Old Masters Formula Silverpoint Ground

You will need:
• One-half ounce of fine Rabbit Skin Glue powder
• 16 ounces of artist-grade Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide powdered pigment.

You will also need:
• A liquid measuring cup, preferably see-through
• Two vessels, one which can "nest" inside another
• Cover for the smaller vessel
• Whisk and/or large spoon
• Thermometer or other means to monitor up to 130° F [55° Celsius} temperature

SPRINKLE 1/2 OZ [14 GRAMS] OF FINE GLUE POWDER into two and seven-eighths cups (liquid measure) [0.68 liters] of water, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.

Rinse whisk thoroughly immediately after this, and every, use!

Cover vessel and allow to stand at room temperature for one hour.
—
HEAT INSIDE SECOND VESSEL, one inside another to provide a water bath - nested stock pots work well, or you can stand one vessel on submerged small jars, glasses, cans, beads or marbles to raise it up (see illustration ); stir frequently and monitor the temperature.—

WHEN 120°F. [ 49° Celsius] IS REACHED, TURN DOWN THE HEAT and gently and gradually pour (or sift) the pigment powder into the hot glue, whisking constantly, while monitoring the temperature. Add pigment until mixture is consistency of light cream. Use a large stainless steel spoon to bring pigment up from the bottom of the vessel, and stir well to see if desired consistency is reached. Note: too thin may be better than too thick, you can always add more pigment tomorrow.

POUR THE LIQUID GROUND INTO NEW, CLEAN VESSEL, screening* if desired. You can use this right away if you desire, or you can cover and refrigerate over night (recommended).

*NOTE: sheer polyester fabric provides the finest screen, but the ground must be worked through this with a utensil of some sort, and it takes a while. A faster alternative is to sift the pigment through doubled-up plastic window screening before mixing, but some granularity may result. I generally just sift the pigment through a screen sieve, like what cooks use to drain rice or screen sauces, before adding it to the glue, then lightly sand between coats of the ground, and that works fine for me. —

To use: heat in a water bath to 120°-130°F [49°-55° Celsius], stirring constantly once it becomes reliquified, and apply to stretched paper or panel according to the procedures published on the Silverpoint Web workshop pages.

Never allow the ground to reach 140°F ! [60°Celsius]! Avoid Freezing !

USING THE OLD MASTERS FORMULA SILVERPOINT GROUND

Heat the ground to 120-135 °F in the water bath arrangement again - 135 °F is about the same temperature as what you can stand to put your hand in at your kitchen sink. Check the interior of the ground with a thermometer to ascertain that this temperature has been reached, or test it by hand, using extreme caution; Under no circumstances allow the ground to be heated to 140°F, and don't burn yourself either! The adhesive qualities of the ground can be destroyed by excess heat, plus it may become discolored. Basically, you just want it to become liquified, enough to be easily brushable. Don't cook it on the stove!

Apply the first coat of ground to the stretched paper in even strokes in one direction with a fine, wide brush such as a one-inch or larger red sable or equivalent synthetic (I use a "Polar Flo"). Wet the brush in clean water first to prevent the ground from drying and hardening inside the ferrule. Try to leave as smooth an application as possible - remember, this is going to be your drawing surface. Work quickly — the ground sets fast.

Wash that expensive brush right now! and allow the first coat to dry.

Note: the finer the brush, the smoother the surface and the better the response. Yes, I know, wide sables aren't cheap. That's why you never leave it there unwashed for any period of time, right? And, believe me, after drawing on surfaces with hills and valleys left by a coarse throwaway "chip" brush, not to mention stray boar bristles bonded forever to what was going to be your masterpiece, you'll be searching for wide, smooth brushes.

Apply second, third and fourth coats as above but across the previous direction(s).

Allow to thoroughly dry. Note the word "thoroughly"! A week would be good...

If the resulting surface is streaked or bumpy, sand lightly and gently with fine (#400 or finer) open-coat sandpaper until smooth; otherwise, wipe the surface with a damp cloth.

Remove the paper from the stretching surface when it is completely dry! When I say dry I mean DRY! Treat the results as you would any high quality and very responsive drawing surface, and make sure your hands are clean and free of oils, or wear archivist's cotton gloves.

Experiment with the ground - You could apply the third coat with a sponge or splatter it with a toothbrush, deliberately making a textured surface somewhat like coquille board — just remember it has to be applied hot. The ground works on just about any support surface, including small blocks of wood. I've used it on canvas, and what a unique result! Caveat: I recommend bonding the canvas to a panel with glue size to keep it from distorting while drawing; even the softest silver point is still metal. Have the courage to play!

Adding Color to Ground: - You can tint your ground by adding liquid pigment such as Luma Brilliant Concentrated Watercolor. Some people have also used powdered pigment; mull the powdered pigment with a little bit of ground and water first before mixing it into the blend, or you'll get spotting and streaking. Some people have also used colored inks. I don't recommend paints such as gouache, pan watercolor, or acrylic, but that doesn't mean you can't experiment if you want to.

Notes on use and storage: Keep the ground in the refrigerator when it's not being used, and use it all within three weeks (basically, have a paper-preparation party until it's all used up). It might last longer than three weeks in the fridge, but I wouldn't count on it.