A Silverpoint Drawing a Day

News Update

2010-02-17T05:16:00.001-08:00

[this post has been edited on March 5, 2010]

I was going to remove this blog completely, but since I like many of the pieces on here, & it does get some traffic, I'm now resolved to leave it here. However, I will be removing the prices, as they were very low compared to what my work usually goes for. Most of the pieces will still be available, prices available on request.

I haven't done any silverpoint drawings for quite a while, as the "drawing a day" format forced me to sit down & create a silverpoint drawing every morning (or afternoon or evening in a few cases). While many people might find this kind of discipline useful, I personally found that it was having a reverse effect -- I seemed to be creating less work than I might otherwise, as all my efforts were being channeled into the one particular piece for the web site.

So, I may create & post some more silverpoint pieces, but it will not be on a day-by-day basis. I shall leave the existing 50 daily pieces here (including the 2 by Jim Stevenson, unless he requests I take them down for any reason), & add to them on an ad hoc basis.

Thanks,
William T. Ayton

Day 50 - the final day: Da Vinci's Angel

2009-08-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

[To see the concluding text for this blog, please scroll down in the right sidebar]

As it began, so it ends. The first silverpoint image I posted in this blog, to demonstrate silverpoint's look & feel, was Leonardo's study of an angel which was used in the Virgin of the Rocks. So, I thought it was only fitting to bookend this blog with the same image, or my copy of the same:

Da Vinci's Angel by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on card prepared with Mars Yellow-tinted gesso, 8" x 6". WTA110. Signed, dated & inscribed "after Leonardo."

Click on the image to see a larger version.

I very rarely make copies of other artists' work (an exception being the Isle of the Dead), though if I do, I usually alter things at least a tiny bit.

There are various differences between the original & this one, the most obvious probably being that Leonardo was left-handed & I'm not, so the hatching lines run diagonally upwards from left to right in mine. Leonardo's original was heightened with white chalk or similar, mine is not. And so on. But, if you're going to copy or steal, copy or steal from the best. I think I learned quite a lot in making this little copy.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 49: The Penultimate One

2009-08-27T04:05:00.000-07:00

The title of this silverpoint drawing of a head derives from the fact that it is the second to last one in the series:

The Penultimate One by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on tinted card, 10" x 8". WTA108. Created today.

Tomorrow should be the last day of the series of 50 silverpoint drawings. I hope to have something interesting uploaded.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 48: The Warrior Reflects

2009-08-26T06:39:00.001-07:00

A new silverpoint drawing on light Mars Yellow over light blue ground:

The Warrior Reflects by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on tinted ground, 10" x 8". WTA107. Created today.

I guess this is a kind of anti-war image (in the spirit of my installation, The War Room), where the hero reflects on past wars & perhaps has some kind of realization.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 47: Young Orpheus

2009-08-25T04:27:00.001-07:00

Silverpoint drawing on light yellow ground over magenta ground:

Young Orpheus by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on tinted ground, 10" x 8". WTA106. Created yesterday.

Depiction of the mythical Greek poet as a youth.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 46: Dissolving Head

2009-08-24T06:44:00.001-07:00

This silverpoint drawing was done on a Mars Yellow tinted ground, over a magenta-tinted ground:

Dissolving Head by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on tinted card, 10" x 8". WTA104.

The theme of a head dissolving into the landscape/background was most likely influenced by Leonardo's "sfumato" ("rendering in smoke") technique, whereby the outer lines of an object blur into the background or other parts of the image.

This drawing also contains more cross-hatching than usual to define the tonal regions.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 45: Grotesque Yet Melancholy Profile

2009-08-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

New silverpoint drawing on blue. Done today (Saturday). I hadn't intended to work on the weekends with this blog, but I missed a day a while ago, and this means the series of 50 silverpoints should be finished this coming Friday.

Grotesque Yet Melancholy Profile by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on blue-tinted card, 10" x 8". WTA103.

Inspired by yesterday's somewhat grotesque image, and also by Leonardo's grotesque heads, and the monstrous inventions of Bosch...

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 44: Craggy Profile

2009-08-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

A new silverpoint drawing on blue, done today:

Craggy Profile by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on blue-tinted card, 10" x 8". WTA101.

Partly inspired by the work of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, whose work I mostly followed from the mid-late 60s to the early 70s. His work often featured characters with literally stony faces, from Ben Grimm to Darkseid. Here's to you, Jack.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 43: Vestiges of a Forest

2009-08-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint drawing on light blue:

Vestiges of a Forest by William T. Ayton. Silverpoint drawing on blue-tinted ground, 10" x 8". WTA099.

Mostly tonal drawing of trees, etc. Inspired by surrealist "landscapes" of the 1930s & so on (Magritte, Tanguy, Dali, Ernst -- the usual suspects.) You could also see this as a small ecological statement...

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 42: The Burden of the World

2009-08-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

New silverpoint drawing on light blue-toned ground:

The Burden of the World by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on blue-toned card, 10" x 8". WTA098.

This kind of light blue prepared ground seems to be one of the best options for enhancing the contrast of silverpoint.

The image is based on a 2008 painting (of which there are 2 versions) of the same name.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 41: Figure Stuck Between Two Walls

2009-08-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint drawing of a male figure on a light blue-tinted ground:

Figure Stuck Between Two Walls by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on pale blue ground, 10" x 8". WTA097.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 40: Figure on Magenta

2009-08-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint drawing of a figure on magenta-toned ground:

Figure on Magenta by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned card, heightened with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA096.

A silverpoint drawing of a crouched figure in a rocky landscape.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 39: Woman on Magenta

2009-08-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint drawing on a magenta-toned ground:

Woman on Magenta by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on magenta-toned ground, highlighted with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA095. Created today.

The ground was almost too lurid & powerful. However, I think the image survived.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 38: Young Man

2009-08-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

New silverpoint of a young man's head, done today:

Young Man by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned ground highlighted with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA094.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 37: A Winged Man

2009-08-12T10:22:00.001-07:00

Silverpoint drawing on ground toned with Mars Yellow:

A Winged Man by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned ground, 9" x 7". WTA093. Created today.

From an ongoing series of angels/winged figures, partly inspired by the Duino Elegies of Rainer Maria Rilke.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 36: Head of Leda sketch

2009-08-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

A silverpoint sketch, done yesterday:

Head of Leda by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned ground, 10" x 8". WTA092.

I didn't highlight this one with white, so the contrast isn't as great.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 35: A Beast

2009-08-10T08:52:00.001-07:00

Head of a mythological semi-human creature on Mars Yellow-toned ground:

A Beast by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned ground, heightened with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA091. Created today.

Looks something like a hobbit (I've been reading The Lord of the Rings to my elder daughter for an eternity now) or one of those faerie creatures from Joseph Noel Paton's work that I saw in the National Gallery of Scotland when I was an art student in Edinburgh...a bit of an anomaly from my usual subject matter, but it just kind of appeared on the paper, as they tend to do, sometimes.

As usual, my scanner has managed to pick up & emphasize minor folds & bumps in the paper.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 34: Man's Head

2009-08-07T07:17:00.001-07:00

Silverpoint of a man's head on a ground tinted with Mars Yellow:

Man's Head on Mars Yellow by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned ground, heightened with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA090. Created today.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 33: Three-Quarter Head

2009-08-06T13:18:00.001-07:00

A small silverpoint sketch on gray-toned card:

Three-Quarter Head by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on gray-toned card, 9" x 7". Heightened with white pastel pencil. WTA089. Created today.

There is a tiny flaw in the ground on the cheek, and a tiny splash of colored paint on the bridge of the nose. Personally, I like tiny flaws like that as they add character to a piece, but I'm mentioning them in case certain collectors might have a problem with them. They're almost invisible. My scanner has also picked up & exaggerated minor bumps in the paper, which, when framed under glass, will flatten out completely.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 32: Profile in Shadow

2009-08-05T08:21:00.001-07:00

A silverpoint on gray-toned card done a week or so ago:

Profile in Shadow by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on gray-toned Bristol Vellum cardstock, 10" x 8". WTA084.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 31: Man with a Long Neck

2009-08-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

A monochrome silverpoint sketch on white ground:

Man with a Long Neck by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on white gessoed card, 11" x 8.5". WTA043. Done a couple of weeks ago.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

This blog will now run for 50 days total

2009-08-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've decided, since Jim is pretty much occupied with preparing paintings for an upcoming show, & I'm also busy with the Ayton Artwork a Day blog, & now the Shadow Bay noir project with Donald Rothschild, that I'll let this Silverpoint blog run until day 50, & then let it stop, either temporarily (possibly) or permanently (more likely.) I'm seriously considering doing the same with the Ayton Artwork a Day blog also, which will free me up further. Thanks -- William T. Ayton.

Day 30: The Bather

2009-08-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

New silverpoint on gray-toned card done today:

The Bather by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on gray-toned card, heightened with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA088. Created today.

Image of a figure in water, related to the Narcissus works.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 29: Head Metamorphosing into Rocks

2009-07-31T07:48:00.001-07:00

New silverpoint drawing on gray-toned ground, created today:

Head Metamorphosing into Rocks by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on gray-toned card, heightened with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA087.

Heads emerging from or turning into geological formations is a consistent theme in my work. I might have been inspired in this by Mantegna, for whom rocky landscapes were a staple.

The number 87 in the lower left signifies that this is the 87th (more or less) finished silverpoint that I have created. This is an original drawing, not a print of any kind.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 28: Orpheus (The Hero II)

2009-07-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint drawing on a greenish ground:

Orpheus (The Hero II) by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on a greenish ground, 11" x 8.5". Heightened with white pastel pencil. WTA071.

The scanner has picked up more of a yellowish-green than is actually there. The ground is somewhat more muted in color than this.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Skipping a day

2009-07-29T15:51:00.003-07:00

Due to personal business & scheduling, there is no silverpoint for today. There should be one tomorrow.

Day 27: Young Man on Ochre

2009-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

A silverpoint drawing on ochre-toned paper:

Young Man on Ochre by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned paper. Highlighted with white pencil. WTA056.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 26: Woman's Head on Blue

2009-07-27T08:56:00.001-07:00

A silverpoint drawing on a blue-toned ground:

Woman's Head on Blue by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on blue-toned ground, highlighted with white pencil, 11" x 8.5". WTA052.

A delicate sketch in silverpoint.

This piece is signed & dated, it was scanned before being signed, however. It also bears the serial number #52--this is purely for the artist to keep track of the order in which these pieces were done. This is a unique, hand-done piece & NOT a limited edition print or giclee.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 25: Song

2009-07-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

Monochrome silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:

Song by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA028.

Actually created a couple of weeks ago, it's an interesting study of an imaginary head.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 24: Cassandra

2009-07-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton on a ground tinted with Mars Yellow:

Cassandra by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned card, 11" x 8.5". WTA079 (mistakenly labeled in the lower right as #78.)

In Greek mythology, Cassandra had the gift of prophecy, but no-one would listen to her.

The scanner has picked up a slight shadow near the top of the drawing. This is not visible on the actual piece.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 23: Time and Ruins

2009-07-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

A new silverpoint drawing on gray-toned ground by William T. Ayton:

Time & Ruins, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on gray-toned card, 9" x 7". WTA086. Created today.

A shrouded figure surrounded by ruins. Empires crumble, & time makes ruins of us all.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 22: Sleep

2009-07-21T07:13:00.001-07:00

This is a silverpoint drawing on gray-toned ground by William T. Ayton, inspired by the Work of Simeon Solomon:

Sleep by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned card, 9" x 7". Highlighted with white pastel pencil. WTA083. Created today.

Simeon Solomon (see link above) was a British artist working in the mid-late 19th century. Inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites, his work had an otherworldly air, & strong erotic undertones (& overtones.) His burgeoning career was cut short due to his arrest in a public convenience, where he was apprehended with another man. After this, he was shunned by polite society & was eventually forced into the workhouse, where he died penniless. However, he never stopped drawing & creating art, usually on cheap, scavenged materials, such as chalk & cardboard. For decades he continued to explore his eternal themes, such as the one above, which I have appropriated in a little homage to a potentially great artist who lost everything except his talent.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 21: The Acolyte

2009-07-20T04:49:00.001-07:00

A monochrome silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:

The Acolyte by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA049.

The hooded, enigmatic figure is a recurring theme in Ayton's art, suggesting ancient or esoteric wisdom. The drawing also features extensive use of cross-hatching to establish the tonal areas.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 20: The Ancient One

2009-07-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

A monochrome silverpoint drawing (serial #046) by William T. Ayton, done around a week ago:

The Ancient One by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA046.

Another Leonardesque image of an old man's profile.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 19: Melancholy Head

2009-07-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

[Note: Jim Stevenson is busy preparing paintings for a show, so Bill is picking up the slack here.]

Silverpoint drawing (serial #76) of an angular head on tinted ground by William T. Ayton:

Melancholy Head by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on card, with ground mixed with burnt ochre. Highlighted with white pastel pencil. WTA076.

Created today.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 18: Profile of a Woman's Head

2009-07-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint drawing serial #40 from William T. Ayton:

Profile of a Woman's Head by William T. Ayton. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA040.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 17: Profile of a Man

2009-07-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint sketch (Ayton serial #32):

Profile of a Man by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA032.

Simple, Breughelesque (perhaps) sketch of a man's profile.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 16: Emerging Into Light

2009-07-13T07:55:00.001-07:00

Tonal study of a head (Ayton silverpoint #22):

Emerging Into Light by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA022.

As usual, the scanner has been unable to pick up all of the subtletties...

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 15: Large Head with Closed Eyes

2009-07-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

Another silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:

Day 15: Large Head with Closed Eyes by William T. Ayton, 2009. Siverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA020.

This has been darkened slightly in Photoshop for visibility purposes. The piece is currently starting to oxidize & gaining a brownish hue.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 14: Young Girl in a Turban

2009-07-09T06:58:00.001-07:00

This is silverpoint drawing #18 (selected from the artist's collection) by William T. Ayton:

Young Girl in a Turban by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA018.

Darkened in Photoshop for improved visibility. In actuality, this silverpoint is starting to take on an appealing sepia hue.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 13: Profile of an Old Man

2009-07-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

This is silverpoint drawing #14 in the series by William T. Ayton:

Profile of an Old Man by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA014.

The drawing has been darkened in Photoshop slightly for visibility. Imaginary study of a Leonardesque old man's head.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 12: Imaginary Landscape

2009-07-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

New silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:

Imaginary Landscape by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 8.5" x 11". WTA011.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 11: Narcissus Approaches the Pool

2009-07-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

[Note: I'm posting these silverpoint drawings out of numerical sequence so as to only post the more successful ones, and to catch up with my backlog—WTA]

Narcissus Approaches the Pool by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA010.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 10: Head From Below

2009-07-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is the 7th silverpoint drawing from William T. Ayton:

Head From Below by William T. Ayton, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA007.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 9: Eyes Downcast

2009-07-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is Ayton's 6th silverpoint drawing, reworked tonally from a simpler, fainter line drawing:

Eyes Downcast by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA006.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 8: Head and Landscape

2009-07-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Silverpoint #5 from William T. Ayton. A very delicate (& difficult to scan) line drawing:

Head and Landscape by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA005.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 7: Landscape

2009-06-30T05:53:00.001-07:00

Landscape by James L. Stevenson, Silverpoint on Prepared Paper 8 x 11 inches, JLS-062809

Day 6: Shadowy Figures

2009-06-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is Ayton silverpoint drawing #4:

Shadowy Figures by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA004.

Very subtle line drawing with cross-hatching of 2 figures.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 5: Life Drawing

2009-06-26T03:15:00.000-07:00

Life Drawing by James L. Stevenson, Silverpoint on Prepared Paper, 8 x 11 inches, JLS-061609

$45 USD incl US shipping (+5 Non-US)

Day 4: Head Raised (Fear)

2009-06-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

This is a fine-line silverpoint drawing of a head:

Head Raised (Fear), 2009, by William T. Ayton. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA003.

Some of the finer lines have not come through too well on the scan. Created with the "traditional" stylus, a very fine silver wire in a holder.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Notes on shipping, etc.

2009-06-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

This is just to clarify a few points:

1. The silverpoint drawings are on sale unframed & unmatted. This is to keep costs low for shipping, etc. Also, they should ideally be framed behind glass (or plexi), so that could be a problem with shipping.

2. Prices quoted after each item reflect the full price including shipping. There are usually 2 prices -- one including shipping to the US, and the other for shipping outside the US.

3. We currently only accept PayPal. If this is problem, please leave a comment to this post. Anonymous comments are enabled.

Thank you.

Day 3: Promontory

2009-06-24T08:07:00.001-07:00

Here is the 2nd experiment in silverpoint by William T. Ayton:

Promontory, 2009, by William T. Ayton. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card (actually, from the backing of a spiral-bound sketchbook), 9" x 8.25" approx. WTA002.

The piece is inspired by the fantastic rock formations often seen in old Flemish paintings.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 2: Three Trees

2009-06-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

Three Trees by James L. Stevenson. Silverpoint on Prepared Paper, 8 x 11 inches, JLS-062209

Day 1: Man's Head and Mountains

2009-06-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the first silverpoint drawing:

Man's Head and Mountains by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared thin card, 11" x 8.5". Serial number WTA001. Click image for better view.

As previously stated, silverpoint drawings are very difficult to scan, given that they consist of traces of silver on a support treated with a ground, so the traces are quite reflective & do not pick up well on a scanner. However, I've tried to adjust the image in Photoshop to make it as representative as possible of its current state. As the image oxidizes further, I shall try to get a better image for this blog.

This piece was done about a week ago, so it has darkened a little, but not much. I have built up a collection of about 12 drawings at this point, so I will post one a day from now on (either of my work or Jim Stevenson's), and they will be available for purchase.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

The oxidation problem

2009-06-18T07:25:00.001-07:00

Note: while Jim & I have started to produce silverpoint drawings, they are currently in a difficult state to accurately scan & reproduce here, due to the time it takes for the silver traces on the page to oxidize, darken & turn a brownish hue. In the meantime, we'll build up a supply of pieces, I guess, & when they start to mature, they will start to appear here. Stay tuned...

Getting Closer to Silverpoint

2009-06-16T08:06:00.001-07:00

We have the materials (Jim & I). Now we have to prepare some paper & make some drawings. To clarify: silverpoint (or other kinds of metalpoint drawing) is achieved by using a thin piece of metal wire (silver, copper, gold, etc) held in a stylus to make marks on a prepared surface (paper coated with gesso or gouache, usually), so the line is formed on the page when a trace of the metal is left on the surface. After time (or exposure to the sun), the traces of metal oxidize & subtly change color -- silver becoming brown, for example.

Here's a metalpoint drawing by Leonardo, to demonstrate the fine lines & subtle shading possibilities:

Angel for the Madonna of the Rocks, metalpoint heightened with white. Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1483-85.

Coming Soon!

2009-06-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

Just as soon as we figure this thing out. What is silverpoint anyway? Oh, here it is...