Silverpoint

An elegant traditional technique given a contemporary twist

Metalpoint is a traditional drawing technique which was particularly popular with Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci & Albert Dürer and is the forerunner of our graphite pencil today. The technique uses a metal stylus on a prepared surface, and while silver and copper will oxidize, changing colour over time, other metals retain their original hue, although none of them look particularly dark. It is an exacting yet understated drawing method giving very delicate results.

I use metalpoint mainly for lettering, enjoying that subtlety of line and the anticipation of unpredictable colour changes, but also in conjunction with painting and gilding. I run workshops covering how to prepare surfaces with a range of suitable grounds, fashioning your own tools and mark making to achieve various results – whether for lettering artists or people who already draw.