Colored Pencils on Metal

John,

I haven’t left the farm yet, though it sounds as though I have. I have
actually seen a beautiful patina-like finish on sterling that was
attributed to colored pencil. It appeared to be laid over liver of sulfur
(which is how I tried doing it). Though the results were interesting, I
couldn’t get any color.

Also, while attending Oregon College of Art and Craft, a much respected
instructor mentioned applying colored pencil to metal as a patina
technique, though we never got around to exploring it in the patina class.
I regret not having asked her for the details, but I didn’t really think
about it until about a month ago when I wanted just a hint of an unusual
color on a piece. I’m afraid the Chinagraph pencils would be too bold for
what I am looking for. Thanks for taking a stab at it though. Any other
suggestions would be appreciated.

Laura H.

From a peaceful little farm near the Columbia River, with a view of Mt.
St.
Helens and Mt. Hood. And, on a clear day, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier.

Dear Laura,
when I was an apprentice, I was also a very enthusiastic
photographer (in the days of DIY black and white photography) and because
photographic emulsion was silver halide and I could get interesting
effects with toners which reacted with the silver in the emulsion, I often
wondered whether some of the photographic toning solutions might not have
some relevance to some very different patination effects. But I never got
around to trying this out - procrastination being the thief of time…

Just a thought. Regards, Rex from Oz.