Silverpoint drawing-how to do it

I like silverpoint drawing. It is an unusual technique which few artists use.It encourages delicate and controlled working for it is almost impossible to erase a mistake.

Silverpoint works because the silver is rubbed off the drawing point as it strokes the the the ground on which you draw . What you need to make a drawing is a piece of silver wire, the means of holding it comfortably and a prepared surface on which to draw. Any artist possessed of a little initiative can easily arrange these things.

I bought my silver wire from a jeweller in Newcastle.I first approached a silversmith in Carlisle but he gave me the brush off and seemed quite pompous about the whole thing....maybe he thought I was wasting his time. When you buy your wire explain what you want it for and an intelligent craftsman is likely to be more sympathetic and maybe interested-and will understand that you are not a competitor. An inch of wire will go a long way.Two could last a lifetime. As you can see from the illustration I mounted my wire in a plastic penholder. In the UK this is called a mapping pen. The nib was removed and the wire held in place with epoxy putty.When making your silverpoint bear in mind that silver is relatively soft and pliable so do not make it too long.Not more than about one half of an inch should protrude from the holder.

And now for the drawing surface-the ground as connoisseurs would call it.I use a fairly smooth paper and coat it with white gouache. The gouache should be quite thin and flowing. You should not aim for a plaster like surface. A chalky look to the paper will be enough. You might wish to tint the gouache slightly- a pink effect is sometimes found in Renaissance work.But go carefully-silverpoint produces delicate marks which darken somewhat as the silver on the paper tarnishes over the years.I have sometimes uses a dilute acrylic paint as the ground for silverpoint. This has the advantage of being waterproof but I do not think that it is as receptive to the silverpoint as a more chalky surface.You might consider adding some acrylic gel to the gouache if you want a slightly more waterproof surface-but the look should still be matte.

On a personal note my first attempt at silverpoint was made when I was a schoolboy. An old silverplated spoon made a rather awkward drawing implement and some white watercolour served as the ground.