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Drawing with Silverpoint by Christina Roberts INTRODUCTION A
couple of things to keep in mind with using silverpoint as a medium.
Since it is not pencil, it will not erase. If I need to erase I use
an Epure by Maped that will pull some of the image off, but not all.
The eraser can sometimes leave residue behind, so be careful. On the
plus side, since it does not erase, you don’t have to worry about
the smearing you can get when not careful with graphite. You do have
to be careful that the oil from your hands does not get on your
work. You can place a bit of paper under your hand or wear a glove
while drawing. Unlike pencil, you will not have various hardness of
leads to achieve various effects. The beauty of silverpoint is it
lends its self to softer, more sensitive looking drawing. It works
well for smaller works, although there are many artists that work
larger. You can achieve different looks by using
thicker or thinner points and duller or sharper points.
Pressing harder does not give you a darker line. It will push the
silverpoint into your ground and chip it. The key is even, soft
strokes. GETTING STARTED Support: For
support I use a nice stiff piece of smooth Museum Board. I usually
buy a full sheet and cut it into 4 pieces. I would suggest
experimenting with any smooth rigid surface. Ground: A
ground is put on the museum board. Cennini sells a ready to
apply ground that comes in 4 colors. I use a good white gouache and
tint the color, if desired, with a bit of watercolor. It’s much
cheaper. Add water to the gouache until it is about the consistency
of half and half. The thicker the ground, the more brush strokes
will show (also depending on how soft your brush is). I like the
look of some brush strokes. I think it gives the piece a more human
look. If a smooth, flawless, ground is desired, a wetter ground
should be prepared. Then add the watercolor tint. I make a good
sized batch, since I usually will prepare a number of grounds at
once. (Note: It’s nice to have a few waiting and ready to go when
you feel like drawing. This is a great medium to take on the road.
If you have a few boards ready, all you have to do is grab your
points and go!) Using a nice wide (1” or more) brush that
doesn’t shed, apply the ground to the board in even strokes, like
when applying watercolor washes. Hold the board at an angle and
first go one direction. Work fairly quickly, it doesn’t take long
to dry. If you go back to touch up and the gouache is almost dry,
you won’t be happy with the results. When dry, turn the board and
do the same in the other direction. I also put an “X” using the
gouache on the back of the board to keep the board from warping. I
usually end up with four layers of ground. My suggestion is to
experiment, all artists end up playing with their mediums and find a
way that works best for them. Tools: The
drawing tool is basically a piece of metal in some sort of holder to
make it easier for the artist to hold it. Silver wire can be
purchased from jewelers and cut to size or you can go online to
Studio Products and get silver, gold or copper from Gennini. Gennini
only carries one diameter of wire. You only need a small
piece-perhaps ½-3/4”. Thinner diameters can be purchased from
jewelry suppliers. It’s not a bad idea to have a couple of
prepared points in different holders. A finer point can be filed on
any diameter and it will probably give you the same look as a
smaller diameter piece of wire. In any of the above cases, you will
need to make a point on the metal wire. To do this, file the tip
down with a piece of sandpaper to make a point. At the end use a
fine piece of emory paper and make that point smooth. Make sure
there are no “tags” that will pull, chip or scratch your ground
that you have just so carefully prepared. The
point will will then be placed in a holder. I have and use the
following: Mechanical Pencil Holder, an Index Bit Holder, Hobby File
Holder, Soldering Bit Cleaner Holder (not sure of the official name
of this one) and the most expensive being a real Silverpoint Holder
made by Gennini. A piece of wooden dowel could be used with a small
hole in the end in which to place the point. Again, experiment and
see what is out there. Everyone is bound to have a favorite. Begin: Drawing
on the prepared ground can begin with an initial sketch, just like
any other medium. Keep in mind if a sketch is being transferred to
the ground using graphite as the transfer medium, keep a gentle
hand. The pencil can be erased for the most part but residue may be
left on the gouache. Why not just dive in a draw lightly on the
board itself with your silverpoint? I usually work this way. I just
do very soft, light stokes, see if it looks how I want and then keep
going. At the worst, if you don’t like what you’ve put down, you
can grab another board you’ve prepared and start over. The board
you didn’t like can always have another coat or two of gouache
applied to it and it’s as good as new. Drawing
with silver point is like pencil, but perhaps more delicately. You
can do line drawing, cross-hatching, etc. When the drawing is done,
you can even try going back and adding color by brushing on light
watercolor. It’s
time to play . . . have fun! MATERIAL
LIST: Museum
Board Point
holders: CONTACTS: BOOKS
OF INTEREST: |
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