-to-use paper to be very easy for the artist to use by creating beautiful work with a metal stylus in their pocket.”
Legion’s new beautiful paper simply called, Art Coated Cover can accept both wet and dry mediums. By adding watercolor to the Silverpoint drawing, you can create beautiful washes of color, and selectively lift the color with a wet brush to add highlights after it is dry. You can also work back and forth between the watercolor and the Silverpoint. Another exciting feature of the paper is the ability to ‘erase’ Silverpoint with a swab of isopropyl alcohol. This enables the artist to re-work the area — which is something new for this media and opens a world of possibilities!
Along with this incredible paper, the Yasutomo company has created beautiful Silverpoint Drawing Tools (stylus). These styluses are by far the most elegant Silverpoint tool available and are a work of art on their own. The beautiful bamboo-like design allows the artist to comfortably hold the tool at different points on the stylus: from close to the tip for tight work, to further back for more sweeping gestures. They are wonderfully balanced and a joy to draw with.
These metal styluses last for a very long time and the interchangeable tips allow for quick changes of different thicknesses and profiles of the points. They are portable, don’t need to be sharpened, and will not suffer from broken tips!
Creating drawings with silverpoint is such a joy. As the silver stylus glides across the surface of the Art Coated Cover, it slowly builds the depth of the silver tones, and creates a sensitive drawing that flashes in the light.
It’s a magical experience and a wonderful medium that is gaining momentum in the Art community. Mark-making with Silverpoint can be diverse and exciting. From the work of the old masters to that of contemporary artists, Silverpoint is here to stay.
