questions regarding silverpoint

[geoffd]

i'm interested in using silverpoint but i want to know do i have to prep the paper using a gum material or ground bone in order to use it? i'm curious because a lot of the old masters used silverpoint for sketching and find it hard to believe that everytime they want to draw or sketch something they had to prep the paper first? any suggestions or tips would be helpful. thanks

[Lev_0]

Hey, do a search on here for silverpoint, it's been talked about a lot there I think. They also sell silverpoint tools/materials on the main site.

[geoffd]

i did a search, it pulled up one topic about MCM going to south dakota. nothing else...

[MadSamoan]

You'll probably want to use acrylic gesso to prep the paper (actually I would recommend illustration board, or thin masonite). There are two main types of gesso, one that dries matte and chalky, like Prima gesso, and another that dries slick and plasticky, like Liquitex. The Prima gesso dries fast and leaves a really good tooth for silverpoint and you can use lead, copper, silver, gold, or soldering wire. You can use a drafting lead holder to hold the wire.

[Bombesei]

The reason for prepping paper for metalpoint is to create a surface that will accept the metal. Some papers without a prepared surface will accept the metal and others won't. I've heard shelving paper, the stuff you'd put in kitchen cabinets to go under your glasses and plates and stuff, works by itself. When you prepare paper you're giving it a custom surface for an individual technique. I'd say get a bunch of paper and spend a few hours/days experimenting with different types of preparation and make many sheets of each type, and document the processes you use so you can repeat the surfaces you like. There's a bunch of old techniques you can use to prep the surface like using rabbit skin glue and the other ways you mentioned, but gesso works too. I would stay away from brushstrokes in the surface though, so sand the paper or run the edge of a smooooth block of wood over whatever you just put on the paper, something to get a surface that's consistent. Just try different things out until you find something you like, and then post your results!


-Nick

[geoffd]

thanks for the help folks, i'm getting ready to order a silverpoint "stylus" (?) from this website http://silverpointweb.com/catalog.html

and i'm interested in this one "New Tradition" Mechanical Stylus 0.035-inch 3X-hardened Sterling Silver, rounded and highly polished on one end. At 3 inches long, it will last a very long time! In a 0.9-mm holder (color may vary.) once i get all set with it, i'll put up some drawings. thanks