silverpoint or....

[Anonymous]

:shock:
Can I paint right over silverpoint? I am using oils on panel. Have never tried this technique before. (don't even have a tool yet) Does it work right over traditional gesso or do I have to do something to prpare it? size before/after?
anything else I need to know? not easy to find writen material on this subject.
I usually use inks or oil for the drawing and I want to try silver.

thanks to all who may help me.

[Rosemary]

I have never tried the combination, but I have tried silver point. When it is first on the surface, it is light in color, but as the silver oxidizes or tarnishes, or turns to silver sulfide, it gets much darker and sometimes rather brownish.

I think the high sulfer content of eggs may make the silver much darker than you first envision your work. It may be hard to control the result.

Sounds like fun but very experimental.

[realgesso]

I use silverpoint for underdrawings with oils on traditional gesso panels, works great. Although I've never used it with egg tempera i've heard of it being done with no problems.

[Anonymous]

thanks realgesso. glad to know that it works. I will be trying that for my next painting. I was kinda hoping that some of that work was on your site though. Good looking cradles by the way.

scott

[realgesso]

Scott, I'm a complete hobby painter, and the only place I display my work is on my mother-in-law's walls (As a form of punishment :lol: ) We do however have an artist-in-residence, I'll see if she'll do up a little sample that I can post.

[Alessandra Kelley]

I have painted in egg tempera over silverpoint for some years now, with no ill effects. The sulphur in the egg may make the silver darker, but really silverpoint is such a delicate medium that it makes little difference. It's certainly not like painting over an ink underdrawing.