About Silverpoint

“Method of drawing whereby a silver-tipped instrument is dragged across paper prepared with ground bone dust and gum water and then tinted with a pigment. The procedure results in drawings of extraordinary delicacy. It was used extensively in Europe from the late Middle Ages to the early 16th century. The silverpoint instrument was a silver thread encased in wood, similar in design to a modern lead pencil. Among the foremost practitioners of the medium were Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer.”
– Columbia Encyclopedia

Before the advent of pencil, silverpoint was used by artists from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. A silverpoint drawing is built up in layers of silver on specially prepared paper. When the silver is exposed to the air, it tarnishes to a deeper tone. Silverpoint is a challenging and exacting medium. The silver lines, delicate and luminous, remain forever unmoving.

Silverpoint is drawing at it’s finest, a true test of the artist’s hand. Practiced by masters such as DaVinci, Durer and Rembrandt, it is seldom used by contemporary artists. The silverpoint drawing radiates a shimmering luminousity as the layers of silver catch and reflect the surrounding light.

I prepare my own silverpoint ground and apply several coats to a high quality, acid free paper. The paper is then lightly sanded to allow some of the brush texture to remain. This gives each piece the unique characteristic of an antique fresco.

For more information about siverpoint, please visit http://www.silverpointweb.com/