Drawing with Silver and Gold: A Special Lecture

"Drawing with Silver and Gold" Special Lecture, Demo, and Book Signing

We're excited to present our first-ever metal point event! We first met Susan Schwalb as a customer when she was shopping for some unique metal brushes for her work. When we attended CAA this February, she introduced us her new book, which had just been published by Routledge. "Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing" (written with Tom Mazzullo) is the first complete manual of this technique, which is in the midst of revival. The book will be able to purchase at our shop starting in October, and of course on the day of this event.

Susan will give a presentation covering the history of metal point, types of grounds and tools available, and how to use them. She will also discuss and show slide images of many other artists working in metal-point. There will be ample time to ask detailed questions. Susan will also give short demos of the techniques she has been perfecting since 1974.

A short explanation of silverpoint technique from Susan Schwalb:

"Silverpoint is a method of drawing with a piece of silver on a prepared surface. As the silver passes across the paper it leaves a thin deposit in the material used for the ground. A very sure hand is required, because no erasure is possible."

"Artists in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance generally coated their paper with calcined bone in a medium such as rabbit skin glue. Ground seashells and egg shells were also used. Today the possibilities are endless: Chinese white watercolor, casein, traditional gesso, acrylic gesso and paint, as well as ordinary house paint. Metals besides silver are also useable and all of them (except for gold and platinum) tarnish, resulting in a considerable variety of colors that emerges sometime after the drawing is completed."

Bring:

• Pen and paper for notes
• Apron and dust mask
• Studio shoes