Gesine GarzDear Camille, thank you for your interest and your nice coments! I wil try and answer your questions:
After I photo-etch (I usually let a professional company do it for me because of all the hazardous and messy chemicals), I hand-engrave the background... moreDear Camille, thank you for your interest and your nice coments! I wil try and answer your questions:
After I photo-etch (I usually let a professional company do it for me because of all the hazardous and messy chemicals), I hand-engrave the background to give it texture. By using different engraving tools, you can achieve all kinds of lovely patterns, and it makes the background a lot more shiny and reflective, which is great with transparent enamels.
I use only sterling silver, also for the enamelled parts as I find fine silver too soft. You can get fire stain on the sterling but that can be removed with carefull pumicing and polishing.
I have never used depletion guilding...maybe I should find out more about it?
I hope this helps.
Feel free to contact me again if you have any more questions.
Best wishes,
Gesine less
May 13, 2010
Camille KnutsonI really like the shading on this piece! Are you using burs to texture the background after you etch or is it done with the etching process? Is the piece itself sterling that's been depletion gilded or fine silver set in Sterling? Sorry for so many... moreI really like the shading on this piece! Are you using burs to texture the background after you etch or is it done with the etching process? Is the piece itself sterling that's been depletion gilded or fine silver set in Sterling? Sorry for so many questions...I've got the acid to etch but have not gone forth with the project (and I really really want to try Champlevé - just not sure what the best route to starting would be) because I've got a lot of questions about 'HOW'...that and I'm not that great at depletion gilding yet...so...but your work is really wonderful! Thank you so much for posting such great eye candy!! less
After I photo-etch (I usually let a professional company do it for me because of all the hazardous and messy chemicals), I hand-engrave the background... more