Recently I have been experimenting with Silverpoint drawing. This is a very old technique favoured by artists of the Renaissance which produces very soft and subtle marks which darken over time as the metal tarnishes.
To begin you need to prepare your ground, I used Silverpoint Drawing Ground by C. Roberson and Co.
Mine was traditional off white, I painted it onto Strathmore Illustration board. In the past I have used pre-prepared paper. If you don't have a ground the silver doesn't make a suitable mark.
For very fine lines you can use silver wire and you can attach it to a handle or use it in a clutch pencil, providing that the dimensions are the same. I also purchased a pencil type with a thicker piece of silver, this makes thicker, heavier lines and you can use it to good effect for shading.
It's fun to experiment with different kinds of metals and objects, this tiny silver spoon was used to create a soft texture on the hare drawing below. The hare and cygnet drawings are ACEO size, 3.5 by 2.5 inches. It has not been possible to show these images at a high resolution due to their size but I hope it gives some idea of the effects of this medium. Maybe you will feel inspired to have a try yourself?
