Silverpoint was commonly practiced during the Renaissance by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, and Raphael, and is the ancestor of the modern graphite pencil. Silverpoint is a drawing instrument composed of a small, pointed metal tip, usually of silver, encased in a holder.
Silverpoint can be used on various supports, including paper, parchment, and wood, but the surface requires special preparation or a ground for the metal to leave a mark. Paper, which is most commonly used, is coated with an opaque white or tinted ground composed of powdered bone ash, chalk or lead white, and gum-water. Several layers are usually applied. The natural tone of the ground is off-white, but it can be colored with any pigment. The ground is slightly abrasive so that metal from the stylus rubs off and has sufficient ‘tooth’ to retain the particles. The silver particles oxidize over time, giving a final tone to the drawing.
The medium is also called “metalpoint” for drawing with copper, gold, platinum, and brass. Each metal has its own “softness” and reaction to oxidation. Copper is soft and produces a greenish oxidized tone. Silver, another soft metal, creates brownish black oxidation. Gold and platinum are hard without oxidizing. Brass is very hard with light black oxidation. The length of time and the degree to which oxidation occurs depends on local conditions, but copper usually oxidizes in 1–2 months. Silver oxidizes at a much slower rate—about 4–6 months. Sulfur can speed up the process of oxidization.
The two images below are works by Susan Schwalb, an artist in Boston whose abstract works with metal points demonstrate the variety of color and texture possible with different metals.
To see more work by Susan Schwalb, please visit her website.
Currents 5, 2004, silver/aluminum/copper point on clay coated paper
Poetry of the Square 9, 2006, steel/copper/brass/silverpoint on clay coated paper
Glossary
Dead soft designates metal tempered to its minimum hardness by annealing. Dead-soft sterling silver is softer than half-hard sterling silver.
Fine silver is 99.9% silver and is much softer than sterling silver.
Half-hard is metal that has been hardened but is still malleable.
Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.
Where to Buy
Silverpoint Drawing Kit
Silverpoint Drawing Kit has everything needed for silverpoint (and metalpoint) drawing. The kit includes 2 mm and 0.9 mm, metal holders (styluses), two fine silver points, two copper points, two nickel-silver points (a total of six metal points), a copper wool pad, silverpoint ground, vinyl eraser, and step-by-step instructions, all in a wooden case.
Silverpoint and Metalpoint Supplies
Natural Pigments has all supplies for metalpoint drawing, including silver, sterling silver, aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, lead, nickel-silver, steel points, holders, gesso boards, grounds, and drawing aids.
For Toning Grounds
Natural Pigments introduces a new way of making traditional waterborne paint and grounds: Rublev Colours Aqueous Dispersions. Aqueous dispersions are pigments dispersed in water, ready to be mixed with water-based mediums. These dispersions are specially made for traditional painting mediums, such as egg, casein, fresco, watercolors, and distemper (glue tempera). They are also ideally suited for use with gesso for making toned grounds for drawing and painting.