Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


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Need to "Weather" Metal Leaf Work

I am using both pure silver and copper leaf on large drawings I do on 1/4 in thick plywood. I need to know how to tarnish and weather them as quickly as possible to get them to a point where I will stop the process with varnish. I need a coat on substance, as I cannot submerge the work in anything.

Denise Samabria
Artist - Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
2004

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You can use 2-5% liver of sulfur solution(potassium polysulfide)! This solution is for copper and silver too.

Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2004

Sourcing:liver of sulfur [on eBay or Amazon] (use with care!)

 

Another one that I have had some fun results with is miracle grow and water, you get a good varied blue and green patina on the copper and the silver darkens well as well. Due to it's mixed nature it does not leave a clean uniform patina on the metal (which may be a good thing).

Marc Banks
- Elizabeth City, North Carolina
2004